Reviews, info, & links about "dark rides," the industry's term for any attraction that conveys guests through an indoor environment, such as Pirates of the Caribbean or The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
Roller coasters get most of the glory, carousels get plenty of PR spin, and whirling rides get lots of...dizzy passengers and the occasional visit from a clean-up crew. But haunted attractions, also known as spooky rides or by the industry term, dark rides, have been, and continue to be, an integral part of the theme park and amusement park experience as well.
So, you Will Smith-wannabes think you have the stuff to join the Men in Black? Slip on the black shades, enter the "recruitment program" at MIB Alien Attack and find out. Issued laser guns, passengers travel in ultra-sophisticated vehicles through an alien-infested New York City streetscape and rack up points by blasting the otherworldly bugs. The bugs, however, blast back.
While it may not have the cachet of Nathan's hot dogs, the Cyclone roller coaster, or the Wonder Wheel, the Spook-A-Rama at New York's Coney Island is nevertheless a seminal piece of living amusement park history. One of the few remaining classic haunted attractions, enthusiasts consider the Spook to be the Sistine Chapel of dark rides. Read on mortals...IF YOU DARE!
Review and overview of the Curse of DarKastle ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, VA.
Another ode to the classic haunted rides.
Overview and review of Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland in California.
Video ride through of Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania.
Video of the defunct Jazzland ride. The park, which was later known as Six Flags New Orleans, was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
A shrine for classic dark rides, both those that are still operating and those that have gone to the great tunnel of love in the sky. The fans that keep this site going obviously have a great affection for the genre.
Review and overview of the Nights in White Satin- The Trip ride at Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Universal incorporates so many innovations into its utterly unique dark ride/coaster, it has coined a new label for Revenge of the Mummy: psychological thrill ride. But the ride also unleashes physical thrills, including a surprisingly potent coaster experience, to produce a wild, kinetic, frenetic attraction. Read my review and overview, then check out the photo gallery.
The most sophisticated attraction on the planet, Spider-Man blurs the line between virtual and reality so well that you'll emerge slack-jawed and awe-struck.
Oh, the places you'll go at Islands of Adventure. The most whimsical and charming "island" at the Universal Orlando park, and the one expressly geared for young children, is Seuss Landing. Its showcase ride, The Cat in the Hat, brings guests face to face with the beloved Seussian characters and into their wacky, wonderful world.
Overview and review of The Seas with Nemo and Friends ride at Epcot in Walt Disney World, Florida.
A review of the seminal Disney theme park dark ride/freefall attraction.
Casual and ardent fans alike typically pair the Haunted Mansion with Pirates of the Caribbean as the archetypal Disney attractions. Here is my full review, plus links to behind-the-screams secrets revealed, Museum of the Weird facts about the ride, a Haunted Mansion Photo Gallery, a history of the attraction from Disney legend Marty Sklar--even the lyrics to the theme song, "Grim Grinning Ghosts."
Check out the seminal Pirates of the Caribbean E-Ticket attraction, including a review, some below-deck insights from Disney Imagineering legend Marty Sklar, a 16-photo gallery--even the lyrics to the rousing "Yo Ho" song. Drink up, me 'earties!
