What is a Dark Ride? Classifications...

[Spaced Out Dude]

I need some help!

There's a debate going on another forum;
http://www.themeuk.net/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=228

What would you clasify a dark ride as?

 

[patsfan24]

A ride that is not well lit

 

[marni1971]

Technically, the original dark ride was a slow moving ride vehicle passing through UV (or dark/blacklight) illuminated sets. This has developed over time to anything from Peter Pans Flight (an original dark ride) to Spaceship Earth to Dinosaur. The traditional dark ride phrase really has mutated into an indoor ride - of various speeds and conveyance - through a series of show scenes populated from anything from lighting effects to projected film to Animatronic.

How dark is dark? Valhalla would be a dark ride. Maelstrom is classed as a dark ride. Horizons, though slow moving through a series of show scenes, wasn`t classed as one. Since SSE is loosely called one perhaps Horizons, Motion et el should have been too. The new Crushes Coaster at WDSP is classed as a hybrid dark ride, due to the coaster segment.

The term dark ride has become a generic name for an indoor ride through attraction, regardless of the lighting scheme.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I consider a "Dark Ride" to be any ride which contains a portion where you move slowly past scenes indoors. The rides don't necessarily have to be very dark to count.

Though, with new technology, thrill rides and dark rides are being combined more and more, so its hard to define some of them.

Indoor roller coasters do not count... except The Mummy at Universal, IMO, since it starts out as a dark ride.

I consider Tower of Terror a dark ride because of everything before the drops.

 

[mousermerf]

I think in the begining a "Dark ride" was a simple ride with a bus-bar system. Think of Snow White's Adventure.

Then we got omnimovers and boat rides. Those are like dark rides, but technically their own ride types. Some people refer to them as Audi-Animatronic Spectaculars. Similiarly, there are EMV rides and such now.

As the lines are blurred and qualities are shared amoung the ride types, I will accept anything that is indoors and not a roller coaster (as in it's a powered vehicle rather then a gravity-system) as a dark ride.

 

[Tom Morrow]

^ What about Test Track? I'm leaning towards "yes"

 

[mousermerf]

Yeah, Test Track vehicles are actually uber-bus bar vehicles. They power themselves.

 

[lilmizpixie3]

I think a dark ride would be something like thunder mountain or rockin rollercoaster because they happen mostly in the dark and things are highlighted with light throughout the ride.

 

[marni1971]

I think a dark ride would be something like thunder mountain or rockin rollercoaster because they happen mostly in the dark and things are highlighted with light throughout the ride.

Though BTM has a bit of interior show scenery, it isn`t a dark ride due to the predominantly exterior track. Again, showing the confusion and crossover from a classic darkride, technically RnRC shouldn`t be one since it`s a rollercoaster - albeit one a) lit with UV and b) in the dark.

Confused yet?? :hammer:

 

[MickeyJman06]

a family ride completley indoors with special effects

 

[BiggerTigger]

Though BTM has a bit of interior show scenery, it isn`t a dark ride due to the predominantly exterior track. Again, showing the confusion and crossover from a classic darkride, technically RnRC shouldn`t be one since it`s a rollercoaster - albeit one a) lit with UV and b) in the dark.

Confused yet?? :hammer:

I have to agree with your first explanation and might add that though some ride tracks go out side (i.e. Alice in Wonderland - Disneyland) a majority of the ride should be in a building that can have most of it's elements controlled by the creators.

BTM as only a few interior scenes. This would not be classified as a dark ride.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Indoor ride (at least primarily) with a focus on relating a story over physical thrills is the definition that comes to my mind.

 

[mousermerf]

I still vote for Bus Bar with boat and omnimover rides being variations.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I still vote for Bus Bar with boat and omnimover rides being variations.

Would a self-propelled Snow White-type ride that took place on an outdoor track still count, then? The indoor component seems key to a lot of people's understanding of the term for show control purposes.

 

[mousermerf]

I would say Storybookland Canal boats are moreso a dark ride then RnRc.

 

[Spaced Out Dude]

OK guys... Anything that goes fast, I don't think would be considered as a dark ride.

Test Track, Big Thunder, Space Mountain, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, & Revenge of the Mummy are NOT dark rides. They're all roller coasters (minus Test Track). And even though some may contain some dark ride elements, they're not completely a dark ride.

 

[unkadug]

I've never considered any type of boat ride a dark ride.

To me there are :

• Dark rides
• Water propelled rides
• Omnimover rides
• Rollercoaster style rides
• Circular type rides (merry go round, dumbo, Astro orbiter)

 

[katiebugsmom]

In terms of definitions a darkride/attraction can include all of the following (PS this also emcompasses funhouses):funhouses, walk-throughs (haunted houses), darkrides, glass houses (mirror mazes), mazes, Old Mill rides (tunnel of love), Noah’s Arks (a rare type of funhouse), mystery shacks (tilted houses), haunted swings, and other illusion attractions. These attractions may be located in amusement parks, carnivals, or fairs. Some full-time stand-alone attractions (I.E. no season Halloween haunted houses) are also included. In more recent times; hybrids are slowly being included. BTM not so much a darkride, but Universal's Mummy even with the coaster as a basis the surprise elements and thematic scheme are considerably closer to a true classic darkride experience.

If any of you have a a serious interest in the preservation of darkrides and funhouses or just have a great appreciation for the art please see this website:

www.dafe.org (DAFE stands for Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts).

I am proud to call myself a member.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Rock 'n' Rollercoaster is an indoor themed roller coaster, not a dark ride. Same with Space Mountain and Big Thunder.

The Mummy, on the other hand, begins much like a traditional dark ride, and then turns into a rollercoaster.

Splash Mountain is classified as a "log flume" because that seperates it from just "boat ride." The "flume" description distinguishes that it has drops, but Splash is definitely also a dark ride.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Rock 'n' Rollercoaster is an indoor themed roller coaster, not a dark ride. Same with Space Mountain and Big Thunder.

The Mummy, on the other hand, begins much like a traditional dark ride, and then turns into a rollercoaster.

I agree. The Mummy should at least be categorized as a hybrid dark ride-rollercoaster.

Those same show elements aren't really present in Space, Big Thunder, or RnRC. Those are thrill rides with some extra window dressing to look at as you speed by, basically.