@@lanastoleyosubs "...due to high maintenance and operating costs, low ridership, and ongoing budget cuts... the ride was officially announced as closed on January 23, 2018"
@@opertinicyseaworld parks has never and will never be able to maintain an indoor dark ride without it’s eventual closure. Their philosophy is “put a roller coaster in it”
@@FrappeInsider Unfortunately, even the great "Journey to Atlantis" in Orlando suffered this fate...at least there's still "Escape From Pompeii", for now...
This was a really great ride. One of my first ones at the park, and the theming was insane. Always had a tradition of riding it and going straight to Festhaus for lunch
@@sonomabeast Yeah sadly... last time I went there the space was being using for a Hall O Scream attraction so I think it's gonna be for events now unless they put a new ride in who knows.
I remember this ride when it first came out - there used to be a ballroom scene. Nonetheless this is one of my all time favorite rides and I’m so sad that it’s gone. It was literally a dark ride masterpiece.
I remember being in line, waiting in the heat, and then waiting inside. 3D glasses on and everything. My favorite part was being eaten. Sad that they took it down.
Rode its replacement today and had to come watch this again. I will never forget what was taken from us. This ride was a masterpiece of engineering and design. The new one feels like a mall ride sponsored by spirit Halloween. I was genuinely so upset it ruined my park experience.
This!!!! My sister and I rode it and we were both so genuinely upset with the new one. I feel like they could have done so much more to preserve the heart of the original. At least most of the line is the same
I moved away from Virginia in 1985. I finally was able to return to the park last year. I heard about this rude and was very disappointed to find that it was closed! Looking at the POV video it looked like a nice ride.
This was my favorite ride as a kid, my sibling and I would go on it at least six times a day using the single rider line. Thank you for posting this, it brought back lovely memories!
It's crazy they closed this. Love/Hate relationship with the new direction of the company. Love coasters, but balancing the lineup with experiences like this really does make a difference. I know a number of people that don't even consider BGT because there's almost nothing there for someone uninterested in all out thrills. This should still be open and BGT should have received a dark ride on a similar level. Tbf, BGT serves a different purpose within the florida lineup, and with both Spiderman and Transformers down the road it would have been weird to have yet another version of the same ride system in Central Florida. Still, they could really use a good dark ride tor round out the lineup. Sea World really needs to replace Wild Arctic with a flying theater, expand Sesame with a dark ride, and add a few flat rides.
The SeaWorld parks (including Busch Gardens) are now literally Six Flags parks but with good theming and animals. I really hope that they're doing a major overhaul with this ride, but it's not looking like it. They care more about spoiling coaster enthusiasts more than anything at this point.
@@NocturneFexy plus the need to spoil some more dark ride enthusiasts and battle for eire is still closed because of a howl-o-scream maze and I really hope that attraction doesn’t shut down entirely, if they do shut it down there will be clearly no dark ride at any Busch gardens parks
@@dragonblood4005 It seems that all they care about is making gimmicky rides nowadays. Battle for Eire and the Antarctica ride (yes SeaWorld and Busch are owned by the same company) are perfect examples. I truly think Busch can build an immersive experience that's on a similar level to Disney/Universal but it seems that's not happening any time soon. I think the park is slowly turning into another Six Flags park.
It's simply not a ride you would ride over and over again, so eventually the number of people riding it decreases and doesn't equal the effort it takes to maintain it or the money it takes to operate it. It slowly becomes a waste of land resources.
@@MotoAtheist Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man would like to have a word with you. Same ride system, older than DarKastle by 6 years and still standing to this day.
MotoAtheist it’s because the ride’s mechanics were getting out of date, the screens needed SERIOUS upgrading, the ridership wasn’t that high at all, and was becoming a maintenance nightmare for the park. The reason Universal has kept Spider-Man has run for so much longer is because Universal has much more money, more attendance, and most importantly, a more modern ride system. Yes, it still has the same ride system as DarKastle, but it has a slightly different design, and has undergone renovations. If I have heard right, the ride vehicles are still in the building for DarKastle. And a lot of the sets are still up. Even the lines that the ride vehicles ran along(there was a rail that ran along it(and in some spots I think there still is)and the painted line it ran along)is still there. My guess is that they may be planning a modern version of the ride, updated ride systems, new screens, etc.
@@gregorygolub3315 Hey! Really late to this response, but I wanted to than you for the points you presented. Honestly, considering the cost of a ride like DarkKastle to maintain... it makes you wonder why Busch gave the greenlight to its installation to begin with. Sure, it was 2005, Busch/SeaWorld were still a subsidiary of Annheuser, there would've been a biiiit more money to work with... not by much, though.
I know! There's really no good reason why they don't have anything like this. They're open year-round with way more visitors and whenever it rains (which is often) basically the whole park just shuts down because there's nothing to do inside anymore except literally 2 1/2 shows (depending on if you count the ones they do at the Dragonfire Grill). SeaWorld Orlando has something kind of similar to this ride with Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, plus a simulator, but Busch Gardens Tampa closed their only indoor ride in 2003 (Akbar's Adventure Tours).
I love this ride because I always closed my eyes on it because I was scared. Except for the last time. I don’t know why but I had this urge to just keep my eyes open. I’m glad I did now, since it’s closed, but even if it is, it’s still my favorite ride I’ve been on so far at Busch gardens. Hope darkoaster gives it justice!
@lovetoreadbooks6100 So DarKoaster is open now? I need to get back to Busch Gardens to try it. I still haven't gotten the chance to ride Pantheon either.
Such an impressive ride for a park like Bush Gardens. While definitely taking inspiration from Spiderman at Universal, this ride sure does use the ride system well, but sadly didn't live up enough. So sad.
I’ve only ever been to Busch gardens once as a kid, and I rode this ride twice… mainly because it was the only indoor ride and it was raining when I went as part of a field trip.
A while back I rode this when I was 7 and we asked the worker if this would be a good ride for me and the guy working there said “oh yeah it’s like scooby doo” long story short I came out of the ride balling in tears lol
I remember this ride. I had my eyes closed the entire time, it really irritated my step-uncle, who's now dead. I got scared by the pre-show where staff was dressed up as statues.
I remember when this first came out when I visited as a kid. I was too scared to even go on it. The warning sign in the front and everything about it scared me bad. Even Haunted Lighthouse scared me, but I went to see that 😂😂
I’m a local to the area, and I remember riding this every single time I visited the park. I was only 4 when it opened, so I was scared but rode it anyway with my eyes shut and my ears covered lol. Still one of my favorite rides ever and I miss it to this day. Finding out it closed out of nowhere was a hit to my heart, and I’ll never recover from the fact that I didn’t realize it was my last time riding it when I did. Watching this made me genuinely tear up, so thank you ❤️
At least the Kastle is still accessible during Howl O Scream (Nevermore made great use of the space this year). Really wish I got the chance to ride this one.
It was such a shame to hear they had closed this... the rides at Universal may be better but this was still the coolest ride in the park. Hope the coaster has awesome effects like this.
I just rode the ride that replaced this one. Safe to say DarKastle was wayyy better than DarKoaster. Just another example on how coasters aren't always better than darkrides, and why replacing an already impressive ride with something that seems "more thrilling" doesnt always work.
Loved this ride so much. (The guy looks like doctor strange lol) and now it’s being used for STORAGE…. Ugh. We’ll never get something like this again….
There are strong rumors coming out of Williamsburg that we may be seeing the resurrection of Darkastle or something very similar in the very near future.
I believe its the same ride system. They were both created by the same company. Ive ridden both and they are very similar in feel, except for the story of course.
Both vehicle are from Oceaneering indeed, but they use a different technology: Spiderman uses hydraulic pistons and has 6 degrees of freedom, while DarKastle uses pneumatic air bags allowing 4 DOF only. Also Spiderman's SCOOPs hold 12 persons while DarKastle's Sleighs can only take up to 8 people.
I just read a great article on DarKastle, in where I took this information: www.themeparktourist.com/features/20170826/33120/modern-marvels-curse-darkastle ;)
yeah, I have been going to Busch Gardens since before Dark Castle was even built and a Wild Mouse was in its place. The spinning part was my favorite part of the ride and now the ride is boring, for me anyway.
Came back here because of the Werewolf Coaster announcement... OMG they closed this ride?!? IT WAS SO GOOD THO WTF. I was stationed near Williamsburg 2015 to 2019. I cant believe it is gone
I don’t think people realize how good of a ride this was
why they take it down ?
@@lanastoleyosubs "...due to high maintenance and operating costs, low ridership, and ongoing budget cuts... the ride was officially announced as closed on January 23, 2018"
Great dark ride, and was pretty intense
@@opertinicyseaworld parks has never and will never be able to maintain an indoor dark ride without it’s eventual closure. Their philosophy is “put a roller coaster in it”
@@FrappeInsider Unfortunately, even the great "Journey to Atlantis" in Orlando suffered this fate...at least there's still "Escape From Pompeii", for now...
RIP DarKastle 2005-2017. Such a damn shame it had to go out this way.
Can’t believe it’s already been 3 years
Wow I had no idea it closed! This ride was FANTASTIC!! I was so disoriented when I rode it haha. Wow...really a shame. Prob the best dark ride around!
why the close it
Really they closed it why?
@@tennojiberri thank you
This was a really great ride. One of my first ones at the park, and the theming was insane. Always had a tradition of riding it and going straight to Festhaus for lunch
I rode this almost every summer since it opened. Sad they closed it. I love movie rides, I miss Corkscrew Hill too.
Nooo, they closed it? 😭 I rode it back in 2006. I was so excited waiting in line for it.
I liked the big bad wolf
Noooo 🙁
THEY CLOSED IT????
@@sonomabeast Yeah sadly... last time I went there the space was being using for a Hall O Scream attraction so I think it's gonna be for events now unless they put a new ride in who knows.
It was an honor to be on the last public ride on this. What i didn't know at that point was that was the last EVER ride on it.
"Come come." "Don't hold back." It's time to heat things up!!!" That was iconic dude! RIP
My favorite line was the mothers' "You were never sane to begin with!"^^
Sivanah Barbee I wish that it was still there tbh
My favorite line is at the end of the ride Ludwig said You will never escape!!!
Ong I say it every once in a while/
Rip
I remember this ride when it first came out - there used to be a ballroom scene. Nonetheless this is one of my all time favorite rides and I’m so sad that it’s gone. It was literally a dark ride masterpiece.
I remember being in line, waiting in the heat, and then waiting inside. 3D glasses on and everything. My favorite part was being eaten. Sad that they took it down.
yeah i use to be scared shitlis while riding cause i was like 7 while riding
Well good news for you: he eats you in the new one too
@@jasonfitts6651 💀 i forgot i commented this
Curse of the dad jokes. Lol all jokes aside it does look cool.
Rode its replacement today and had to come watch this again. I will never forget what was taken from us. This ride was a masterpiece of engineering and design. The new one feels like a mall ride sponsored by spirit Halloween. I was genuinely so upset it ruined my park experience.
This!!!! My sister and I rode it and we were both so genuinely upset with the new one. I feel like they could have done so much more to preserve the heart of the original. At least most of the line is the same
My dad designed the original Vehicle for the old ride in the early 2000s. It was so fun riding it and hearing from him how they built it
Apparently, they couldn't use any of King Ludwig's voice lines because the copyright was still held by Falcon's Treehouse.
I moved away from Virginia in 1985. I finally was able to return to the park last year. I heard about this rude and was very disappointed to find that it was closed! Looking at the POV video it looked like a nice ride.
It was so nice to go inside and cool off during the summer for this ride, really fun drop and swivels.
RIP 2005-2017 Too bad I’ll never get to ride this.
i’ve rode this like 10 times in my life but j was so young it just slipped my memory
R.I.P. You were such an amazing ride to me and my friends besides that one time we got stuck for like a half hour
One time I went through it with no sound. That was fun. haha
That happened to me 3 times in a day!
tgirard1995 omg must of been funny
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME!!!
This was my favorite ride as a kid, my sibling and I would go on it at least six times a day using the single rider line. Thank you for posting this, it brought back lovely memories!
It's crazy they closed this. Love/Hate relationship with the new direction of the company. Love coasters, but balancing the lineup with experiences like this really does make a difference. I know a number of people that don't even consider BGT because there's almost nothing there for someone uninterested in all out thrills. This should still be open and BGT should have received a dark ride on a similar level. Tbf, BGT serves a different purpose within the florida lineup, and with both Spiderman and Transformers down the road it would have been weird to have yet another version of the same ride system in Central Florida. Still, they could really use a good dark ride tor round out the lineup. Sea World really needs to replace Wild Arctic with a flying theater, expand Sesame with a dark ride, and add a few flat rides.
The SeaWorld parks (including Busch Gardens) are now literally Six Flags parks but with good theming and animals. I really hope that they're doing a major overhaul with this ride, but it's not looking like it. They care more about spoiling coaster enthusiasts more than anything at this point.
@@NocturneFexy i agree
@@NocturneFexy plus the need to spoil some more dark ride enthusiasts and battle for eire is still closed because of a howl-o-scream maze and I really hope that attraction doesn’t shut down entirely, if they do shut it down there will be clearly no dark ride at any Busch gardens parks
@@dragonblood4005 It seems that all they care about is making gimmicky rides nowadays. Battle for Eire and the Antarctica ride (yes SeaWorld and Busch are owned by the same company) are perfect examples.
I truly think Busch can build an immersive experience that's on a similar level to Disney/Universal but it seems that's not happening any time soon. I think the park is slowly turning into another Six Flags park.
@@NocturneFexy I agree with u on that
I dont understand why a parc closes such a wonderful ride...
Mathias Budget cuts, I'm afraid.
It's simply not a ride you would ride over and over again, so eventually the number of people riding it decreases and doesn't equal the effort it takes to maintain it or the money it takes to operate it. It slowly becomes a waste of land resources.
@@MotoAtheist Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man would like to have a word with you.
Same ride system, older than DarKastle by 6 years and still standing to this day.
MotoAtheist it’s because the ride’s mechanics were getting out of date, the screens needed SERIOUS upgrading, the ridership wasn’t that high at all, and was becoming a maintenance nightmare for the park. The reason Universal has kept Spider-Man has run for so much longer is because Universal has much more money, more attendance, and most importantly, a more modern ride system. Yes, it still has the same ride system as DarKastle, but it has a slightly different design, and has undergone renovations. If I have heard right, the ride vehicles are still in the building for DarKastle. And a lot of the sets are still up. Even the lines that the ride vehicles ran along(there was a rail that ran along it(and in some spots I think there still is)and the painted line it ran along)is still there. My guess is that they may be planning a modern version of the ride, updated ride systems, new screens, etc.
@@gregorygolub3315 Hey! Really late to this response, but I wanted to than you for the points you presented.
Honestly, considering the cost of a ride like DarkKastle to maintain... it makes you wonder why Busch gave the greenlight to its installation to begin with.
Sure, it was 2005, Busch/SeaWorld were still a subsidiary of Annheuser, there would've been a biiiit more money to work with... not by much, though.
I'm so incredibly sad to see this go. R.I.P. Darkastle!
I loved this ride back in middle school scared the crap out of me
I'm pretty sure this ride uses the music from the "Van Helsing" score by Alan Silvestri
PowerGlove79 I wish I could find and audio only soundtrack of this.
Audio and music.
I’m soo sad it’s gone! I went on that things like, a whole decade ago and it’s still an experience I’ll always remember.
Busch Gardens Tampa needs a ride like this.
AJ17 Agreed. They could repurpose the 4D theater near Pantopia.
AJ17 I totally agree. Even though Cobra's Curse is awesome.
Maybe mummy themed
AJ17 yeah maybe it will be egyptian themed maybe tie into cobra's curse and also a shooting ride
I know! There's really no good reason why they don't have anything like this. They're open year-round with way more visitors and whenever it rains (which is often) basically the whole park just shuts down because there's nothing to do inside anymore except literally 2 1/2 shows (depending on if you count the ones they do at the Dragonfire Grill). SeaWorld Orlando has something kind of similar to this ride with Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, plus a simulator, but Busch Gardens Tampa closed their only indoor ride in 2003 (Akbar's Adventure Tours).
Paramountly astonishing, to me. Ty for uploading the video.
Why would they tear an awesome ride like this down for some dumb event space 🤨
It would break down sooo often and it was getting too expensive to keep repairing it. Rip darkcastle
@@ShadowHeartValentine yeah, I understand that, it's just sad to see it go
0:52 lol when me and my friends went there it looked so real I tried to dodge the arrows
I’m really gonna miss this ride😭
RIP Curse of the Darkastle 2005-2017❤️
Caleb Landes what happened?
Broken Hearted they closed it!
RIP DARKASTLE...YOU WILL BE MISSED....ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS..LOVE YOU DARKASTLE
i remember riding this with my friends on a field trip from school, i miss this ride.
I love this ride because I always closed my eyes on it because I was scared. Except for the last time. I don’t know why but I had this urge to just keep my eyes open. I’m glad I did now, since it’s closed, but even if it is, it’s still my favorite ride I’ve been on so far at Busch gardens. Hope darkoaster gives it justice!
I rode this at Busch Gardens this past weekend. Of the rides I went on, I liked this one best.
I miss this ride during summer 😭
One of the best rides at the park and the best dark ride I've ever been on. Hopefully it will get a worthy successor.
@lovetoreadbooks6100 Do tell.
@lovetoreadbooks6100 So DarKoaster is open now? I need to get back to Busch Gardens to try it. I still haven't gotten the chance to ride Pantheon either.
RIP 2005-2018 I loved this ride I will treasure dis vid!! 😩😩😩
I cried the first time I rode this, but it was still cool looking back on it. Sad they had to get ride of it, but it had a great run! 😸
Such an impressive ride for a park like Bush Gardens. While definitely taking inspiration from Spiderman at Universal, this ride sure does use the ride system well, but sadly didn't live up enough. So sad.
I rode on darkastle twice and I really enjoyed it
Can’t wait to see what DarKoaster has in store!
It’s terrible
I look back to this ride every time I see Darkoaster. I WISH THIS RIDE JUST STAYED FOREVER
I’ve only ever been to Busch gardens once as a kid, and I rode this ride twice… mainly because it was the only indoor ride and it was raining when I went as part of a field trip.
A while back I rode this when I was 7 and we asked the worker if this would be a good ride for me and the guy working there said “oh yeah it’s like scooby doo” long story short I came out of the ride balling in tears lol
I'm so sad to see this go 😢 you will forever be missed and never forgotten.... RIP DarKastle 👻🐺
I remember this ride. I had my eyes closed the entire time, it really irritated my step-uncle, who's now dead. I got scared by the pre-show where staff was dressed up as statues.
I really miss this ride and Busch Gardens has yet to replace it with anything of the same caliber. I wish they would bring it back.
new ride coming soon
I remember when this first came out when I visited as a kid. I was too scared to even go on it. The warning sign in the front and everything about it scared me bad. Even Haunted Lighthouse scared me, but I went to see that 😂😂
I’m a local to the area, and I remember riding this every single time I visited the park. I was only 4 when it opened, so I was scared but rode it anyway with my eyes shut and my ears covered lol. Still one of my favorite rides ever and I miss it to this day. Finding out it closed out of nowhere was a hit to my heart, and I’ll never recover from the fact that I didn’t realize it was my last time riding it when I did. Watching this made me genuinely tear up, so thank you ❤️
Oh no just read the comments I didn't know it closed😭😭😭 I went on this ride when I was little, I loved this ride! 😭😭😭😭😢😢😢😢😢😢 rip 2005-2018
2017*
I also how he says you will never escape....
Then he's like okay please remain seated
Now that they are converting this to a coaster I’m stoked
At least the Kastle is still accessible during Howl O Scream (Nevermore made great use of the space this year). Really wish I got the chance to ride this one.
This was one of my favorite rides. It was kinda cheesy and simple but I loved it so much.
this ride got me into horror back when i was like 11 :/ i miss it
I like how everything comes flying out in front of you it's time to hear things up
The Vampire returns for the Coaster Ride
It was such a shame to hear they had closed this... the rides at Universal may be better but this was still the coolest ride in the park. Hope the coaster has awesome effects like this.
RIP Curse of Darkastle. They just announced that this ride will permanently close.
yes and they made the ride in an event room. :(
I just rode the ride that replaced this one. Safe to say DarKastle was wayyy better than DarKoaster. Just another example on how coasters aren't always better than darkrides, and why replacing an already impressive ride with something that seems "more thrilling" doesnt always work.
A lot of the movements were synced up with the Spiderman ride at Island of Adventure in Orlando.
When is Theme Park History or Defunctland going to review this masterpiece?
This was one of my favorite rides
I remember riding this when I was younger. I miss this ride but am excited to try darkoaster this year.
I miss this ride so much :((((
damn i remember riding this for the first time like it was yesterday
My favorite ride at this park when I went!! Such a cute ride! Can’t wait for dark coaster!
Loved this ride so much. (The guy looks like doctor strange lol) and now it’s being used for STORAGE…. Ugh. We’ll never get something like this again….
I loved this ride. R.I.P
There are strong rumors coming out of Williamsburg that we may be seeing the resurrection of Darkastle or something very similar in the very near future.
I hope so! Busch Gardens needs a dark ride and I think bringing this back with new stuff would fit that bill!
this aged like milk lol
Glad I had chance to ride it
"but i'm getting aHEAD of myself! hahahahahah!" -the vampire person
Really glad I got to experience this ride firsthand before it got replaced by Darkoaster
Great dark ride. Looks like they took a lot of inspiration from the amazing spiderman. Just lacks on the ride system.
I believe its the same ride system. They were both created by the same company. Ive ridden both and they are very similar in feel, except for the story of course.
Both vehicle are from Oceaneering indeed, but they use a different technology: Spiderman uses hydraulic pistons and has 6 degrees of freedom, while DarKastle uses pneumatic air bags allowing 4 DOF only.
Also Spiderman's SCOOPs hold 12 persons while DarKastle's Sleighs can only take up to 8 people.
KingRCT3 interesting! Didn't realize all that but it makes sense now that I think about my past rides on them. Spider-Man definitely feels "smoother"
I just read a great article on DarKastle, in where I took this information: www.themeparktourist.com/features/20170826/33120/modern-marvels-curse-darkastle
;)
This was actually made before Spider-Man.
They took out the spinning part when you went into the fireplace a long time ago. Ever since then I really didn’t care for the ride anymore.
tgirard1995 oh my gosh, I knew it used to spin. Everyone told me I was crazy. I always remembered it spun in the oven "like a microwave" lol
yeah, I have been going to Busch Gardens since before Dark Castle was even built and a Wild Mouse was in its place. The spinning part was my favorite part of the ride and now the ride is boring, for me anyway.
I prefer the dark ride ...
which kinda says a lot about how mid darkoaster is considering I love coasters.
i used to love this ride 2005-2018😢
This was a classic ride. I hope the new coaster will do it justice.
The only time I rode this I was like 5 and I started crying
I wonder if Universal knows that SeaWorld/Busch Gardens was using the soundtrack for the 2004 Van Helsing film for this ride lol
I actually miss this the most 😔 but I enjoy wearing the 3d glasses and seeing one screen to another,
Bring this ride back!!!
I miss this ride.
Rose this back in 2008 with my younger cousins. They were screaming their heads off the entire time
I was on this before it closed and it was amazing
We will miss you...
I miss this ride
Coming back as a coaster in 2023!
Im remember coming here 7 years ago and me crying so hard after this lol and now I look back
This ride was amazing it was actually my first ride
Came back here because of the Werewolf Coaster announcement... OMG they closed this ride?!? IT WAS SO GOOD THO WTF. I was stationed near Williamsburg 2015 to 2019. I cant believe it is gone
R.I.P u will be missed you made busch gardens what it is 💖
The spirit of Big Bad Wolf would like to talk to you :)
The very first time I went to "Curse of DarKastle: The Ride" was in 2007. And I enjoyed it.
This ride looks really fun !!! Busch gardens is alot fun anyway
The ride building for this ride was so cool looking and the ride itself I still miss, I thought some of the lines were pretty good
I loved this ride
Every time I ride this sucker, I get motion sickness. I usually skip it
Dana Gorham How much is actual motion vs how much is visual effects?
Brian Battles About 47% was motion.
This ride is basically like van helsing just without vampires
It better be open at least for the Halloween season. If there aren't anymore dark or virtual rides left, I'm done with BG and prefer to go to Disney.
Instant classic….
Ive never been there, but was looking forward to going there. Too bad !
RIP this was my childhood
As much as I am excited for darkoaster I still wish this ride we’re open rest in peace curse of darkastle
RIP my favorite ride