In the Dark

I really enjoyed Plants Vs. Zombies at Carowind's. I would be fine if CP were to get something like that.

I'd love something like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. Lots of the stuff that makes a dark ride great. Theming is key and would be the biggest challenge. The ride formula is relatively standard but the "events" are the part that immerse you into it... <fingers crossed>

With 2017 likely being a RMC OF Mean Streak and a rumored Soak City expansion; how does this effect Cedar Fair's plan to put a dark ride at CP?

I think it only really affects our expectations of when CP is going to possibly get a dark ride. Cedar Point plans their capital expenditures way in advance. According to Rob Decker in a recent interview with AV Club, usually cap expenditures are set 3 years in advance, with a brainstorming stage taking place 5 years in advance.

So, to me, that means they already know what they're doing for 2017-2019 and they're just nailing down the details. 2020 and beyond are still up in the air for the most part.

Dark ride in the infield of RMC'd Mean Streak, connect Gemini midway back to area and plop down a flat ride or two along the new connecting midway. Will that happen, probably not. Would I like to see that happen, of course.

I mentioned somewhere how we have not heard one peep about dark rides since Iron Reef at Knotts at any park in the chain, and of course we were told that there was a commitment to bring "Amusement Dark" to each park in the chain. It makes me wonder how impressed or not-impressed they are with Triotech (or how customers have responded now that some time has passed).

Many (including myself) thought we would see a pretty consistent, year-after-year, installment of these rides in the parks, each with their own flair depending on the park they landed at.

I don't really keep up too much with what the other parks are planning, but we know Kings Island obviously isn't getting a dark ride next year. Is any other Cedar Fair park rumored to be getting one? Or have the Amusement Dark plans been swept under the rug?

Impossible to see, the future is.

Very disappointing, but a First World problem, I guess.

Dark ride may not be in kings islands plans for 2017, however they still have another major announcement for 2017 later this year. So it is possible.

I think 2018 will be the year CP will get a dark ride. I think it will be a Triotech Dark Ride, but I'm not very familiar with the dark ride industry (for lack of a better name). I think, because a dark ride isn't a huge project (not as big as a new coaster) that we will also see a small Soak City expansion in 2018 as well.

Hopefully never

Other than the Coliseum (and I rule that out as an option), Cedar Point doesn't really have any pre-existing buildings which are large enough to house a dark ride. Looking at the building for Voyage to the Iron Reef, I'm not convinced that would even fit inside Mean Streak's current infield. I'd hate to see a huge building slapped into the middle of the park somewhere, so I'm hoping a dark ride will eventually replace some of the picnic shelters near Raptor (the former Fear Faire location).

Kings Island is a pretty interesting case in terms of dark rides. They have an Action Theater which is unused outside of Haunt, the big ugly Tomb Raider building which is doing the same, and an aging Scooby-Doo dark ride which has been genericized.

After riding Toy Story Mania at Disney, I really hope that CP will get a themed interactive shooting dark ride. Those rides are so much fun and would be perfect in CP.

Count me against the shooting ride dark experience. I think it detracts from the background scenery of the ride as most of the focus is just put on targets and score keeping, IMO. I think it is a concept that would fail at CP.

Yes, Chuck Wagon, I agree the former Fear Faire spot or even the former STR site would be a great fit.

I was blown away this summer by the dark ride experiences of the Harry Potter rides at Universal and Islands of Adventure. They're unlike anything else I've been on in terms of a dark ride experience (I've been on many in 40+years) especially the one at IOA inside the Hogwart's castle, just amazing stuff. The Skull Island King Kong ride was pretty neat also. I'd like to see stuff like that at CP although I'm sure the budget for those was magnificent compared to a seasonal park like Cedar Point.

IMO, there are 4 different Dark ride experiences.

1. Classic like Pirate Ride, Earthquake, Garfield's nightmare at Kennywood where the scenery tells a story and you ride on a installed floor track or thru a tunnel.

2. Hybrid dark w/coaster track like Exterminator at Kennywood or Guardian where you ride on coaster track but also take in the atmosphere in the background.

3. Shooter dark rides like Toy Story, Ghostwood Estates, Men In Black,etc where you shoot at targets and other objects and keep score. My least favorite.

4. Triotech dark rides like the Harry Potter ones where you can spin in your car, seem like you are flying over castle walls, with something that resembles an IMAX screen in the background. THIS is something I'm hoping for at Cedar Point to replace my fondness growing up for Pirate Ride and Earthquake. These would also appeal to a much broader modern audience, IMO. Here's hoping with fingers crossed that we'll get something like this at CP in the next few years.

I thoroughly enjoyed Boo Blasters as Carowinds, and it is by no means a top notch dark ride. It's pretty chintzy, yet still lots of fun. I also had even more fun on Disney's Buzz Lightyear dark ride that is similar to Boo Blasters but definitely of higher quality from the vehicles to the theming and targets, as well as longer ride time. Just give us a dark ride that's better than Boo Blasters and I'll be a happy camper. The shooting aspect is what makes them really fun, imo. I don't want to ride some fancy simulator that just moves along a track, big freakin' whoop.

I'll admit that I enjoy the Boo Blasters rides way more than I should. While not the most thrilling, those are some of the most fun rides I have been on. They give me this type of hilarious joy that coasters can't give.

I would take Boo Blasters over the complete lack of a dark ride Cedar Point currently has. I'm more of a fan of regular dark rides compared to all this interactive stuff, though. In a way, it seems like Disney killed the dark ride by raising the bar so high that any park with a lower budget is scared of being laughed out of business.

If Knoebels could still manage to get the ranking for the best dark ride with their haunted house, I don't understand how larger parks could be so scared to give it a try. What's wrong with a few neon plywood cutouts and black lights, anyway? It's not exactly top shelf entertainment, but it's good fun. On a hot day, anyone could appreciate an air-conditioned attraction.

I get the appeal of shoot 'em up dark rides to most customers, I just don't enjoy them much. I rode Toy Story Mania once, which was enough. Give me a Haunted Mansion any day where I can relax and enjoy the show.

I went to Beech Bend Bash a few times and always enjoyed how they turned on the effects and the lights and let us walk through their Haunted House.

"Classic" and "Garfield's Nightmare" in the same sentence? <shudders> I ride it every time I visit Kennywood, but I ride it to enjoy the historic, rare ride and try to avert my eyes from that cat.

Garfield's Nightmare was the worst idea ever. Even as the Old Mill it shouldn't be classified as a classic. It's, rather, a freaking antique, from when? 1901. It has to be one of the oldest continuously operating rides in the U.S.
I like it for its old fashioned qualities, but I can see where park owners feel the need to update a ride so it appeals to younger park goers and not be so "lame". Ugh.

Who are you calling a freaking antique? Oh, wait, you're talking about the ride, not me :-p

I get updating a ride to appeal to the kids, but... Garfield? It's like "updating" the ride by theming it to Gasoline Alley or Little Nemo.

CPfan1976 said:.

IMO, there are 4 different Dark ride experiences.

1. Classic like Pirate Ride, Earthquake, Garfield's nightmare at Kennywood where the scenery tells a story and you ride on a installed floor track or thru a tunnel.

2. Hybrid dark w/coaster track like Exterminator at Kennywood or Guardian where you ride on coaster track but also take in the atmosphere in the background.

3. Shooter dark rides like Toy Story, Ghostwood Estates, Men In Black,etc where you shoot at targets and other objects and keep score. My least favorite.

4. Triotech dark rides like the Harry Potter ones where you can spin in your car, seem like you are flying over castle walls, with something that resembles an IMAX screen in the background. THIS is something I'm hoping for at Cedar Point to replace my fondness growing up for Pirate Ride and Earthquake. These would also appeal to a much broader modern audience, IMO. Here's hoping with fingers crossed that we'll get something like this at CP in the next few years.

5. Those types of dark rides that are just... Disasters.