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Ghost trains and dark rides.

Dubaidave

Hyper Poster
Was just thinking how I am probably as much a dark ride and ghost train freak as I am a coaster freak.
Is there a diffinative website that covers dark rides ? Sort of like rcdb?

I know dafe website covers that sort of thing and lews tube used to do uk rides.

If not would people be interested in reading such a site? I am quite interested in maybe starting one if people are interested.

Dubaidave.
 

Thekingin64

Strata Poster
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

I was thinking of doing something similar but with Flats and/or Travelling rides. In the end I couldn't be bothered though.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
No. There isn't really. There's a lot of independent websites that just review such attractions as you've mentioned, I think a database/source of information would just be great, but SO time consuming to do!
 

ATTACKHAMMER

Strata Poster
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

Time is biggest problem, I could help do research but my IT isn't good enough to make it.
 

Dubaidave

Hyper Poster
Yeah. I could set it up then bring in volunteers to help keep it running and updated. It's something I have been thinking of for a while. There are some good articles out there so I will contact the people who have written them and see if they are interested.

Lewis cox used to have a good site but it seems to be dead now. It was on a domain called lews tube.

Does anyone know how to contact him? I have searched around but not had any luck.

Thanks
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

Is it tragic I've been on about half of those? :lol:

I don't even think I like them, but I always ride them just in case there's some fantastic tat to laugh at (Camelot's is really dreadful), or they are shockingly good (Brean).

Maxi-Minor_Furie loves them, so I have an excuse to go on them.

I don't know if you want to include walkthroughs too? Both Twinlakes and Gulliver's Warrington have horror walkthroughs. Though the one at Twinlakes is possibly slightly worse than a four year old could make at home decorating for Halloween with a budget of £10 from Asda :)
 

Dubaidave

Hyper Poster
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

I have to say that, considering my new obsession, it's not tragic at all. In fact I am a bit jealous.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

I'll quickly go through them for you, giving them a kind of rating.

Essentially for me they seem to come in four flavours.
1. Professional and well designed (like Duel et al)
2. Professional but trying too hard (and not hard enough) -like Spooky 3D.
3. Standard Ghost Train affair (off-the-shelf travelling model with bland interior)
4. Custom park. Built in house and of varying (usually low) quality.

There's one exception ;)

ADVENTURE ISLAND Over the Hill
Rode this when it was Beelzebob's and it was a cracking ride. Over the Hill is supposed to be really good too. I'll be riding it late August.

ALTON TOWERS
Charlie & Chocolate Factory
I sometimes think Charlie gets a raw deal. It's a really entertaining ride for the kids. However, with just the tiniest bit more effort it could have been a great ride for everyone. It's a ride I hate taking the kids on because they love it and I hate it. Definitely a number 2.

Duel
Duel would be fantastic without the stock models. It's still a solid ride though.

Hex
Hex I adore, one of my favourite dark rides. I love the ride build up and the way the story flows through to the finale. The music is also exellent.

BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH
Alice in Wonderland
Actually a good dark ride. It's quite captivating and "quaint". It used to smell of sherbet and was lovely. It succeeds where Charlie fails in being at least mildly interesting to adults.

Ghost Train
Absolutely classic ride. It's cheesy, it's stupid, it's from a bygone era it's great fun.

Gold Mine
Replaced by Wallace and Gromit - opening next year.

Impossible
Old and dull. The mirror maze is too easy these days since "health and safety" took over and the haunted swing element is hot, cramped and not as effective as Hex ;)

Magic Mountain
Gone, but was sanity-threatening when it was there.

River Caves
My second favourite River Caves ever, but Southport's have now gone (I do have a POV of Southport's somewhere). Old, cranky and oddly brilliant. Like the Ghost Train, it's that kind of magical portal into 50 years ago.

Valhalla
Wet, but pretty good when enough effects are working.

BOTTON'S PLEASURE BEACH Ghost Train
So good I paid to go on it twice ;)
Actually I was forced onto it twice by Maxi-Minor_Furie and it's the epitome of Number 4.

BREAN LEISURE PARK Terror Castle
Ahhh, the exception. It's a standard travelling model filled with the most horrendous and terrifying scenes they could order in. Tries really hard and is all the better for it. Possibly the "best" horror dark ride in the country.

BRIGHTON PIER Horror Hotel
Eugh. Number 3.

CAMELOT Dungeon's of Doom
A number 4 and complete and utter drivel. However, it manages that "so bad it's fantastic" level. I think I rode it four times on the trot to prove that it really was that awful.

CHESSINGTON Tomb Blaster
I actually find Tomb Blaster really dull, but I don't like shooting dark rides - I'd prefer them to be the original "story" version. I never rode Tomb Blaster as was but would have liked to. Still, it's a number 1.

CONEY BEACH, Porthcawl Ghost Train
Did it, can't remember a thing about it.

DRAYTON MANOR
The Haunting
Solid number 2. It almost is so bad it's good, and almost so good it's good. :lol:

Pirate Adventure
Absolute Number 2 as well. Due to be removed this year though. I'll miss it as it was a good place to get your head down for ten minutes ;)

FLAMINGOLAND Little Monsters
Is this new? I remember doing a dark ride at Flamingoland but not exactly what it was.

GT. YARMOUTH PLEASURE BEACH Haunted Hotel
I'm looking forward to this one as I used to love to hate the one at Southport.

GULLIVER'S WARRINGTON
Tomb Raider
Stupid little shooting ride, but it does squirt water and stuff when you hit the targets. Over in about 30 seconds.

The Haunted Mansion
Brilliant. Incredibly tame dark walkthrough for young kids - I did a guide for it :)
http://www.coasterforce.com/world-park- ... ed-mansion

JOYLAND Neptune's Kingdom
Hurray for CF Lives ;)

OAKWOOD
Brer Rabbit's Burrow
Awful in a fantastic way. There are attempts to mix adult humour that will go over the heads of the kids, only they fail. The whole thing is fail and all the better for it :)

Spooky 3-D
It was dreadful as Voodoo Thingy and slightly worse as Spooky 3-D. It's actually one of those rides you giggle in but have no desire to rush back on to.

PLEASURE ISLAND
Shrieksville
Don't remember this one.

Tommy Tinkaboo's Sweet Adventure
I remember this one. It's utterly, utterly dreadful. Saccharine nausea inducing kids bollocks. That's boloocks for kids, not, you know...

PLEASUREWOOD HILLS Fantasy Fairytale ride
[/CF-Live]


WEST MIDLAND SAFARI PARK
Dr Umboto's Catacombe's
8 times in a row I was forced to go on this. It's awful, but quite good in some parts too, mildly gruesome. Solid number 4.

Twinlakes is missing and they have two - I've no idea what they were called so will make up the names.
Dreadful shedful
It's a dark maze, in a large shed, with cardboard cut-out spiders and ghosts on a few walls. Complete and utter pants.

Pirate tube boat thing malarky in a tin barn
It doesn't get any more interesting than the description ;)
Rach had photos of this... Hang on...
2061_1085567896089_9339_n.jpg


I may have some Twinlakes photos at home too, I'll have to hunt them down.

Also, Clarence Pier has this beauty:
fear.jpg

Which is a horror walkthrough and I think Telford Town Park plays host to a travelling Ghost Train too - I'll bet Dave Morton would check that out if you asked him really really nicely.

Hope that helped a little?

Now, that's just the UK, ready to start on the rest of the world? :p
 

Thekingin64

Strata Poster
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

The FL little monsters is just fun to relax in and get stupid ride photos. it's got themeing of the little monsters doing stupid stuff. Best enjoyed with kids.
 

ATTACKHAMMER

Strata Poster
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

The Pleasure Wood Hills boat dark ride is dull, I think the story is about witches.
 

Lofty

CF Legend
There's also three in Blackpool;

Carnesky's Ghost Train - Flagstaff Gardens.
Ghost Train - South Pier.
Ghost Train - Coral Island.

The Coral Island one is great. The South Pier one is terrible.
 

Dubaidave

Hyper Poster
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

I have heard that the one on south pier has gone and the coral island one has been redone as a shooting pirate ride! I am waiting for a friend to head down and try And get some photos of it.

Luckily I got Pov of the ghost train last year.
 

Dubaidave

Hyper Poster
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

I am heading to Scarborough today but can't find details about any ghost trains still there.

I think terror towers walkthrough might still be there so will have a look.

Dubaidave
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Re: Ghost trains and dark rides.

I uploaded the River Caves "POV" last night, just for you ;)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9fwqSls2LM[/youtube]
 

Lofty

CF Legend
South Pier's is still there. I overlook it at work.

Also, I'm sure the Ghost Train is still there, that shooting parrot thing
Is a rehaul of the old monorail attraction inside.
 
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