Editing Dark ride (section)

==Variations==
Dark rides have a number of variations that are not necessarily [[mutually exclusive]].

===Ghost train===
[[File:Ghost train.jpg|thumb|Ghost train]]
In the [[United Kingdom]], the [[Republic of Ireland]], [[New Zealand]], [[China]] and [[Australia]], dark rides with a scary theme are called ''ghost trains''.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

The first ride to use the name "Ghost Train" was that of [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/rides/ghost-train/|title=Ghost train|work=blackpoolpleasurebeach.com}}</ref> The ride was imported in 1930 and originally called [[Pretzel Amusement Ride Company|The Pretzel]] (due to the curving shape of its track layout); but as pretzels were little-known in Britain, it was soon renamed after ''[[The Ghost Train (play)|The Ghost Train]]'', a play which ran for a year in London, a film adaptation of which was showing in 1931.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrides.info/bpbghost.htm|title=Ghost Train|work=ukrides.info}}</ref> It was rebuilt in 1936 and has remained unchanged since. Blackpool Pleasure Beach is also home to [[Valhalla (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)|Valhalla]], a large indoor dark ride.

In Australia, a dark ride is named The Ghost Train at [[Luna Park, Melbourne]],<ref name="LPM Ghost Train">{{Parkz|ride_name=Ghost Train|location=Luna Park|parkz_number=169|accessdate=18 August 2013}}</ref> and a similarly-named ride was [[1979 Sydney Ghost Train fire|destroyed by fire]] in 1979 at [[Luna Park Sydney]].

The concept is also popular in the [[United States]]. One notable ghost train from the country is [[The Haunted Mansion]], first opened in [[Disneyland]] in [[Anaheim, California]], on August 9, 1969.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Finn |first1=Alan |title=13 Facts About Disney's Haunted Mansion |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58272/13-facts-about-disneys-haunted-mansion |website=Mental Floss |date=8 August 2014 |access-date=25 July 2021}}</ref>

===Interactive dark ride===
{{anchor|Shooting dark ride}}
''Interactive'' dark rides feature a component that allows riders to be involved in the attraction's story. The first interactive dark ride ever built is El Paso at the Belgium theme park [[Bobbejaanland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nl.letsgodigital.org/pretparken-attractieparken/bobbejaanland-pretpark-attractie/|title=Bobbejaanland - El Paso|date=27 March 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parkplanet.nl/parkprofielen-belgithermenu-19/2281-niet-te-missen-in-bobbejaanland|title=Parkplanet|date=13 January 2021 }}</ref>

The vast majority of interactive dark rides are shooting dark rides,<ref name="PW Etnaland - School" /> which require riders to aim and shoot at targets throughout the ride using handheld or vehicle-mounted [[light gun]]s. Successfully shooting a target usually triggers special animation, such as flashing lights or moving the target. The more targets riders hit, the higher their scores at the end of the ride. The use of light guns varies between rides, from killing aliens on [[Men in Black: Alien Attack]] at [[Universal Studios Florida]] to calling turkeys on [[Gobbler Getaway]] at [[Holiday World & Splashin' Safari]].<ref name="Alien Invasion on the Gold Coast">{{cite journal|title=Alien Invasion on the Gold Coast|journal=Park World Magazine|date=October 2012|page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gobbler Getaway|url=http://sallycorp.com/dark-rides/interactive/gobbler-getaway/|publisher=Sally Corporation|access-date=13 October 2013}}</ref> The ride systems of conventional dark rides can be easily converted into shooting dark rides. Such conversions include [[Duel (ride)|Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back!]] at [[Alton Towers]] (until 2023 when the ride was altered) and [[Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin]] at Disney's [[Magic Kingdom]]. The latter uses facilities that previously housed [[If You Had Wings]], [[Delta Dreamflight]], and Take Flight. A recent dark ride, [[Wonder Mountain's Guardian]] at [[Canada's Wonderland]], has the world's longest interactive screen at over {{convert|500|ft|m}}.

Among non-shooting interactive dark rides, Etnaland's<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etnaland.eu/en/|title=Etnaland|website=www.etnaland.eu}}</ref> award-winning<ref name=GosettoHauntedSchool>{{cite web|title=European Star Award 2013|url=http://www.gosetto.com/news_articolo.php?id=11|publisher=Gosetto|access-date=12 October 2013|date=20 September 2013}}</ref> Haunted School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etnaland.eu/en/Themepark/AD/Exploring/40/The-School.html|title=The School - Etnaland Themepark|website=www.etnaland.eu}}</ref> is described by ''Park World'' magazine as "one of the most idiosyncratic dark rides". It is themed to a school exam, with riders individually answering multiple-choice questions throughout it. Riders are graded on their responses, and each receives a school report at the end of the ride.<ref name="PW Etnaland - School">{{cite journal|title=The School|journal=Park World Magazine|date=August 2013|page=38}}</ref> While technically a coaster, the Gekion Live coaster at Joypolis had elements of a dark ride. It used to have a shooting element, only for it to be refurbished with a dance element (tapping buttons on the restraints) later.

===Trackless dark ride===
[[File:Hong Kong Disneyland (23916541509).jpg|thumb|[[Mystic Manor]] at [[Hong Kong Disneyland]]]]
The Walt Disney Company is the first to develop a trackless ride system for its dark ride attractions. Trackless dark rides utilize [[automated guided vehicle]]s that do not require [[guide rail]]s, and thus are able to cross existing paths, reverse, and rotate. Some trackless dark rides, such as the [[Big Red Car Ride]] at [[Dreamworld (Australian theme park)|Dreamworld]], relied on a [[Automated guided vehicle#Wired|buried wire]] for navigation. Others, such as [[Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance|''Star Wars'': Rise of the Resistance]] at [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]] and [[Disneyland|Disneyland Park]], [[Mystic Manor]] at [[Hong Kong Disneyland]] or [[Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy]] at [[Disneyland Paris]] and [[Epcot]], use [[Wi-Fi]] and [[RFID]]-based [[local positioning system]]s.<ref name="The Imagineers behind Hong Kong Disneyland's Mystic Manor talk about their award-winning attraction, at Disney's D23">{{cite web|last=Niles|first=Robert|title=The Imagineers behind Hong Kong Disneyland's Mystic Manor talk about their award-winning attraction, at Disney's D23|url=http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201308/3599/|publisher=Theme Park Insider|access-date=13 October 2013|date=9 August 2013}}</ref> The system provides more versatility for the vehicles to move in randomized patterns.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Baker |first=Carissa |date=2023-05-01 |title=The prevalence of storyworlds and thematic landscapes in global theme parks |journal=Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=100080 |doi=10.1016/j.annale.2022.100080 |issn=2666-9579|doi-access=free }}</ref> The magnets in the attractions’ floor keep the vehicles “on track” with a guiding master computer system telling the vehicles where to go.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iwerks |first=Leslie |date=2019 |title=The Imagineering Story |url= |website=Disney+}}</ref> The earliest form of this technology existed in warehouses, where electric box lifts robotically moved across the floor to transport boxes. In addition, the technology has been used in autonomous vacuum robots that rely on motion sensors to freely roam the floor since 1996.<ref>{{Cite news |title="This really sucks!" What's inside a robot vacuum cleaner? |url=https://www.bbc.com/storyworks/future/roborock/whats-inside-a-robot-vacuum-cleaner |access-date=2023-11-27}}</ref> The trackless dark ride system as it is known today, debuted in 2000 at Tokyo Disneyland's “[[Pooh's Hunny Hunt]]” attraction– a dark ride based on Disney's 1977 hit animated feature film ''[[The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh]]''. However, while Pooh's Hunny Hunt pioneered the trackless ride system, it was Hollywood Studio's [[Tower of Terror (Disney)|Tower of Terror]] and Epcot's [[Universe of Energy]] attractions that first utilized the technology.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-04-18 |title=The Tech of the Tower of Terror |url=https://eeyoreandhs.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/the-tech-of-the-tower-of-terror/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Hollywood Studios Insider |language=en}}</ref>

The use of virtual reality in the development of trackless technology is often overlooked. The Disney VR Studio, founded in 1992, allowed the exploration of virtual reality technology for theme park rides. Before its role in the development of the trackless system, the VR Studio used virtual prototypes to model attractions such as [[California Screamin’]] at Disney's California Adventure Park. Disney has used virtual simulations to allow designers to experience roller coasters before they are built and as a means of previewing complex new ride vehicles such as the free-ranging vehicles used in "Pooh's Hunny Hunt".<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Mine |first=Mark |chapter=Towards virtual reality for the masses: 10 years of research at Disney's VR studio |date=2003-05-22 |title=Proceedings of the workshop on Virtual environments 2003 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/769953.769955 |series=EGVE '03 |location=New York, NY, USA |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=11–17 |doi=10.1145/769953.769955 |isbn=978-1-58113-686-9}}</ref> Moreover, this computer visualization is a powerful tool for transcending language barriers. Showing a virtual prototype of "Pooh's Hunny Hunt" to Japan was a cause of the implementation of the ride at [[Tokyo Disneyland]] due to its use of imaging over speech.<ref name=":0" />

==== Social Barriers ====
[[File:USH- The Mummy Ride Warning.JPG|thumb|The Mummy Ride Warning Sign at Universal Studios]]
Some dark rides are intense for riders, as they contain vigorous themed elements such as flashing lights, black light effects, sudden drops, stoppages, or other turbulent movements that may be harmful to impaired riders. As more thrill rides are created, the number of attractions that limit riders with disabilities increases. Most commonly, guests who are prohibited from riding are those who are too overweight for the ride vehicle to safely hold the guest's weight or prevent the safety harness from locking in place. Other ride restrictions include those who do not meet a certain height requirement or are too tall to clear the attractions’ set pieces, or those who lack a certain number of arms and legs.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Redirecting... |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/mislj88&id=439&men_tab=srchresults |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=heinonline.org}}</ref> Ride requirements are created to ensure all guests’ safety throughout the ride and are posted throughout the attractions’ queue to prevent the companies’ liability if a rider is physically harmed. However, according to Title III of the [[Americans with Disability Act|Americans Disability Act]] it is illegal for amusement parks to discriminate against any persons with disabilities from equal enjoyment of goods of services in a public place of accommodation.<ref name=":1" /> Therefore, companies such as The Walt Disney Company are required by law to accommodate any person with a physical disability who still meets the ride requirements. This often includes guests who use wheelchairs or crutches.

Services such as the Disability Access Service (DAS) at Disney theme parks instates equality between disabled and non-disabled riders in its theme parks and resorts, making these attractions largely accessible for its guests. Companies such as [[Universal Destinations & Experiences|Universal Studios]] offer similar services such as the Attractions Assistance Pass (AAS). The DAS pass allows guests to reserve a spot in an attraction's line, select a time to board the attraction, and return at their scheduled time. This allows guests who cannot physically wait in a trackless dark ride queue to still ride without being present at the queue, but still wait the same amount of time as other abled guests. Many trackless dark ride queues are tight, enclosed spaces for guests to wind through, which are often difficult for people with wheelchairs or aids to navigate.

Moreover, as the trackless ride systems are complex and the vehicles run constantly, more ride breakdowns and stoppages occur. Due to the many elements of these attractions, breakdowns occur more frequently and take more time to address.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Whelan |first1=Robbie |last2=Passy |first2=Jacob |date=2022-11-19 |title=Disney Parks' Ride Stoppages and Wait Times Grow as Ticket Prices Rise |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-parks-ride-stoppages-and-wait-times-grow-as-ticket-prices-rise-11668833084 |access-date=2023-11-27 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Hollywood Studio's Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance had more than 540 unplanned stoppages in 2022, breaking down more than any other attraction at Walt Disney World that year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mumpower |first=David |date=2023-01-31 |title=Which Disney Attractions Broke Down the Most in 2022? |url=https://mickeyblog.com/2023/01/31/which-disney-attractions-broke-down-the-most-in-2022/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=MickeyBlog.com |language=en-US}}</ref> This can be frustrating for guests as trackless rides are some of the most popular, yet break down the most often. Trackless dark rides often have some of the longest wait times at theme parks. Wait time data from Walt Disney World in 2022 shows that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has an average wait time of 127 minutes at Disney's Hollywood Studios park, whereas the average wait time for other Disney World, non-trackless attractions is just 36 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-01 |title=Want to Avoid Lines at Disney? New Data Reveals How to Get the Most Out of Your Next Trip to the Parks |url=https://financebuzz.com/disney-wait-times-study |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=FinanceBuzz |language=en}}</ref> Long wait times coupled with frequent ride stoppages can be vexing for guests, but may be well worth it to those who prefer trackless dark rides to other experiences.

===Enclosed roller coaster===
{{Anchor|Dark coaster}}
{{Main article|Enclosed roller coaster}}
While some roller coasters may be indoors, simply enclosing a roller coaster does not make it a dark ride.  Dark coasters are roller coasters that feature heavily themed layouts, special effects (such as animated characters, fire, smoke, and sound/lighting effects), and a dark ride portion that abruptly transitions into a roller coaster-style layout with heavily banked turns, sharp turns, steep drops, and helices. Some of them include backward motion, and many have launch mechanisms rather than lifts. Examples include:

*[[Flight of Fear]] at [[Kings Island]] and [[Kings Dominion]]
*[[Blazing Fury]] at [[Dollywood]]
*[[Revenge of the Mummy]] at many of the [[Universal Destinations & Experiences]] (themed to [[The Mummy (Universal film franchise)|The Mummy]] film franchise, featuring a launch from the dark ride section into the coaster section)
*[[Seven Dwarfs Mine Train]] at the [[Magic Kingdom]] and [[Shanghai Disneyland]]
*[[Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster]] at [[Warner Bros. Movie World]] (a [[wild mouse roller coaster]] with a ghost-train section, vertical lift and backwards drop)
*[[Space Mountain]] at [[Disney World]], [[Disneyland|Disneyland Park]], [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Tokyo Disneyland]], and [[Hong Kong Disneyland]]
*[[Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain]] at [[Disneyland Park (Paris)]]
*[[Verbolten]] at [[Busch Gardens Williamsburg]] (themed to an escape from the haunted Bavarian Black Forest, with a free-fall track section)
*[[Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind]] at [[EPCOT]]

[[Test Track]] at [[Epcot]], [[Journey to the Center of the Earth (attraction)|Journey to the Center of the Earth]] at [[Tokyo DisneySea]], and [[Radiator Springs Racers]] at [[Disney California Adventure]] each use a [[slot car]] track rather than that of a roller coaster, but they provide a similar pairing of dark ride scenes with a high-speed thrill ride.

[[Saw – The Ride]] at [[Thorpe Park]] features an enclosed dark section with strobe lighting and special effects, before the car enters the outdoor section of the ride.

===Other attractions incorporating dark ride elements===
Particularly in Disney-built or -influenced parks, a number of attractions use traditional dark-ride features, such as [[animatronics]] and theatrical lighting, but are not "dark rides" in that patrons do not board vehicles. Examples include the walk-through dioramas in Disneyland's [[Sleeping Beauty Castle]], and theater-based Disney attractions like [[Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln]], [[The Hall of Presidents]], [[The American Adventure (Epcot)|The American Adventure]] and [[Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room]]. [[Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress]] (and its now-closed Disneyland replacement [[America Sings]]) had four auditoriums that rotated audiences around a stationary core with show scenes.

The [[Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover]] in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and the [[Disneyland Railroad]] both include brief dark-ride scenes, but for the most part transport guests outdoors. [[Expedition Everest]] at [[Disney's Animal Kingdom]], [[Matterhorn Bobsleds]] at Disneyland, [[Big Thunder Mountain Railroad]] and [[Space Mountain]] at several Disney parks, and [[Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars]] at [[Hong Kong Disneyland]] likewise include some dark-ride elements, but function primarily as indoor/outdoor roller coasters.