Let me be up front here and say this review is based off a single ride on DarKoaster. Unlike my recent review for Wildcat’s Revenge at Hersheypark, I was unable to get multiple rides on this new family coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW). That being said, I do feel like I have enough of a grasp on the ride, its theming, and trains to do a ride review. I’ve also included the on-ride, front row POV I filmed that was recently published on the We Were Inverted YouTube channel.
Now, let’s venture into the castle… or is that kastle?
Intamin Gonna Intamin
Like so many other people, we waited well over an hour, closer to two, for our ride on DarKoaster. I’ve seen others mention online the ride going down, or having small bouts of downtime during their visits. That’s typical with Intamins, especially new ones. I’d expect this to become less of an issue as the ride works out its new ride growing pains.
With this in mind, we made our way to the ride first thing. We wanted to make sure we got in at least one ride on DarKoaster while with Chris. He had other obligations that evening and only had a few hours to spend at the park. He attended the park’s media day event and already had a few rides on DarKoaster, but was looking forward to another. You can check out Chris’ thoughts on the ride in the video DarKoaster Media Day from the BGW Insiders YouTube channel. I have also embedded it down below.
Ultimately this was a good idea. We did have several points throughout the queue where we stopped for what seemed like 10-15 minute intervals. It wasn’t terrible though as we made conversation with people in front and behind us. Not so much the teenage/young adult guys who tried to cut in line right into the middle of our group, however. Greg called them out in front of everyone and then several groups behind us did the same. Don’t cut in line people!
Theming/Story
It’s been a long time since I’ve been inside the castle, or outside in the castle grounds. The last time would have been during a Howl-O-Scream event, after Curse of DarKastle had closed for good. That being said, I always loved the theming found in both inside and outside the former ride. Since we had a long wait, we ended up spending time both outside and inside.
When it comes to the garden area of the castle grounds, it doesn’t look like much has changed. I could be wrong though as it’s been years since I’ve walked this area. I do like the entrance sign, the torches, banners, and icicles added to the building’s exterior. Those stood out to me when approaching the building.
As you begin to make your way indoors there are a few spots of newly placed theming around the queue. My favorite is the plaque telling the story of DarKastle and Prince Ludwig. You’ll also find some equipment piles outside the building entrance, inside the old ride’s pre-show building, and on shelves in the station area. While this appears to be equipment from a paranormal investigations group, that really isn’t clearly explained. That’s my one big gripe about this ride. The story for Curse of DarKastle was solid. This return to the castle for DarKoaster, not so much.
Trains
This was my first experience with an Intamin straddle coaster. I was looking forward to experiencing these trains, which resemble snow mobiles. They looked comfortable, but so did the trains on Jersey Devil Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) which turned out to feel a little awkward. My only other straddle coaster experiences come from the Zamperla Moto Coaster models. Well, I’m happy to say that DarKoaster’s trains are very comfortable.
Although the trains have a limited capacity due to the small scale of this coaster, operations seemed to move swiftly. People moved in and out of their rows with ease, which is nice to see. I’m looking at you Tempesto! I digress!
One thing I was not aware of until after my visit was the train’s naming convention. While looking for the coaster’s ride stats for my POV, I came across a DarKoaster review on Coaster101 by Andrew Stilwell. In it, I discovered something that I missed. I’m doubt I would have ever picked up on it either.
In Stilwell’s review, “DarKoaster ‘Storms’ Into Busch Gardens Williamsburg,” he states, that the ride’s two trains are named after a former Howl-O-Scream maze (Frostbite 17-19) and Big Bad Wolf and Wild Maus (Wild Wolf 9684), that all occupied the land prior and after Curse of DarKastle.
I have to give it to Busch Gardens, they sure know how to pay homage to their former rides. They did it with Verbolten and Big Bad Wolf and now they’ve done it here with DarKoaster. Now if they could just do it with Drachen Fire… I digress, again.
Ride Experience
I knew only two things about this ride going in. One: It takes place mostly in the dark. And two: There is a switch track inside that provides two laps around the course. I honestly preferred not knowing much about ride. I wanted to experience it for myself. I tried my best to avoid ride POV’s and online reviews, which wasn’t easy.
When it came time to ride, I elected to ride in the front row in order to film an unobstructed POV. Prior to riding, however, Chris recommended that I ride in the back to get a better view of some of the ride lighting effects. Ultimately, Chris was right. While I could see the majority of the effects easily from the front, there is one toward the end of the ride that flashes right as the front of the train passes underneath. Those further back get a better view of the illuminated prop compared to those in the front. Hopefully on my next visit I can ride in the back and perhaps film another POV to see if the effects are showcased better.
When it comes to the ride’s layout, let me say kudos to Busch Gardens for making use of such a limited space. I expected this ride to consist of mostly tight turns, but the launch portions provide several areas of straight track with some zip to them. They caught me off guard with the launches feeling faster than the advertised 36 mph top speed. I’m sure it probably feels faster due to being inside and in almost total darkness, but I’ll take it.
As far as the effects throughout the course go, I did like the lightning flashes, ghosts, and hints of the castle that flash as you traverse the course. I do think that a few more effects, or ones with better visibility would have made for a better experience. A majority of the ride takes place in almost total darkness. While that has its appeal, I feel that doesn’t work well for a ride trying to tell a story. I feel that Verbolten does a better job in that regard, telling three different stories based on which theme you draw on your ride.
Pros
- Great use of limited space
- Pays homage to the former ride
- A much needed family coaster for the park
- Another ride the park will be able to offer during winter holiday events & colder months
- Comfortable trains that younger kids will probably love due to their resembling of snow mobiles
Cons
- Story element of our return to DarKastle not clearly told
- Low capacity
- Intamin’s usual sporadic downtime issues
- Limited visible theming during the ride
Need More Rides, But Less of a Wait
DarKoaster surprised me. I went in expecting an overly tame ride that didn’t do much of anything. Instead I experienced a few launches with more punch than I anticipated and laterals that had me wondering which way I’d be flung next. I will say the park did a great job fitting this ride into the existing building and paying homage to the former ride.
That being said, I do wish the story was a little more clear. Why are we returning to DarKastle? Are we a part of the paranormal team whose equipment is scattered all about, or are we looking into what happened to them? Is Ludwig back? I honestly feel like those things are not clear.
I’ve heard some people say the ride is themed to simply escaping a storm. I’m sure it’s a little deeper than that, but that just goes to show you, the story is lacking or needs a better explanation. I’m not sure if the park would care to make that clearer to riders with other items placed throughout the ride, but as it stands now, that’s my biggest miss for this ride. Maybe even a video that plays on some monitors throughout the queue from the paranormal team talking about DarKastle or Ludwig even? I’m just spit balling here.
After my one ride, I will admit that I do prefer the former Curse of DarKastle to this coaster. I know, I know… I’m a coaster enthusiast. How dare I say that? Well, I also love dark rides and think the story DarKastle told was great from start to finish. I loved the 3D, heat, and water effects throughout the old ride. And the trees found at the start back in the day… Where are they? I loved those things and thought they’d surely be included somewhere in the DarKoaster reimagining.
I don’t dislike this ride, but simply liked what came before more. I honestly wish we could have both. I’ve said the same thing about Big Bad Wolf and Verbolten, but I do feel like Verbolten is a more solid replacement than DarKoaster is when compared to the ride that came before. Now about Drachen Fire and its replacement…
