Since the surveys, I've become a bit obsessed with the idea of a highly themed, immersive dark ride returning to BGW. I love the idea of a Brothers Grimm theme, but the addition of the Wolf and concurrent establishment of a Black Forest sub-hamlet in Oktoberfest has me dreaming bigger. If there's one thing German artists know how to write, it's horror. While I'd love a slow, fully family-friendly, whimsical dark ride, I don't think it would fit as well as a horror-based spiritual DarKastle successor would back by the Wolf. Is it redundant with DarKoaster? Slightly. Do I care? Slightly. Will that stop me from pitching my idea? Absolutely not.
The Theme
Der Erlkönig by Goethe is, in my opinion, one of the greatest classic pieces of short horror. It's iconic to south German folklore, it's eerie, it's atmospheric, and it's perfect for BGW. The poem follows a father with his ill son on horseback, desperately riding through a cold windy night in the forest, presumably to seek medical help. The son begins asking his father if he can also see Der Erlkönig hiding in the trees, which his father repeatedly dismisses as a whisp of fog or a mirage due to his sickness. Der Erlkönig, which translates directly to the Elf King, is portrayed as a non-human spirit that lures people to their death. He speaks directly to the child multiple times in the poem, beckoning him to join him, before eventually seizing the child by force, killing him. The poem leaves plenty of room for interpretation and artistic license when adapting the titular antagonist, which is great for the purposes of designing a dark ride.
Obviously, a 1-to-1 adaptation wouldn't work well in a theme park. Like everything old and German, we'd have to soften it a bit. While I wouldn't want Der Erlkönig as cartoonish, talkative, and pun-loving as King Ludwig, I think making him into a more basic forest spirit boogeyman would do the trick. In that same vein, I would limit the father and son characters to references rather than the focal point of the story. Obviously, we can't have a dead child in our theme park ride. Perhaps a few queue line references to a member of the townsfolk who recently disappeared during a ride through the forest, maybe a loose horse or crashed carriage scene somewhere in the layout of the ride. More on that later. For now, I'd like to discuss the ride system itself.
The System
Let me preface this with four points;
1. I really (REALLY) miss the OG Curse of DarKastle.
2. I fully understand a slow-moving dark ride would suit the park best from a budget standpoint AND from a ride lineup standpoint.
3. Given my theme of choice and my love for the original DarKastle, I'll be looking only at higher-intensity dark rides.
4. This is MY pipe dream--I will be (mostly) ignoring budgetary restrictions.
With those outlined, my mind goes three places:
- Trackless (Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille, Symbolica)
- Kuka Arm (Harry Potter, Monsters Unchained)
- Oceaneering International Rail Guided (DarKastle, Spider-Man)
I'm immediately nixing the Kuka Arm system, just for realism's sake. Not to mention it doesn't really fit the theme. The Kuka Arm system usually comes with an explanation for why the guests are flying. In The Forbidden Journey, it's magic. In Monsters Unchained, it's science. Der Erlkönig absolutely has mystical elements as a story, but it works best if the audience are grounded and juxtaposed against the supernatural threat Der Erlkönig poses. So for this ride, I'd keep my riders grounded.
Another aspect that makes the original poem so eerie is the isolation of the characters. The father and son are alone, with nobody to help them once the son begins seeing Der Erlkönig. For that reason, I'll eliminate the trackless system and the temptation for multiple ride vehicles all in a group. I don't think the atmosphere or scares would work the same in a group like in Symbolica or Ratatouille.
So, just like DarKastle, I would personally use a rail-guided ride system. I'm sure it would be cheaper than the other options, too. Still likely outside of BGW's feasible budget, but not necessarily impossible.
The Footprint
These rides can be big. This one would be no different. For reference, I measured the size of some other Oceaneering system show buildings (including queues) and added a similar-sized building footprint back in the Black Forest area. Feel free to let me know if this location wouldn't work for any reason!
Upper Size Limit - Spider-Man at IoA (I can't imagine BGW would need more space than this)
Lower Size Limit - Curse of DarKastle (I personally wouldn't want this ride to be smaller than DarKastle)
Black Forest Building Overlay (Biggest building I could feasibly fit here; could be moved back for more plaza space)
For the record, I know we wouldn't need anything THIS big. This is more a proof of concept that you CAN fit a sizeable dark ride back here without destroying every single tree along BBW's course. Now, with that said, what would I want on the ride itself?
The Ride
Now I don't have a perfect layout with every show scene laid out in order; more a rough idea. I'm going to build a proof of concept in PlanCo2 once we get a spooky pack. As of now, I'll pitch a few queue and show scenes:
Queue:
1. The start of the queue should be outdoors, with some way to hide the show building (aside from a massive building facade). That's a tall order, but I think it's necessary.
2. The current village around Wolf could be pretty sizably expanded with a new plaza and an outdoor queue with buildings.
3. Indoor sections of the queue should contain all necessary background information for the story. References to the original poem, worldbuilding scenery (maps, books, etc.). A library room in the queue could accomplish this really well. Maybe the library could even function as a pre-show room.
4. Taking a page directly out of DarKastle's book, the station should be stables, and the ride vehicles should be carriages. It should be heavily implied you're part of a search party for a member of the community who disappeared into the woods.
Ride (These are a select list of scenes I would want on the ride; not comprehensive):
1. The ride should begin with a turn past more stables and some trees into a dark space. The vehicle creeps through a pitch black, foggy corridor, while a low voice recites the first line of the poem (in german):
"Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?" -- "Who rides so late through night and wind?"
This serves as both a direct reference to the poem, a creepy introductory voice for the riders, and potentially a direct warning to riders not to continue forward (as if they have any say).
2. Immediately following this line--a flash of bright light and a full vehicle spin through a turn, suddenly dropping you into the middle of the forest, where the vehicle speeds up and the terrain gets rougher. Der Erlkönig should appear sporadically, stalking the vehicle. Between trees, in dark alcoves, etc. Preferably he would appear in places where riders may even miss him. The sense of danger should be more latent than apparent.
3. The ride should contain periods of calm, specifically when Der Erlkönig appears to beckon the riders. Don't fully leave the spooky atmosphere behind, but purposefully juxtapose the full horror forest scenes with Der Erlkönig stalking the vehicle with the scenes where he speaks directly to the riders. Make it clear he is trying to influence the riders with warmer colors and calmer music.
4. One of these calmer scenes should be the vehicle "dancing" with Der Erlkönig's daughters, something he promises to the child in the poem. It could function as an equivalent to the fireplace scene in DarKastle, though maybe less intense. It would likewise empty the vehicle out into the start of the climax, with the vehicle and riders snapping back to reality and beginning their attempt to escape.
5. The final scene should also directly reference DarKastle; I envision a booming voice threatening riders with Der Erlkönig's last line from the poem:
"Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt." -- "And if you're not willing, then I will use force."
This would be followed by a physical prop of a massive ghostly hand emerging from the trees, directly aiming for the vehicle, which turns around and narrowly escapes the hand of Der Erlkönig. No idea how this would be accomplished, maybe similar to the boulder in Indiana Jones at Disneyland. I'd like to minimize the number of screens used, but I also wouldn't blame a regional park like BGW for going that route. I envision something like Monsters Unchained with an emphasis on animatronics. There's a reason I said I'd be ignoring budget for the most part.
Quick note, I'm having serious trouble thinking of good scenes to put between the ones I already have in mind. It would need a pretty linear elevation of stakes, similar to DarKastle. Not sure how to do that yet. Not sure if that's an indictment on the concept or on my creative abilities.
Lastly, the name. I think Der Erlkönig is a feasible enough name, but may be tough for American audiences to pronounce. It also may give people a different idea of what the ride is about if they translate it and see it means Elf King. This ride will not be whimsical and will contain no elves.
I think the best name is in the first line (which I would have referenced during the ride). I would call this ride Nacht und Wind. Creepy, pronounceable, recognizable, and above all else, cool. It fits BGW naming conventions, it fits the hamlet, and it fits the ride.
Conclusion
If you read all of this, sincere thanks! Like I said, I plan on making this exact ride in PlanCo2; so suggestions and scene ideas are MORE than welcome. I recognize how much of a pipe dream this is. This story just holds a very special place in my heart since I first read it, and I desperately want to see it adapted in some capacity with a budget. It could make a great horror film--but as usual my mind goes to theme parks
Thanks for reading!
The Theme
Der Erlkönig by Goethe is, in my opinion, one of the greatest classic pieces of short horror. It's iconic to south German folklore, it's eerie, it's atmospheric, and it's perfect for BGW. The poem follows a father with his ill son on horseback, desperately riding through a cold windy night in the forest, presumably to seek medical help. The son begins asking his father if he can also see Der Erlkönig hiding in the trees, which his father repeatedly dismisses as a whisp of fog or a mirage due to his sickness. Der Erlkönig, which translates directly to the Elf King, is portrayed as a non-human spirit that lures people to their death. He speaks directly to the child multiple times in the poem, beckoning him to join him, before eventually seizing the child by force, killing him. The poem leaves plenty of room for interpretation and artistic license when adapting the titular antagonist, which is great for the purposes of designing a dark ride.
Obviously, a 1-to-1 adaptation wouldn't work well in a theme park. Like everything old and German, we'd have to soften it a bit. While I wouldn't want Der Erlkönig as cartoonish, talkative, and pun-loving as King Ludwig, I think making him into a more basic forest spirit boogeyman would do the trick. In that same vein, I would limit the father and son characters to references rather than the focal point of the story. Obviously, we can't have a dead child in our theme park ride. Perhaps a few queue line references to a member of the townsfolk who recently disappeared during a ride through the forest, maybe a loose horse or crashed carriage scene somewhere in the layout of the ride. More on that later. For now, I'd like to discuss the ride system itself.
The System
Let me preface this with four points;
1. I really (REALLY) miss the OG Curse of DarKastle.
2. I fully understand a slow-moving dark ride would suit the park best from a budget standpoint AND from a ride lineup standpoint.
3. Given my theme of choice and my love for the original DarKastle, I'll be looking only at higher-intensity dark rides.
4. This is MY pipe dream--I will be (mostly) ignoring budgetary restrictions.
With those outlined, my mind goes three places:
- Trackless (Rise of the Resistance, Ratatouille, Symbolica)
- Kuka Arm (Harry Potter, Monsters Unchained)
- Oceaneering International Rail Guided (DarKastle, Spider-Man)
I'm immediately nixing the Kuka Arm system, just for realism's sake. Not to mention it doesn't really fit the theme. The Kuka Arm system usually comes with an explanation for why the guests are flying. In The Forbidden Journey, it's magic. In Monsters Unchained, it's science. Der Erlkönig absolutely has mystical elements as a story, but it works best if the audience are grounded and juxtaposed against the supernatural threat Der Erlkönig poses. So for this ride, I'd keep my riders grounded.
Another aspect that makes the original poem so eerie is the isolation of the characters. The father and son are alone, with nobody to help them once the son begins seeing Der Erlkönig. For that reason, I'll eliminate the trackless system and the temptation for multiple ride vehicles all in a group. I don't think the atmosphere or scares would work the same in a group like in Symbolica or Ratatouille.
So, just like DarKastle, I would personally use a rail-guided ride system. I'm sure it would be cheaper than the other options, too. Still likely outside of BGW's feasible budget, but not necessarily impossible.
The Footprint
These rides can be big. This one would be no different. For reference, I measured the size of some other Oceaneering system show buildings (including queues) and added a similar-sized building footprint back in the Black Forest area. Feel free to let me know if this location wouldn't work for any reason!
Upper Size Limit - Spider-Man at IoA (I can't imagine BGW would need more space than this)
Lower Size Limit - Curse of DarKastle (I personally wouldn't want this ride to be smaller than DarKastle)
Black Forest Building Overlay (Biggest building I could feasibly fit here; could be moved back for more plaza space)
For the record, I know we wouldn't need anything THIS big. This is more a proof of concept that you CAN fit a sizeable dark ride back here without destroying every single tree along BBW's course. Now, with that said, what would I want on the ride itself?
The Ride
Now I don't have a perfect layout with every show scene laid out in order; more a rough idea. I'm going to build a proof of concept in PlanCo2 once we get a spooky pack. As of now, I'll pitch a few queue and show scenes:
Queue:
1. The start of the queue should be outdoors, with some way to hide the show building (aside from a massive building facade). That's a tall order, but I think it's necessary.
2. The current village around Wolf could be pretty sizably expanded with a new plaza and an outdoor queue with buildings.
3. Indoor sections of the queue should contain all necessary background information for the story. References to the original poem, worldbuilding scenery (maps, books, etc.). A library room in the queue could accomplish this really well. Maybe the library could even function as a pre-show room.
4. Taking a page directly out of DarKastle's book, the station should be stables, and the ride vehicles should be carriages. It should be heavily implied you're part of a search party for a member of the community who disappeared into the woods.
Ride (These are a select list of scenes I would want on the ride; not comprehensive):
1. The ride should begin with a turn past more stables and some trees into a dark space. The vehicle creeps through a pitch black, foggy corridor, while a low voice recites the first line of the poem (in german):
"Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?" -- "Who rides so late through night and wind?"
This serves as both a direct reference to the poem, a creepy introductory voice for the riders, and potentially a direct warning to riders not to continue forward (as if they have any say).
2. Immediately following this line--a flash of bright light and a full vehicle spin through a turn, suddenly dropping you into the middle of the forest, where the vehicle speeds up and the terrain gets rougher. Der Erlkönig should appear sporadically, stalking the vehicle. Between trees, in dark alcoves, etc. Preferably he would appear in places where riders may even miss him. The sense of danger should be more latent than apparent.
3. The ride should contain periods of calm, specifically when Der Erlkönig appears to beckon the riders. Don't fully leave the spooky atmosphere behind, but purposefully juxtapose the full horror forest scenes with Der Erlkönig stalking the vehicle with the scenes where he speaks directly to the riders. Make it clear he is trying to influence the riders with warmer colors and calmer music.
4. One of these calmer scenes should be the vehicle "dancing" with Der Erlkönig's daughters, something he promises to the child in the poem. It could function as an equivalent to the fireplace scene in DarKastle, though maybe less intense. It would likewise empty the vehicle out into the start of the climax, with the vehicle and riders snapping back to reality and beginning their attempt to escape.
5. The final scene should also directly reference DarKastle; I envision a booming voice threatening riders with Der Erlkönig's last line from the poem:
"Und bist du nicht willig, so brauch ich Gewalt." -- "And if you're not willing, then I will use force."
This would be followed by a physical prop of a massive ghostly hand emerging from the trees, directly aiming for the vehicle, which turns around and narrowly escapes the hand of Der Erlkönig. No idea how this would be accomplished, maybe similar to the boulder in Indiana Jones at Disneyland. I'd like to minimize the number of screens used, but I also wouldn't blame a regional park like BGW for going that route. I envision something like Monsters Unchained with an emphasis on animatronics. There's a reason I said I'd be ignoring budget for the most part.
Quick note, I'm having serious trouble thinking of good scenes to put between the ones I already have in mind. It would need a pretty linear elevation of stakes, similar to DarKastle. Not sure how to do that yet. Not sure if that's an indictment on the concept or on my creative abilities.
Lastly, the name. I think Der Erlkönig is a feasible enough name, but may be tough for American audiences to pronounce. It also may give people a different idea of what the ride is about if they translate it and see it means Elf King. This ride will not be whimsical and will contain no elves.
I think the best name is in the first line (which I would have referenced during the ride). I would call this ride Nacht und Wind. Creepy, pronounceable, recognizable, and above all else, cool. It fits BGW naming conventions, it fits the hamlet, and it fits the ride.
Conclusion
If you read all of this, sincere thanks! Like I said, I plan on making this exact ride in PlanCo2; so suggestions and scene ideas are MORE than welcome. I recognize how much of a pipe dream this is. This story just holds a very special place in my heart since I first read it, and I desperately want to see it adapted in some capacity with a budget. It could make a great horror film--but as usual my mind goes to theme parks
Thanks for reading!
