Curse of DarKastle

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Some quick thoughts...

Connor said:
Putting a screen right over guest faces is wasting the existing massive show building that could hold so much more than just being shuttered into darkness and only home to the vehicle traveling through with guests wearing VR headsets
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It would have to be AR, not VR -- so riders would see both the virtual bits and the physical sets.  As I understand it from others here, headset hardware cost is a major issue for AR.  Otherwise, good fun to imagine.

Connor said:
Adding VR limits the capacity
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Probably, yeah.  Getting riders quickly boarded and geared up would be more complicated than handing them a pair of 3D glasses and opening the "sled" door.  Throughput concern.

Connor said:
Cleanliness
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I wonder how they will be doing this on Eire.  Only one theater has the headsets as I understand it, but that's still dozens of units needing a cleaning every few minutes. They must have some robust solution in mind.

Finally, if this attraction was to see a retrofit it would automatically be compared to Battle for Eire.
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Precedent...
Corkscrew Hill: 2001
DarKastle: 2005
Didn't seem like a problem to have those two 3D attractions opening within 4 years of each other.  Regarding the two ride systems' differences circa 2005... those differences would remain.
 
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halfabee said:
I wonder how they will be doing this on Eire.  Only one theater has the headsets as I understand it, but that's still dozens of units needing a cleaning every few minutes.  They must have some robust solution in mind.
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Their solution is actually quite elegant. I hope it works for them, it's the first time I've seen something like it tried. The VR goggle part stays in the cabin. Prior to boarding, you are given a cheaper plastic headpiece, that you can adjust before riding. The electronics package fits onto this when you sit down. After the ride, you toss the plastic headpiece in a bin, from which they'll go to be washed like the 3D glasses. So, no individual cleaning of headsets. Pretty good concept, at least.
 
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SLC Headache said:
If I'm reading warfelg's post right, Verbolten's tourist company is a villain in this story for driving the monsters to the castle in the first place? I like that concept.
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Not a literal villain, but if you see it that way then I guess.
 
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Personally I would LOVE to see Busch's take on the Haunted Mansion. A semi-walkthrough/buggy ride not totally unlike DarKastle but just reimagined and revamped. The castle exterior is so interesting and wonderful and magical, I would love for the park to keep it and play off of it. Maybe even add more to it. It's Busch Gardens for goodness' sake, there should absolutely be a castle.
 
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halfabee said:
It would have to be AR, not VR -- so riders would see both the virtual bits and the physical sets.  As I understand it from others here, headset hardware cost is a major issue for AR.  Otherwise, good fun to imagine.
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AR would be interesting, but the technology is just not there. It has never been implemented on any ride before, and I understand that only Universal has any sort of patent related to AR technology on rides. And even Universal's AR concept is well in the design phase.

I would rather see the Kastle's next attraction step away from, not toward, more screens.
 
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Merboy said:
Personally I would LOVE to see Busch's take on the Haunted Mansion. A semi-walkthrough/buggy ride not totally unlike DarKastle but just reimagined and revamped. The castle exterior is so interesting and wonderful and magical, I would love for the park to keep it and play off of it. Maybe even add more to it. It's Busch Gardens for goodness' sake, there should absolutely be a castle.
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(Y)(Y)
 
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Joe said:
I would rather see the Kastle's next attraction step away from, not toward, more screens.
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They could step away from screens entirely with AR. Well, away from big screens anyway.

Agreed, though -- the tech is still many years off in any event, no matter how enthusiastic I am.

Q for all: How many sleds are actually part of the current DK ride system? And how many can run simultaneously?
 
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You only close a big ticket attraction when you have an even bigger one coming soon. This only happened because of whatever the Madrid project is. But sad to see it go.

I'm honestly shocked this went before Pompeii.
 
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hz2.gif
 
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I’m pretty sad about this, but at least there is going to be more money to go around. Hopefully all this new money will go to Project Madrid. I’m also excited that we are going to have a dedicated building for howl-o-scream houses. I’m not sure what you guys think, but I think that most of the building would be gutted, so there is better potential for howl-o-scream and other events.
 
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Lord Robert said:
What a freaking waste of a great space...! (╯'□')╯︵ ┻━┻

Oh and the park's Facebook page, they ask what the new name of the castle will be...Fine, "Gartensburg Castle" is a nice name I guess.
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Yea, that's why I'm disappointed. Just....it's a big space.

I really wish they didn't say it's an events building. Even just say 'No projects are currently planned for the DarKastle building'. Then run events in it.
 
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At least BGW is using the building for something. We still have 2 fully abandoned attractions here in Tampa with no future in sight for any of them. Gwazi at least gets some use during Halloween.

I really hope BGW can utilize the dark ride stuff again for a future attraction. It was starting to look really dated, and I was holding out on a Spiderman-style revamp. I'd even settle for a shooting dark ride as long as they can update the visuals every once in a while to keep things fresh.

Its a damn shame BGW let such a cool, unique ride go to waste though.
 
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James said:
You only close a biG ticket attractIon when you have an even biGger one coming soon. This only hAppened beCause Of whatever the MAdrid project is. But sad to See it go.

I'm honesTly shockEd this went befoRe Pompeii.
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Yeah, makes you think...
 
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