Its really lame..... That a town that had so many good dark rides no only has one left... the Dantes Inferno. The Inferno was by no means the best Darkride in Wild Wood. Top ratings would go to the Wacky Shack (RIP) followed by Dradulas Castle Dungeon Boat Ride (RIfrikkenP), and then the Golden Nugget Mine Ride. Unfortunatly when Conklin Shows bought Hunts Pier for a short time they got rid of the Wacky Shack and just last year (2002) Draculas Castle was burnt down by the Mafia or perhaps Jewish Lightning (Im so not buying the "two kids did it" story). Of course there was also "Frankensteins Castle", "Dr. Morbids House of Horrors", and Moreys "Haunted House" walkthrough but I was too young to enjoy them before they burnt down or were taken down. As for the ride in question, Dantes Inferno, its seen better days. In the 90s most of the original beautiful Italian props were replaced by lame American props such as the stupid "Electricution death metal mosher guy" prop and the freddy krugger prop with the strobe light. I really doubt there were any electric chair moshers or freddy kruggers in the Dantes Inferno book so they completely ruin the theme of the ride for me. I also strongly dislike the newer paint job that this ride received by Senic Designs. The original Italian paint job was extremely gory. It had demons with pitch forks which would impail the back of someones head where the tip of the spear would push out the persons eyeball. It was all very Lucio Fulci-esk which delighted me to no end. The Senic Designs paint job is pretty much void of any violance, it rather stinks, I really hate it.
Anyway, its a real shame that this is the last darkride of Wild Wood which works. Sure theres still Dr. Morbids House of Horrors on Sports Land but it hasnt operated since the very early 80s. I recently found out from "Anthonys (the hermit) Wild Wood site" that this ride sports beautiful Bill Tracy tricks such as the stone skull w/ bloody eyes. Theres also The Golden Nugget Mine Ride of Hunts Pier but it hasnt run since the Dinosaur Beach lottery ticket winners ran it (and that was like 4 or 5 years ago???) The Nugget has since been sighted on a used ride brokers website and so its doubtfull it will be used again. Wild Wood is deffinatly not as cool as it used to be. Perhaps the beauty of Wild Wood is forever locked in the past with my childhood.
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