OH GOD! You know what, 3-d movie rides are not my thing. ESPECIALLY NOT MOVING 3-D MOVIE RIDES! I was so dizzy after this. I actually wanted to leave the park after I saw this cuz I felt sick. Just not my thing at all. I did stay after regaining my compusure

The detail is so precise! Ive been to Bavaria, and it looks moore realistic than some of the intimidating castles there!

Curse of DarKastle was probably the most disappointing ride for me when I went to BGW. Now, I have ridden Spider-Man at IoA many times, so Im slightly spoiled, but given that this was a Busch park and that this ride came out several years after Spider-Man, I figured that the technology would have improved, even if the storyline wasnt as good. The queue was nicely themed, and although it was blazing hot the day I visited (90+), the fans did a pretty good job keeping it bearable until you entered the inside portion. Once inside, we were shown the short video and then entered the preping area to get our glasses and queue up to get into the chariots. Up to this point, everything was going pretty well. However, things began to go downhill once the ride got underway. Firstly, throughout most of the ride, I had a difficult time understanding what on earth the characters were saying. Therefore, many menacing lines that would have added a lot to the plot (which was a bit thin, imo) were lost to me. I also thought that there was a lack of continuity between what was happening on the screen and what was happening to the carriage. For example, during the portion of the ride when a series of pikes, knives, and swords are thrown at the vehicle, you see them flying towards you, only to have them disappear with no effect on your ride! The car doesnt move or shudder, and there was no real sound effect of them "hitting" the carriage either. This was a big let-down for me, considering that Spider-Man does an exemplary job of coordinating the effects on the screen with the effects on your vehicle (i.e. Electros plug, Hydromans punches, etc.). The end result of these two main trouble points was that the story line was bare and un-engaging, and much of the physical connection to the ride was lost. Not a bad ride by any means, but one that I felt more time and effort could have been put into. For locals in the area, Im sure its fine, but for those lucky enough to be able to ride Spidey, they will find a far superior ride at IoA.

ok, first off to the people saying that this is better than spiderman, you are wrong in my eyes. the ride was very good and FREEZING, it made me feel like i was really in darkastle. the ride was very fun, but i kinda felt like it was very chopped up, at points i didnt really know what was going on. also i think the "Fire" part would have been kool if they had real fire (i think it normally does but they are trying to preserve natural gas, they turned off all the fire on Escape for pohnpeii). i was also in the back row so some of the 3-D stuff was wierd looking. the ride was good but it is nothing compared to spiderman.

This ride is incredible! But why is it so cold in there? I mean, its good if its hot out, but if youre going in there when its cold, bring your jacket. Anyway, the ride has great theming and it really kept my heart pumping. What company built the ride? Anyone know? I liked getting "tortured" (if thats how you spell it) and its one of the few times where I can enjoy being tortured. The ride itself is a little hard to explain but go to Bush Gardens Williamsburg and ride it and youll know what its like. A must ride (along with the roller coasters there) and kiddies beware.

This ride is amazing for a seasonla park. The theming outside the ride is very nice, just slightly below Disney or Universal. The ride itself was also very good. The special effects were some of the best Ive seen. This ride is only slightly worse than Spiderman because I believe that the story could have had a better ending.

I know some people will harass me and give me a "bad" for this, but Im only stating my opinion when I say that this is just as fun as Spiderman, but in a different way. Regardless of how they say nothing else it like it in the world, we all know that it is the same as Spiderman with differences only in themeing, effects, and layout. Spiderman was immersive. You were in New York City, in the sewers, on the rooftops... The effects were perfect. Spiderman jumped onto the hood of your car and it smashed into the ground. It was all set up wonderfully. With DarKastle, the car "bounces" more than anything. It was less affected by the surroundings and characters and more bouncy from side to side. In Spiderman, the car is electrocuted and the car vibrates. In DarKastle, the car is electrocuted and it just continues to randomly tilt the car from side to side. Spiderman features that great drop that makes the bravest of us hold on. DarKastles drop looks like what it is: a movie screen. Some might call these "problems." I say, it's part of a family-oriented attempt at this ride. Even with its "problems", theres no way to deny that DarKastle is a fun ride and an escape. While it may not live up to some peoples expectations, its a well-themed, nice storylined ride. Perhaps if I could add my two cents to the creators pot, Id say to focus more on the story youve worked hard to create and not so much on the cheap 3D effects and cheesy haunted house scenarios. An awesome plan, great work behind it, and a strong, though perhaps slightly less than hoped for final product. A GREAT ride in my book, but I must add on a final note: If you didnt like it, try Spiderman. Its my belief that this ride was toned down to fit in the Busch Gardens "family park" atmosphere. I can totally understand that. The use of rapid chilling in the air in the preshow is fantastic, and although the "theater preshow" setting isnt quite as immersive, informative or fun as Spidermans (Which takes place in steps as you proceed through the line), DarKastle is fun, well themed adventure. To me, this ride is NOT to be missed. Honestly, you MUST RIDE THIS! 9 / 10 ................................................. UPDATE: See what I mean? Day 2 and someone already gave me a bad. This site is Theme Park CRITIC. Youre supposed to detail the good and bad points of rides, then give your final rating. Its not called Theme Park LIE TO GET "GOODS". I did a detailed review of the ride, listed good points and bad and made my final descision, asking people to ride it. I guess someone didnt agree with what I had to say, so, naturally, that means the review was "bad." I suppose asking the person who gave me this bad to tell me why would be pointless, because no one will admit to it. Well then, for future reference, keep in mind youre grading the quality of the review, not how it matches up to your ideas of the ride.

The theming through the queue was fantastic. I really was surprised. I liked the whole idea of a castle being frozen in time. You get told a story of the castles haunted past. You then walk up to the loading platform. The cars swoop out from behind the mist. You cant see where they were coming from! The whole ride used a ton of mist and fog to surprise you. After 2 rides I still jumped out of my seat a few times. Im trying not to give away any of the surprises, so this review may be lacking. Sorry about this. The capacity on this ride is also a little week. The line didnt go that far but the wait was over an hour. If you are really intrested in riding this Id suggest doing it in the morning.

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This is the ride I have anticipated the most all year. Mostly because it is in my favorite park and a little because it is supposed to be so unique. Well, Im not quite sure it will live up to the latter, but I really enjoyed it.
First off, there is no more beautiful, intricate, and elaborate ride outside of Orlando than this. The castle is just awesome. It really is a Dark Castle. It is a blackish-gray color, which makes it imposing looking. There is a beautiful garden and when it grows in, it will look like a maze. There are statues, lamps, and all kinds of details. Breathtaking is the word most appropriate.
Now the ride, lets face it, these arent Hollywood screenwriters, so with that you can see the story is a little weak. I will tell nothing of it ( Ill explain in a second). This I will say, the 3-D is very well done and is, again, gorgeous. Now, I wont say anything about the story line because I feel surprise is best when you go on your first ride. I found myself trying to critic the story and anticipate the ride. Big mistake! You have to go in with an open mind. Just enjoy it and dont overthink it.
I have never ridden SpiderMan, so I have no frame of comparison. That being said, I give this ride major props for orginality. It must be very hard to come up with a ride and movie at the same time. Spiderman is a pre-created character. They had to make this up from scratch. That is worth points in my book.
I dont think this will have the effect on the public Busch hoped for though. I have spoken to 30 people who have ridden it. 15 likes, 15 dislikes. Not what BGW was hoping for I dont think. Still, with this set up, there is room for changes and new stories. Make no mistake about it, the star of the show is THE CASTLE. Not the characters in it. There is a world of opprotunity out there for this. I really loved this ride, but dont take my word for it, this is truly a ride that is up to the individuals taste.

Curse Of Darkastle, hmmmmm, well may I just say this was my most anticapted ride opening since "Superman The Escape" in Magic Mountain. Unfortunatly I was very, very dissapointed. Ive ridden this ride maybe a half dozen times by now hoping it gets better, hoping for it to be something that its not. First the story, ITS COMPLETE CHEESE! The story line of this ride is weak, not well thought out, and does nothing for the overall dissapointment of this ride. The first time I rode it I hated it, I probably would have given it a 5 than, but it has since slightly grown on me. I cant say to much because I dont want to spoil this ride for anyone. The worst part of this ride is the climax, TRULY PATHETIC, its a fall scene that does not for one second sell your sences that you are remotly falling. Tip, sit in the front seat on this ride. The back seat is unbarably boring to your sences since your elavated and can see the lack of details inside the ride. Atleast in the front you are consumed by the screen. Many people hate this ride BUT just as many LOVE this ride. Overall Id call it a mistake, I was hoping it was like the "Indiana Jones Adventure" at Disneyland but with monsters and spookier effects.....ITS NOT! It is not thrilling nor is it remotly spooky, Cheesy is the first word that comes to mind. Indiana Jones is a top 10 thriller, Darkastle is a.......well I dont know what it is, Ill just call it a dissapointment. Im giving it a 7 because........well I dont know why, I guess because its grown on me, Id give it 6.5 if I could but I cant, so there ya go.........edit.....I changed my mind Im giving it a 6 bacause I dont want to get anyones hopes up, come to Busch Gardens for "Alpengeist" and "Apollos Chariot" ride this and get a cheap thrill, just dont expect much.