News: BGW Shows Off Dark Side

Posted at 1:47 PM EST (1847 GMT)

Dec. 15th, 2004 -- Williamsburg, Va. – With less than 10 holiday shopping days remaining until Christmas, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is unwrapping the details of the park’s 2005 ride expansion. The European-themed park announced “Curse of DarKastle” as the latest addition to its stellar lineup of thrill rides.

“Never before has this combination of innovative theme park technology, state-of-the-art motion-based engineering and visual projection come together to deliver an incredible theme park ride,” said Donnie Mills, executive vice president and general manager for Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA. “This is truly a cutting-edge ride and will give our guests an experience like no other,” added Mills.

Curse of DarKastle is the Williamsburg park’s foray into the next generation of theme park thrills. Busch Gardens assembled a crew of expert ride engineers, computer-generated graphic media artists, audio and visual projection system designers, and theming architects. The park began construction on Curse of DarKastle in February 2004 with ride completion scheduled for Spring 2005.

Curse of DarKastle will transport guests through a grand Bavarian castle frozen in time. Following a one-minute-40-second pre-show that hints at a mysterious legend, guests will board eight-passenger golden sleighs for a mesmerizing three-minute-20-second journey through the castle’s ghostly chambers. Elements of the dynamic ride include 3-D imagery, special effects, and a bone-chilling chase.

“The integration of elaborate theming, eye-popping visuals and wicked effects will be seamless,” said Cecil Magpuri, Curse of DarKastle creative director. “Curse of DarKastle will offer a fantastic ride,” added Magpuri.

State-of-the-art ride technology sends passengers on their journey through Curse of DarKastle. In addition to the pulse-pounding ride experience, digitally projected 3-D media will immerse guests in the ride’s story.

Curse of DarKastle is located in the park’s Oktoberfest section of Germany.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg opens for the 2005 season March 20, 2005.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA are Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks. Other Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks include Busch Gardens and Adventure Island in Tampa Bay; SeaWorld Adventure Parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Sesame Place, a children’s play park near Philadelphia; and Discovery Cove in Orlando, a family vacation experience featuring interaction with dolphins and other marine animals.

For more than 40 years, the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks have demonstrated a commitment to wildlife preservation and education. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund allows guests and companies to help support field research, animal rescue, education and habitat conservation.

NOTE: Video coming soon