Curse of DarKastle is a 21st-century dark ride located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is a hybrid ride, combining roving motion-simulating vehicles, 3D videos projected onto screens, physical sets, in-vehicle music and special effects (wind, water, fog, and lighting), all perfectly synchronized. Curse of DarKastle carries a rider height requirement of 42 inches, but with a sign warning that scenes within the ride may be too intense for young children. It takes place in a haunted gothic mansion, with evil ghosts and a demonic werewolf.Preshow & StorylineThe queue line for Curse of DarKastle is entered under a frozen, crumbling arch under the Bavarian castle's highest tower, two wolf statues are standing at the end of the arch. It then weaves throughout the outdoor courtyard of the castle. The line weaves around a statue of three howling wolves covered in ice and aged as copper. As guests enter in the hallways within the palace, flickering candelabras light the way into a large, circular stone chamber in which the preshow is projected using simple animation as a heavily accented voice tells the tale of the castle's haunted past:"Long ago in the deepest heart of the black forest, a young prince lived, unloved and neglected in a dark castle. Like the ghostly horrors that always grow in secret shadows, Prince Ludwig grew to be a troubled child. Soon, even the kindest of servants avoided his evil gaze. One dark winter's night, as Ludwig wandered the lonely, frozen grounds of the palace, an old woman appeared. Outraged at this intrusion, Ludwig howled in fury! There, in her place, stood a snarling wolf. As her angry yellow eyes bored into Ludwig's, she revealed his dark destiny: Wicked ruler of a corrupt kingdom. Guided by the wolf, Ludwig set out to take the throne. His parents tried to put an end to his ruthless ambitions, but they mysteriously vanished.
