Group shines some light on Dark Rides

For more than a century, fun loving people have been turning to the “dark side” for entertainment. For the last six years the Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts group (DAFE) has been polling its members for their favorite dark attractions, that is “haunted house” and funhouse related attractions. DAFE recently released the results of their Sixth Annual Members Survey- Topping the list for the sixth consecutive year was Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, PA which received top honors as DAFE’s Favorite Dark Attraction Park.

Number one on the list of Top Ten Favorite Walkthrough Attractions was Kennywood’s Noah’s Ark, a large, rocking boat-shaped funhouse. Built in 1936 the Ark is the last of its kind in the US and one of two left in the world. DAFE Director Rick Davis notes- “The Ark’s construction was delayed in 1936 due to tremendous rainfall and flooding. When they decided to completely refurbish the Ark in 1996, the rains came to again delay its rebuilding.”

On the opposite side of Pennsylvania, the Haunted Mansion (also known as the Haunted House) at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, PA was again the number one choice in DAFE’s Top Ten Favorite Darkrides list. “Knoebel’s Haunted Mansion has been selected as DAFE’s favorite darkride for the last six years. Interestingly, the top three darkrides are all known as the Haunted Mansion. As a matter of fact, five of the top ten have the same name.”

DAFE (pronounced “daffy”) annually polls its membership on various issues, the highlight of which is asking members to name their favorite dark attractions-those walk through or ride through attractions related to funhouses and haunted houses from around the world. This year approximately 90 full-time and summer seasonal attractions worldwide were nominated. (Halloween seasonal attractions are not included in this survey.)

The Top Ten Favorite Darkrides- 2007

#10- Gold Rusher- Kennywood Park- West Mifflin, PA
#9- Revenge of the Mummy-The Ride© TM - Universal Studios Florida© TM-
Universal Orlando Resort© TM - Orlando, FL.
#8- Haunted Mansion- Disneyland- Anaheim, CA
#7- Whacky Shack- Waldameer Park- Erie, PA
#6- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror TM- Disney-MGM Studios-
Orlando, FL
#5- Haunted Mansion- Trimper’s Rides and Amusements-
Ocean City, MD
#4- Amazing Adventures of Spiderman- Islands of Adventure©TM-
Universal Orlando Resort© TM - Orlando, FL
#3- Haunted Mansion- Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom®-
Orlando, FL
#2- Haunted Mansion- Funland- Rehoboth, DE
#1- Haunted Mansion- Knoebel’s Amusement Resort- Elysburg, PA

The Top Ten Favorite Walk through Attractions- 2007

#10- House of Frankenstein Wax Museum- Lake George, NY
#9- Aladdin’s Lamp- Trimper’s Rides and Amusements-
Ocean City, MD
#8- Haunted House- Enchanted Forest- Turner, OR
#7- Ghostly Manor- Sandusky, OH
#6- Barl of Fun- Bushkill Park- Easton, PA
#5- Pirate’s Cove- Trimper’s Rides and Amusements-
Ocean City, MD
#4- Funhouse- Jenkinson’s Beach Boardwalk- Point Pleasant, NJ
#3- Pirate’s Cove- Waldameer- Erie, PA
#2- Frankenstein’s Castle- Indiana Beach, Monticello, IN
#1- Noah’s Ark- Kennywood Park- West Mifflin, PA