What Is Dark Ride Database?

Dark Ride Database (DRdb) is a reference site for dark rides and related attractions, cataloguing rides, parks, companies, and products, and publishing news and long-form specials about the industry. It is aimed at enthusiasts and industry watchers who want a single place to look up a specific attraction or browse what exists worldwide. The site is in English and is organized around a searchable database plus a world map, with an open channel for submitting information.

What the site covers

The homepage presents its core content categories directly:

• Rides — including Dark Ride, Semi-Dark Ride, and Show Ride classifications
• Parks — the venues where these attractions operate
• Companies — manufacturers and operators
• Products — related products, including partner products
• News & Specials — dated news items and longer editorial or report pieces
• New For 2025 / New For 2026 — upcoming attraction listings

A World map and a Search function sit alongside these, so you can either browse by category or look up something specific.

How rides are described

Individual ride entries carry structured details rather than just a name. From the sample entries shown on the homepage, a record can include:

Other examples show the same pattern with different values — for instance a ride listed as Operating, or one typed as Show Ride with a 3D Film system. This means you can filter mentally by status (operating vs. defunct), by ride type, and by the ride system used.

News and specials

The site separates short updates from deeper pieces:

• News items are dated and cover announcements — for example, a dark ride and restaurant hybrid announced for Karls Erlebnis-Dorf Elstal, a new flight film and Flying Theatre in Switzerland, a new dark ride system for Gröna Lund's Score!, and a new brand of interactive ride blasters from Attraktion!. It also covers updates to existing rides, such as a planned 2027 overhaul of a Justice League shooter dark ride.
• Specials are reports and editorials — for example, a report on IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 in London, an editorial on the interactive dark rides across Legoland Discovery Centres, and trip reports from parks such as Movieland and Hunderfossen.

If you follow industry announcements or want context behind a specific attraction, the Specials section is where the longer analysis lives.

Contributing and business listings

The site has a Submit info path for community contributions, so the database is not purely editorial — users can add or correct entries. There is also a Business offers section and a Partner products area, indicating that companies can be represented on the site. A DRdb pin is promoted on the homepage as merchandise.

When this site is useful

• You want to identify a dark ride you saw at a park and check its type, system, and operating years.
• You are tracking upcoming attractions via the New For 2025 and New For 2026 lists.
• You want industry news and expo reports in one place rather than scattered across outlets.
• You are researching manufacturers or comparing how different ride systems are classified.

If you need ticket prices, opening hours, or booking for a specific park, this is a database and news site rather than a visitor-information service — those details are not its focus.