Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion

Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion is a Scooby-Doo-themed interactive dark ride series created by Sally Corporation based on Hanna-Barbera's long-running animated television series. The ride transports guests in a vehicle equipped with light guns that are used to shoot at various targets to collect points throughout the ride. At its peak, the ride model was located at seven amusement parks around the world including Canada's Wonderland, the location of the first installation that debuted in 2000. Initially known under a variety of names, the ride's Scooby-Doo theme has been replaced by Boo Blasters on Boo Hill at several locations and removed from others. The last remaining installation is La Aventura de Scooby-Doo at Parque Warner Madrid in Madrid, Spain.

Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Name	Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Haunted Mansion
Area	Fiesta Bay Boardwalk
Status	Removed
Opening date	2002 (2002)[1]
Closing date	January 7, 2018 (2018-01-07)
Replaced by	Pirates of the Deep Sea
Six Flags St. Louis
Name	Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Scary Swamp
Area	DC Comics Plaza
Status	Removed
Opening date	2002 (2002)[2]
Closing date	September 14, 2014 (2014-09-14)[3]
Replaced	Castaway Kids
Replaced by	Justice League: Battle for Metropolis
Parque Warner Madrid
Name	La Aventura de Scooby-Doo
Area	Cartoon Village
Status	Operating
Opening date	June 16, 2005 (2005-06-16)[4][5]
Canada's Wonderland
Name	Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion
Area	Hanna Barbera Land
Status	Removed
Opening date	May 7, 2000 (2000-05-07)[6]
Closing date	2009 (2009)
Replaced	Bedrock Dock
Replaced by	Boo Blasters on Boo Hill
Carowinds
Name	Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion
Area	Carolina RFD
Status	Removed
Opening date	2001 (2001)[7]
Closing date	2009 (2009)
Replaced	Harmony Hall
Replaced by	Boo Blasters on Boo Hill
Kings Island
Name	Scooby-Doo! and the Haunted Castle
Area	International Street
Status	Removed
Opening date	2003 (2003)[8]
Closing date	2009 (2009)
Replaced	Phantom Theater
Replaced by	Boo Blasters on Boo Hill
Kings Dominion
Name	Scooby-Doo! and the Haunted Mansion
Area	KidZville
Status	Removed
Opening date	2004 (2004)[9]
Closing date	2009 (2009)
Replaced by	Boo Blasters on Boo Hill
General statistics
Attraction type	Interactive Dark Ride
Manufacturer	Sally Corporation
Designer	Sally Corporation
Theme	Scooby-Doo
Length	377 ft (115 m)
Capacity	800 riders per hour
Scenes	17
Animatronics	80
Flash Pass available at both Six Flags parks

History

In the late 1990s, Paramount Parks-owned Canada's Wonderland collaborated with Sally Corporation to develop Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion. The ride opened to the public on May 7, 2000.[6] In November that year, the ride was recognized as the Best New Children's Ride.[10] Similar versions of ride were added to three other Paramount Park locations over the next few years.[7][8][9]

In 2002, Six Flags bought into the ride concept installing it at two locations, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags St. Louis, with the latter using an existing water ride system.[1][2] On June 16, 2005, Parque Warner Madrid (while it was operated by Six Flags) also added an installation as well featuring a trackless ride system manufactured by ETF Ride Systems.[4][5][11][12] The ride was opened by José Corbacho and El Terrat.[13]

Following Cedar Fair's acquisition of Paramount Parks, the Scooby-Doo dark rides at its properties were re-themed prior to the 2010 season.[14] The move was part of the company's objective to remove the Hanna-Barbera brand from all of its parks.[15] Sally Corporation assisted with creating a new theme that became known as Boo Blasters on Boo Hill. The makeover left the interactive shooting aspect intact, while the Hanna-Barbera characters were replaced in favor of ghost-like creatures.[14]

During the 2014 season, Six Flags St. Louis put up a sign at the attraction that read, "Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Scary Swamp will close permanently, September 14, 2014 for future improvements".[3] It was later announced that it would be replaced by Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.[16][17] In late 2017, Six Flags Fiesta Texas announced that their installation of the ride would close permanently on January 7, 2018.[18] Its replacement Pirates of the Deep Sea opened to the public on January 12, 2019.[19]

Locations

Name	Park	Location	Opened	Closed	Status	Ref
La Aventura de Scooby-Doo	Parque Warner Madrid	San Martín de la Vega, Madrid, Spain	2005	Open	Operating	[13]
Scooby-Doo! and the Haunted Castle	Kings Island	Mason, Ohio, United States	2003	2009	Rethemed as Boo Blasters on Boo Hill	[20]
Scooby-Doo! and the Haunted Mansion	Kings Dominion	Doswell, Virginia, United States	2004	2009	Rethemed as Boo Blasters on Boo Hill	[21]
Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Haunted Mansion	Six Flags Fiesta Texas	San Antonio, Texas, United States	2002	2018	Closed; Replaced by Pirates of the Deep Sea	[22]
Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion	Canada's Wonderland	Vaughan, Ontario, Canada	2000	2009	Rethemed as Boo Blasters on Boo Hill	[23]
Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion	Carowinds	Charlotte, North Carolina, United States	2001	2009	Rethemed as Boo Blasters on Boo Hill	[24]
Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Scary Swamp	Six Flags St. Louis	Eureka, Missouri, United States	2002	2014	Closed; Replaced by Justice League: Battle for Metropolis	[25]

Ride experience

The ride is a dark ride experience for families which involves shooting laser guns at ghosts and ghouls infesting Ghastley Manor (known as Ghastly Manor on the ride's entrance). Riders in consecutive Mystery Machine-themed cars compete with each other to see who can shoot the most ghosts. Riders also shoot at Scooby Snacks, triggering appearances from Scooby-Doo. Also infesting Ghastley Manor is the Phantom Shadow, who at the end of the ride is caught by Scooby and Shaggy Rogers (who covers his eyes in fear) and revealed to be a counterfeiter named Dr. D.M. Ghastley, the owner of Ghastley Manor, who was illegally printing money in the dungeon of Ghastley Manor, and dressed up as the Phantom Shadow to scare away any trespassers. The riders then enter the garage, where Ghastley isn't sent to jail as a skeleton is driving the police van with the cop trapped in a box. The Scooby-Doo theme was licensed from Hanna-Barbera by the ride's creators, Sally Corporation. The riders come across a gigantic pipe organ, where in the Canada's Wonderland version, a rendition of the classical the piece "Fantasia in G Minor BWV 542" by J.S. Bach can be heard.

The installation at Six Flags St. Louis differed from the rest as it relied upon a water ride system. It was therefore themed to a journey through a swamp. It featured different monsters from the Scooby-Doo series as well as the Mystery Inc. gang popping out of trees and shrubs.[26]

The outsides of the show buildings are decorated with a fiberglass blue and purple castle with stylized turrets. Two circular windows resemble eyes while the entrance to the castle resembles a mouth. Guests entered the attraction by passing under a Gothic-style arch bearing the rides name, and that was adorned on either side by the letters "GM," standing for Ghastley Manor.

Voices

• Scott Innes as Scooby-Doo and Shaggy Rogers[27]
• David García Vázquez as Scooby-Doo (Spanish)
• Juan Logar Jr. as Shaggy Rogers (Spanish)

Awards

• IAAPA Best New Children's Ride (2000)[10]
• UETPA Best Family Attraction (2005)[28]

Gallery

• 
  Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion at Carowinds (now Boo Blasters on Boo Hill)
• 
  Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Haunted Mansion at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
• 
  Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Scary Swamp at Six Flags St. Louis (now Justice League: Battle for Metropolis)

See also

• Ghost Blasters

References

1. "Six Flags Fiesta Texas Announces New Dark Ride". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 10 December 2001. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
2. "Sally Corp. Dark Ride Coming To Six Flags St. Louis". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 14 February 2002. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
3. Coaster Park Klub (July 22, 2014). "Sad news from Six Flags St Louis. Their Scooby-Doo dark ride will be closing permanently in September". Facebook. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
4. "Sally Corporation: l'intervista". Parks Mania (in French). 26 February 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
5. "June 16, 2005. Warner Bros. Park, Madrid (Spain). Inauguration of the new funfair of Warner Bros. Park Madrid 'The Adventure of Scooby - Doo'". Getty Images. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
6. "New Spine-Tingling Attractions at Canada's Wonderland". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 15 April 2000. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
7. Dean, Suellen E. (9 May 2002). "Carowinds ricochets into new season". The Dispatch. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
8. "Scooby-Doo Interactive Family Ride Coming to Kings Island". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 24 July 2002. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
9. "Interactive Dark Ride Coming To Kings Dominion In 2004". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 27 October 2003. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
10. "Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion". Sally Corporation. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
11. "Mystic Mover" (PDF). ETF RIde Systems. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
12. "Scooby-Doo Adventure Best New Family Ride" (Press release). ETF Ride Systems. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
13. "La Aventura de Scooby-Doo". Parque Warner Madrid. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
14. "Life Without Scooby". Sally Corporation. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
15. "SpongeBob out, Snoopy in at Cedar Fair theme parks". Malaysia Star. 4 September 2009. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
16. MacDonald, Brady (August 28, 2014). "Six Flags unveils new attractions for every park in 2015". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
17. "Construction". Six Flags St. Louis. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
18. Martinez, Sarah (December 28, 2017). "Say Goodbye to the Scooby-Doo Ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas". San Antonio Current. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
19. https://www.sfftsource.com/pirates-deep-sea/
20. https://www.visitkingsisland.com/play/rides/boo-blasters-on-boo-hill
21. https://www.kingsdominion.com/play/rides/boo-blasters-on-boo-hill
22. http://www.coastinusa.com/news/six-flags-fiesta-texas-construction-updates
23. https://www.canadaswonderland.com/play/rides/boo-blasters-on-boo-hill
24. https://www.carowinds.com/play/rides/boo-blasters-on-boo-hill
25. https://www.sixflags.com/stlouis/attractions/battle-for-metropolis
26. "Six Flags St. Louis Daredevil Daze 2014 - Page Thirteen". Negative-G. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
27. SallyCorp (23 Apr 2009). "Sally Corporation Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion Dark Ride". YouTube. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
28. "Sally Corporation: l'intervista". Parksmania. Retrieved 19 July 2018.

External links

• Information at Sally Corporation website