Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel: New Dark Ride at Funtown Splashtown
(eap) A new dark ride from Sally Dark Rides recently opened at the U.S. amusement park Funtown Splashtown in Saco, Maine. The attraction called “Whispering Pines Haunted Hotel” is an interactive spooky ride for the whole family (we reported in EAP 1/2023, p. 94). Upon entering the hotel, the attraction’s detailed theming immediately stands out. Haunted Hotel guests are introduced by one of Sally’s newest lifelike animatronics to the story of “Lilith”, a wicked witch who was upset when the Whispering Pines Hotel was built on her land. She expressed her displeasure by cursing the hotel and accidentally trapping three original guests with her curse. To solve this curse, visitors are equipped with “Curse Eradicators”, shooting devices they can interact with as with magic wands in the dark ride. In total, visitors ride through 14 different scenes in which they repeatedly encounter animatronic characters.
Photo: Courtesy of Sally Dark Rides
“We are thrilled with our new Haunted Hotel,” shared Bill Cormier, executive VP and second-generation owner, Funtown Splashtown. “Last year we got incredibly excited when the team at Sally began conjuring the ride concept for us. We were especially thrilled when they unveiled Lilith at IAAPA Expo in November. We have eagerly been waiting for her to cast her spell at the park ever since. Now our guests will join together to help banish Lilith and her curse as they ride through the Hotel. Sally made true theme park magic for us.”
“Haunted attractions are in our DNA, and we have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to create an old, spooky haunted hotel. One with just the right amount of fright and fun that the whole family will enjoy the experience” said Lauren Weaver, vice president of marketing and business development, Sally Dark Rides. “When Funtown Splashtown approached us about creating a new ride that brought back the scares that locals used to love, then gave us the runway to do it in a completely new way, wholly original to Funtown, we got very excited.”
The project is already the third attraction opened by the firm from Florida this year. It was preceded by the “Uncharted” Ride at PortAventura World in Spain (read also our report in the upcoming EAP issue) and “Treasure Hunt: The Ride” in Monterey, California. ■