Busch Gardens plans Return to Corkscrew Hill for 2027

The announcement is light on details, but some informed speculation is pointing to a Dynamic Motion Theater system from Dynamic Entertainment. The system can mix a motion base equipped with "4D" style effects with wrap-around screens that can open/close to display physical show scenes.

The original Corkscrew Hill involved shrinking guests down and a good deal of magic, so there's plenty of opportunities to play with scaled-up props and effects.

The old simulators were apparently inoperable. At least the seats have been physically removed from the building (they were spotted in a corner of one of the guest parking lots).

While not earth shattering, this is another step in the right direction for BGW. Ireland and Wolf Hollow are 2 virtually dead areas of the park, so bringing another attraction to Ireland will increase the number of things to do in this corner of the park.

Frankly, I would have preferred the park called back even further to Questor, but understand that Corkscrew Hill was probably the most popular movie that ran in the simulator and fits better in Ireland. For those that don't know, there are 2 simulators in the building that are pretty much the same that you see on Star Tours, though when BGW made the conversion to Corkscrew Hill, they took the top and sides off the gimble boxes to allow images to be projected on a larger screen (also added wind effects from giant fans in each of the simulator rooms). When they converted to Battle for Eire, they simply installed VR headsets at the seat in each of the simulators. I'm not sure what additional effects can be employed on a gimble box, but perhaps they will install high definition monitors to improve the crispness of images. My concern is that BGW will lean on AI for imagery and/or music instead of engaging with a legitimate animation studio. AI slop is instantly recognizable, and while I don't necessarily mind parks using them for marketing and pre-vis, the on-ride experience should be crafted by human hands.

Here's a little history of the BGW simulators (BGT had a pair as well in the Egypt section of the park, but I'm not sure if they're still there since they haven't operated in over a decade):

1990-1995 - Questor - This was a fun little adventure in a steampunk style world. There were lots of Verne-esque nods throughout the attraction, which fit well with the surrounding land, which used to be called Hastings and theme to an English village.
1006-2000 - King Arthur's Challenge - This renovation brought 3D to the simulator, but it never worked right. Images were often blurry, and the cross-polarizer technology caused guests to struggle to see 3-D as the gimble box moved and shook. The movie was nothing but a string of 3-D gags and had very little story for guests to cling to, and was universally hated because Questor was still popular.
2001-2009 - Corkscrew Hill - As noted above, BGW removed the walls and roof of the gimble box to create a larger, and more dynamic space for the images and environmental effects. This movie is also full of 3-D gags, but they are more appropriately spaced through the film that has a decent amount of story and heart.
2010-2016 - Europe in the Air - BGW's answer to Soarin' that actually preceded Soarin' Around the World. The concept of this film was excellent by copying the motifs of the popular Disney attraction, but the execution was poor. BGW smartly ditched the 3-D glasses, but used CGI and high-speed camera technology that made many of the images look fake. The magic of Soarin' is that you don't move much, allowing the images to create the sense of motion more than the movement of the seats. However, Europe in the Air still used the same gimble box that bounced, sloshed, and bumped riders throughout the movie that felt more like an ordeal than a stunning trip around European landmarks.
2018-2020 - Battle for Eire - BGW went back to a completely original story based around mythical creatures, and hopped aboard the VR bandwagon by installing headsets at each seat. There were loads of technical issues, and frankly the images were not much better than what they could have achieved by projecting on a screen. The biggest issue for me was that the headsets were still awkward and unwieldy, especially for smaller guests even though they were an improvement on the devices used on VR coaster conversions. They were tethered to the seats, but snapped to a mount you would be given upon entry (similar to Mario Cart), but because the headsets were substantial in size and mass, it was a bit awkward for some when the gimble box moved and tossed you around even with more subtle motions. The ultimate downfall of the attraction was the Pandemic that made operating something where you're putting a shared headset 2" from your eyes a difficult proposition.

Thanks for the history, Russell. I'm sure this is bound to be an interesting attraction. BGT take notes!

The original Corkscrew Hill made me so nauseous. I wish they could add a proper dark ride to the park. It's weird to invest so much in new technology and an entirely new film that will eventually look dated when a dark/boat ride through a forest filled with magical creatures would be evergreen.