This work was developed during my Summer 2025 Ride Operations Internship at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. For more project details, please view the final presentation from this link.
Working alongside one other intern, Cooper Hill, we identified several issues within a section of the park, including extremely low guest engagement, an unused attraction space, limited weather‑independent offerings, and a lack of family‑thrill experiences. In response, we developed a dark‑ride attraction concept designed to address these challenges.
We began by creating a narrative for the ride, choosing a story centered around an Irish mythological warrior on a quest to save Ireland. This process taught me key aspects of concept development. Not only how to develop a compelling, in‑depth story, but also how to design a narrative that supports a feasible attraction. I learned how a concept must integrate smoothly across multiple park departments, including merchandising, food and beverage, operations, and engineering, to ensure overall success.
AI Generated Concept Art
AI Generated Concept Art
AI Generated Concept Art
After developing the ride story, I created themed ride‑vehicle concepts in SolidWorks and designed a ride layout in AutoCAD. The attraction concept was a multi‑floor, indoor, tracked dark ride.
Ride Layout - Loading / Unloading Floor (1 of 2)
Ride Layout - Bottom Floor (2 of 2)
Building Layout
SolidWorks Vehicle Assembly (1 of 2)
SolidWorks Vehicle Assembly (2 of 2)
I also performed ASTM compliance checks by verifying the feasibility of the ride within the designated clearance envelope, ensuring the attraction could physically fit within the proposed show building and layout. In addition, I identified requirements for emergency lighting, exit placement, and fire‑evacuation procedures to ensure the concept met essential safety and operational standards.
Click below to see more of this attraction concept from our final presentation.
