Busch Gardens Williamsburg introduced DarKoaster, which is being dubbed as the world’s first all-indoor straddle coaster.

For years, Busch Gardens fans have bemoaned the loss of the Curse of DarKastle, a ride favorite that closed five years ago after more than a decade of operation.

On Tuesday, the Williamsburg-area amusement park announced that DarKastle is coming back ... sort of. Busch Gardens introduced DarKoaster, which is being dubbed as the world’s first all-indoor straddle coaster. The coaster, under construction with an expected open date in the first half of 2023, is being built inside the building that once housed DarKastle.

DarKoaster will debut as the world’s first all-indoor straddle coaster at Busch Gardens next year. Courtesy of Busch Gardens Williamsburg (HANDOUT)

Originally designed to look like a Bavarian castle in the park’s Octoberfest Village, the building has been used for special events since 2017, providing space for Howl-O-scream haunted houses as well as a place for Santa Claus during Christmas Town. The new roller coaster — Busch Gardens’ 10th — will take riders on twists and turns along over 1,400 feet of steel track inside the building.

“It’s really exciting to see this space come back to life,” said Kevin Lembke, president of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA, during a sneak peak of the coaster. “Our guests have asked for years for a ride to come back.”

Suzy Cheely, vice president for design and engineering, stands in front of the tracks of DarKoaster, a new indoor roller coaster that will debut next year in the building that once housed Curse of DarKastle. Kim O'Brien Root/staff (The Virginian-Pilot)

DarKoaster picks up the story of King Ludwig, a mad king who was featured in Curse of DarKastle — a ride with motion-simulating vehicles, 3D projection animation (ghostly apparitions, skeletal faces, flying knives) and special effects. For DarKoaster, according to Busch Gardens, “King Ludwig’s abandoned fortress resurfaces as strange weather patterns have been recorded near the cursed castle grounds.”

“A supernatural force is imminent as explorers discover that they are evading more than just a raging storm.”

The coaster’s trains hold 10 riders, each sitting on their own “snowmobile” — sitting astride, like on a motorcycle, which is what makes the ride a straddle coaster. The snowmobiles will race along the tracks at speeds up to 36 mph with four accelerating launches, with the ride lasting about 80 seconds, said Suzy Cheely, Busch Gardens/Water Country USA’s vice president of design and engineering. The ride will be in the dark with various special effects, such as lightning, but is described as family-friendly. The height requirement will be 48 inches.

Manufactured by Intamin/Intaride, the tracks were installed over the summer, the last piece put in a few weeks ago, Cheely said Tuesday. Workers are currently grouting the columns. Inside the structure, there’s not much to look at but the black-colored steel tracks, but the coaster will come to life with the addition of various dramatic effects using lighting and projections, Cheely said.

“The whole idea is that it’s dark,” she added. “We only show what we want to show you. ... It’s going to be very dynamic. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

While DarKoaster will still have the feel of being in a haunted castle, the experience will be new, Lembke said.

DarKoaster will debut in 2023 as the world’s first all-indoor straddle coaster with four launches and over 1,400 feet of track. Riders will experience a total of 2,454 feet of track during the course of the 80-second ride. Kim O'Brien Root/staff (The Virginian-Pilot)

Work will continue inside the DarKoaster building even as decorating for upcoming Howl-O-Scream continues this week — park employers could be seen putting up corn stalks in part of the park on Tuesday. Howl-O-Scream open Friday with three new haunted houses and three new “terror-tories.” “Nevermore,” a haunted house that previously had been held in the castle building, will move as a “new chapter” to the fields near the Festhaus, while Demented Dimensions, another haunted maze, will not return, Lembke said.

Santa will be in a new location when Christmas Town opens later this year.

Howl-O-Scream, which runs on select dates through Oct. 31, will include a total of five haunted houses, five “terror-tories,” four shows and two party zones.

“We’re committed to adding new additions at both parks every season,” Lembke said, “to ensure there’s always a reason to come back.”

Kim O’Brien Root, kimberly.root@virginiamedia.com, 757-603-3671