Dr. Archibald

Often, when people talk about “new attractions,” they’re essentially referring to the reincarnation of a familiar idea. With Dr. Archibald, however, a ride arrived at the Oktoberfest in 2019 that truly offers a completely new experience.

And that doesn’t just mean the fact that, unlike on a ghost train, you don’t pass by various figures or—at best—scenes, but instead experience a digital journey through time and worlds thanks to video goggles. The presentation surrounding the ride is also unusually impressive. This begins—as is immediately apparent to everyone—with the reasonably eye-catching, sculptural façade, and continues inside.

Before the actual ride, visitors are first introduced to the experience in a library by two animatronics—that is, moving figures—and after exiting, there’s a small water obstacle course, though it doesn’t quite fit with the overall experience.

The ride itself is enjoyable, even if some of the few real effects unfortunately don’t quite fit in. For example, the wind blows in your face as you descend into the basement, which is full of flames. Here, the ride unfortunately squanders a lot of its potential for surprise.

The VR goggles could use a few more pixels, but the synchronization with the ride is mostly fine.

Overall, Dr. Archibald is a truly outstanding experience for a portable attraction, with some room for improvement.

A second film premiered at the 2023 Oktoberfest.