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Animal Kingdom is a beautiful park, which makes Primeval Whirl stick out all the more.

Putting it next to Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror was a wise move. Parties can easily split up and give those who don't care for intense rides something to do while others ride the coaster or ToT.

^There were some artificial flowers and a card you could sign. Yeah, me too. May it rest in peace.

I think just fresh paint in the same color (or close to it). It was looking pretty rusty in spots.

Yep--even on such a wet day, Parque Espana was fun. Their staff was excellent!

A park's opening day can be a bit of a mess. For example, Kings Dominion's opening day last year was a parade of technical issues and non-operating rides (Twisted Timbers was especially temperamental, but it was brand new). But the weather yesterday was perfect--partly sunny and breezy, with temps in the high 70s (a perfect Virginia spring day). And, hey, KD did itself proud, with most of the coasters operating pretty smoothly. There was a bump here and there (Drop Tower was broken most of the afternoon and Windseeker found a bit too much wind, for example). But, overall, I think KD was pretty happy with how things went--and they drew a good-sized crowd. And, yes, the Mushrooms were singing. "In a gadda da vida, honey!" I had a few objectives, aside from riding Twisted Timbers, I305, and Dominator: 1. Volcano--had they started dismantling it? 2. The old Dinosaurs Alive gift shop--what was it now? 3. The new Parched Pig tap room--was it open? Let's have a look around. Good morning, Kings Dominion. You're looking very "springy" today. Sorry, but there will be no photos from on high in this report. But the Eiffel Tower should look great when they've finished painting it. For now, enjoy the floral clock. I should've hopped on Drop Tower earlier in the day. But, hey, this is a purty photo of it. Twisted Timbers was ready to rock and roll. This ride is in my top ten. Let's see . . . green train, whoa! Blue train, whee! But watch out for the Cell-Phone-Eating Tree! (They do have zippered pouches in the trains now for phones and other items, but they don't exactly advertise it outside the ride entrance.) Look--another ride in my top ten! Yep--still as intense as ever. They look sufficiently . . . . . . intimidated. Hmm--looks like Anaconda was so intimidated that its lift hill stopped. If you're evacuated from this ride, count yourselves lucky. "Yeah, I don't know why anybody rides Anaconda, either. Then again, I'm a zebra, and the restraints can't accommodate me." They did some retracking on Racer75, and their new control system makes it really "race" again. But I'd still stay off the wheel seats. The prettiest that Racer75's sign will look all year. But the old name is still there. Move along, people. Nothin' to see here. Well, no more rides on Volcano . . . . . . but you can always queue up for Avalanche. Did you remember to sign Volcano's card? I'm not sure who did this, but a number of enthusiast groups, including ACE, were at the park that day. There's even a wee tombstone. Can you hear the ghostly "br-a-a-ack whoo-s-s-s-s-s-sh"? RIP, Volcano: The Blast Coaster. The waterfall still works, though. This was the old Dinosaurs Alive gift shop. It's been rethemed to Grizzly, which makes sense as you have to walk though the gift shop to get to the ride. They added a little gemstone "mine," too. I like what they did with the place. It looks like a country store, which is also somebody's home. Old, ferocious grizzly. New, goofy grizzly. What's this? The Parched Pig is open for business? It's located in Old Virginia, across from the log ride. Center of the Universe in nearby Ashland makes all the "Kings Brews." But other Virginia breweries, such as Hardywood and Legend, are represented, as well. "Oink! This Kings Brew Amber Lager would go good with a nice, hot plate of pulled me!" There's beer-related merchandise, of course. Well, time head home. See you later, Tower--looking forward to your new paint job. Thanks for reading.

I noticed that we didn't have any updated photos of King's Dominion's Apple Zapple (formerly "Richochet") in the Park Index, so I took a few today.

Blast you, David, and your photos of mouth-watering, boysenberry-enhanced food!

Kings Dominion shared some info on what's new for this season. The Wait is Over- Kings Dominion Opens for the Season This Saturday Park adds new festival, introduces upgraded food options and shows DOSWELL, VA. (March 26, 2018) - Kings Dominion kicks off the 44th season with the return of family-fun and thrilling memories on March 30. Guests can experience the return of their favorite thrills include the park’s newest coaster, Twisted Timbers, which combines wood and steel for an unforgettable ride experience featuring gravity defying twists and turns. In addition to more than 60 rides, shows and attractions, guest can delight in new food and beverage options, new entertainment, and immersive festivals throughout the season. New Festival Experience Kings Dominion like you never have before when myth and magic join together to create the all-new Grand Carnivale. Guests can enjoy this new immersive festival every day June 15 through July 7 beginning at 5:00 p.m. to celebrate the sights, sounds, smells and tastes from cultures around the world including India, China, Italy, France and Germany. Grand Carnivale has something for everyone from crafts and games, to delectable food and drink, to live music and astounding entertainment. As the evening rolls in, the Spectacle of Color interactive electric light parade, complete with dazzling floats, authentic music and mesmerizing street performers dazzles guests as it makes its way through the park and ending at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Guests are invited to top off the night at the park’s Carnivale Street Party, a magnificent party filled with international music, magic and merrymaking until the park closes. New Food & Beverage Options From Walking Chicken and Waffles to a Buffalo Chicken Pizza, guests can sample new flavors throughout the park. Those over the age of 21 can sit back and relax between the thrills at the park’s new taproom, The Parched Pig. Located in the Old Virginia section of the park, twelve local craft beers will rotate throughout the season and feature the park’s three exclusive beers by Center of the Universe, Kings Brew: § Kings Brew IPA § Kings Brew Lager § NEW in 2019 - Kings Brew Amber Lager New Shows and Live Entertainment A total of eight new shows will delight guests of all ages this season from two new shows in Planet Snoopy starting this spring to a brand new acrobatic show, Gravity: A Cirque Experience. Additionally, new live music and entertainment options will delight guests throughout Soak City and the Candy Apple Grove midways with top hits and classic favorites. Guests can experience all of the fun and thrills this season, including unlimited visits to Grand Carnivale, Halloween Haunt and WinterFest, with a 2019 Gold Season Pass. Registration is now open for the free Kings Dominion Pre-K Pass which grants complimentary admission all season to kids ages 3 – 5. For a complete list of park hours, special events and to get the best deal on tickets and Season Passes, visit kingsdominion.com.

The park said May during the construction tour earlier this month. [attachment=0]DONTLIKE.gif[/attachment]

The park said May during the construction tour earlier this month. Capsfan, all the major restaurants (such as the Festhaus and Smokehouse) should be open, although O'Tators's (baked-potato joint) in Ireland might not.

^Saturday will probably be busy. Friday and Sunday, not so much. LeScoot should be running by then (they were testing it last Sunday).

Busch Gardens has announced their summer entertainment lineup for this year. BUSCH GARDENS® ANNOUNCES EXCITING LINE-UP OF SUMMER PERFORMERS America’s and Britain’s Got Talent Stars Set to Take the Stage During Summer Nights WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (March 16, 2019) – Summer is just around the corner and Busch Gardens® is already heating things up with the announcement of a star-studded line-up of entertainment for Summer Nights. Summer Nights Live – performances from NBC-TV’s “America’s Got Talent” and Britain’s Got Talent include: LIGHT BALANCE – JUNE 28 - JULY 7 (DAILY PERFORMANCES) Hailing from Ukraine, Light Balance is hi-tech neon and LED dance group comprised of talented young dancers, designers, programmers and choreographers. Melding their creative and engineer backgrounds, the group provides their audience with a unique show that unifies all of the senses. Their colorful images create a high-energy atmosphere of magic, light, dance and music. Light Balance's imaginative performance led to Tyra Banks hitting her Golden Buzzer during season 12 of America’s Got Talent. BOOGIE STORM: JULY 8 - 14 (DAILY PERFORMANCES) Dressed head to toe in iconic white outfits, the six members of Boogie Storm are a dance force to be reckoned with. Performing crushing dance routines, the group has accumulated over 50 million YouTube hits to date, and there seems to be no sign of slowing down. Having reached the live finale and finished third in Britain’s Got Talent’s 10th anniversary in 2016, the troop have been nominated for the best performance of 2016 at the National Reality Television Awards, as the accolades just keep on coming. THE PASSING ZONE: JULY 15 - 21 (DAILY PERFORMANCES) Juggling is tough enough with scarves, balls or pins, but this dynamic duo takes juggling to the next level and they have been doing that for more than 20 years. The Passing Zone is one of the most inventive, successful and funny duos working today. You’ll have a difficult time deciding whether to hang onto your chair as chainsaws fly through the air, hold your breath as they perform world-class skills or grab your stomach as you double over with laughter. Prepare to be amazed, as Jon and Owen redefine juggling, and take it to new heights. You won’t believe your eyes. WILLIAM CLOSE & THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE: JULY 22 – 28 (DAILY PERFORMANCES) William’s work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music,” Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp is the largest stringed instrument on the planet and was developed by William Close in 1999. This talented ensemble have pushed the boundaries of the performance experience over the last several years finishing third on NBC’s hit talent competition “America’s Got Talent.” FIGHTING GRAVITY: JULY 29 - AUGUST 4 (DAILY PERFORMANCES) What started out as an idea for a local talent show at Virginia Tech quickly transformed into an Internet sensation, garnering more than 10 million views on YouTube. Fighting Gravity’s play on light and levitation quickly gained worldwide attention thanks to their third place finish on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Following their success on AGT, Fighting Gravity has become one of the most sought-after live performance groups in the country — performing with platinum-selling recording artists like Will.i.am and Jennifer Lopez. FRECKLED SKY: AUG. 5 - 11 (DAILY PERFORMANCES) Freckled Sky is a team of multimedia artists dedicated to the design of interactive shows and events. They tell stories and bring immersive experiences to the viewer. Freckled Sky blends projection, lightning, interactive solutions and special effects to create new forms of entertainment. This America’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer artist is sure to leave audiences wanting more. For more information about Summer Nights Live, please visit buschgardens.com/bgwsummernights.

It was like Spider-man, only with a sexy Cat Woman who used a magic umbrella. Made perfect sense.

Hex was the first "Madhouse" ride I ever experienced, and I liked it quite a bit. Who here has been in the Surprising House at Hanayashiki in Japan? It seems "homemade," like the one at Dutch Wonderland.

A Look at Cutback and Finnegan's Flyer Busch Gardens Williamsburg will be open for the season soon, and you know what that means--a backstage tour of new attractions! This year marks the rare occasion when both of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment’s Virginia locations--Busch Gardens and Water Country USA--have new attractions opening. Our first stop was Water Country for a look at the progress on the only Proslide RocketBLAST coaster on the East Coast and Virginia’s first hybrid water coaster. The new Cutback Water Coaster will use water jets to propel riders in toboggan-like rafts up and over roller-coaster-like hills and through tunnels and saucer-shaped turns. Here are a few stats: Track length: 856 feet, with 3 launch sections Maximum speed: 35 feet per second Total drop: 76 feet Number of riders: 4 per raft The park considered hyrdro-magnetic propulsion, but went with water jets, said Suzy Cheely, senior leader of design and engineering, because they think riders will appreciate the extra soaking the jets will give them on those hot, humid Virginia summer days. And, for coaster lovers, this ride offers the “best of both worlds”--the thrills of a coaster and the refreshing splash of a water slide. The ride’s height requirement will be 48 inches. Cutback is on the site of the old Meltdown water slide, which also used toboggan rafts, but depended on gravity for propulsion. Cutback will be on a whole new level of thrill. They expect to start testing Cutback in April. We then headed to Busch Gardens to see the progress on Ireland’s new attraction. This new S&S Worldwide Screamin’ Swing will let riders “swing out over the cliffs of the Celtic coast.” Thirty-two riders will soar more than 80 feet at a maximum speed of 45 mph on this ride, which is located near the Loch Ness Monster roller coaster. The ride should be a nice addition to Ireland. Busch Gardens is hoping to open both rides in May. Let's have a look. First stop, Water Country USA. Yes--you will get wet! Based on all the powder-blue hard hats, I think I'm in the right place. Bye bye, Meltdown! Hello, Cutback Water Coaster! Suzy Cheely talks about the ride's construction. Once Meltdown was removed, Proslide came in, and Cutback went up pretty quickly. Only Meltdown's conveyor and tower remain as part of Cutback. The view from the top. Nitro Racer is in the background, while Hubba Hubba Highway (fast lazy river) is off to the right. You start up here in one of these rafts. You get dumped into this tub. Then down--and up--you go! Here's where you shout either "whee" or "holy crap!" Down and up again. You'll hug the walls of the saucers pretty closely as you zip through. And here's where you'll end up--exhilarated and refreshed. On to Busch Gardens! Looks like there might be a little airtime on this ride. I think Ireland is preparing for some special Irish day . . . thingy? What's it called again? Oh, yeah, St. Patrick's Day, when no snakes will be allowed in the park. Remember . . . . . . this is a working construction site! Wear those hard hats and don't play with the saw. The park's thematic painter went to S&S in Utah to paint the towers. Here's a closer look. The queue will wind around on this platform. Those in line will get good views of Griffon and Alpengeist while they wait. Men at work. Here's a view from across the bridge in Scotland. The ride is already 30 feet above the ground on a platform. Another piece of Finnegan's Flyer awaits installation. Yeah, that's all I got here. Let's look at the new ride from the train tracks. Get ready to swing back over that platform and stare straight down, folks. A close look at the compressed-air tanks that will propel you at 45 mph out over Ireland. A Clydesdale's view of Finnegan's Flyer. Time to go. Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. Don't forget your official Finnegan's Flyer cups. Sounds like this leprechaun just belched. Thanks for reading.

If they're anything like the hush puppies at the BGW Food & Wine Festival, they're very tasty. Does that happen on March 23, 2019? That’s when I am going and bacon cheddar hush puppies sound very appetizing. Sorry--doesn't start until May. And they are.

If they're anything like the hush puppies at the BGW Food & Wine Festival, they're very tasty.

My classification is as follows: "Nothing you want to bother with once you pass the age of three."

As much as I love Steel Vengeance, it does border on being "too much," which is why I slightly prefer Twisted Timbers. I think Nagashima is getting the coaster they want and need, and I look forward to riding it myself someday.

Looks like airtime aplenty on this ride, which is much more than White Cyclone ever had--works for me.

^Aw, they can already see Griffon from the Kingsmill golf course. A big RMC's not gonna hurt 'em.

Dear SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment: Busch Gardens Williamsburg has Tempesto, and would like one of these RMCs, too. Thank you. BGT's already stellar coaster lineup is just getting better.

Williamsburg itself does not have a single Waffle House, which is shocking (nearest one is on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News).

^Yep--I second Ryan's thanks. I've been gradually updating mine from last year.