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This puzzles me, too. I think this is the best coaster S&S has ever built, even if it is a "Frankenstein" job.

^I thought Kings Dominion did well with Dinosaurs Alive. The wooded setting is a definite plus, and kids and families should really enjoy it.

Kings Dominion has posted some pics to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150851678731875.393065.32237381874&type=1

^Exactly. That was the KD team's mantra all through the day. It's about raising money to help Give Kids the World--not about us. And we had a great time doing it--one of the best days I've ever had at Kings Dominion. My thanks to all the KD contigent of Team TPR for being excellent yesterday!

Whew! Just got back from Kings Dominion--what a great day there! It was excellent to have ERT on six different rides (the most challenging being Anaconda). My thanks to everyone who pledged money to Team TPR, and to Kings Dominion for putting on an excellent event.

Well done, Fran and Larry!

This flick even ripped off 1941.

Nooki just whomped a shark with an oar--epic!

I've lost track of the score, but the Sharks are definitely having the Guidos for lunch.

^Yes, thank god for producer Fred Olen Ray.

Paul Sorvino hoped that appearing in Good Fellas would revive his career . . . oh, well . . .

The death of Joey Fatone was the most moving scene in film history. All other scenes are utter crap compared to this one.

And that they explode with the force of an eight Richter Scale earthquake.

The cast of the real Jersey Shore look like Mensa members compared to these mooks.

^And Fred Olen "Teaxas Chainsaw Hookers" Ray is one of the producers.

The score so far: Sharks 4, Jersey Guidos 0.

Yep--and an excellent photo of it! TPR's ERT session on this sucker back in 2008 was one of the best ever.

Gene, the communications marketing manager at KD, told me that there would be a registration desk at the main gate. Getting there early is always a good idea, too. I have no idea about parking, but be prepared to pay to be on the safe side.

How often do you go to Kings Dominion and learn something—other than fully loaded funnel cakes and the Triple Spin ride don’t mix? Starting this year, the park is offering you a chance to learn something about our planet’s primeval past and have fun doing it with Dinosaurs Alive, a six-acre “animatronic” dinosaur park next to the Grizzly wooden coaster in the Old Virginia section. But not to worry—the park hasn’t abandoned thrill rides, thanks to the new 301-foot-tall Windseeker, which is just around the corner from Dinosaurs Alive. KD invited Theme Park Review to take a closer look at their new offerings for 2012, and I was happy to accept their invitation last Thursday (June 7). Gene Petriello, the park’s manager of communications marketing, gave me a personal tour of both attractions that afternoon. (I squeezed in a few rides on Volcano and Intimidator 305 while I was at it, too.) The prehistoric monsters have a great habitat in Dinosaurs Alive. The woods next to Grizzly are the perfect natural setting for the 3,000-foot-long path that winds around to the end of the coaster and back. Thirty-six animatronic, motion-activated dinos roar and strut their stuff as visitors wander along, taking in the sights and the numerous educational signs along the way. Many of the dinos represented hadn’t even been “discovered” until 2010, so I wasn’t familiar with many of them. (Your average eight-year-old kid probably know more about dinosaurs than me.) How many of you have heard of “Huayangosaurus,” “Ruyangosaurus giganteous,” or “Mojoceratops” (my personal favorite)? There are three “interactive” dinos, as well, and I imagine kids would (and plenty of adults) would enjoy pushing their buttons and making them roar, lurch, and reach. Some scenes, such as “Pack Attack” and “Predator Trap,” involve multiple monsters, and there’s a “dig site” where kids can “discover” their own dinosaur. Dinosaurs Alive is not included with park admission, and requires a $5.00 up charge. The prehistoric beasts were built by Dinosaurs Unearthed, a company in British Columbia, Canada. But what about Windseeker? This ride provides a “different sort of thrill,” according to Gene. It’s a good compromise for those who want something more thrilling than the observation deck on the park’s Eiffel Tower, but less gut-churning than the plunge of Drop Tower. I’d say Windseeker is a very pleasant ride as it twirls around, giving you views of the park and of about 18 miles or so of the surrounding countryside. The ride even provides 19 different music tracks. (Gene and I heard “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” on our ride; the next cycle featured the theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.) A ride on Windseeker lasts about three minutes, at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour (or 8 rotations per minute). The manufacturer is Mondial, a Dutch ride company. Riders must be at least 52 inches tall. Let’s have a look at Dinosaurs Alive and Windseeker. "Welcome to Kings Dominion! Why don't you go in and enjoy some nice fattening food, like funnel cake, fried chicken, and ice cream, then come back here so I can eat you?" This dino has the sweetest spot at KD, with all that shade and water. Too bad he doesn't eat fish. The entrance and exit to both Dinosaurs Alive and Grizzly is through this gift shop. You can buy your $5.00 ticket at one of two kiosks, or from a cashier in front of the shop. Grizzly is to the left . . . . . . and Dinosaurs Alive is to the right. The "fossils" in the sidewalk are a nice touch. Be careful--you just might learn something! "Oh, gawd, a predator on my back. Lousy way to start the day!" "And it's about to get a lot worse, pal." Definitely not our dino! What's this? A "yogabbagabbasaurus"? "Push my buttons, and I will like fish for you." Hmm--I wonder what the rocks say? Very interesting . . . there once was a young man from Nantucket . . . hey! This is the "Predator Trap" scene. These young predators are trapped in a bog. I think the wily vegetarian dino on the left suckered them in. You don't say? "Yes--I do say!" Gene has made a discovery! What should he name it? How about "Chuckasaurus" or "Campbellodon"? Here's a nice thematic touch--a "dig area" that's divided into a grid. They use some ambient noise, too, such as distant rumbles and breaking branches. Here is is, workin' his mojo, profilin' for the ladies! What's that you say . . . oh, crap! We escaped the T-Rexes and made it to Windseeker. I thought the seats were very comfortable (more so that your average chair swing or Star Flyer seats). Here's the control booth for you truly obsessive control-booth fans. From here, you're probably thinking, "It doesn't look that high." But when you ride, you realize that it is, indeed, "that high"! The seats flare out at a 45-degree angle when Windseeker really gets going. The capacity is 64 riders in 32 seats. The ride carriage is 81 feet in diameter on the ground, but 110 feet when the arms are extended. One other thing--they take two pictures of you at the entrance to Dinosaurs Alive (no obligation to buy). One is a peaceful scene with some pteranodons flying around in the background. Then there's this one. Thanks for reading.

I went to the park this morning for the Verbolten ERT for Passholders--a very nice perk. Big Mike was there for an ACE event, so we goofed around the park a bit. Not a bad start to the weekend.

You can find some trip-reports links in the TPR Park Index: http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/park.php?pageid=141.

^Same--if you want to try something really scary, ride a Star Flyer.

I wasn't crazy about Mammut, but I'd still go back to Tripsdrill, anyway.

Once again, I must state how proud and happy I am to be a member of TPR--well done!