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SkyRush looks great, and may end up being the big hit of this year's crop of impressive new rides. Looking forward to riding this one, myself.

^That's the problem with polls like this--very few of us have ridden all of them. As for me, of the ones I've ridden, I liked Speed at Oakwood and Fulch von Novgorod at Hansa the best.

I wonder if my Dad would notice this? He's pretty handy with old Fords.

^^The DA path goes up to the far end of Grizzly before it doubles back.

^The helicopter is, let's say, "erratic" over the course of the season.

Yeah, I came across the same thing when I was doing the "Coaster of the Week" thread for the Beijing Trip forum.

^You're lucky that I have no shame, then. I'm just a sucker for walk-through attractions, and Dinosaurs Alive is a bit ususual for Cedar Fair.

^OK, who did not see that joke coming?

Thunderbird--not sponsored by the wineries of Ernest and Julio Gallo.

"Our ancestors never heard the sounds, nor saw the sights of this Primeval World . . ." [Damn! Disney lawyers just slipped me a "cease-and-desist" order!] Let's take a realxing stoll among a bunch of howling, snarling, roaring reptiles, shall we? But I must warn you. One dinosaur is nicknamed "Irritator" for good reason. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=KD_Dinos_AliveWS_095_4xxy[/coastertube] Dadburn dinos trackin' up my nice, new concrete! DA rates its own trash cans--a high honor in a Cedar Fair park. A new Hammer film: When Dinosaurs and Go Karts Ruled the Earth! "Er, little help here? I do have a vicious predator on my back, you know! Toss me a frickin' bone here, you stupid mammals!" KD did a pretty nice job with this area. Not our dino! Note to self: Never head-butt a Carnotaurus. Yo Gabba Gabba! "Yep--I would kill for some nice fish! Really, I would kill you for fish, if you had any!" Yep--"Irritator." He's talking smack to people, asking for change, bummin' smokes . . . This is one bitter lizard. You see. I told you. "Yes, that's right! I, a mere herbivore, have tricked you savage predators into miring yourselves in this bog! Let's see who evolves now! Hah!" You know, I never trusted that stupid deer. My. That's a big one. Look, Adam! It's a rare Princess Amidalasaur! You can get some "through the trees" shots of Grizzly back here. Dinosaurs Alive--IN 3D! Aw, isn't that nice? Daddy T Rex is teaching his sonny boy how to stalk prey and rend flesh. Uh, ow! "You see big lizards! Now you ride Grizzly! GRR!" "Thanks for spending your hard-earned five bucks for Dinosaurs Alive, mate! G'day!" "Got Donald Sutherland! Spared no expense!" "In Times Square now, people do the polka! Dominance! Submission! Radios appear!" (That was for the Blue Oyster Cult fans out there--and that's all. Thanks for reading!)

Well, I finally ambled up to Kings Dominion for a "real" visit this year, instead of a media event, mainly to process my Cedar Fair pass last Sunday. The weather was perfect--a bit cloudy, but the sun would peek out from time to time, which beat the rain in Williamsburg that day. And being as I am a sucker for walk-through attractions, I actually ponied up the extra five bucks to check out the "largest animatronic dinosaur park in the Mid-Atlantic." Hmm--possibly the only animatronic dinosaur park in the Mid-Atlantic: Dinosaurs Alive (DA). DA is located next to Grizzly in the "Old Virginia" section, and the park did a pretty good job building the winding path among the trees and the motion-activated, snarling and roaring remnants of Earth's prehistoric past. It took me about an hour to wander around the path, checking out the various information signs and taking in the big plastic dinos. All in all, I think it's a nice attraction for families, and the five-dollar upcharge is fairly reasonable. But I do wonder how it's going hold up during its first blazing hot and humid Virginia summer. As for Windseeker, it's a pleasant enough "chair swing on steroids," although I think the Star Flyers, with their somewhat-less-substantial-looking seats and chains, are more thrilling rides. Music accompanies your ride, too--I got some "new age" jazz stuff, but I heard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" while I waited in line. Crowds were pretty light that day, and I get to KD fairly often, so Fast Lane wasn't necessary (although I would definitely purchase it on a busy day). Let's have a look. Dinosaur statues: They're cheaper than security guards. Everybody have fun tonight. Everybody Yang Chuan tonight. (I'm sorry.) That's just wrong. But first things first. Our objective. Hmm--I don't remember that little fence from last year. I guess they got tired of people stomping a path through the grass. I was lucky enough to score the front seat, thanks to hitting Volcano first. Aw, look at the cute wittle baby volcano. Well, I guess I'll ride Intimidator multiple times . . . . . . if I really have to. Still one of the best steel coasters anywhere. This moth in I305's exit was the size of a small bat! Fixed. Hmm--will there be a Haunt maze in Flight of Fear's queue this year? Stay tuned! Here's Virginia's oldest launched "family" coaster. If you're here before noon on a weekday, be prepared for disappointment. Yes, Stunt Coaster has fire, but Verbolten is still the better of the two rides. Alas, poor Treasure Cave! I knew it, Horatio. A place of infinite jest--and welcome air conditioning. This is Windseeker. It goes up about 300 feet, twirls around, then comes back down. That's about it. It's a very pleasant ride. The seats are comfy, too. The old Grizzly Arcade (which is a Haunt maze in October), is the entrance and gift shop for Dinosaurs Alive. Yes, KD has learned the lessons of Disney and Universal--you enter and exit via the shop. The entrance to Grizzly is on the left, while DA is on the right. But what about those dinos? Are they OUR dinos? More to come.

Huh? Your statement seems to be a bit, shall we say, "broad in scope." I rather doubt that the vast majority of older DL employees see their jobs as an opportunity "to get back at people" for past slights. That being said, yes, I have seen examples of "bitter" employees at Disney parks. And at Cedar Fair parks. And st Six Flags parks.

I had the same reaction when Hanno initially posted his report about the ride's media day.

^I sure that Davy Jones was shocked that he had "fluffy fluffy bunnies," too.

As you know, I'm not a "flat-ride person," but I think Kangaroo is great, too.

^I give the edge to Mummy--it's a more intense, immersive ride.

All parks must offer Dole Whip. This needs to be a federal law.

^Good lord! My thread has devolved into a discussion about block brakes!

Yes to both!

^For me, the Everest comparison kicked in with the highly themed queue and fast-moving line.

My entry. "Adam, remember me saying that I'd spend the night with you if you escaped those shackles? Well, I sorta lied."

I agree with this. The launches give a nice kick, but not an "S&S kick."

I like Robb's suggestion of a "split the difference" 44-inch height requirement. The comparison to Everest is appropriate, although I think Everest has a higher "thrill" element that Verbolten. My guess is that the launched sections, which do pack a little kick, and the freefall drop could be driving the 48-inch height requirement.

This takes me back to the early 1980s, when I was staying at the Disneyland Hotel with some college buddies. We got into the elevator one morning, it stopped at the next floor, and in walked a Star Fleet "commodore." Our reaction was, "er, OK." There were Stormtroopers wandering around the lobby, too. Yes Star Wars was making inroads into the Star Trek convention business even back then. Looks like this weekend takes it up to 11.

I noticed that, too. Some of the scenery is easy to miss in a few spots (and easier to see from different parts of the train).