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And my thanks to Robb for adding the videos, behind-the-scenes photos, and photos from the park's opening day.

Good to see that the Hollywood Tour is still in operation. All must ride it!

Excellent pictures, Jeff--especially the one with the sign (Larry, take note).

^He suffers from post-roids rage.

Here's a last look at Kings Dominion during I-305 Media Day with some additional photos from Robb. My thanks to the staff at the park for putting on a very nice media event; to Robb for asking me to attend; and to the park and Intamin for an excellent new coaster! Where's there's a ride, there must be merchandise. I think this is in the U.S. Constitution. Hmm--I think Dale Earhnardt drove car number 3. Call it a hunch. Remember the cake? Well, it was great! Especially the chocolate-mint section. There are a few other new things at KD this season in addition to Intimidator. Scooby-Doo, where are you? Soon, Snoopy will strike! Panda Express has arrived at last! The prophecy is fulfilled. Remember: This is Snoopy's planet. . . . . . . We just live on it. Behold the Shrine of Snoopy! Virgins will be sacrificed here during Haunt! (OK--I just made that up. Sorry.) Still a bit of work left to do, though. The old Kidsville rides have been "de-Hanna-Barberafied," too. Here's one more look at Intimidator 305. And here's a geeky TPR exculsive: Intimidator being backed onto the transfer track! Here's what it takes to get all that awesome video you see. While it might look like just duct tape, there IS actually some skill to this! (Don't try this at home!) Will Holder and Clint Novak of kdfansite.com about to take their first ever I305 ride! It's an orgasmic occasion for these guys. Here is the line on opening day. Would you believe they chewed through that line in about 35 minutes? Great job crew! Opening day riders about to experience gray out awesomeness! Hopefully by this point you're regained your sight! I305 delivers some serious high crazy speeds around these turns. Awesome! TWISSSTYYYYY! Could this be the steepest brake run in the world? Mega-Lite airtime on steroids! Even more TWISSSTYYYY! Another birds eye view. But this time the whole park is OPEN! Could this now be the best first drop in the world? Just awesome! Would you like a wallpaper version of this photo? Sure you would! (Download it below!) This is the moment right here where my gray out started to go away. For those of you who heard the rumor that they changed the height restriction on opening day, here is the proof that it was 54" as of 3/31. You can see the date where the state signed off on the ride. They can't go back and adjust the height restriction without the state signing off on it. So the ride opened at 54" and there never was the incident of "the height restriction changed during the day." That simply just didn't happen. Kings Dominion execs shakes hands with Sandor Kernacs of Intamin on a job VERY well done!!! Congrats to Intamin and Kings Dominion on the AWESOME Intimidator 305! DOWNLOAD THE INTIMIDATOR 305 WALL PAPER! CLICK THE LINK BELOW!!! i305_wallpaper.zip Intimidator 305 Desktop Wallpaper!

OK, you've seen the Peanuts gang, the cake, and Dick Kinzel--you're ready to check out I-305! Here's a "photo essay" (well, of sorts) to give you a taste of KD's awesome new ride--with plenty of pics taken from the park's Eiffel Tower. Enjoy. Q: What would make this picture better? A: Happy, smiling riders! This is what Dale Earnhardt would've drove if he raced stretch limos. Here's what you're getting yourself into. Intimidated yet? Here's a sight that KD should see pretty often this season--a busy queue. (The I-305 crew was great during media day. Excellent work!) Look--NASCAR "stickerness," or something. OK, get your butts in the seats, strap yourselves in, and hold on tight! Step right up folks! Hoop Robb Alvey and win yerself a seegar! "GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!" I'm sure the crew will never get tired of hearing this. Sheesh! That lift is faster than a ferret on speed! Let us pause a moment for a deep, cleansing breath. Thank you. Almost there! "I'm travelin' down the road, and I'm flirtin' with disaster!" (Matt will be humming this while he rides.) "Brain to body! Brain to body! May day! You're on your own! Over!" "Brain to body! I'm back! Never mind!" At this point, when the fuzziness clears and the world comes back into beautiful focus, you begin to think, "Help me, Jeebus!" Well, Jeebus wants you enjoy the ride. So, quit bothering him. "Command Central to the 101st Curviness Brigade! Commence 'curviness' in 3, 2, . . . . . . 1! Commence!" "101st to Command Central! 'Curviness' achieved! Proceeding to next objective! Over!" OK, it gets pretty interesting here. If your butt is still in the seat at this point, you must've sat in Gorilla Glue. "Whee! That was fun! Can we do it again?" Sure--with a twist! "Command Central to the fighting men and women of the 45th Tactical Twistiness Assualt Team! Commence 'tactical twistiness' in 3, . . . . . . Hey! I didn't say '2, 1, commence!' Wait for it next time!" "You people are getting a bit premature with the twistiness here! Knock it off!" Time for one, last little twist. Done! OK, the ride's over--now what? How about an onride "photo finish." Who needs Botox when they have Intimidator 305? One more set of pics to come.

Here is Theme Park Review's official "Intimidator Media Day Coverage!" First off, here is the official press release from the ride's opening: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/kingsdominion/43350/ In case you missed it in the other thread, here is Robb's POV Video. Click the "Watch on YouTube link" to see it in HD: And here are the offride shots: To watch these videos in HD click here: http://www.youtube.com/user/themeparkreviewTPR It's been less than a year since Kings Dominion finally ended months of speculation--and started fresh rounds of new speculation --by announcing Intimidator 305, the largest single capital investment in the history of the park. Yes, the park and the coaster world have been posting, Web camming, and tweeting their little hearts out about this ride since last summer, but, at last, the long wait is over. KD unveiled their new, NASCAR-inspired pride and joy on April 1. But does the ride deliver? Indeed, it does! Intamin and the park have maintained that this is a "rider's ride," and they're right. I-305 is one of the most intense coaster experiences anywhere. Here are some stats and facts for those of you who like numbers and info (and you know who you are): Physical Dimensions Track Length: 5,100’ Maximum Height: 305’ (that's higher that the observation platform of the park's Eiffel Tower) Lift Hill Angle: 45 degrees Length of First Drop: 300’ Angle of First Drop: 85 degrees Height of Second Hill: 150’ Time, Speed, Capacity Top Speed: 94 MPH Ride Time: 3 minutes Theoretical Capacity: 1,350 riders per hour Number of trains: 2 Vehicles: Eight - 4 passenger cars with open design and overhead lap-bars Structure and Design Design: IntaRide - Glen Burnie, Maryland Braking System: Fail-Safe Eddy Current Braking System Lift Hill Structure: 400 tons Track: 1,000 tons Supports: 1,000 tons Foundations: 7,750 cubic yards of concrete 450 tons of reinforcing steel Whiting and Turner Contracting Company (foundations and station construction) Steel Erection by (OK, stop snickering): Adena Minimum Height to Ride: 54 inches or taller Total Investment: $25 million Stats and other info are fine, but they really don't answer the most important question of all: Is the ride any fun at all? Based on my personal experience and what Robb and I were hearing all during the media day, the answer is a resounding "hell, yeah!" This marks the first time I've ever "grayed out" on a coaster. After that initial 300' drop and the huge banked curve, the world became a little fuzzy around the edges, but came into focus again as we crested that second 150' airtime hill (there's plenty of ejector air on this ride). Be prepared to whipped around a lot as the train tears through the twisty, turny course before coming to a relatively gentle stop at the end. There was only one minor glitch during the media day, when the train stopped on the last brake run into the station for a few minutes, but other than that, I-305 ran beautifully. Well done, KD and Intamin! Robb had been at the park since 5:00 am working on POV and B-roll footage for the park's media kit (he'd been there the day before, as well). I was there to take the photos and cover the media day. Here's a look at the event--but mostly at KD's incredible new attraction. "Yo, Dominator--dominate this!" There was a bit of a line . . . . . . to get one of these. Everyone who visits KD must take this picture. I think Thomas Jefferson put it in the Virginia Constitution. The park was looking really spiffy today. OK, where is this new bad boy? Almost there. "Hmm--Watson. Unless I miss my guess, Intimidator 305 is somewhere nearby." "I say, Holmes! How the deuce did you deduce that?" You know, Intimidator isn't the only new thing at KD this season. Say "hi" to the Peanuts gang. Not sure what's going on here, but Sally seems to be totally into it. Here is the "Ace of Cakes" interpretation of I-305. Complete with its own working roller coaster. "Cake will not be served while the ride is in motion. Thank you!" Mmm--chocolatey Volcano . . . o-o-o-o. . . Of course, Dick Kinzel was there. Next to Fort Kinzel. Which makes perfect sense! Looks like we're ready to go. Cameras were fired up and ready to go. As was Mr. Earnhardt. Dick Kinzel chats with Intamin's Sandor Kernacs. Ed Kuhlmann, the park's director of marketing, is starting his 35th season with KD: "This is the ride I've been waiting 35 years for!" Pat Jones, KD's vice-president and general manager: “The numbers speak for themselves. At a cost of $25 million, and with a first drop close to the height of the park’s landmark Eiffel Tower, you’ll have to see this coaster to believe it. . . . The ride experience is as intense as it is exhilarating.” With speeds reaching 94 mph, Intimidator 305 is the fastest gravity driven coaster in North America, according to KD. There are three Earnhardts in this photo--and one of them is dad. Lt. Governor Bolling promised that he would make his wife ride at the announcement ceremony last year, but she was nowhere in sight. I don't know if he rode it or not. This could be a major political issue! OK, here come the real VIPs. Crank up the country and southern rock, and let's get a'ridin'. It pays to know the right people at any park you visit. Q: What would make this picture better? The answer in a moment.

Not "brush burns," but they can give you a chop to the neck.

^There's some nice ejector air on I-305, but not as much as you find on El Toro. That first drop, followed by the banked curve and hill, is one of the mose intense moments I've ever experienced on any steel coaster.

I think it could crack my top ten, but time will tell.

You get a good dose of that, along with plenty of other southern rock, while you wait.

Trust me--it is.

^^I'm curious to see how Prince Elmo's Spire ranks on the list of TPR's resident Froghopper enthusiast.

A remarkable commericial for a, well, not so remarkable park.

^I was a bit surprised by that, too, Jeff. But it was probably be easier to remove the old buildings for the purposes of future construction than to work around them. Time will tell.

Sea Battle and Burgertime rule!

Our amble around Busch Gardens continues. The line for Alpengeist--this is why I like Sundays in the springtime. Trims and all, it's still fun. OK, just what is missing here? RIP, Huge Hummel Boy! I think the park got out of the Hummel business, so the poor guy is out on the streets somewhere. Let's see what evil King Ludwig is up to. Longest wait of the day--a bit over 10 minutes (using the single-rider line). The old Drachen Fire station, which was infested with vampires last October. In the past, you couldn't see it from here--there was a Bavarian village and red ribbon of steel in the way. Now it's all gone. Well, except for the station . . . . . . and the Big Bad Wolf Memorial Stump. RIP, Big Bad Wolf. Enough of that. Doesn't Loch Ness Monster look nice and spiffy with its new paint job? For some reason, they blocked this old games area at Festa Italia. There used to be a couple of carnival games in this tent. OK, am I the only one who thinks it's a bit strange that little kids have to cross railroad tracks to get to the Forest of Fun? The other path was blocked last year. This is the first time I've seen Scottish Bert and Ernie. BGW has been doing a good job with the Sesame Street characters. Speaking of railroads . . . Just killing time until the train leaves. Hi, Nessie! A lone Clydesdale. Here's another little change: Remember the ivy that had been trained to grow in the shape of the Busch eagle (well, sort of)? And here's one last, springy shot--of Apollo's Chariot.

The Thread Awakes . . . Yes, it's springtime in Williamsburg, and most of use are damn glad of it. It was one cold winter here in tidewater Virginia, and we've had enough of scraping ice from windshields, shoveling snow, and slipping on ice-covered sidewalks. This year marks the first BGW Passholder Day that I've missed in five or six years, because I decided to hit West Coast Bash. But last Sunday afternoon, the first "official" Sunday of BGW's season, was beautiful, so I decided to take a lap around the park, hit the coasters and DarKastle, and, in general, see what's up. BGW was bustling but not slammed. Let's take a look around. I got there about 11:30, and they were running empty trains on Apollo's Chariot. I spy with my little eye . . . Griffon from the France parking lot. Behold the snazzy new bag-check structure! Open thy fanny pack, knave! If you need to have lunch with Elmo or arrange a backstage tour, you might want to stop here. Let's see. Club TPR card--check! Club TPR shirt--check! Let's head out. Yep--just busy enough to be interesting today. Did I mention that it's spring in Williamsburg? BGW's newest residents. They've opened this ramp to the public so that guests can get a closer view of the animals outside. "Bad dog! Bad dogs don't get to ride Griffon!" "Pfft--scare me. Good dogs can't even do that." "Can nice little lambs ride Grover's Alpine Express?" I'm looking forward to the new simulator. And it doesn't fly to California! Looks like Annie's is keeping the Starbucks menu it featured during Christmas Town. They sold chicken wings and beer last season. Annie's used to be the Brewmaster's Club. They covered the rear viewing area at Wolf Haven. Maybe they're going to train vines to grow on it, or something. They're pushing the backstage tours more this year--care to be eaten by wolves? How would you like to walk around the top of Griffon? That can be arranged. Lunch! A bit cold, unfortunately. With the Smokehouse, it's all in the timing. Now that I'm sufficiently fortified with baby back ribs . . . A great ride, as usual. But why do I suddenly have a craving for an ice cream? More to come.

Club TPR just became 100 percent cooler.

That'll teach them to ride a stupid Top Scan.

So, Ricky Martin comes out of the closet, and FMP/HRP bites the dust. Move alone! No "la vida loca" to see here. Move along, please!

The Matterhorn was listed as part of Tomorrowland for years in guides and ticket books. I was never clear on "why."

^You do? Happy Birthday, Matt!

^^I think I know what you're referring to, but let's try to keep politics out of the forum, please. Whenever someone introduces politics onto these boards, it usually gets out of hand. Thank you.

I think you're being a bit harsh in your first sentence. To me, it looks like a very nice redress of the old Land of the Dragons--and it seems much larger than the Forest of Fun in Williamsburg. The 4D flick is a good one (we have it at BGW, too).