certifiedcoastergeek

Shoutout to user @coasterbill for finding this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/laurenpaul/the-most-underrated-amusement-parks-in-the-world#.uhoN9W4Xl Kings Dominion clocked in at #3 in the world and BGW came in at a not-too-shabby #9. This just goes to show that Virginia is, in fact, for coaster lovers.

Great TR! I would have participated with Team TPR if not for the fact that I had to work . I see that the world's best coaster has claimed its next victim...

^That was the funny part...hehe....*clears throat* nvm then... It was just amusing to see that web design couldn't be bothered to crop the correct image and instead copied Carowinds'.

I was casually browsing the CGA website when SUDDENLY... Just when you thought web designers couldn't get any lazier... By the way, this is legit, so look it up for yourself...

They had 3 trains, but rarely ran the third and removed it altogether as part of the 40th anniversary improvements. Source: I'm an observant longtime passholder. And smallpox, they did have separate loading and exiting until 2014, so the new queue is nicer but actually diminished the ride capacity.

The narcissus ignorus, commonly known as the "selfie stick", is natively found with iPhones, GoPros, Starbucks, and other distinctly hipster species.This species can be invasive, however, and has been introduced by humans into the gift shop at the exit of Intimidator 305, once a pure habitat with decent species abundant.

Also, I need some line advice... I went to Carowinds during Spring Break, and braved the long lines and no ERT to ride Fury (albeit once) without FL or FL+. I managed to get on Fury, Intimidator (twice ), Afterburn (ugh), Vortex (they made a ballet based on this one-the Nutcracker), and Thunder Road (#savethunderroad ). I still have yet to ride Nighthawk, Carolina Cyclone, Carolina Cobra, and Carolina Goldrusher (I don't need to do the Hurler and Ricochet because I ride their KD clones frequently). I will likely visit the park again on a weekday in July or August, so that means Fury ERT . Are there any strategies to avoid the monstrous Nighthawk line so I can finally ride a Flying Dutchman? (the fact that I want to ride a Vekoma is pathetic in general)

Did anyone else notice this? https://www.carowinds.com/online-fun/audio Sounds sort of like a couple of wacky anthems, like if the North Carolina and South Carolina portions of Carowinds each seceded from the United States and from each other. That leaves the question: who gets Fury 325 and Thunder Road?

Great TR and a great read! I visited Carowinds during Spring Break but didn't purchase FL+, so my day looked something like: Fury 1x Intimidator 2x Thunder Road 1x (#savethunderroad) Drop Tower 1x Scream Weaver 1x Afterburn 1x Vortex 1x Also, the fact that Afterburn wasn't a walk-on for you is strange...there was no wait whatsoever when I rode it over break, which is one of the busiest times of year (after opening, Fury had a 3+hr line). On a better note, I will most likely go back on a summer weekday in July or August, so I will be able to take advantage of the Fury passholder ERT. I liked Fury, but I actually liked Intimidator better, since it was smoother and had more airtime. B&M has mastered the art of the hypercoaster, but Intamin makes better gigacoasters (I like Intimidator 305 much more than Fury).

Flying Coaster 1 is a great value! I'm hungry... I'm not paying that much for Jr. Hamburger! I'm thirsty... Where are all the rides?

Intimidator 305 @Kings Dominion (best.coaster.ever.)

You act like the park doesn't receive new rides and general improvements every year. The park is getting plenty of attention. KD's time will come (again). Until then just enjoy the park, or maybe enjoy some other parks I meant "large investment schedule". I'm not discounting how awesome the park looks because of the 40th, nor the Snoopy expansion, nor those AWESOME trapdoor slides!

Which DP coaster is most worthy of re-rides aka smoothest (I'll be visiting for the first time on a Tuesday in late July, so I heard it isn't that crowded)?

The media will do anything to garner viewership on a slow day, and fear-mongering is one of them. FUN FACT: You're 3x more likely to be killed in a plane crash than you are to be injured on an amusement park ride (source: Alltime10s and the IAAPA). However, this is operator error. Nothing much else to be said about it. My thoughts go to the families of those afflicted.

If Morgan were in business (I don't think Chance is building anything that big anytime soon)... On the other hand, SWO could piss off two birds with one stone by building the world's tallest and longest gigacoaster (the two birds being Nagashima+Cedar Fair). The PR craze about *coughs* mediocre Fury 325 would die down in a heartbeat (and yes, I've been on the forceless ride).

1. Cedar Point and Canada's Wonderland have already started construction, so 2016 is out. Valleyfair and Michigan's Adventure will most likely get new coasters in 2017, and Kings Dominion and Carowinds will get new ones in 2018. Cedar Fair has adopted an "opportunity precedes necessity" mindset, and I don't expect it to change anytime soon. 2. True, but space is becoming an issue, and the Shockwave is sitting on prime real estate. Remember that Kings Dominion doesn't need another kiddie coaster because they have already have two (Great Pumpkin and Woodstock Express), and two more dedicated "family" coasters (Avalanche, Backlot Stunt Coaster). 3. See #2. 1. If you're referring to the In the Loop/Screamscape video, that's complete guesswork, and IMO the channel writers have no clue what they are talking about (except when they correctly identified the three coasters on the chopping block and which one will go first), since none of that was confirmed by the park. Everyone thought that 2016 was the year, but clearly corporate CF said no (see my #1 above). 2. This title will most likely go to Carowinds at some point before that (#savethunderroad). Cedar Fair sees more potential for growth in that park than in Kings Dominion. However, I believe that Kings Dominion will reach 15 coasters at some point in the next ten years, despite the park's seemingly more spaced-out investment schedule.

I'm 99% sure that I rode the Control Freak @Belmont, which sounds like the same ride as Giant Wheel. Also, they have a smaller (enclosed) magic carpet ride called the "Submarine", and one of those baby drop towers. The big attraction there was an inwards-facing Giant Frisbee, although I don't think M&Ds has one of those... Great Trip Report, by the way, really worth the read! I guess I'm not the only one who gets weird looks for photographing kiddie coasters...

This park reminds me of Belmont Park in San Diego, which is only noteworthy for its surfing lessons, the fact that it still uses tickets, and the classic (and miserably rough) ACE landmark Giant Dipper woodie, which opened in the 1920s. Also, it has some flats that are very similar to the ones at M&Ds. Little, sketchy amusement parks must think alike

I made a 2018 Shockwave replacement concept... what do you all think (sorry, audio not working)? Would it fit the small plot of land? Is it feasible? Would you ride it? *Yes, I intentionally included a MCBR to make it more realistic. *The first inverting turnaround would fly over the central walkway leading from the Eiffel Tower to the Floral Clock. [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]Stats: Height: 205 feet Drop: 203 feet Top speed: 77 MPH Drop angle: 90 degrees Inversions: 3 Track length: 3,520 feet Ride duration: 1:20 # of trains: 3 Seating: Floored open-car concept design, 2 cars per train, with three rows each, with two riders seated in each row. Riders per hour: IDK (someone help me on this one)

First point: Intimidator 305 is (from what I've ridden so far) the best roller coaster out there (and you can click the link in my signature if you want to find out what I've been on). You're entitled to your opinion, however. Second point: I'm not complaining because Kings Dominion won't get a B&M stratacoaster or something like that, it's just concern for the future appeal of the park and its marketability, which can send the park into a downwards spiral of less park income which results in fewer and fewer park investments. You can only market a coaster as "brand-spankin' new" for so long (even if it's an 11/10 no contest), and in today's hypercompetitive amusement industry, six-plus years is too long (especially with BGW directly competing for ticket sales). But cfc, I agree.... Que será, será (which is Spanish for "what will be, will be", and no, I didn't use Google Translate, I used my four years of high-school Spanish )

LOL I can't tell you how many times I've swallowed insects accidentally while riding front-row on Intimidator 305.

It was intentional, to make a point that KD hit 3 strikes a while back (Fun fact: I can read ). IDK about the post below mine, though.

And like I said above, that leaves KD for 2018.

You all have survey markings, and we don't... Kings Dominion broke ground on Intimidator 305, the last major coaster, on June 1 of 2009. It's now June 3 of 2015, and no coaster-related construction has been reported. No offense, but your logic doesn't seem to hold water.

^UPDATE: Nothing in this week's H-P. Meanwhile, it seems that Cedar Point and Canada's Wonderland will receive pretty large B&Ms for the 2016 season. I know for a fact that Cedar Fair just doesn't have the budget for a third B&M at Kings Dominion, so this means we can rule out any large coaster or coaster-like contraption at Kings Dominion in 2016 (unless it's a GCI woodie, but where would they put it? Hurler ain't goin' nowhere). Honestly, I believe that Kings Dominion will receive some sort of flat ride in 2016, minor improvements in 2017 with the removal of Shockwave mid-to-late season, and that long-overdue B&M in 2018. Hopefully, the 2018 coaster will be something worth waiting EIGHT YEARS FOR (which, if directly compared to I305, probably won't be)... Some days, I feel like the YouTube lady who "can only count to six" when thinking about the number of years we've waited for KD's new coaster...