John Peck Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Starting Friday before Labor Day, The Wife and I are heading South East to grab my last ride on Wolf (and her first ride), and we're going to spend a couple days in the area. We wont be credit-whoring over to SFA or Carowinds, just a nice weekend in the Virginia Beach area. I haven't been to either KD or Busch since October 2000, so I know there have been some new arrivals at both parks. Plus, we are hitting a holiday weekend, which should make the lines 'hypothetically' a bit longer. We both have a Cedar Fair Platinum Pass, and will be getting tickets to Busch with my wife's 1/2 Travel Agent Discount. Itinerary: FRI: Drive Towards Richmond, VA from Columbus, Ohio SAT: Kings Dominion (perhaps a dip in the water park, too) SUN: Busch Gardens MON: Virginia Beach + Small local area Parks, Begin Drive Home TUES: Finish Drive Home Im still tubby, and Can't Ride Diamondback, so I'll also have some Big Boy seat questions... anyway, here's a few questions pertaining to each park, since i have only been to both once: Dominion: • Any Advice on early opening/pass perks/late ride openings • Are there any hidden gems or "must-do's" (I know about the Flyers) • Is there a test seat for Volcano? • Will Intimidator be running yet? (ha ha, just kidding!) • Any Single-rider lines in the park • Any dining advice? Busch (there's quite a few questions): • I know they open rides at various times, is there a schedule so I can plan accordingly? • How strict are they not letting adults on the kid coaster? Is there a safe time? • Is there an extremely popular attraction I should do early before the lines get long? • What other "non-coaster" rides are "must-dos" I know Dark Castle is one • What non-ride attractions are "must-do's"? • Any Hidden gems I need to be aware of? • Any outstanding dining options? • Which rides have test seats? • Which rides have "singles lines"? • Any other advice would be helpful Virgina Beach Area: • We plan on hitting the two small parks in the area "Go Karts Plus" and "Motorworld". any advice on those? • Any Virginia Beach recommendations: beaches, site seeing, dining options. • Any tourist traps to steer clear of (outrageous parking costs, bad areas) So that's about it, Thank you so much in advance. JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkdcoaster Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 KD If you have a CF platinum pass you get to walk back to a ride first. Do Volcano First thing!!! (Dominator has a huge line in the morning but is walk on at about 2-5) Volcano has no test seat but rarely do I see someone turned away no single rider lines at KD Outer Hanks is pretty good and Victorias pizza next to Drop Zone has good eats. BG BBW opens between 11-1130 no max height for Grover Pompeii is really good too Get to BG really EARLY you can get a ton done if you are there when they drop the ropes. Have fun JEFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEAPUgrad Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I agree completely with pkdcoaster. However at BG, I tend to make a bee line for Griffon when the park opens. In my few experiences, the crowd heads for AC first. I can usually get 3-5 rides on Griffon before a line starts to form, and then head to Alpie. Walk on or 1-2 train wait for the front seat, and head over to Dar Kastle (sp?) for multiple re-rides, and hit Festhaus before the lunch rush begins. As the lunch rush begins, I'm walking out and enjoying 10-15 minute wait times for BBW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeuce02 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 in va beach ocean breeze is a nice water park plus go karts are over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeboy23 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 However at BG, I tend to make a bee line for Griffon when the park opens. In my few experiences, the crowd heads for AC first. I've noticed the same thing, majority head to Apollos first. As for food, they are several options at Busch Gardens, I don't think you could be let down from any place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdman76 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 At BGE do not ride the sky ride unless you want to for scenic reasons. I made that mistake. Thought I be smart and save some walking over to Griffon. After waiting 45 mins to board the sky ride, by the time I got to Griffon it was a 2 hour wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDCOASTERFAN Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 DT has a test seat IIRC & it's restraints are the same as volcano's so if you can fit on DT then you should be good to go on volcano as well. As for VA. Beach: I'd recommend plenty of sun tan lotion...especially on your feet(my GF got burned pretty bad on her back last month & I got burned on my feet while at Rehoboth a few weeks ago) but if you do get burned try some aloe vera lotion or gel...it works wonders for sun burn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfoot12 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 If you think you might be a "guest of exceptional size", Alpengeist and Griffon have "big-boy" seats. My weight kind of fluctuates but in recent years I've only been turned away from Apollo's Chariot but that depends on the ride op. On the plus side, if you do get turned away they may give you a front-of-the-line pass which allows you to enter a ride from the exit (I used mine on Griffon). I just got back tonight and I was thinking I'd get turned away on AC but I think I got on it with only "1 click". I'm about 6'2 and 285 for comparison's sake. I was able to fit on a regular seat on Alpie with a little help with the seatbelt from a ride op. Griffon gave me no trouble. You should be fine on BBW and LNM. Haven't been to KD since last year but the only ride that might be a problem is Flight of Fear as I've gotten turned away on that before. I guess it really depends on where you carry your weight, as my thighs and upper legs are monstrous. Good luck and I hope you have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEAPUgrad Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 If you think you might be a "guest of exceptional size", Alpengeist and Griffon have "big-boy" seats. My weight kind of fluctuates but in recent years I've only been turned away from Apollo's Chariot but that depends on the ride op. On the plus side, if you do get turned away they may give you a front-of-the-line pass which allows you to enter a ride from the exit (I used mine on Griffon). I just got back tonight and I was thinking I'd get turned away on AC but I think I got on it with only "1 click". I'm about 6'2 and 285 for comparison's sake. I was able to fit on a regular seat on Alpie with a little help with the seatbelt from a ride op. Griffon gave me no trouble. You should be fine on BBW and LNM. Haven't been to KD since last year but the only ride that might be a problem is Flight of Fear as I've gotten turned away on that before. I guess it really depends on where you carry your weight, as my thighs and upper legs are monstrous. Good luck and I hope you have fun! I'm about that same as you at 6'3 270 with a 50 chest/42 waist. My lower half is rock solid thanks to many years of umpiring baseball. I had trouble this year on Griffon, Alpie, and Volcano at KD. At BG, there is some sort of policy where the ride ops are NOT to help you if you need some extra help. Instead they ridicule you and embarass you in front of everyone by telling you "next time we're not doing this for you, you just can't ride." At KD, the Volcano crew goes out of their way to make sure everyone rides. I usually need just a smidge of help as the seat belt buckle is just milimeters from the buckle. A little extra weight by the ride ops always helps. After having a horrible customer service experience a couple of weeks ago, I doubt I'll ever go back to any Busch park just to go. If they build a new coaster, I'll go once for the credit but I'm DONE with Busch. They would rather insult people than take care of an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfoot12 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 ^Interesting. My experience on Alpengeist was pretty much a non-issue. Or maybe he just didn't want to switch me to the Big Boy seats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Peck Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 DT has a test seat IIRC & it's restraints are the same as volcano's so if you can fit on DT then you should be good to go on volcano as well. DT Must Mean Drop Tower... but what is IIRC? I'm not familiar with a few of the names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfoot12 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 IIRC = "If I recall correctly" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeboy23 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 At BG, there is some sort of policy where the ride ops are NOT to help you if you need some extra help. Instead they ridicule you and embarass you in front of everyone by telling you "next time we're not doing this for you, you just can't ride. You went on a bad day. Every time I have been there they will lock and unlock the seats atleast 2 or 3 times trying to get the person on. I was just there last night and on Apollos they tried 4 times and finally got the person in the seat. IMO that just holds up the line, because while doing that to help out the one person, they stacked all 3 trains. But they were being nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 ^I very much doubt that this is a "policy," and my experience with customer service at BGW is generally positive (I'm local and visit the park frequently). There was a pretty bad crew on AC a few years back, though. For food, I'd recommend either the Three Rivers Smokehouse or the Italian restaurant (you can catch a show while you eat there). When it comes to the kiddie coaster, the park supposedly "discourages" guests without kids from riding, although I know plenty of members (including Big Mike) who have got this credit with no hassles. (I think it depends on how busy they are.) AC has a test seat, too, by the way. You may want to try that before queuing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 BGW: - The park maps have a schedule which tells you when the different countries open on the back. Use that to your advantage. - Hit the major rides/attractions early (coasters, DarKastle, water rides) early so you have the rest of the day to take everything in... - The coasters, DarKastle, and the water rides tend to be the most popular rides in the park. The Sky Ride and train are also popular, but don't worry too much about those. Be sure to hit BBW since it's only open until next weekend. - If you haven't seen any of the shows, I would suggest you hit all of them (preferably later in the day when its hot). - As for any "hidden gems", aside from the signature attractions/shows, nothing else really stands out IMO. - All the B&Ms have test seats and all of the major attractions should have single rider. - Crowds can seriously vary so I would suggest getting everything in ASAP and then spending the rest of the day doing rerides and taking in atmosphere. Go Karts Plus is just outside Williamsburg in Toano near the Pottery. It's a generic FEC with go karts, arcade, some flats, and a kiddie credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeboy23 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 BGW: - all of the major attractions should have single rider. Griffon and Apollos do, however, I hardly ever see Apollos being used, but that line moves quick anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Peck Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 Very cool, guys! I appreciate everything so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEAPUgrad Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Customer Service at the park is on the up and up. Customer Service at their call centers is a different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastersrule85 Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 I have to say thanks to all of the great information too! I'm hopefully going to Busch Gardens the first week of October and was wondering about how the park works for its more rotund visitors. Now I'm worried a bit, but I have a month to work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreaksrttd Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 *Busch season pass owner reporting for duty* -I don't know the exact order, but I do know that Alpengiest opens fairly early... -I have no idea -Most lines are kept short, even Griffon's. The only ride that has a very long line is BBW... -If your kids are a old enough not to get scared too easily, Corkscrew hill is good... Escape from Pompeii is a fun one, and it will really cool you off... If you have kids Le-Scoot Log Floom is always great. Isn't that the same question? -I don't really know what this is supposed to be -If you eat meat Das Festaus (or however you spell it) is great and entertaining... Italy isn't half bad either! (The one must try is the pickles. BGW has great pickles) -I am not really sure what this means. If you want good seats, hear are some of my recommended sweet spots. -Second or third row on Loch Ness -Front of BBW -Front on Alpengiest -Back edge on Griffon -Front on Appollo -Griffon -Don't just ride rollercoaster... Wander around and appreciate the theming... You will be amazed at some of the details... Also, Darkastle lines are insane... Try to get in a ride on it early... I go to Busch Gardens very, very often, so any other questions can be PMed to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pufferfish Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 ^It's odd that you say Darkastle has bad lines, I've never experienced it with a line longer than 30 minutes and when I was there yesterday we never waited more than 10. If that 10 minute wait bothers you, Darkastle does have a single rider line. For food at BGE, I recommend Trapper's Smokehouse in New France or Festhaus in Germany. Recently, Loch Ness monster has been the first ride to open at 9:30 so you can head on in early for it and get a good couple walk on rides before the main rope drop. After the rope drop, I recommend the same as everyone else, go to Griffon first, then Alpengeist. Make sure you don't miss Escape from Pompeii or Corkscrew Hill. Both are nice rides and sometimes overlooked for the larger attractions. Save Corkscrew Hill for sometime in the middle of the day as it's queue line is a great way to escape the heat. Other than the rides, make sure you do the shows! All of the shows are really good and you should try to hit most of them. Also, remember this is one of the most beautiful parks in the country. Be sure to take some time to just sit back and take in the views. The train is a great idea to do this. I hope this helped and I hope you have a great trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreaksrttd Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 ^I guess I was unlucky. I only rode it once even though I go there all the time... When I went the line was horrific... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanthonyam Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Besides KD and Busch what other major parks are close to Richmond area? Close I mean within 3 to 4 hours away max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreaksrttd Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 ^ Six Flags America. But I warn you, it kinda... sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Rule of thumb with DarKastle: if the line is all the way to the entrance gate, the wait is about an hour (usually it isn't that long). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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