Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[Nozzy]

^I heard the Dominator start-up alert when I was getting to my car around 11 PM and was wondering what was up, so I assume that was it. We left the park from Ironworx though, so I wasn't too close to actually see... I wonder what could have caused that though... weird. I guess I left just in time too, "only" took ~15 minutes to get out of the lot... traffic was crazy though, I'd hate to be randomly passing the park at that time! As you said, home at 3:30 but well worth it. (Might do it again next week, especially if the weather is so perfect again!)

 

So, as a chicken, I should be able to make it through the scare zones without too many tears shed? Because they're the only things keeping me from night rides on Grizzly and I305 myself!

 

I got used to walking through scarezones from time working in parks. They are just actors, and if you remember that then you can make it through- that's not to say you won't be startled at times, but if you walk with a purpose and don't stop to scream you can should keep the tears to a minimum. I benefited from my friends as well- having people who aren't scared and just strolling through, laughing and commenting on the atmosphere, can be very reassuring. Seeing other obviously scared guests make it through can be a confidence boost too.

 

Finally, if you absolutely don't want to go through a Scarezone, you can try to get to the rides without them as long as you aren't in the back right corner of the park at 7. I believe the Dominator path is empty. The junction with the basketball game is safe as well. To get to Intimidator, keep to the right, passing by Backlot Stunt Coaster and Anaconda.

For Grizzly, it's a bit trickier, but still doable. The clowns seemed to stay to the right (Shockwave side) of the games midway. Keep to the left of the planters up to the ferris wheel. Go between the Skycoaster and restrooms, avoiding the tunnel. In both of these areas there may be actors chasing people out of the Scarezone, but they generally retreat back afterward. There were also some roaming actors I encountered on International Street, and outside mazes, but going through it is well worth the rides.

[Austin11KD]

I was searching through Youtube and I found this video that some of you might have seen before...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8urkged1V_0&feature=related

[coasterfreak101]

^^Perfect! I think I'll be able to make it through with minimal screams and cries for help.

 

So as far as crowds go, would it be better to go on a Friday night, or on a Sunday afternoon/evening?

[KDCOASTERFAN]

^^Perfect! I think I'll be able to make it through with minimal screams and cries for help.

 

So as far as crowds go, would it be better to go on a Friday night, or on a Sunday afternoon/evening?

 

Saturday the park was packed in the afternoon when we got there around 1:30/2 pm.

[coasterfreak101]

Well there's no way in hell you'll get me there on a busy Summer or Haunt Saturday, so no worries there.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

With Windseeker going on the ED footprint does anyone think we may see an impulse possible added along the strip where XLC's launch was sometime in the future?

[Intimidator305]

^ No. They just have the fence around El Dorado to get rid of that and clear that area before the season ends. WindSeeker's footprint will be much larger using a larger concrete circle than Drop Tower along with a decent sized queue. I do think we might see a fix-up of planters and maybe some pavers go in back in the SkyFlyer plaza though to make the area look nicer. There is no way an impulse would fit there.

[eddie200330]

Maybe they are saving it for another relocate from one of their other parks. Anything going anywhere anytime soon?

[Intimidator305]

Well if it doesn't sell I could see them maybe relocating the ride to another park, but we have to remember the ride is a 20 year old carnival flat ride... Not too many people are going to get hyped up for it. It would fit best within a traveling fair.

[eddie200330]

^^ I should have been more clear on that post, I meant HXLC's old space.

[coasterbill]

With Windseeker going on the ED footprint does anyone think we may see an impulse possible added along the strip where XLC's launch was sometime in the future?

 

I think the Impulse ship may have sailed. The last NEW Impulse coaster was built in 2003 and for the most part they don't seem to be all that popular. They usually have much shorter lines than the other coasters in whatever park they're in and I wouldn't say it's because of their great capacity.

[braztaz]

The only impulse I like is Wicked Twister at Cedar Point, because of it's location and the double-spike.

 

Possesed, or whatever it's called, at Dorney Park was no fun at all to me...

 

I think in 2014 we'll be getting a hyper. Kind of a reverse of CW (They got Behemoth, then Leviathan. We get i305, then....?)

[coasterfreak101]

^I could see maybe something marketable like the first hyper-woodie or something along those lines, but reversing the CW trend makes about 100x less sense than the decision to send Leviathan right after Behemoth already does.

[Fooz]

KD needs a cheaper, gimmicky ride IMO. I think some kind of shuttle would work, or a ZacSpin or something similar.

 

Edit: maybe Premeir's new shuttle? Capacity may be too low though.

[coasterfreak101]

Honestly I could see KD being the guinea pig of the chain for maybe a collection of Eurofighters? I think it would need to be something really good though to break out of the pack - Takabisha is a good example, albeit bigger than what I'd expect to hit any CF park.

[Austin11KD]

^I could see maybe something marketable like the first hyper-woodie or something along those lines, but reversing the CW trend makes about 100x less sense than the decision to send Leviathan right after Behemoth already does.

 

Isn't Son of Beast a Hyper Woodie?

[coasterfreak101]

^That's true. Until they tear it down at least. Worst comes the worst, how about the world's first good hyper woodie? Like an Intamin!

[KDCOASTERFAN]

^That's true. Until they tear it down at least. Worst comes the worst, how about the world's first good hyper woodie? Like an Intamin!

 

A solid double or even triple out & back would make fora far better hyper woodie than SOB did & if only they'd take my advice they'd gain more space for it by giving hurler it's walking papers.

[coasterfreak101]

I imagine that eventually Hurler will come to the point where its sub-par ridership won't justify the maintenance costs.

[Schrecken]

I'd also like to see Hurler replaced with something like El Toro, but so many parks seem loathe to get rid of crappy coasters (though for some reason they were quick to be rid of Hypersonic). I was at the park a couple of weekends ago and I was able to essentially ask this very same question of a park representative (sorry I don't remember the guy's name as I suck at remembering peoples' names!) about why parks often won't scrap bad coasters.

 

I asked specifically about that bright blue and green conglomeration of scrap iron otherwise known as Shockwave, and also about the Hurler. Basically I was told that the park is trying to improve and better maintain their collection of woodies (though some might consider Hurler too far gone to benefit from such help, but I do think that Rebel Yell ran more smoothly than I remember it being when I rode it a couple of years ago, however, I haven't ridden the Hurler in ages so I don't know if that's any better or not) and that the reason they keep the Togo lawn ornament around is that it is a very low maintenance ride. He said it has run great from day one, I suppose rather like a car that runs like a top even though it's a crummy rust bucket that almost no one wants to ride in. In other words, cheap to keep running, no matter that even most of the GP just pass it by. He also noted that the cost of building a new coaster has gotten so high that it's much easier to keep the old clunkers going (he didn't put it in those terms, of course!) than have a new ride built.

 

So, if what this rep says is true, then unfortunately it looks like we can all count on these old clunkers wasting space at KD (but at least this park isn't land-locked and short on space like KBF and some others) for a long time to come.

[T-BONDIcoasterkid]

^Stop advertising about something that this forum isnt remotely close to about.

[coasterfreak101]

^You do understand that's it's spam and telling it what to do won't do anything right?

[ernierocker]

^Stop advertising about something that this forum isnt remotely close to about.

 

Please do not respond to spammers. All you need to do is click the Report button and a moderator will take care of it. Thanks.

[alilstronger]

Personally, I enjoy all of the coasters at the park. I love Hurler - it is rough and that is what I like about it. They layout is simple but very fun to me. Shockwave is still fun to me - no matter how old it gets. I will always remember that as my first ever stand up coaster. For me it is not being the biggest, tallest, or fastest. It is about how much fun you are having.

[coasterbill]

It's not often that parks tear down wood coasters... I'd imagine that's because of the costs involved in doing so (correct me if I'm wrong). When you tear down a steel coaster it's much easier to move and the steel also has some value if you're not planning to relocate the ride. Unless the costs of removing Hurler is astronomical... why remove it? They have plenty of room to expand elsewhere.