Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[IronWolfman]

I am honestly so happy Anaconda is staying! Hopefully Vortex at KI soon gets these improvements as well (2015 maybe?). Love the other improvements, nice Quimet is adding the charm back!

[azza29]

^I think a lot of Arrows (along with the Vekoma SLCs) would get new life from having better trains/restraints, and certainly much cheaper than building a new ride.

[Mrlittle]

A very smart move for the park. I also hope this is a new direction for the other parks to bring back some classic things and bring more charm into the parks. Cedar Fair, you get it.

[Garet]

I wonder what enhancements Anaconda could be getting? In my opinion, it's removal would be an enhancement, but I guess this announcement means they don't want to get rid of it. Hmmm. New shoulder harnesses like some of the new boomerangs have?

Not just new shoulder harnesses, but whole new trains. They wouldn't be able to just swap the harnesses out.

 

The only Arrow coasters that have gotten new trains from Vekoma (that I know of) are Rolling X-Train and Vampire (Chessington). I'd bet that some rough old Arrows could benefit from Vekoma's new trains as long as they do some track work as well.

 

I feel like rolling x-trains cars didn't improve the ride that much, I would love to see it however gain the new boomerang style cars and give it a re-ride.

[alilstronger]

The improvements sound awesome. I love when a park can still hold onto its charm and with them refreshing all these things will make KD a even more enjoyable park in my opinion.

[UrbanLegend]

I honestly was fine on Anaconda the last time I went to the park. Just as long as you expect an old kinda-rough Arrow, you won't be disappointed. Or maybe I just happened to get a good ride on it.

[imawesome1124]

Anaconda wasn't that bad last time I rode. Maybe it was just because I was riding defensively but I didn't hit my head once. It's still a boring ride and the transitions are a little uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt.

[Mrlittle]

So according to the latest Facebook post. They are announcing more stuff at 3 today. Any guesses? https://www.facebook.com/kingsdominionva/posts/10151580604846875

[TyRush]

I hope its a new flat. I dont think a coaster is in the works until next year but who knows

[mike541x]

Backwards Rebel Yell again?

[alilstronger]

Backwards Rebel Yell again?

 

This I would love to see.

 

I would also like to see the cave rebuilt somewhere in the park.

[SFOGdude25]

How about a repainted Rebel Yell with its original red, white, and blue! That would be pretty sweet (this coming from a huge classic woodie fan ).

[Saldek]

They just posted on Facebook that I-305 will reopen tomorrow.

 

It's back! Rev up your engines -- Intimidator 305 will be back starting tomorrow, Saturday September 14th! Thank you for your patience while we worked with the ride's manufacturer this summer.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Saldek

[xmichellex]

^ So happy I could cry! Can't wait for Sept. 28th! Been dying to ride i305!

[michaellynn4]

Edited September 13, 2013 by michaellynn4

[mike541x]

Looks like I'll be visiting Kings Dominion next month.

[coasternut]

Perfect timing... I'll be riding "Timmy" tomorrow morning! I can't wait... I'm already nearby at my hotel in Ashland. I couldn't see the park / ride from southbound I95.

Edited September 13, 2013 by coasternut

[2012jarrett]

They just posted on Facebook that I-305 will reopen tomorrow.

 

It's back! Rev up your engines -- Intimidator 305 will be back starting tomorrow, Saturday September 14th! Thank you for your patience while we worked with the ride's manufacturer this summer.

Just noticed that that was posted at 3:05 pm...

 

But yay! And by the tone of that Facebook post, in the traditional passive-aggressive Cedar Fair style they used talking about B&M and Banshee, it sounds confirmed they'll never work with Intamin again.

[cfc]

But yay! And by the tone of that Facebook post, in the traditional passive-aggressive Cedar Fair style they used talking about B&M and Banshee, it sounds confirmed they'll never work with Intamin again.

 

I think you're reading too much into that statement.

[coasterfreak101]

But yay! And by the tone of that Facebook post, in the traditional passive-aggressive Cedar Fair style they used talking about B&M and Banshee, it sounds confirmed they'll never work with Intamin again.

 

You could get an award for how far you read in to that post.

[UrbanLegend]

But yay! And by the tone of that Facebook post, in the traditional passive-aggressive Cedar Fair style they used talking about B&M and Banshee, it sounds confirmed they'll never work with Intamin again.

 

You could get an award for how far you read in to that post.

 

Sounds like someone has a bright future as an AP English teacher.

[LoopScreweD]

What did CF do for Carolina cobra those trains and sidewinders at Heshery have given those boomerangs much better reputations. Maybe invest in those cannablize the trains already on anaconda to keep the smaller less important arrows running and maybe roll those trains out to them eventually.

[Wood Dragon 1988]

What an announcement! I haven't been this excited about Kings Dominion for a long time.

 

I've heard stories about how the park used to be. Both of my parents have pictures of Kings Dominion from the 70s and 80s that look nothing like the Kings Dominion I have known. It's just so cool that they are trying to make the park more charming, family friendly, and old-school.

 

Not to say that the park will ever be the way it was pre-Paramount, but a little charm goes a long way in making a great park. That's why parks like Kennywood and Hershey are so much better than parks like KD. They get plenty of new world-class rides, but they don't forget the past and keep plenty of charm.

 

As far as Anaconda, I've always thought King Kobra must have been a better attraction, at least in the minds of enthusiasts. I've ridden just one Schwarzkopf shuttle loop and it was MUCH better than Anaconda. So the best thing they could do is tear it down and build a shuttle-loop to stick with the retro theme . For what it's worth I've always thought the ride looks good where it is on the lake and it has a decent unique color scheme when its been recently painted. Any improvements would be welcome.

 

This will make me come back, at least once. I haven't been to the park since I305's opening year.

[mark549]

As far as Anaconda, I've always thought King Kobra must have been a better attraction, at least in the minds of enthusiasts. I've ridden just one Schwarzkopf shuttle loop and it was MUCH better than Anaconda.

 

 

King Kobra was my first upside down coaster and yes, it was much better than Anaconda.

[palmerleeberry]

Wow wee - I'm so happy . . .I think I wet my pants. Excuse me for one second.

 

All right, I'm back, now where were we? Oh yes . . . Wow wee - I'm so happy about Kings Dominion making this announcement that I'll take it over any new rides and attractions any old day. Kings Dominion will be celebrating 40 years and will bring back some of its classic charm. The return of Candy Apple Grove, the Fountain Lights, Safari Village coming back, and who know what else?

 

SFGOdud25 stated in a recent post -

How about a repainted Rebel Yell with its original red, white, and blue! That would be pretty sweet (this coming from a huge classic woodie fan)

 

And I would say from this huge classic woodie fan is that I would second that motion!!!

 

Someone else suggested to bring back the singing mushrooms - I would kill to see them again.

 

Then there is the speculation of bringing back a classic ride that once entertained riders back in its heyday. I'm all for it, but what is it and where will it go will be the big question mark. While I would love to ride Haunted River, Galaxie, Hypersonic XLC, and the King Kobra again, you would have to move heaven and earth, plus interfere with the space and time ratio in order to make that a possibility. As for some of the flat rides that once ran inside the park, I'm sure they could find a worthy replacement (Apple Turnover, anyone?)

 

One idea I would love to see the park do is to bring back the sea lion and dolphin show (like I said before - I'd kill to see that). Another show idea is to bring back "Celebration" - the song and dance show that celebrates the past, present, and the possible future of Kings Dominion.

 

Kings Dominion will be celebrating its 40th anniversity next season, and I have been visiting the park for 35 of them and feel like I can do 35 more.

 

35 YEARS OF VISITING kINGS dOMINION - AND COUNTING!!!