Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[RollerManic]

So while the i305 merchandise is %65 off, does anyone mind picking up a large i305 shirt? PM me if you dont mind arranging this.

[Ape]

^ i would like an XL one as well. lol

[FSUFanChris]

So while the i305 merchandise is %65 off, does anyone mind picking up a large i305 shirt? PM me if you dont mind arranging this.

Has anyone confirmed this? I know Carowinds is, but I posted a question yesterday asking if KD is. No one has replied.

[Rougarou]

I found these on my park visit yesterday. The flags were found adjacent to flying aces and next to the antique cars.

The Shockwave ride ops announced the ride closure while I was waiting. I asked one of the OPs what was replacing SW she smiled and said a new and better coaster kind of like Intimidator.

[JonnyRCT3]

^ She probably heard that from the Dippin' Dots guy.

[VF15]

If i305 merchandise is 65% off, that sounds like a giveaway that it will get a new name. I think they'll try to keep it racing-themed so they don't have to make too many changes to the area around the ride.

[Propeller Factory]

R.I.P. nice forest.

[TyRush]

Plot twist, Intamin hyper/mega coaster coming. Anyone?

[certifiedcoastergeek]

So while the i305 merchandise is %65 off, does anyone mind picking up a large i305 shirt? PM me if you dont mind arranging this.

Has anyone confirmed this? I know Carowinds is, but I posted a question yesterday asking if KD is. No one has replied.

40%, not 65%. Confirmed by me, today. Additionally, the Country Kitchen restaurant adjacent to Shockwave has closed. I spottee more markers behind the closed restaurant and along the very edge of the antique cars. Pictures coming later.

[DonkeysWaffles]

Plot twist, Intamin hyper/mega coaster coming. Anyone?

 

There's a 0% chance any Intamin is coming. It's going to be either a B&M hyper, launched wingrider, or invert.

[Superbatboy]

While I don't doubt for one second Cedar Fair would install a B&M hyper at KD, it just seems completely non-sensical. I know the Cedar Fair fan boys will find every excuse to defend a hyper addition. I just feel $20-25 million could buy something awesome that isnt redundant.

[DonkeysWaffles]

While I don't doubt for one second Cedar Fair would install a B&M hyper at KD, it just seems completely non-sensical. I know the Cedar Fair fan boys will find every excuse to defend a hyper addition. I just feel $20-25 million could buy something awesome that isnt redundant.

 

Well, I'd rather have a looper of some sort, but a hyper would be a good fit because it is both a fairly intense airtime machine, something KD lacks (besides Rebel Yell and the first hill of I305) and a ride that can fit the general public better than I305.

 

A cool name would be Démonchat, which is the French spelling of "Demon Cat", a mythical creature that haunts Washington DC.

[grsupercity]

Or demonhawk....

[Tee1999]

^ She probably heard that from the Dippin' Dots guy.

is the Dippin' Dots guy reliable?

[DirkFunk]

Dippin Dots man says it isn't a coaster or a dark ride. Dippin Dots man has also been really accurate this year, fwiw.

[TogoFan]

Anything at this point will have no 10 minute waits standing on a brake run. That's the only thing I hated about the Togo coaster. The Togo coaster was very smooth and much much much better than Hurler.

[DrachenfireOP]

TyRush wrote:

Plot twist, Intamin hyper/mega coaster coming. Anyone?

 

 

There's a 0% chance any Intamin is coming. It's going to be either a B&M hyper, launched wingrider, or invert.

 

Wow, zero percent? Unless I missed a giant press release, I'd say there's a 100% chance that anything is possible at this point, at least from out point of view. We don't even know a roller coaster is coming, much less who the manufacture is, the type, or anything about the coaster that may or may not even exist. Just because YOU want/speculate a specific kind of ride, does not mean that anyone else's guess is any more or less valid than your own.

[RollerManic]

So while the i305 merchandise is %65 off, does anyone mind picking up a large i305 shirt? PM me if you dont mind arranging this.

Has anyone confirmed this? I know Carowinds is, but I posted a question yesterday asking if KD is. No one has replied.

40%, not 65%. Confirmed by me, today. Additionally, the Country Kitchen restaurant adjacent to Shockwave has closed. I spottee more markers behind the closed restaurant and along the very edge of the antique cars. Pictures coming later.

 

My bad: I misread that Carowinds has THEIRS 65% off.

 

Anyway, if someone is stopping by the park anytime soon and can take some pictures of the shirts and prices, that'd be great. (I totally forgot about the discount when I was at the park, so I didn't even bother looking in the gift shop)

[DonkeysWaffles]

TyRush wrote:

Plot twist, Intamin hyper/mega coaster coming. Anyone?

 

 

There's a 0% chance any Intamin is coming. It's going to be either a B&M hyper, launched wingrider, or invert.

 

Wow, zero percent? Unless I missed a giant press release, I'd say there's a 100% chance that anything is possible at this point, at least from out point of view. We don't even know a roller coaster is coming, much less who the manufacture is, the type, or anything about the coaster that may or may not even exist. Just because YOU want/speculate a specific kind of ride, does not mean that anyone else's guess is any more or less valid than your own.

 

It's pretty much confirmed that no Intamin is coming. Cedar Fair hasn't installed one for 5 years and has had numerous issues with them. Remember how I305 had to be modified FOUR TIMES IN THREE YEARS?!

[chickenbowl]

It's pretty much confirmed that no Intamin is coming. Cedar Fair hasn't installed one for 5 years and has had numerous issues with them. Remember how I305 had to be modified FOUR TIMES IN THREE YEARS?!

 

Remember how I305 is the best steel coaster ever? 5 years is not a long time, you cannot claim that they've cut off all business with Intamin. It's definitely not plausible they'd go with anybody other than B&M, judging by the last 3 years at Cedar Fair. But you cannot say 0%. I'm sure that despite the 4 modifications, I305 brought in an insane amount of business for KD.

[mhuffva]

I saw those flags along the ShockWave side of the center walkway a couple weeks ago. They look more like landscaping / irrigation markers than for survey construction flags. They could be used to mark where the electrical lines are for the nighttime light show on the center pathway. Those electric cables run on both sides of the path, from the Eiffel Tower to the bottom of the path behind the Country Kitchen on one side and the Shockwave Helix on the other.

 

I am surprised that the Country Kitchen is closed. I know the park keeps a tight reign on the operating budget. If they don't expect/project a certain number of visitors for that day, certain food places are shuttered to save on daily operational expenses. But, usually those are the mid-sized to small food locations. Usually, the major food places are kept open, like the Country Kitchen.

 

Come to think of it, I thought I saw folks complaining that the AC in the Country Kitchen was intermittent or not working at all. With temps in the mid to upper 90's in central VA over the last few weeks, the dining, serving, and kitchen areas would be miserable for everyone. Maybe KD just closed the restaurant until they fix the AC.

 

As far as 2016 goes, I just keep an open mind. My best conjecture at this point is a flat-ride package and some more upgrades to Candy Apple Grove next year. I feel 2017 is the year of the coaster for KD.

Edited July 24, 2015 by mhuffva

[DirkFunk]

It's pretty much confirmed that no Intamin is coming. Cedar Fair hasn't installed one for 5 years and has had numerous issues with them. Remember how I305 had to be modified FOUR TIMES IN THREE YEARS?!

 

Remember how I305 is the best steel coaster ever? 5 years is not a long time, you cannot claim that they've cut off all business with Intamin. It's definitely not plausible they'd go with anybody other than B&M, judging by the last 3 years at Cedar Fair. But you cannot say 0%. I'm sure that despite the 4 modifications, I305 brought in an insane amount of business for KD.

 

It's all guesswork on our part not having the numbers. Given that Cedar Fair ended up demanding tax breaks before expanding and then ended up deciding to push large capex projects to Carowinds specifically instead of KD, maybe they didn't get back what was expected or hoped for?

[Jcoaster]

If we're talking coasters I wouldn't sleep on a B&M WingRider or Flyer being added.

[DonkeysWaffles]

I saw those flags along the ShockWave side of the center walkway a couple weeks ago. They look more like landscaping / irrigation markers than for survey construction flags. They could be used to mark where the electrical lines are for the nighttime light show on the center pathway. Those electric cables run on both sides of the path, from the Eiffel Tower to the bottom of the path behind the Country Kitchen on one side and the Shockwave Helix on the other.

 

I am surprised that the Country Kitchen is closed. I know the park keeps a tight reign on the operating budget. If they don't expect/project a certain number of visitors for that day, certain food places are shuttered to save on daily operational expenses. But, usually those are the mid-sized to small food locations. Usually, the major food places are kept open, like the Country Kitchen.

 

Come to think of it, I thought I saw folks complaining that the AC in the Country Kitchen was intermittent or not working at all. With temps in the mid to upper 90's in central VA over the last few weeks, the dining, serving, and kitchen areas would be miserable for everyone. Maybe KD just closed the restaurant until they fix the AC.

 

As far as 2016 goes, I just keep an open mind. My best conjecture at this point is a flat-ride package and some more upgrades to Candy Apple Grove next year. I feel 2017 is the year of the coaster for KD.

 

They seem more like SC flags to me.

[mhuffva]

It's pretty much confirmed that no Intamin is coming. Cedar Fair hasn't installed one for 5 years and has had numerous issues with them. Remember how I305 had to be modified FOUR TIMES IN THREE YEARS?!

 

Remember how I305 is the best steel coaster ever? 5 years is not a long time, you cannot claim that they've cut off all business with Intamin. It's definitely not plausible they'd go with anybody other than B&M, judging by the last 3 years at Cedar Fair. But you cannot say 0%. I'm sure that despite the 4 modifications, I305 brought in an insane amount of business for KD.

 

It's all guesswork on our part not having the numbers. Given that Cedar Fair ended up demanding tax breaks before expanding and then ended up deciding to push large capex projects to Carowinds specifically instead of KD, maybe they didn't get back what was expected or hoped for?

 

From what I viewed from local new outlets in Charlotte and Richmond; going back to late 2013, Cedar Fair approached the Charlotte metro leaders asking for tax breaks in exchange for accelerated development at Carowinds. The dog and pony show from the park chain was them being down to the wire with either Kings Dominion or Carowinds getting the accelerated development. If Charlotte did not agree to the tax breaks, Cedar Fair would go to Virginia and give KD the royal treatment (nothing was mentioned about CF approaching the VA local leaders for tax breaks). After some back and forth between the Charlotte metro local leaders, they agreed to the tax breaks and Carowinds is enjoying the windfall of capital improvements.

 

2014 - Harmony Hall and new Water slide complex (I think).

2015 - Fury 325, all new parking entrance and booths; new park entrance; new food events.

2016 - New Water Something(s)

 

Now flip to Virginia and Kings Dominion. One of the Richmond metro news outlets caught wind of the negotiations down in Charlotte and they interviewed one of the Hanover County supervisors to get more info and/or their reaction (Hanover is the county where Kings Dominion is located). The county supervisor stated that the Board of Supervisors has not been approached by Cedar Fair for anything. He stated that the county was not aware of the negotiations that were going on between Cedar Fair and the Charlotte metro area. He went on to state that the county and Kings Dominion has always had a good working relationship and they look forward to what the future holds for the park.

 

So, it seems to me that Cedar Fair approached the Charlotte folks first to see if they could get some tax concessions for the accelerated development at Carowinds. Whether or not this development would have happened without the tax breaks or if CF would have approached the VA local officials for the same thing, if they did not get the tax breaks in Charlotte; we will never know.