Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[molemaster43]

^Great, the Drop Tower pulls a Kingda Ka

[KDCOASTERFAN]

High winds would affect rides like Drop Tower and Windseeker, too. As for Volcano, well, it is Volcano. (I like it, but it can be a bit temperamental.) Lightning strikes would be another possibility.

 

DT can't run in winds above 28MPH if I recall correctly & windseeker has a max safe wind speed of I believe 35 MPH & after what happened to CP's it wouldn't suprise me in the least if KD & CF are being overly cautious with regards to what constitutes minimum safe operating conditions.

 

Whwn it comes to lightning strikes,sure DT's probably been hit hundreds of times in the nine years it's been there...with windseeker being so close to hurler it's too bad we can't get lucky & have nature give us a hand in putting that piece of firewood out of it's misery.

[Intimidator305]

DT can't run in winds above 28MPH if I recall correctly & windseeker has a max safe wind speed of I believe 35 MPH

 

This is also what I've heard, which is still surprising to me as it seems like Drop Tower could operate in higher winds than Windseeker. When it is windy out though, Drop Tower's cables do whip the tower quite hard.

 

I've been on Windseeker at Kings Dominion when Drop Tower was down due to wind (so winds were higher than 28 mph) and it was quite a thrill. I've also been on Cedar Point's when other rides were apparently down due to wind and it was also a scary ride. But my rides on the ones at Kings Island and Carowinds weren't nearly as exciting...

[X2coasterfreak]

I made my first visit to the park on Monday, and I really enjoyed it. I found the park really clean and well kept, and it felt like a nice, family friendly park. I thought the rides were great, except for the woodies, they were pretty rough. But Intimidator 305. Just pure amazement. I love this coaster, it's hard to put into words how good this ride is. You KD locals are so lucky you have this unbelievable coaster.

 

I was able to get all of the credits except for Taxi Jam and one side of Rebel Yell. Also, Drop Tower was operating, and it was great fun

[Intimidator305]

^ I'm glad you enjoyed the park and Intimidator 305. It's nice to hear reviews like this from non-locals.

[36andfalls]

Hello everyone.

 

I've been paging through this board, and everyone seems to be very cool and helpful.

 

I have a question.

 

I've am a long time fan of KD. I usually only go once per summer. However, I haven't been to KD in 2 years now.

 

On Saturday, I'm going to bringing a girl to the park with me. We only have one day to go. We're driving 2 1/2 hours to get to KD.

 

My question is..... Would it be worth it to buy the Fast Lane Pass? I imagine there may be a big crowd on Saturday July 7 2012 . And, it is kind of a holiday weekend with Independence Day just passing. I also understand that there are only 15 rides that accept the pass, and that, not all of the Thrill Rides except the pass. But, I still feel like it may be worth it. It would be $110 extra for the both of us.

 

I would appreciate the advice.

 

Thanks!

[KDCOASTERFAN]

I made my first visit to the park on Monday, and I really enjoyed it. I found the park really clean and well kept, and it felt like a nice, family friendly park. I thought the rides were great, except for the woodies, they were pretty rough. But Intimidator 305. Just pure amazement. I love this coaster, it's hard to put into words how good this ride is. You KD locals are so lucky you have this unbelievable coaster.

 

I was able to get all of the credits except for Taxi Jam and one side of Rebel Yell. Also, Drop Tower was operating, and it was great fun

 

Both sides of rebel yell have been running suprisingly smooth this season thanks to the extensive track work that has been done,the only woodie I won't go on anymore is hurler but Grizzly is by far my favorite of KD's woodies.

 

It's nice to hear positive reviews of the park from a first timer,especially one from the left coast...CF has done rather well with the park in the 6 years since they've taken over.

[36andfalls]

... Just one other comment about this post, which may be helpful if someone chooses to reply. We are both in our young 30's. It seems like the Fast Lane pass would be mainly useful for the following rides:

 

• Volcano (can only use the FL twice / no front seat)
  Intimidator
  FOF
  Drop Tower
  Dominator
  Windseeker?
  Hurler?
  Avalanche?

 

Are my assumptions correct? The rides with questions marks seem to me that they may even move quickly. So, I am guessing that the rides I listed would be "thrill" rides where a Fast Lane Pass would come in handy.

 

Bottom line is, that I'm just trying to decide if the FL pass is worth buying for a once a year trip to KD.

 

Thank you to everyone for your time and help!

 

 

Hello everyone.

 

I've been paging through this board, and everyone seems to be very cool and helpful.

 

I have a question.

 

I've am a long time fan of KD. I usually only go once per summer. However, I haven't been to KD in 2 years now.

 

On Saturday, I'm going to bringing a girl to the park with me. We only have one day to go. We're driving 2 1/2 hours to get to KD.

 

My question is..... Would it be worth it to buy the Fast Lane Pass? I imagine there may be a big crowd on Saturday July 7 2012 . And, it is kind of a holiday weekend with Independence Day just passing. I also understand that there are only 15 rides that accept the pass, and that, not all of the Thrill Rides except the pass. But, I still feel like it may be worth it. It would be $110 extra for the both of us.

 

I would appreciate the advice.

 

Thanks!

[Homeboy23]

^ Fast Pass would definitely help if you are there for only one day and that day is Saturday. You may be in luck though as the temperature right now for Saturday is forecasted at 104 degrees and the heat index will probably make it feel like 110 so that actually may keep the crowds away from the dry side of the park and into the waterpark. But of course Volcano would have a line no matter what.

[Intimidator305]

I think what it comes down to is how many laps on rides you want to do... If you are pleased with only riding all the rides once (and maybe 2 times on your favorites), then you don't need to buy Fast Lane. If you want to ride all (or some) of the rides several times each, I'd say get Fast Lane.

[The49er]

I wish I could have been at Kingsfest...it's a bit tricky when you're on the west coast and not the family trip planner

[KDCOASTERFAN]

... Just one other comment about this post, which may be helpful if someone chooses to reply. We are both in our young 30's. It seems like the Fast Lane pass would be mainly useful for the following rides:

 

• Volcano (can only use the FL twice / no front seat)
  Intimidator
  FOF
  Drop Tower
  Dominator
  Windseeker?
  Hurler?
  Avalanche?

 

Are my assumptions correct? The rides with questions marks seem to me that they may even move quickly. So, I am guessing that the rides I listed would be "thrill" rides where a Fast Lane Pass would come in handy.

 

Bottom line is, that I'm just trying to decide if the FL pass is worth buying for a once a year trip to KD.

 

Thank you to everyone for your time and help!

 

 

Hello everyone.

 

I've been paging through this board, and everyone seems to be very cool and helpful.

 

I have a question.

 

I've am a long time fan of KD. I usually only go once per summer. However, I haven't been to KD in 2 years now.

 

On Saturday, I'm going to bringing a girl to the park with me. We only have one day to go. We're driving 2 1/2 hours to get to KD.

 

My question is..... Would it be worth it to buy the Fast Lane Pass? I imagine there may be a big crowd on Saturday July 7 2012 . And, it is kind of a holiday weekend with Independence Day just passing. I also understand that there are only 15 rides that accept the pass, and that, not all of the Thrill Rides except the pass. But, I still feel like it may be worth it. It would be $110 extra for the both of us.

 

I would appreciate the advice.

 

Thanks!

 

Check KD's official site for information on what rides are on the system,I don't think FOF is part of it due to the way the line is set up but I might be wrong.

[Geauga Dog]

I used the Fast Lane system on my visit a few weeks ago and FOF is on the list. You just go through the exit. You cana also use Fast Lane on Backlot Stunt Coaster if you want to add that to your list.

[Homeboy23]

For all new systems, there comes fine tuning and it seems Kings Dominion has changed Fast Lane again and in a very good way. I can't say nothing about the limit of rides on Volcano (I can assume it is now unlimited like the rest of the rides, though). You may now wait for the front as the Fast Lane is no longer through the exit, it now merges with the line.

 

I was there last night and they now have Fast Lane through the gift shop and to the left of the exit is stairs to the main queue, you walk by the lifeguard chair and before you enter the Volcano there is now an employee holding the main line. And by doing this they are now only allowing around 20-25 people in at a time so you no longer have to be in that congested ramp!

[coasterfreak101]

That's great news on all parts!

 

I wonder if that new stairway that FastLane users are using right now will be used in the new station design to get riders down to the outer station (the one that will be closer to the current gift shop).

[Intimidator305]

I'm so glad to hear this. I've seen management over at Volcano talking to Fast Lane employees twice this season and it was rumored that they were looking for a solution. This is great news and I'm glad KD fixed the only issue there was with Fast Lane in the park.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

That's great news on all parts!

 

I wonder if that new stairway that FastLane users are using right now will be used in the new station design to get riders down to the outer station (the one that will be closer to the current gift shop).

 

I'm kinda thinking that the plans to add a duel station might've been scrapped as they're now using this system of merging the line at the end of the first set of switchbacks.

 

If anything the solution shouldn't be to make a longer queue but rather a shorter one as all they've done here is simply moved the bottleneck from the inside ramp before the station to a position closer to the entrance but the problem still remains the same & that is too many people queing at once for the ride capacity to keep up with,which has been a problem plauging the ride since it opened back in 1998.

[coasterfreak101]

Which just brings light to the need for them to keep the plans for the dual station. If they announced the dual station to whatever podcast they did a few months ago, I would expect them to still move forward with it. The only reason I imagine they wouldn't would be if that money is going toward something else, whether it be in the park or within the chain. But here's to hoping Volcano doesn't get shafted.

[36andfalls]

... Just one other comment about this post, which may be helpful if someone chooses to reply. We are both in our young 30's. It seems like the Fast Lane pass would be mainly useful for the following rides:

 

• Volcano (can only use the FL twice / no front seat)
  Intimidator
  FOF
  Drop Tower
  Dominator
  Windseeker?
  Hurler?
  Avalanche?

 

Are my assumptions correct? The rides with questions marks seem to me that they may even move quickly. So, I am guessing that the rides I listed would be "thrill" rides where a Fast Lane Pass would come in handy.

 

Bottom line is, that I'm just trying to decide if the FL pass is worth buying for a once a year trip to KD.

 

Thank you to everyone for your time and help!

 

 

Hello everyone.

 

I've been paging through this board, and everyone seems to be very cool and helpful.

 

I have a question.

 

I've am a long time fan of KD. I usually only go once per summer. However, I haven't been to KD in 2 years now.

 

On Saturday, I'm going to bringing a girl to the park with me. We only have one day to go. We're driving 2 1/2 hours to get to KD.

 

My question is..... Would it be worth it to buy the Fast Lane Pass? I imagine there may be a big crowd on Saturday July 7 2012 . And, it is kind of a holiday weekend with Independence Day just passing. I also understand that there are only 15 rides that accept the pass, and that, not all of the Thrill Rides except the pass. But, I still feel like it may be worth it. It would be $110 extra for the both of us.

 

I would appreciate the advice.

 

Thanks!

 

Check KD's official site for information on what rides are on the system,I don't think FOF is part of it due to the way the line is set up but I might be wrong.

 

 

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

 

Someone mentioned the fact that the heat may keep the lines down. Does anyone have any experience of that being true?

 

Also, I have a question about high temperatures at the park. I'm still planning on going tomorrow, but the weather report says that it will be up to 105 degrees! Without the heat index! Does anyone think that this may make for an unpleasant day trip to the park?

 

Thanks again for all of the help!

[cfc]

^Yeah, it'll be kind of nasty there. One side of the park has very, very little shade. Keep yourself hydrated, and duck into the pizza joint in the Grove to enjoy some air conditioning.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

... Just one other comment about this post, which may be helpful if someone chooses to reply. We are both in our young 30's. It seems like the Fast Lane pass would be mainly useful for the following rides:

 

• Volcano (can only use the FL twice / no front seat)
  Intimidator
  FOF
  Drop Tower
  Dominator
  Windseeker?
  Hurler?
  Avalanche?

 

Are my assumptions correct? The rides with questions marks seem to me that they may even move quickly. So, I am guessing that the rides I listed would be "thrill" rides where a Fast Lane Pass would come in handy.

 

Bottom line is, that I'm just trying to decide if the FL pass is worth buying for a once a year trip to KD.

 

Thank you to everyone for your time and help!

 

 

Hello everyone.

 

I've been paging through this board, and everyone seems to be very cool and helpful.

 

I have a question.

 

I've am a long time fan of KD. I usually only go once per summer. However, I haven't been to KD in 2 years now.

 

On Saturday, I'm going to bringing a girl to the park with me. We only have one day to go. We're driving 2 1/2 hours to get to KD.

 

My question is..... Would it be worth it to buy the Fast Lane Pass? I imagine there may be a big crowd on Saturday July 7 2012 . And, it is kind of a holiday weekend with Independence Day just passing. I also understand that there are only 15 rides that accept the pass, and that, not all of the Thrill Rides except the pass. But, I still feel like it may be worth it. It would be $110 extra for the both of us.

 

I would appreciate the advice.

 

Thanks!

 

Check KD's official site for information on what rides are on the system,I don't think FOF is part of it due to the way the line is set up but I might be wrong.

 

 

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

 

Someone mentioned the fact that the heat may keep the lines down. Does anyone have any experience of that being true?

 

Also, I have a question about high temperatures at the park. I'm still planning on going tomorrow, but the weather report says that it will be up to 105 degrees! Without the heat index! Does anyone think that this may make for an unpleasant day trip to the park?

 

Thanks again for all of the help!

 

Last time I visited the park it was pretty hot(close to 100 F) but suprisingly the ride side was still pretty busy...not sure on just how hot it has to get for them to close the park for the safety of guests & especially staff though.

[imawesome1124]

What should I expect from Windseeker? I'm terrified of heights and don't do drop towers of any kind, so does that mean I should stay off of Windseeker? I get scared looking off of a ten story balcony, so I think I would be genuinely terrified on that ride.

[Intimidator305]

I feel like I'm the only one, but I personally find Windseeker scarier than Drop Tower... On Windseeker you are spinning around nearly 300' up in the air at 30 MPH with only a lapbar holding you in while you are at the top for quite a while (not to mention there is only a thin pole holding your seat). Drop Tower has the OTSRs making you feel more secure and the seats are all connected giving it a safer feeling. Also, you're only up there for a few seconds before falling 72 MPH 272 feet.

 

But I'd say try it once, if you don't like it, don't ride it again. ALL rides are worth a chance.

Edited July 7, 2012 by Intimidator305

[imawesome1124]

I feel like I'm the only one, but I personally find Windseeker scarier than Drop Tower... On Windseeker you are spinning around nearly 300' up in the air at 30 MPH with only a lapbar holding you in while your at the top for quite a while (not to mention there is only a thin pole holding your seat). Drop Tower has the OTSRs making you feel more secure and the seats are all connected giving it a safer feeling. Also, you're only up there for a few seconds before falling 72 MPH 272 feet.

 

But I'd say try it once, if you don't like it, don't ride it again. ALL rides are worth a chance.

Thanks. I'll give it a chance, but more than likely I will end up closing my eyes halfway up the tower lol. Another question: My 12-year-old sister, who's very underweight, is really excited for I305. I'm concerned that her low fat and muscle content will cause her to gray out easier. Is this true or is my theory completely wrong?

[Intimidator305]

^ Maybe somebody else can answer this one for you, because I've noticed that it is completely different for everyone it seems. Some people say they just barely gray out while others say they completely gray out. No matter what, she's going to lose some of her vision for a few seconds around that turn...

If she's afraid of this happening , I recommend she keeps her eyes closed on the turn and opens them at the top of the 2nd hill.