cfc Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 ^I'm glad that they removed the rather ugly building that used to sit there. The mushrooms will be an improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 You know, I forgot about the earlier announcement about the blue ice cream. And I hadn't heard yet about the fountain lights. Also exciting! Â As far as additional "surprises," I like the idea of bringing back the floral clock. I wonder if they would be willing/able to negotiate with Time Warner for the rights to bring back Yogi's Cave for one season. Does that building still exist, or did it get razed to make room for Planet Snoopy? I know it was Treasure Cave for awhile after they got rid of the H-B theming. The last time I was there, they had taken down the signage and closed the entrance off with a couple of trash cans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 ^Treasure Cave is gone--there's a Planet Snoopy ride there now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 ^Save teh Treasure Cave!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuffva Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 The Volcano improvements could be those station changes they were talking about a few years ago, which were meant to increase capacity by allowing them to run three trains. I'd be happy if they really clean up the old station--it's a bit funky in there. Â I think they are using Volcano's station, to "grow" the new mushrooms. I hear the environment is perfect for growing mushrooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuffva Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 ^Save teh Treasure Cave!!! Â You're 1 year too late for that. It was about this time last year that Kings Dominion was demolishing Yogi's/Treasure cave. The last time Treasure cave was open was in 2011. The park had removed the queue entrance/line and put bushes and a new curb there for 2012. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallpox Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 i am so psyched about the mushrooms coming back! the idea of restoring some of the park's old charm is such a great move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuffva Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 ^I'm glad that they removed the rather ugly building that used to sit there. The mushrooms will be an improvement. Â That building was originally was a place to make music videos (green screen background and you pick the song/background to sing/dance to). I thought it was then changed to a small merchandise shop of some sort, and finally to one of those park picture pickup spots (park employee takes your picture and you could pick it up at that location or the one on International street. Course, the park used it for the photo op for Medieval Macabre during Halloween Haunt). Â Yes, it was one of the more "ratty" areas in the Grove section of the park. i am glad the building is gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 ^Save teh Treasure Cave!!! Â Prince Desmond shares your pain, but saving this attraction is even beyond his powers now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfoot12 Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Very Excited about this!! I grew up with them. How about a remake of The Haunted River.. yeah, I know..dream on  Hah! I would love the return of a Haunted River like attraction. That drop used to scare me as a kid and even when I got into my teens it would get my heart thumpin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 ^I'd like to see the park try another "Haunted River" type of attraction, too, but I doubt it's in the plans for next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Movieguy Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Apologies if these have been posted elsewhere, but this all reminded me of what I found a couple of years ago... Â Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Angry Darren Mullins Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 "Prince Desmond shares your pain, but saving this attraction is even beyond his powers now." Â Â No offense, but Prince Desmond can't do $hit. Seriously though, Prince Desmond can DO anything. When he was born, the event was marked by flying white horses in the sky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuffva Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Well, might as well add another video link to the history of Kings Dominion. Bill did an outstanding job of producing this series of videos about the history of the park . This one includes a walk through of Yogi's Cave and an 8mm POV of the Galaxy coaster. Also included are photos of the dark rides "Journey to the Land of Dooze" and the "Haunted River". Pretty detailed themeing in those attractions back then, outside of Disney. Â [youtu_be] [/youtu_be]Â I think the one thing that many folks don't remember about Kings Dominion and its sister parks was the park chain entertainment division, Kings Productions. In the Pre-Paramount days, from 1975 through 1992, the Kings Dominion entertainment lineup each season was on par with what you currently find in a Herchend or Busch park. The entertainment budget was right behind the amount budgeted for rides and attractions. Â In those days, Kings Dominion was known just as well for their live entertainment options as for their rides. You probably had 16 to 18 percent of park visitors back then who came mainly to see the shows. Those folks who liked both rides and shows almost had to visit over a two day period to see and do everything the park offered back then. (And the park certainly did market a two day ticket for that purpose). Â When Paramount took over, they eliminated the park chain entertainment division, Kings Productions. Kings Dominion went from 11-13 shows during the prime summer season to 2-3 shows. Under the Paramount nameplate, we lost 3 entertainment venues (Flintstone Follies/Woodlands amphitheater, Safari amphitheater, and Country Crossroads amphitheater). We lost the only restaurant facility that had live entertainment in the dining room. After a couple years of being under Paramount, the park lost that 16-18 percent demographic of visitors who came for the shows; they walked away and never came back. The park evolved into a ride/coaster park. Â When Cedar Fair took over in 2006, they did try to show some love to the park; especially after the neglect the park experienced the last 2-3 seasons under the Paramount name. But, Kinzel and gang were of the rides & attractions mindset. Entertainment took a distant backseat to the latest ride. Now with Quimet in charge, I have seen a turn back toward entertainment options over the last 2 seasons. Â Is the entertainment at the level of what it was pre-Paramount? Nope. The performers were outstanding for 2013. The show facilities and production values are still sub-par (sets/scrims/costumes (or lack thereof) for a couple shows; Country Music stage - nice show; but I don't want to stand on asphalt, in the blazing sun, in the middle of a VA summer afternoon to watch it). So there is still work to be done in the entertainment department. Â Anyway, here is a video overview of what entertainment was like during the Taft/Family Leisure/KECO days. This was another video Bill put together to showcase the history of entertainment at Kings Dominion. Â [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBpony414 Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 mhuff - that is very interesting about the history of Kings Dominion and I watched two of the video - one of Yogi's Cave, which I have fond childhood memories of, and another with Smurf Mountain. It was so neat to see the mountain back in its old state without the twisted heap of coaster track and supports coming out of it. I do wish they'd get some of the smaller waterfalls working again and put something in the water so it wasn't so icky looking all the time. Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmerleeberry Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 ^ While I will agree with your statement, I also wish that they would spruce up Volcano and put in some extra theming to make this great ride even better. How about when the train enters a lava tunnel before it launches and enters another cave full of lava after the ride is over and is heading towards the station. The conditions they have now make the ride look like it's still being built and the riders should be seeing that they're inside a volcano and not the shell of one. Â With all the new improvement and classic charm that are returning to this park, who cares about any new rides ( although bringing back a ride would be a nice and pleasant surprise as well )? Â 35 YEARS OF VISITING kINGS dOMINION - AND COUNTING!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuffva Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 ^ While I will agree with your statement, I also wish that they would spruce up Volcano and put in some extra theming to make this great ride even better. How about when the train enters a lava tunnel before it launches and enters another cave full of lava after the ride is over and is heading towards the station. The conditions they have now make the ride look like it's still being built and the riders should be seeing that they're inside a volcano and not the shell of one. With all the new improvement and classic charm that are returning to this park, who cares about any new rides ( although bringing back a ride would be a nice and pleasant surprise as well )?  35 YEARS OF VISITING kINGS dOMINION - AND COUNTING!!!  We know improvements are coming to Volcano. We just don't know the extent of those improvements at this time. Operationally, it could be anything from having a 3rd train added at one end of the spectrum to a dual loading station at the other end. Cosmetic/themeing improvements for the ride is a possibility. I thought the supports/track were just repainted 2/3 years ago; though the mountain structure itself could use some loving. From what I heard, the park wants to focus on "improving the throughput" on the ride for 2014. So it appears the improvement focus is on the operational side. We'll just have to wait to see if/when Kings Dominion decides to divulge the details.  As far as the return of a former flat ride or two coming back to the park; I think we might have a small chance of that happening for next year. It would probably be one of those "surprises" to be revealed later this off-season. *** IF *** that were to happen, I could see a small to medium flat ride installed in Candy Apple Grove or Safari Village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDGY75 Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Taken from our "KD Golden Years" page on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/KD-Golden-Years/229513350522757) here's a look back to 1979 of the crew that created "The Lost World"(at the time), home of Voyage to Atlantis, The Time Shaft, and Land of Dooz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Vizzard Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 i think that is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDGY75 Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Pulled from our "KD Golden Years" Youtube Channel, here we have the promo commercial which launched In 1976. The slogan was "Five Big Worlds of Fantasy all rolled into one" which was the grand opening of the original Candy Apple Grove. I'm sure our new Candy Apple Grove/40th Anniversary Celebration commercial will not be as vintage as 1976, but here's a step back into time 37 years ago!  Our Youtube Channel with more of Kings Dominion vintage footage/commercials at...https://www.youtube.com/user/KDGoldenYears  [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanM64 Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 We just got our vacations dolled out at work. It looks like I'll be making my first trip ever to KD the week of May 12!! I can't wait. I305, here I come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollercoaster Rider Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 We just got our vacations dolled out at work. It looks like I'll be making my first trip ever to KD the week of May 12!! I can't wait. I305, here I come! Â Â Don't hold your breath. I don't think KD has trained it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 ^What do you mean? I305 was up and running during Haunt after its extensive downtime last summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike541x Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Yeah i305 was open when I went during Haunt's last weekend, so there should be no problem with i305 being open next season. Â [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Â It would be great to see some of these flats brought back to the parks. Also, KD used to be open on weekends only? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhuffva Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Yeah i305 was open when I went during Haunt's last weekend, so there should be no problem with i305 being open next season. It would be great to see some of these flats brought back to the parks. Also, KD used to be open on weekends only?  We're hoping there might be a chance for a former flat ride or two making a comeback in 2014. We just don't know right now if Kings Dominion has the greenbacks budgeted to do that for next year. They have a pretty full plate right now with general improvements happening in 3 of the 5 areas in the park for 2014.  Given that this commercial is promoting the new "Apple Turnover" (Enterprise) ride and other new stuff for the season, this ad probably ran in the spring when the park was in weekend only operations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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