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Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread


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This ride looks a lot better than it did in the rendered POV. The pacing is ridiculous looking. I wish I was closer to Kings Dominion...

 

Ridiculous would be a good word to describe it, but the best word I can come up with for this ride is "relentless."

 

DO NOT, I repeat, do not judge this ride based on watching a POV. I wasn't as down on the ride as some of the folks on the net after watching the initial videos, but I wasn't sure if it would make it near the top of my coaster list.

 

I rode it twice yesterday, once toward the front, and once in the second-to-last row. Both rides were absolutely incredible. Once you're released from the lift hill, there's not so much as a moment of downtime. You get jacked out of your seat and pinned to the restraints for the first half of the first drop, and then crushed down into the seat for the duration of the first turn. I didn't grey out, but I did start getting blurry vision (I think anyway, I don't wear my glasses on rides, so I'm already prety blurry) both times toward the end of the turn.

 

And then from the crushing positive Gs, you get immediately jacked up into the restraints again for what seems like 5 or 6 straight seconds of ejector air. (I don't think it's actually that long, probably 3 seconds in reality - but it feels like a blissful eternity) Then you're again crushed down into the seat, and then the real magic happens.

 

Remember the original press release where it showed all the "airtime" hills, and people were like "what the heck? Those aren't airtime hills, they're just turns." Well, you get thrown COMPLETELY out of your seat when the track levels out for a moment mid-turn and again in every one of the left-to-right transitions. (note - Both of my rides were on the left side of the train. It's possible that the airtime is diminished in the right seat due to the direction the train is twisting) The left/right "twistees" are very abrupt, very jarring, and I could see some people having trouble with the restraints in this section. The OTSRs didn't bother me too much personally, but they were noticable.

 

After the mid-course S turns, You come around the second ground-hugger, which doesn't seem nearly as intense as the first (Thank God, I don't think I could handle a second one as powerful on the same ride) and hit the trims going up and over the bunny hop. Even with the trims, you'll once again be jacked up and into the restraints for a sustained period of airtime, and then you'll get another big pop cresting the next hill. The final right-left transition is probably the most intense one on the ride, so the trims were obviously necessary. I'd like to know what the airtime would be like had the trims been AFTER the straight hop, but I guess we'll never find out. The air you get there still qualifies as ejector, so it's really only academic.

 

At the very end right before you hit the brakes, you'll be thrown out of your seat one final time as you snap up and over the ridge into the brake run. I was surprised that I even got big air here in the back car, since the front of the train is already on the brakes. Once again, left/right seating may make a difference here due to the way the train twists over the top of the hill.

 

Is the ride short? I guess. As aggressive and forceful as it is, I'm not sure I could have endured a longer ride. After each run, I was feeling a bit punch-drunk already. I wasn't feeling up to riding it back-to-back. I injured my back in November, and still am not 100%. This ride does a bit of a number on it. Maybe later this summer I'll have the strength to ride multiple times in a row.

 

Final verdict - This has vaulted itself to the top of my coaster list. I'm not sure it's even a contest. I can see where it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you want an forceful, aggressive, relentless ride, I don't think this monster can be beat. There may be coasters that beat you up more due to being rough, but there's none that can wear you out while also being perfectly smooth like this one.

Edited by Brashnir
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P.S. And before anyone rips into me liking Millennium better, it's called an opinion. I won't attack you for yours, so don't attack me for mine. These are roller coasters, not life or death.

 

Completely agree! Personal opinions on coaster preferences do not always equate to CP or SF fanboys...I will hold off all judgements or comparisons between MF and I305 until I ride it next month. I know my coaster opinions greatly vary from others on this site, but I still consider MF (for now) my #1 steel. I don't find it boring or "forceless" as others have mentioned. While it certainly doesn't have black-out elements (not sure I'd like that feeling anyway), it has a great drop with tear-inducing speed in the front seat. Definitely not an airtime machine, but a fun, fast paced ride from start to finish...also with some great views on the lift!

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Thanks for the video Robb, it does show how relentless this ride is - truly incredible.

 

I rode it twice yesterday (very front and very back) and agree it is one epic relentless ride. I do not believe it comes close to RoS/Bizzaro at SFNE, especially in the airtime department, but definitely a top 5. The strengths are the lift hill speed, smoothness, intensity, and GREAT first drop! Like others, I'm not a fan of those OTSR AND the trim brake (WTF). I personally hated the trim and feel like it destroys the ride's pacing as well as neuter any air on that hill. SFNE is my home park so I'm definitely a fan boy, who thinks I305 only falls short with airtime.

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Completely agree! Personal opinions on coaster preferences do not always equate to CP or SF fanboys...I will hold off all judgements or comparisons between MF and I305 until I ride it next month. I know my coaster opinions greatly vary from others on this site, but I still consider MF (for now) my #1 steel. I don't find it boring or "forceless" as others have mentioned. While it certainly doesn't have black-out elements (not sure I'd like that feeling anyway), it has a great drop with tear-inducing speed in the front seat. Definitely not an airtime machine, but a fun, fast paced ride from start to finish...also with some great views on the lift!

 

Agreed. Different people value different things in rides. MF was my personal #1 before this one as well, so I guess you'll have to see for yourself.

 

The way I see it, both coasters are huge, fast and powerful. I never considered MF to be "forceless," but I do feel that it is always gentle and comfortable. I liken it to Bob Ross taking you on a happy little tour of high-speed coasterdom. I305 on the other hand is like Henry Rollins getting in your face and screaming at you for having the audacity to even ride it. When riding, it almost feels like the ride is actively trying to get your off of it's back. After the first drops, both are completely different experiences, and it's up to each individual to decide which they prefer.

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Is anyone planning on going out for opening day?

 

If you go for opening weekend and wear a TPR or Club TPR shirt. Post a picture with you in your TPR shirt in front of Intimidator 305 and I'll send you a bag of crap!

 

--Robb

781354975_KingsDominionTPRPicture2.jpg.ec673059618c8be7026dcb0094023e2c.jpg

Edited by jbarner14
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Just got back from the park again, just went in to get a couple of rides on Intimidator. Right before I was getting on for my second time they had another problem with the second train. They placed it back on the transfer track and a couple of maintenance workers were there. I have no idea what is wrong with the second train.

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I've also just posted a bunch of offride shots taken from all around the ride:

 

 

Enjoy!

 

--Robb

Haha! I made the big time! The very last train coming down the final run, I'm the dude who gives the single armed fist pump. My mom is so proud!

 

Big_Al

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Would like to excuse myself...

 

My Jokes about D.K. were absolutely pointless...and tasteless as well, I guess. Sorry for that...

 

(I wasn`t well informed...thought that Robb`s onride-comments were a slap in the face of Dick Kinzel...I didn`t know he belongs to Kings Dominion, too)

 

George "who`s gonna be more careful with making jokes about things he has no idea of" T.

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Would like to excuse myself...

 

My Jokes about D.K. were absolutely pointless...and tasteless as well, I guess. Sorry for that...

 

(I wasn`t well informed...thought that Robb`s onride-comments were a slap in the face of Dick Kinzel...I didn`t know he belongs to Kings Dominion, too)

 

George "who`s gonna be more careful with making jokes about things he has no idea of" T.

Hehe... In fact, the "Winners Circle" is about 50 feet from "Fort Kinzel," aka Flight of Fear.

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Everyone should read, and take to heart, Brashnir's lengthy review on the previous page. I do not think it is possible to adequately sum up this ride better than he did.

 

As I've noticed over the years, people on this site tend to not listen to opinions of others who aren't prominent members of the site, but this dude/chick described 305 to a 'T'. Incredible ride, and great description of it.

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I305 on the other hand is like Henry Rollins getting in your face and screaming at you for having the audacity to even ride it.

 

HAHA! Awesome analogy!

 

Definitely looks & sounds like this coaster is just huge amounts of speed, crazy transitions and airtime throughout...I'm definitely pumped to ride it!!!

 

I also noted on the off-ride video, it looks (and sounds) like the lift actually slows a bit towards the top as opposed to MF'S which seems to speed up about 3/4's of the way up. It just looks like it is hauling so much ass up the early part of the lift that it has to slow down to keep it from super-flinging you over the hill!

 

Any riders notice this, or does it seem to keep a pretty firm pace all the way to the top?

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(I wasn`t well informed...thought that Robb`s onride-comments were a slap in the face of Dick Kinzel...I didn`t know he belongs to Kings Dominion, too)

Not at all. That was just my poor attempt at being funny. I do actually like Millennium Force...quite a lot actually! I do think I305 is better, but that doesn't stop me from having MF be one of the coasters I ride the most when I visit CP.

 

And hey...I look forward to the day when I'm riding the "next big thing" at Cedar Point and saying how it craps all over Indimidator!

 

--Robb

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^ As I said last page, they were running two until they had a problem and put the one on the transfer track. The reason I said it was the problem with that train was because that specific train went slow up the lift after they held it in the station for around ten minutes before dispatching. After that it went on the transfer track. The other train I never saw go up the lift slow.

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Only got to ride it one more time today (spent the morning at SFA to get those credits), still an incredible ride, but still #2 behind MF in my book.

 

I gotta say, Kings Dominion had a VERY rough time this opening weekend. Lots of ride closures, I saw Drop Tower stuck with people at the top twice in two days, saw a number of coasters stop on the lift while loaded, slow dispatch times, and only one train running on most coasters. It was a very disappointing two days at my original home park, but thankfully I305 and their fantastic crew made up for it.

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I think it is a good thing to have the height requirement be 54". I had also heard originally that it was 48". My little sister rode MF and loved it. I was a little nervous about letting her I305 ride with all its super intensity; from what I've heard I don't think she could take it. Having it be 48" would have been an accident/lawsuit waiting to happen.

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