Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[cfc]

^I'm so sorry.

[braztaz]

^^That sounds awful! I would never wait more than a couple trains for it.

[T-BONDIcoasterkid]

Whenever I have been to Kings Dominion, Anaconda was only 2 trains wait.

[redfoot12]

Just curious, but are there any older members who remember riding Anaconda in its early years? I rode it on opening day in 1991 and throughout 1991-1992. I remember it being a really fun ride (even though you still had to brace yourself for the transitions after the MCBR). I definitely remember liking it more than Drachen Fire (which I rode in 1993). However, at the time, my coaster experience was pretty limited. The only non-KD coasters I had been on when Anaconda opened were Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain. Anybody else care to chime in?

Edited November 5, 2011 by redfoot12

[cfc]

^I think I disliked Drachen Fire a bit more, but maybe because it was closer to my house.

[Skycoastin Steve]

First time I rode Anaconda was in '94 and it was my first inverting coaster. Pretty much scared the bejesus out of me. I rode Drachen Fire the next year and loved it, but I had gotten over my fear of "loop-de-loops" by then.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Just curious, but are there any older members who remember riding Anaconda in its early years? I rode it on opening day in 1991 and throughout 1991-1992. I remember it being a really fun ride (even though you still had to brace yourself for the transitions after the MCBR). I definitely remember liking it more than Drachen Fire (which I rode in 1993). However, at the time, my coaster experience was pretty limited. The only non-KD coasters I had been on when Anaconda opened were Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain. Anybody else care to chime in?

 

I first rode it in 92,of course back then we only made one visit to KD per year so I made sure to get many rides in on all the coasters back then.

[alpengeist04]

I think the first time I rode Anaconda was back in 1993. I don't remember much about my ride that day, but I do remember enjoying it.

[Austin11KD]

I don't remember Anaconda being rough when I was less than 54 inches tall.. But that might be because I was used to rough and rickety rides (Hurler, Grizzly, Rebel Yell, Anaconda etc..). And then in 2008 when I was tall enough to go on Dominator and Volcano, I realized how rough it actually was..

[eddie200330]

If they could've elongated the turn into the MCB and somehow "fixed" the transition between the butterfly element, then it might not be as bad. Those 2 parts alone there is really no way to brace yourself for the pain. Other than that it is a pretty solid ride. Nice height and speed, and a great loop high above the water. I also like the long drawn out hangtime filled corkscrew staring straight down at the water.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

If they could've elongated the turn into the MCB and somehow "fixed" the transition between the butterfly element, then it might not be as bad. Those 2 parts alone there is really no way to brace yourself for the pain. Other than that it is a pretty solid ride. Nice height and speed, and a great loop high above the water. I also like the long drawn out hangtime filled corkscrew staring straight down at the water.

 

Funny how they had all that room during the design phase of the ride but never took it into account...seeing as how the waterpark opened the following year I suppose they already had plans in mind for the narrow strip it now occupies.

[IanKgtr]

If they could've elongated the turn into the MCB and somehow "fixed" the transition between the butterfly element, then it might not be as bad. Those 2 parts alone there is really no way to brace yourself for the pain. Other than that it is a pretty solid ride. Nice height and speed, and a great loop high above the water. I also like the long drawn out hangtime filled corkscrew staring straight down at the water.

 

I'll agree with this. The inversions really are the highlight of the ride, I remember really enjoying the g's in the loop and sidewinder. That being said, the rest of the ride is pure Arrow coat-hanger-omfg-death-machine. I wouldn't be sad to see it go. There are already too many "crappy" rides at KD.

[eddie200330]

I know I said this a long time ago somewhere on here, but if anyone ever remembers "ACE News", the year they announced this and built it partially, there was a pic on the front page that showed a different layout than what is there now. It wasn't a drawing, it was an actual pic from the park and the corkscrews I swear where in a different part where they actually spun towards the loop/tunnel. I have tried to find it numerous times but I will have to find where I kept my old ACE stuff.

[megametal]

I remember when one of the trains got stuck on the lift hill for 4 hours due to a sensor problem around when Anaconda first opened. For some reason it was the top news story in Richmond that night.

[Austin11KD]

I think if Kings Dominion took down Anaconda in the next years, I think I would like to see one of these, but mirrored, so the launch could go on the side of the lake..

 

[Thunderhead]

We can all dream..... I would personally prefer a decent woodie before anymore steel... CGI, I'm beggin you!

[Hugecoltsfan]

You mean besides Grizzly right?

[cfc]

^Now that's a matter of opinion. (I kind of like Grizzly, but I also realize that it's hardly a great ride.) I'd love to see an Intamin wooden coaster at KD; then again, I'd love to see another Intamin wooden coaster anywhere in the U.S.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

^Now that's a matter of opinion. (I kind of like Grizzly, but I also realize that it's hardly a great ride.) I'd love to see an Intamin wooden coaster at KD; then again, I'd love to see another Intamin wooden coaster anywhere in the U.S.

 

Well who knows what 2013 or 2014 holds.I think we'll probab ly get our next coaster by then as 2012 is a thrill year so 2013 will probably see a new waterpark addition.

[redfoot12]

I know I said this a long time ago somewhere on here, but if anyone ever remembers "ACE News", the year they announced this and built it partially, there was a pic on the front page that showed a different layout than what is there now. It wasn't a drawing, it was an actual pic from the park and the corkscrews I swear where in a different part where they actually spun towards the loop/tunnel. I have tried to find it numerous times but I will have to find where I kept my old ACE stuff.

 

I remember when Anaconda was being built throughout the 1990 season. At one point it seemed like it was in the same state of disrepair for several months, with no apparent progress being made. That'd be interesting if the ride's design plans went through an overhaul halfway through construction. I wonder if it was a case of the original coaster's design being in conflict with the planned water park.

[Skycoastin Steve]

I've always thought that the butterfly element was a backup plan. It just seems like that should have been something else.

[greenspandan]

i remember when anaconda was being built. i went to the park with a friend, and at the time all that was there was the lift hill and the two ensuing loops. we rode Rebel Yell to get a better look, and i can still remember my friend yelling "holy crap, look, it goes UNDER the lake!"

 

i also remember riding it when it first opened. it must have been a saturday, because the line extended all the way through the congo back almost to Avalanche's exit. i also remember the ride being advertised as having "6 loops" and even as a kid, i thought this was BS once i saw that two of the "loops" were that lame butterfly element, and weren't even close to being legit inversions.

 

originally, the MCBR did not slow the train nearly as much as it does today, and i think this actually made the ride a wee bit smoother. don't get me wrong -- it was still a rough Arrow looper, but seems to me like slowing it down to a near-stop causes even more sideways banging around as it navigates those sloppy turns.

 

i've said it before, but if they removed those two crappy turns after the MCBR (and loosened up the brakes on the MCBR as well), anaconda would be one of the best Arrows around.

[braztaz]

the line extended all the way through the congo back almost to Avalanche's exit.

 

Whoa! That's HUGE.

 

Anaconda was one of my first rides with inversions, so I didn't have much experience with all of the "smoother" rides. I didn't find it rough at all (I just thought it was terrifying) and didn't find it rough until I finally started riding the B&M's (Apollo's Chariot) and Intamins (Volcano), which are, as we all know, all smooth rides.

[Synshine]

I've always thought that the butterfly element was a backup plan. It just seems like that should have been something else.

 

Then again, Arrow Loopers of the early 90's were all sort of oddballs.

[Austin11KD]

I think they can do many things with Anaconda to make it better. They could get Vekoma to get the same trains, that are on Carolina Cobra, and put them on Anaconda, or just take out the bad parts of the ride and remodel those parts (If that is even possible), They could also tear it down and sell it for scrap metal. I could think of many things that could replace it, and Hurler too. But Hurler will probably stay longer than alot of present rides..