Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[RinkyDink94]

I know, It is terrible.

you are weird.

[Capitalize]

I bet that Cedar Fair goes with the B&M hyper Tri-Fecta by adding yet another one to KD.

 

We can hope. I am sooo jealous of KI with Diamondback! I think KD has plenty of space for expansion and in fact NEEDS some sort of signature coaster. Dominator is a great ride, but that kind of coaster just does not work as a signature ride. You put a Diamondback clone in there, call it "Copperhead" or something, and you have great photo ops for years to come. The theming takes care of itself by using the wooded areas as much as possible.

 

Also, as classic as some of the woodies are at KD, I could see them possibly getting rid of one to make some room and re-use some good wooded real estate. It's been 12 years since I rode The Grizzly and it nearly beat me to death back then. I can't imagine it's gotten any smoother. Just a thought.

 

Regardless, if Diamondback is a big hit at KI this coming season, I'd say KD has a shot at something similar in the next few years.

 

 

oooh no... Grizzly is easilly one of the best coasters in the park, definitely the best woodie in the park. I would hope Hurler and even Rebel Yell goes before Grizzly.

 

 

^Because that's exactly what I was getting at!

Honest question. When do you think the park will receive another major addition?

[KDCOASTERFAN]

I bet that Cedar Fair goes with the B&M hyper Tri-Fecta by adding yet another one to KD.

 

We can hope. I am sooo jealous of KI with Diamondback! I think KD has plenty of space for expansion and in fact NEEDS some sort of signature coaster. Dominator is a great ride, but that kind of coaster just does not work as a signature ride. You put a Diamondback clone in there, call it "Copperhead" or something, and you have great photo ops for years to come. The theming takes care of itself by using the wooded areas as much as possible.

 

Also, as classic as some of the woodies are at KD, I could see them possibly getting rid of one to make some room and re-use some good wooded real estate. It's been 12 years since I rode The Grizzly and it nearly beat me to death back then. I can't imagine it's gotten any smoother. Just a thought.

 

Regardless, if Diamondback is a big hit at KI this coming season, I'd say KD has a shot at something similar in the next few years.

 

 

oooh no... Grizzly is easilly one of the best coasters in the park, definitely the best woodie in the park. I would hope Hurler and even Rebel Yell goes before Grizzly.

 

 

^Because that's exactly what I was getting at!

Honest question. When do you think the park will receive another major addition?

 

With a bit of TLC Rebel Yell can return to being a somewhat decent ride,Hurler(aka firewood) is a LOST cause however so if any of the woodies needed to go Hurler's the one.

 

I'm pretty sure that KD's next "major" addition may very well come along in 2010....look at how CF has paced out the major additions at KI every two seasons as an example with Firehawk in 07 & Diamondback coming in 09,but then again getting three decent flats(I just love the fact that they're adding GL's ferris wheel) would also count as a major addition don't you think?

[Jcoaster]

I though all of KD's woodies were really lame. But I agree that Grizzly was easily the best.

[larrygator]

Look at how CFs stock has completely plummeted. Don't count on any capital improvements until the economic situation settles down.

[EvoLee]

removed

[Jcoaster]

Even though I like KD, theres not a chance in hell they will ever put BGE out of business. SFA is definatly more of a possibility.

[Superstar94]

I agree that this will be the MAJOR factor in KD's expansion plans but I also think Cedar Fair is gonna dump quality dollars here simply because they'd love to force the competition (SF & AB) to either keep up or close shop. Looking at Six Flags' right now doesn't bode well for SFA at all and who knows InBev's plans for BGE.

 

Two prime competitors within 75-100 miles of KD and a chance to put them both out of business...CF has got to love those odds. They both may go under on their own and that could lead to KD becoming "The Point" on the east coast.

SFA maybe, BGE no.

With a bit of TLC Rebel Yell can return to being a somewhat decent ride

Screamscape says rebel yell may be getting a fresh coat of paint for the 09 season.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Look at how CFs stock has completely plummeted. Don't count on any capital improvements until the economic situation settles down.

 

 

I agree that this will be the MAJOR factor in KD's expansion plans but I also think Cedar Fair is gonna dump quality dollars here simply because they'd love to force the competition (SF & AB) to either keep up or close shop. Looking at Six Flags' right now doesn't bode well for SFA at all and who knows InBev's plans for BGE.

 

Two prime competitors within 75-100 miles of KD and a chance to put them both out of business...CF has got to love those odds. They both may go under on their own and that could lead to KD becoming "The Point" on the east coast.

 

Well unlike SF,CF isn't in too bad a shape to start with so once the economy recovers from this crisis business should begin to improve....the way I see it SFA doesn't really need CF's or KD's help in going out of business as the powers that be at SF's corporate HQ have pretty much sealed that park's fate from the minute Shapiro took over & started making a bad,underfinanced park even worse.

 

Now if KD has plans for a major coaster come 2010 then those plans are already being finalized & put into action as of now,they've already spent millions on the design work & contracts with manufacturers to turn back now,that is assuming that such a project is in development of course.

[EvoLee]

removed

[Superstar94]

I think one of the reasons GL went under, was because they didn't really have any room left for expansion, and CF owned 3 parks in Ohio.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Even though I like KD, theres not a chance in hell they will ever put BGE out of business. SFA is definatly more of a possibility.

 

What I was trying to say is that Cedar Fair could sink lots of money into KD in an effort to force SFA and BGE to spend a lot too, just to keep their share of the market. We know that SF isn't in a position to do this now or probably not in the near future.

 

I don't think they could run BGE out of business simply because it is an award winning park. But InBev could change that if they keep the parks but don't run them like AB has. They clearly have stated they have next to no interest in them already. If they sold them back to the Busch family and they took over would they still be able to keep them up like they do now? BGE has been averaging a major attraction about every 5-7 years, could they build every 2 if CF put the pressure on? Keep in mind that they wouldn't have all that beer revenue backing them up.

 

Just my thoughts and just my $0.02 but I think Cedar Fair has big plans for KD. I mean they either ran the competition or bought out the competition in Ohio and its working well for them so why not try Virginia now.

 

KD has made plenty of improvements even during the paramount era in recent years & what has SFA done? they've removed several rides & have only added one water ride to the theme park side & that was five,going on six years ago so SFA isn't really a threat to KD at all but BGE might be however.

 

I agree that CF has big plans for KD,they have a huge market share to cater to with the DC/Northern VA. market alone as well as the Richmond area to work with,and that's a lot of people...which in turn means a lot of potential revenue for the company.

[astroworldfan1]

I think one of the reasons GL went under, was because they didn't really have any room left for expansion, and CF owned 3 parks in Ohio.

 

We all know the reason is that Cedar Fair didn't give a crap about GL and CF wanted their guests to go to Cedar Point.

 

His name is Dick for a reason.

 

-Tatum "This is my opinion, it's probably not correct"

[ajm1240]

I don't think the fact that a new Kalahari resort is coming nearby in 2010 should be discounted either. I'm sure if you've never been, you are thinking it's no big deal cause it's just an Indoor Waterpark, but I can tell you it will have a MAJOR impact and CF might do well to shore up their coaster line up at KD by then to really entice folks staying at the resort to make a day excursion to KD.

[Superstar94]

I dont know what InBev, has planned for BGE, but it could start declining, until it just closes down.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

I dont know what InBev, has planned for BGE, but it could start declining, until it just closes down.

 

I don't think BGE is in any danger of closing it's doors,now SFA on the other hand I'm not so sure about at this point but it looks like they're probably headed in that general direction.

 

Keep in mind that since BGE is in a high tourist area what with colonial Williamsburg nearby the park is always going to draw a lot of business from that segment of the market,still KD has a healthy market to draw from especially once people in the DC area become dis-satisfied with the way that SFA is being run within the next few years.

[Jcoaster]

^ Exactly. When I went to DC this summer, I went to KD instead of SFA, because of SFA performance as a park. I'll take the extra hour drive it is worth it.

[Superstar94]

I have been to SFA 1 time, and it sucked so bad.

[Capitalize]

^ Exactly. When I went to DC this summer, I went to KD instead of SFA, because of SFA performance as a park. I'll take the extra hour drive it is worth it.

Thats what most people in NoVa do, DC and Baltimore are the only people that go to SFA really. Makes sense because from MD it could be an extra hour drive to KD depending on the traffic... Traffic sucks in the DC area...

[KDCOASTERFAN]

I have been to SFA 1 time, and it sucked so bad.

 

It wasn't always that bad,I'd been a passholder there for 9 years & prior to the SF purchase & re-branding of the park Premier was actually investing money into the place & fixing it up from what the WW management had made of it in the 80's....all that changed of course by 2002 when SFI began to ignore the park in favor of spoiling SFMM,SFGRAM & SFGRADV rotten year after year with new rides.

[Wood Dragon 1988]

^Because that's exactly what I was getting at!

Honest question. When do you think the park will receive another major addition?

 

I hope you read my post about that being sarcasm.

 

But the park received......a top spin in 2005, a coaster in 2006, three water park attractions in 2007, a coaster in 2008, and three flats in 2009.

 

To me those are all major additions, and there is no reason to believe they won't continue to receive them.

 

It was primarily all the "ZOMG B&M mega, Intamin Hyper, Intamin Plug&Play 2010, LOCK" speculations that made me enter this discussion, while there has been nothing rumored or confirmed to even start speculating at this point.

[redfoot12]

If it weren't for the current economic climate, I do think KD would be getting something big in 2010. I just hope the majority of theme parks are able to weather the storm.

[Capitalize]

I have been to SFA 1 time, and it sucked so bad.

 

It wasn't always that bad,I'd been a passholder there for 9 years & prior to the SF purchase & re-branding of the park Premier was actually investing money into the place & fixing it up from what the WW management had made of it in the 80's....all that changed of course by 2002 when SFI began to ignore the park in favor of spoiling SFMM,SFGRAM & SFGRADV rotten year after year with new rides.

I've been a pass holder since moving to the area when SROS first opened (I missed one year, 2001, where I only had enough spare cash to choose KD or SFA and choose KD because I was more excited to ride Hypersonic then Batwing...)

 

In any case, I agree for the most part with what you said. I did however think the last couple years before this season, despite the park not receiving new major attractions, they were making enough small improvements that things were at least improving a bit. This season with all the rides being down regularly, operations in general going downhill again, and once again no new rides being expected the outlook definitely isn't good.

 

That said, I will more then likely get a SFA pass once again, because I still like going there if only to ride SROS and Wild One with no wait and only a 30 minute drive, especially when a season pass is only $50 and I can make a trip up to SFGAdv at some point...

[coolhandluke]

This season with all the rides being down regularly, operations in general going downhill again, and once again no new rides being expected the outlook definitely isn't good.

In addition to all you said, I'm sure the fire didn't exactly help matters much for the park.

[Superstar94]

fire???