Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[jarmor 9]

Ok Ok...I was confused when you mention KD and took it as if there is a problem with their woodies. I personally like to stay away from woodies unless they are gcii, but thats just me

[KDCOASTERFAN 0]

Yea, not sure where I sat. I'll pay closer attention next time!

Who cares.

[Coaster_Fanatic 0]

I rode in the 3rd row of Grizzly today, and I was begging for the ride to stop after the tunnel. I don't know if it was just a bad ride or what, but that was the first time where I found Grizzly horridly painful!

[DougMJr 0]

I rode Grizzly at ECB and found it very enjoyable, unlike Hurler. Not too rough, semi decent layout.

[Midgetman82 0]

Hurler was pretty good (3rd car, front seat), as was Rebel yell (last car, 2nd row) and Grizzly (front seat). Though my dad, who sat behind me on Grizzly, told me that it was uncomfortable.

[megametal 0]

I don't know how people enjoy Hurler with that strong trim at the bottom of the first hill. All the airtime's gone now.

[mhuffva 0]

The thing about older wooden coasters is that the older design of the train restraints gave you enough space to deal with the inherent roughness of the ride. I worked on the Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion back in the day when there was just a bench seat and a "Buzz" lap bar that pivoted at the top portion of the car. There was enough room around your body that every bump, rattle, and jerking motion did not get transferred to your body when riding.

 

Riding a wooden coaster in PTC trains, with that type of restraint, was not bad at all. Plus, during the Taft/KECO years of ownership, the park really was proactive in maintaining the track each season. I remember one season where Kings Dominion shut one side of the Rebel Yell down in September and started a complete track overhaul where they literally used a saw to cut through sections of the track and used a crane to pull those sections off. That ended up leaving the vertical bents, (superstructure), exposed. They did that for both sides so the following season it felt like you were riding a new ride!

 

The Grizzly was the first wooden coaster to get new PTC trains with the floor mounted individual lap bars with the seat divider (The Rebel Yell trains received the individual lap bars about 3-4 years after the Grizzly opened. The seat divider came along before the new lap bars were installed). I just feel that the new restraint system was put into the existing train design without much re-engineering on PTC's part. I am a tall person and I noticed that I could no longer sit in line with the rest of the train. I had to twist my lower part of my body so that I could pull down the lap bar. So now I have to ride with my body slightly twisted to one side. That did not enhance the ride experience nor having the individual lap bar so tight around my thighs and lap. Now, throw in a seat belt to deal with, and track maintenance spread out over longer periods of time due to budget constraints you can get a very uncomfortable ride.

 

Then toss in a poorly engineered coaster design, (i.e. Hurler), where the track/bents gets somewhat out of alignment as time goes by; you really get an uncomfortable ride! Heck, I think Hurler has more steel in some sections of track than wood!

 

Hopefully, parks chains, especially Cedar Fair, are leaving the era of bad wooden coaster design/engineering/trains and using new wooden coaster designers and trains (i.e. Prowler and the new upcoming CGA coaster) that provide a more comfortable, enjoyable riding experience.

[cfc 35]

Hurler was a great ride during its first two years, but didn't age well. However, when we rode if for an hour during Coasting for Kids this year, we were somewhat pleasantly surprised: The ride, while not "good," wasn't as bad as we'd feared.

[alilstronger 0]

I like Hurler. Not every coaster has to give me airtime to enjoy it.

[coasterfreak101 0]

Roller coasters don't have to give me airtime but they have to do...something. Hurler is just a big waste of space that shuffles and meanders around some very poorly-designed turns and some hills that are less exciting than a speed bump in a car thanks to the brakes at the bottom of the drop.

 

In conclusion, Balder would fit in half of Hurler's footprint, so let's burn the thing and replace it with something awesome.

[UrbanLegend 0]

Is there any reason there hasn't been a new Intamin Pre-Fab, or even a hint of one, in over four years? Is there some sort of problem with them?

[mhuffva 0]

Hurler was a great ride during its first two years, but didn't age well. However, when we rode if for an hour during Coasting for Kids this year, we were somewhat pleasantly surprised: The ride, while not "good," wasn't as bad as we'd feared.

 

I agree that Hurler was wonderful the first couple of years. I just don't understand how the ride experience went downhill so fast. That is why I wondered about the engineering of this coaster; if it was the lack of track maintenance or stretching out of the track maintenance schedule a little too much; or, if it was a combination of both. Hurler is certainly not a mini "Son of Beast".

 

I think this has been well documented and discussed in the past about the tracking issues of PTC coaster trains. The shuffling tendencies were pretty bad on the Hurler in years past. I just did not enjoy the ride experience anymore. Combine that with the floor mounted lap bars in PTC trains and my experience with them in the previous post; it has now been 2-3 years since I last tried to ride the Hurler.

 

I know KD brakes the ride at the base of the 1st drop; maybe that, along with new track work, has improved the ride experience since the last time I rode it. As I get older, I don't have the tolerance to endure some of the wooden coaster rides like I used to.

[netdvn 0]

So KD decided to drop a teaser on us for another potential new attraction. Anyone wanna speculate? So far rumors say this has something to do with a record breaking Planet Snoopy expansion, but I have a feeling this might have something to do with the water park.

Speculate away

[cfc 35]

Hmm--this was already mentioned a few pages back: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1211786#p1211786.

 

The images are a bit different, but I doubt that means anything (other than that they've spruced it up).

Edited August 9, 2012 by cfc

[megametal 0]

Roller coasters don't have to give me airtime but they have to do...something. Hurler is just a big waste of space that shuffles and meanders around some very poorly-designed turns and some hills that are less exciting than a speed bump in a car thanks to the brakes at the bottom of the drop.

 

In conclusion, Balder would fit in half of Hurler's footprint, so let's burn the thing and replace it with something awesome.

 

I'd love to be able to ride a Balder clone. Doubt I'll be going to Europe anytime again soon to ride it. Heck, if they don't want to even do that, get something like SFStL's American Thunder. That'd fit there too.

 

Also, anyone else think that perhaps for next year that Ricochet may be moved to Planet Snoopy? They could then open up the area it's in now for a second waterpark entrance. I also think the current top part of Planet Snoopy (Flying Aces, water play area, and possibly Peanuts Showplace) should be moved to the Kidzville area or removed and that space opened up for when the park decides to get rid of Shockwave for a wingrider or something.

[pandorazboxx 0]

Yea, not sure where I sat. I'll pay closer attention next time!

Who cares.

 

Did I upset you? geez.

[mhuffva 0]

Roller coasters don't have to give me airtime but they have to do...something. Hurler is just a big waste of space that shuffles and meanders around some very poorly-designed turns and some hills that are less exciting than a speed bump in a car thanks to the brakes at the bottom of the drop.

 

In conclusion, Balder would fit in half of Hurler's footprint, so let's burn the thing and replace it with something awesome.

 

I'd love to be able to ride a Balder clone. Doubt I'll be going to Europe anytime again soon to ride it. Heck, if they don't want to even do that, get something like SFStL's American Thunder. That'd fit there too.

 

Also, anyone else think that perhaps for next year that Ricochet may be moved to Planet Snoopy? They could then open up the area it's in now for a second waterpark entrance. I also think the current top part of Planet Snoopy (Flying Aces, water play area, and possibly Peanuts Showplace) should be moved to the Kidzville area or removed and that space opened up for when the park decides to get rid of Shockwave for a wingrider or something.

 

 

I don't think you would need to relocate Ricochet to make way for a 2nd water park entrance. There already is a path between it and the Hurler that leads to a gate to the back stage area of that section of the park. the area behind that gate is where Kings Dominion staged the Nickelodeon parade to enter and exit. KD could simply remove the gate and transform the service road/staging area into a pedestrian walkway if they wanted to.

 

The area where Snoopy's Flying Aces and Snoopy's Splash Dance is located had always been considered a part of the western border of the kids area (even before Nickelodeon under Paramount). I am not saying Kings Dominion could not change that.

 

My guess is that area will stay as part of the kids area, possibly even be enhanced if KD goes forward with a Planet Snoopy expansion for 2013.

[GIJoe1994 0]

So, looking over the teaser, I discovered this. Looks a bit like Charlie Brown. What do think?

[JonnyRCT3 0]

So, looking over the teaser, I discovered this. Looks a bit like Charlie Brown. What do think?

[attachment=0]KD12-372 Teaser Homepage Banner 2.jpg[/attachment]

 

Charlie Brown. I smell a "themed" attraction.

[ahecht 0]

So, looking over the teaser, I discovered this. Looks a bit like Charlie Brown. What do think?

[attachment=0]KD12-372 Teaser Homepage Banner 2.jpg[/attachment]

 

I think that that those are Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Serenitatis, and that it's an actual picture of the Moon.

 

[GIJoe1994 0]

Yep, I see it =P

[cfc 35]

^Proof that Charlie Brown is God? That would certainly explain a lot about the human condition.

[Intimidator305 0]

There are some new things on the Kings Dominion website.

 

First off, there is a new Halloween Haunt teaser, but still no official website. It looks like the new witch from Knott's is in the background.

 

Secondly, there is now an official countdown clock on the Kings Dominion website that says "Breaking records again. The countdown begins Sept. 12". Apparently the 2013 attraction(s) will be announced at 11:00 AM. 28 days, 11 hours, 58 minutes, 44 seconds to go!

[rccrazy23 0]

Quick question. I couldn't remember from my trip 2 years ago, what is KD's lose article policy. From what I think I remember they are not that strict with requiring lockers right?

[Homeboy23 0]

^ No lockers, they have bins at each ride you can place your bag in while riding.