Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[JonnyRCT3]

^Yes, it is that too.

[_koppen]

Maybe Intamin just isn't offering the product US parks are looking for at the moment and this is why we haven't seen them here since 2012. I know for sure they are not dead like I've heard some enthusiast exclaim b/c of this absence just look at all the Intamin goodies popping up over seas.

 

I think is also has to do with the market. The US market for coasters isn't as big as it used to be. Parks are buying lot's of different rides these days.

 

Also neither Six Flags or Cedar Fair is interested in the Intamin offerings right now. Six Flags are quite happy with their lower-cost investments at the moment, and CF is on a roll with B&M. Without them two chains the other parks aren't really buying that many coasters, and none of the Intamin offering seems to be "the thing today" like a RMC or a wing rider.

 

IMO they need another B&M, something quality yet re-rideable as I305 is really tough to marathon on. (I went in thinking I could get 5 rides or more in a row but after 2 it started to take it's toll ) Something thrilling, but rideable by people of all ages. Basically a coaster with the objective of Gatekeeper is in mind. Perhaps it could be a wingrider, but I think a B&M hyper fits the bill much better. Huge and fast, a long ride experience, great floater airtime, it would be fun for the thrillseekers but doable for others.

 

Ay reason why it need to be a B&M for it to be scaled back on intensity and re-ridable?

[grsupercity]

IMO they need another B&M, something quality yet re-rideable as I305 is really tough to marathon on. (I went in thinking I could get 5 rides or more in a row but after 2 it started to take it's toll ) Something thrilling, but rideable by people of all ages. Basically a coaster with the objective of Gatekeeper is in mind. Perhaps it could be a wingrider, but I think a B&M hyper fits the bill much better. Huge and fast, a long ride experience, great floater airtime, it would be fun for the thrillseekers but doable for others.

 

Ay reason why it need to be a B&M for it to be scaled back on intensity and re-ridable?

 

Because B&M fanboys

[madmax]

I305 is about sustained positive g's and quick rotational lats. Skyrush is about providing ejector airtime with lats from banking transitions. I agree with the above poster, they look similar but in reality are very different. IMO they need another B&M, something quality yet re-rideable as I305 is really tough to marathon on. (I went in thinking I could get 5 rides or more in a row but after 2 it started to take it's toll ) Something thrilling, but rideable by people of all ages. Basically a coaster with the objective of Gatekeeper is in mind. Perhaps it could be a wingrider, but I think a B&M hyper fits the bill much better. Huge and fast, a long ride experience, great floater airtime, it would be fun for the thrillseekers but doable for others.

 

That's why I've been suggesting something like Thunderbird.

[Tee1999]

Does b&m still make flying coasters? I wouldn't mind seeing one at kd like tatsu

[RyanTPM]

^Of course they do, two have opened up this year with another next.

[ImNotOneOfYou]

^Totally in agreement. Kings Dominion could seriously use a solid, graceful, flowing kind of ride that counters the intensity of Intimidator and Volcano - have it be a people-eater for good measure. Dominator is a good step down (and great at the people-eater part of that equation) but even it is pretty damn forceful. Something like Gatekeeper would honestly be perfect.

 

That's exactly what I305 is, a giant Intamin Blitz. They killed two birds with one stone by combining both the Giga & LSM coasters together. I305 is MF's first hill with a similar layout to Maverick following. I wouldn't expect anything the lines of a Giga or LSM to be added to KD's portfolio anytime soon. Or really anything Intamin at all. B&M is the way to go anymore for CF.

 

Intimidator is a scaled-up Mega-Lite. The entire layout is almost move-for-move a copy of Kawasemi or Piraten, with changes in hill size and orientation to deal with the huge difference in speed.

 

I remember Robb posting videos of Intimidator 205 and a Mega-lite for comparison. The second hill under the lift is really the only thing they have in common.

[redfoot12]

^Totally in agreement. Kings Dominion could seriously use a solid, graceful, flowing kind of ride that counters the intensity of Intimidator and Volcano - have it be a people-eater for good measure. Dominator is a good step down (and great at the people-eater part of that equation) but even it is pretty damn forceful. Something like Gatekeeper would honestly be perfect.

 

That's exactly what I305 is, a giant Intamin Blitz. They killed two birds with one stone by combining both the Giga & LSM coasters together. I305 is MF's first hill with a similar layout to Maverick following. I wouldn't expect anything the lines of a Giga or LSM to be added to KD's portfolio anytime soon. Or really anything Intamin at all. B&M is the way to go anymore for CF.

 

Intimidator is a scaled-up Mega-Lite. The entire layout is almost move-for-move a copy of Kawasemi or Piraten, with changes in hill size and orientation to deal with the huge difference in speed.

 

I remember Robb posting videos of Intimidator 205 and a Mega-lite for comparison. The second hill under the lift is really the only thing they have in common.

 

Also that first turnaround after the first drop.

[Superbatboy]

What about HP?

SFMM has worked them frequently as well, Superman TE, Superman EFK, Lex Luthor, Freefall, Green Lantern, and Shockwave. Intamin was somehow involved in Revolution's construction as well I believed

[coasterfreak101]

I remember Robb posting videos of Intimidator 205 and a Mega-lite for comparison. The second hill under the lift is really the only thing they have in common.

 

Absolutely not. The drop into the turn and cross-under airtime hill is obvious. The Mega-Lites follow with a tall, tight airtime hill; Intimidator follows with a lower one (it's going 85+ miles per hour at this point, so the reason should be clear). Similar 3/4 turns to the left get followed by essentially the same thing - rapid changes in direction ending in a 180-degree right turn - on both, only the Mega-Lites squeeze one extra hill and directional change in (because the space required when you're still going 80+ miles per hour isn't going to let you comfortably get three changes in without stretching back into the woods).

 

That turn is followed by two airtime hills on both rides, and because Intimidator's are parallel to the lift it uses the last twist to cross over to the far side of the layout; the Mega-Lites place those hills diagonally, so the crossover ends up being that flat portion before the sweeping left turn. Both have the twisting hop into the brakes, though Intimidator's is banked more at the top to handle the extra speed. End comparison.

[TB305]

Does b&m still make flying coasters? I wouldn't mind seeing one at kd like tatsu

Yes, they do. They're building one for 2016 at Universal in Japan.

[Coaster Hero]

Maybe Intamin just isn't offering the product US parks are looking for at the moment and this is why we haven't seen them here since 2012. I know for sure they are not dead like I've heard some enthusiast exclaim b/c of this absence just look at all the Intamin goodies popping up over seas.

 

I think is also has to do with the market. The US market for coasters isn't as big as it used to be. Parks are buying lot's of different rides these days.

 

Also neither Six Flags or Cedar Fair is interested in the Intamin offerings right now. Six Flags are quite happy with their lower-cost investments at the moment, and CF is on a roll with B&M. Without them two chains the other parks aren't really buying that many coasters, and none of the Intamin offering seems to be "the thing today" like a RMC or a wing rider.

 

IMO they need another B&M, something quality yet re-rideable as I305 is really tough to marathon on. (I went in thinking I could get 5 rides or more in a row but after 2 it started to take it's toll ) Something thrilling, but rideable by people of all ages. Basically a coaster with the objective of Gatekeeper is in mind. Perhaps it could be a wingrider, but I think a B&M hyper fits the bill much better. Huge and fast, a long ride experience, great floater airtime, it would be fun for the thrillseekers but doable for others.

 

Ay reason why it need to be a B&M for it to be scaled back on intensity and re-ridable?

 

 

It doesn't need to be a B&M to be re-rideable, I just think that since Gatekeeper did so well with that objective, B&M would be the ideal manufacture for a similar goal. I'm not being biased at all, and I'm certainly not a "B&M fanboy" as some other poster said

[Tee1999]

Does anyone know what this is?

https://trademarks.justia.com/861/73/fury-86173145.html

https://trademarks.justia.com/863/03/fury-86303893.html

[ImNotOneOfYou]

Does anyone know what this is?

https://trademarks.justia.com/861/73/fury-86173145.html

https://trademarks.justia.com/863/03/fury-86303893.html

 

It's a trademark for the name "Fury"

[Ranmann]

If kd gets something like sky rush I will be there every weekend. I love skyrush

[coasterkid124]

As much a I love Skyrush and wouldn't mind 5 of them at any park, it's probably too close to I305.

[Password121]

If kd gets something like sky rush I will be there every weekend. I love skyrush

They do... It's called Intimidator 305.

 

Yes I know they're a bit different styles but you absolute,y cannot argue they are very similar. I-305 is probably the most similar coaster to Skyrush.

[JonnyRCT3]

^SkyRush is a big drop, airtime, curve & repeat. I305 is big drop, lots of curves and s-bends.

 

It doesn't need to be a B&M to be re-rideable, I just think that since Gatekeeper did so well with that objective, B&M would be the ideal manufacture for a similar goal.

 

Couldn't have said it better.

 

If the park does decide to go with an Intamin a family drop coaster, water coaster, aqua trax, or a mine train coaster would be the only coasters in their portfolio that KD could gain from in terms of diversity. Anything else seems redundant, and can be done just as well and more reliable from another company.

[TB305]

As much a I love Skyrush and wouldn't mind 5 of them at any park, it's probably too close to I305.

Have you ridden both of them? The ride experience is *totally* different. Skyrush is a succession of hills, airtime, and twists, while I305 is a succession of turns, transitions, and a couple hills for good measure. The ride each of them gives is totally different from each other, not to mention train design/experience.

[Superbatboy]

^I agree Skyrush and i305 are vastly different, I rode them a day apart. I305 is a lot more intense and focuses primarily on positive and lateral Gs. While Skyrush is a lot more airtime focused. The only similarity other than them both being Intamin, is the GPs reluctance to ride them. Though Skyrush seemed to be a little more popular at Hershey than I305 was at KD.

[coasterkid124]

As much a I love Skyrush and wouldn't mind 5 of them at any park, it's probably too close to I305.

Have you ridden both of them? The ride experience is *totally* different. Skyrush is a succession of hills, airtime, and twists, while I305 is a succession of turns, transitions, and a couple hills for good measure. The ride each of them gives is totally different from each other, not to mention train design/experience.

 

I have, and I didn't do a good job of wording that. I meant to say that they are close on an intensity level. Both of them are built purely for the thrill seekers and nothing else. Both of them have their share of airtime, curves (I was thrown around a lot on Skyrush), and quick transitions.

 

A B&M can be built big too, but they are much more graceful, and can fit a larger audience. Not everyone can ride I305 or Skyrush because it is either too much for them, or the restraints don't conform well to them. I have never heard anybody complaining about the comfort or re-rideability on a B&M.

[JonnyRCT3]

The only similarity other than them both being Intamin, is the GPs reluctance to ride them. Though Skyrush seemed to be a little more popular at Hershey than I305 was at KD.

 

 

A B&M can be built big too, but they are much more graceful, and can fit a larger audience. Not everyone can ride I305 or Skyrush because it is either too much for them, or the restraints don't conform well to them. I have never heard anybody complaining about the comfort or re-rideability on a B&M.

 

 

And people still wonder WHY Cedar Fair is going with B&M. Why spend millions of dollars when it doesn't even appeal to the audience you are trying to expand?

[coasterbill]

I have never heard anybody complaining about the comfort or re-rideability on a B&M.

 

You haven't spent enough time on TPR. Name a B&M and I'll find someone talking about how rough it is. lol

 

...Beware the painful Gatekeeper death vests.

[JonnyRCT3]

I have never heard anybody complaining about the comfort or re-rideability on a B&M.

 

You haven't spent enough time on TPR. Name a B&M and I'll find someone talking about how rough it is. lol

 

...Beware the painful Gatekeeper death vests.

 

Those are probably the same people who complain about them being "too smooth".

Because apparently something being comfortable is a bad thing.

They probably hate Arrows, Vekomas, GCI's, and coasters in general.

[coasterkid124]

^^True... I meant that more in the GP's eyes.

 

Every time somebody mentions Nitro all I hear is "Train ___ has a rattle!! It's the end of the world!!!"