Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[DJeXeL]

^Oh, Darien Lake is on the enthisiasts' list to get just about anything.

 

True

[DorneyKid14]

NO SHOCKWAVE FOR DORNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[coasterkid124]

^Oh, Darien Lake is on the enthisiasts' list to get just about anything.

 

Still waiting for Batman to be set up .

 

Not sure why people want these old standups to be built at Darien. I would rather wait longer to get a solid coaster than to set up junk like this.

[mike541x]

I get the headbanging issues, but was anyone else surprised by just how smooth the trains traveled the rails?

I'm gonna have to disagree with this. Every ride I had on Shockwave beat the living crap out of me. In fact one of my last rides on it a few years ago left a decent sized bruise on my hip.

 

That being said, seeing this ride getting torn down doesn't bother me one bit.

[Intimidated305]

I get the headbanging issues, but was anyone else surprised by just how smooth the trains traveled the rails?

I'm gonna have to disagree with this. Every ride I had on Shockwave beat the living crap out of me. In fact one of my last rides on it a few years ago left a decent sized bruise on my hip.

 

That being said, seeing this ride getting torn down doesn't bother me one bit.

You didn't understand what I said. I get that it beat many people up, but that's not I meant by how smooth it is. You know those old Arrows where you can feel the car bouncing and jumping around instead of smoothly following the rails? Well, let me be the first to tell you, TOGO did something RIGHT with Shockwave. It's not the only coaster there that is super smooth either. Both Ricochet and Dominator's first drop feel like you're just flying through air and I barely notice that the car is fixed onto rails. Call me crazy, but I feel that King's Dominion (along with Dollywood) has one of the "smoothest" coaster collection I've experienced, including Shockwave.

 

My main point: Shockwave beat the living hell out of people because of the RESTRAINTS (mainly larger people, i'm a short guy), but the trains rode the rails much better than several other coasters that are even several years newer than it.

[Password121]

^I'm not saying you're wrong (although I disagree), but basic physics says that you would not be smashed against the restrains (causing headbanging) if the ride were even moderately smooth. That doesn't mean you wouldn't be forced into the restraints (caused by g-force), but the jerk (which is a physics term, not an adjective) caused by roughness is what causes headbanging.

[bill_s]

^^--There's what I call "surface smoothness" and then there's design smoothness. Shockwave had very little vibration even after over 30 years of operation. The last ride was almost exactly the same as the first. It was just designed to throw you around a good bit, forwards and backwards mostly, as is fitting for a standup, not sideways like B&M standups. It rarely hurt me at all, but every time made me think it was, which is a good thing. Your fit and pain threshold may have been different. The chief negative was short ride, long loading and brake run wait. Once I went a rainy day and they were running only one train, that was a lot better.

 

So it was sad seeing them bite it up, but I was wondering how they were going to get it apart if they sold it. Definitely missed it the last few months, it was a coaster I didn't ride every time, so it helped make every trip different.

 

Delirium will be a better ride for the amount of space it uses, but it doesn't use all the space, so ??? ... It doesen't seem a good precedent they're willing to drop their coaster count, but as I've said they can make it up later, either by adding one elsewhere or a true upgrade replacement.

[Intimidated305]

^I'm not saying you're wrong (although I disagree), but basic physics says that you would not be smashed against the restrains (causing headbanging) if the ride were even moderately smooth. That doesn't mean you wouldn't be forced into the restraints (caused by g-force), but the jerk (which is a physics term, not an adjective) caused by roughness is what causes headbanging.

I can't disagree more. One part TOGO really messed up on was the trackwork. Have you seen the banking on Shockwave at all? That's the reason there's headbanging. Inertia keeps you going in one direction, but the horrible banking forces you to slam into the restraint, pretty much like every Arrow looper that's not Tennessee Tornado. Im talking smoothness in terms of not having a rattle like older Intamins/Arrows/B&M's have, like it's neighbors Volcano and Dominator, not about how bad you smash into the restraints (which thankfully I never did, which is why I liked it so much.)

[Intimidated305]

^^--There's what I call "surface smoothness" and then there's design smoothness. Shockwave had very little vibration even after over 30 years of operation. The last ride was almost exactly the same as the first. It was just designed to throw you around a good bit, forwards and backwards mostly, as is fitting for a standup, not sideways like B&M standups. It rarely hurt me at all, but every time made me think it was, which is a good thing. Your fit and pain threshold may have been different. The chief negative was short ride, long loading and brake run wait. Once I went a rainy day and they were running only one train, that was a lot better.

 

So it was sad seeing them bite it up, but I was wondering how they were going to get it apart if they sold it. Definitely missed it the last few months, it was a coaster I didn't ride every time, so it helped make every trip different.

 

Delirium will be a better ride for the amount of space it uses, but it doesn't use all the space, so ??? ... It doesen't seem a good precedent they're willing to drop their coaster count, but as I've said they can make it up later, either by adding one elsewhere or a true upgrade replacement.

I agree with everything you just said. About the replacement, I would rather have Shockwave be replaced with a giant frisbee than anything else, so I am happy about that at least.

[Physical]

I can agree with the surface smoothness statement. The drop and loop were excellent on my rides.

 

However, and this is a pretty big however, the absolutely abysmal banking in the helix and the rest of the ride ruined it for me. It started out so promising, then... Ouch, ouch, ****, son of a... ouch ouch, get me off this thing.

[mike541x]

I get the headbanging issues, but was anyone else surprised by just how smooth the trains traveled the rails?

I'm gonna have to disagree with this. Every ride I had on Shockwave beat the living crap out of me. In fact one of my last rides on it a few years ago left a decent sized bruise on my hip.

 

That being said, seeing this ride getting torn down doesn't bother me one bit.

You didn't understand what I said. I get that it beat many people up, but that's not I meant by how smooth it is. You know those old Arrows where you can feel the car bouncing and jumping around instead of smoothly following the rails? Well, let me be the first to tell you, TOGO did something RIGHT with Shockwave. It's not the only coaster there that is super smooth either. Both Ricochet and Dominator's first drop feel like you're just flying through air and I barely notice that the car is fixed onto rails. Call me crazy, but I feel that King's Dominion (along with Dollywood) has one of the "smoothest" coaster collection I've experienced, including Shockwave.

 

My main point: Shockwave beat the living hell out of people because of the RESTRAINTS (mainly larger people, i'm a short guy), but the trains rode the rails much better than several other coasters that are even several years newer than it.

 

Regardess Shockwave still sucked...

[Intimidated305]

I get the headbanging issues, but was anyone else surprised by just how smooth the trains traveled the rails?

I'm gonna have to disagree with this. Every ride I had on Shockwave beat the living crap out of me. In fact one of my last rides on it a few years ago left a decent sized bruise on my hip.

 

That being said, seeing this ride getting torn down doesn't bother me one bit.

You didn't understand what I said. I get that it beat many people up, but that's not I meant by how smooth it is. You know those old Arrows where you can feel the car bouncing and jumping around instead of smoothly following the rails? Well, let me be the first to tell you, TOGO did something RIGHT with Shockwave. It's not the only coaster there that is super smooth either. Both Ricochet and Dominator's first drop feel like you're just flying through air and I barely notice that the car is fixed onto rails. Call me crazy, but I feel that King's Dominion (along with Dollywood) has one of the "smoothest" coaster collection I've experienced, including Shockwave.

 

My main point: Shockwave beat the living hell out of people because of the RESTRAINTS (mainly larger people, i'm a short guy), but the trains rode the rails much better than several other coasters that are even several years newer than it.

 

Regardess Shockwave still sucked...

Regardless, not everyone thought it sucked...

[TB305]

I get the headbanging issues, but was anyone else surprised by just how smooth the trains traveled the rails?

I'm gonna have to disagree with this. Every ride I had on Shockwave beat the living crap out of me. In fact one of my last rides on it a few years ago left a decent sized bruise on my hip.

 

That being said, seeing this ride getting torn down doesn't bother me one bit.

You didn't understand what I said. I get that it beat many people up, but that's not I meant by how smooth it is. You know those old Arrows where you can feel the car bouncing and jumping around instead of smoothly following the rails? Well, let me be the first to tell you, TOGO did something RIGHT with Shockwave. It's not the only coaster there that is super smooth either. Both Ricochet and Dominator's first drop feel like you're just flying through air and I barely notice that the car is fixed onto rails. Call me crazy, but I feel that King's Dominion (along with Dollywood) has one of the "smoothest" coaster collection I've experienced, including Shockwave.

 

My main point: Shockwave beat the living hell out of people because of the RESTRAINTS (mainly larger people, i'm a short guy), but the trains rode the rails much better than several other coasters that are even several years newer than it.

 

Regardess Shockwave still sucked...

Regardless, not everyone thought it sucked...

Well, everybody minus one thought it sucked, which percentage wise rounds to 100% of people thought it sucked.

 

I want to see them tear up that turn of death before the break run

[bill_s]

Well, everybody minus one thought it sucked, which percentage wise rounds to 100% of people thought it sucked.

 

I want to see them tear up that turn of death before the break run

 

The haters have definitely been the loudest, you'd have to really love it to have the strength of emotion of the haters, and most merely liked it.

 

But reminding me of that final "turn of death", maybe I did love it or at least loved that, and I think it's representative of why I'll never see eye to eye with a lot of coaster enthusiasts. The sheer controlled violence of the ride was GLORIOUS and peaked at that point. It did have a potential to be slightly painful but nothing close to your momentary sense of impending doom.

[cfc]

If you were in Shockwave's front row, the initial drop and the loop were fun. After that, not so much fun no matter what row you were in.

[RollerManic]

Enthusiasts are babies. Shockwave was just fine. This discussion is almost as bad as people who call out coaster rattling and cry that new B&M's are rough.

[cfc]

Enthusiasts are babies. Shockwave was just fine. This discussion is almost as bad as people who call out coaster rattling and cry that new B&M's are rough.

 

I think I gave Shockwave enough chances, and I shed no tears at its passing. But, if given a choice, I'd take Shockwave over Anaconda.

 

I've also been on a few Togo stand ups in Japan that were pretty good. There's even a "good" version of Manhattan Express at Hamanako Pal Pal park.

Edited November 21, 2015 by cfc

[ScreaminNewEngland]

I still don't understand why people find anaconda to be rough. We took a back seat ride and a middle seat ride on it and it was the smoothest arrow we've ever ridden. It also had some great loops.

 

So I do agree to the term "enthusiasts are babies" on this one.

[Sythe]

I still don't understand why people find anaconda to be rough. We took a back seat ride and a middle seat ride on it and it was the smoothest arrow we've ever ridden. It also had some great loops.

 

So I do agree to the term "enthusiasts are babies" on this one.

I know, right? Anaconda is a great ride. It really feels like you are going much faster than you are! My only complaints are that there is a slight jerk during the butterfly element, and the ride is a little too short.

[Superbatboy]

I only rode Anaconda once and maybe I got a bad seat but it was by far the worst Arrow I've ridden.

[Password121]

Wait really? Anaconda is complete garbage. After the first loop the ride is complete crap. The butterfly element is too banked for the speed the ride has after the mid-course, and sitting in the back row through the corkscrews I came the closest I've ever come to motion sickness. You're speeding up going upwards and hanging upside down too long coming out of them. I always regret any time I choose to give that heap of steel a chance.

It's seriously on the same tier as Hurler and Mind Eraser at SFA. I would say maybe I just had a bad ride but every single ride has been worse than the last.

 

However, if you can somehow find something redeeming about the ride (which is hard going up the lift with I-305 literally a hundred feet away), then I applaud you. I really wish I could enjoy such coasters so easily.

[Sythe]

I only rode Anaconda once and maybe I got a bad seat but it was by far the worst Arrow I've ridden.

I suggest if you ride it again keep your head out. It really helps with reducing the head banging.

[Intimidated305]

I still don't understand why people find anaconda to be rough. We took a back seat ride and a middle seat ride on it and it was the smoothest arrow we've ever ridden. It also had some great loops.

 

So I do agree to the term "enthusiasts are babies" on this one.

I agree with this. I compare the smoothness of Anaconda to Tennessee Tornado. Of course, Anaconda has "the spot" where headbanging happens all the time which makes people look down upon it, but I agree, it's inversions are great and it's really smooth. Now I feel like the roller coaster hippie of Kings Dominion... except for Hurler, you can burn to the ground no tears shed.

[cfc]

I still don't understand why people find anaconda to be rough. We took a back seat ride and a middle seat ride on it and it was the smoothest arrow we've ever ridden. It also had some great loops.

 

So I do agree to the term "enthusiasts are babies" on this one.

 

Or some enthusiasts simply have better taste than others. I find Anaconda to be a clunky mess that has no redeeming qualities after the initial drop and loop. If you like it, that's OK. Be happy that there will be at least one less person (namely, me) in front of you in line.

[vcgjr76]

Does anyone know anything about El Dorado? It has been listed for sale on italintl site for years. Now it's not. So here are the options we have.

 

A: It was sold

 

B: It was scrapped

 

C: Going to another Cedar Fair park

 

D: "New" ride in Shockwave's old spot

 

Which one I guess we will find out later.