Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[bgtlover]

^I completely understand. I would feel the same way.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

But in all seriousness I think the RMC will be a bit taller than mathematically estimates because they'll probably extend the base a bit, reaching a height in the 115-120 range.

 

Still, that's tall enough to reach the skyline when you enter the park off I-95 as well as increase the speed of the ride (practically) to around 57-60 mph or so.

That seems a good estimate. The 112 assumes that the lift begins on the ground, which it likely will not do. For comparison, Shivering Timbers is 122 feet, so a similar height is definitely enough speed to be exciting.

[Vonni]

How DARE you try to bring math into my coaster loving escapism hobby!

 

 

[CP Maverick]

How DARE you try to bring math into my coaster loving escapism hobby!

 

Roller coasters are basically physics, which is primarily math.

 

Example: You know what "Gs" actually mean? That's how many times the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s^2 or 21.94 mph) the coaster will reach. It's NOT the same as velocity. The reason you get airtime is because you're getting the opposite; negative acceleration due to gravity.

 

One of the reasons why Skyrush is so fast despite the drop being smaller than many other hypercoasters is because the cable lift will already yield a higher amount of KE to add on to the existing drop. Conversely, of the reasons why dive coasters are always slower than hypers despite similar drops is because the amount of KE at the top is near zero thanks to the holding break.

 

Did this seriously just happen?

 

Don't get me wrong, I love the enthusiasm, but maybe 1% of TPR doesn't understand basic physics.

[bill_s]

How DARE you try to bring math into my coaster loving escapism hobby!

 

Roller coasters are basically physics, which is primarily math.

 

Example: You know what "Gs" actually mean? That's how many times the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s^2 or 21.94 mph) the coaster will reach. It's NOT the same as velocity. The reason you get airtime is because you're getting the opposite; negative acceleration due to gravity.

 

One of the reasons why Skyrush is so fast despite the drop being smaller than many other hypercoasters is because the cable lift will already yield a higher amount of KE to add on to the existing drop. Conversely, of the reasons why dive coasters are always slower than hypers despite similar drops is because the amount of KE at the top is near zero thanks to the holding break.

 

Actually not a very good explanation. You get airtime because it lets you fall with the acceleration of gravity, or pulls you down even faster. If there wasn't normally gravity, airtime would be the norm. If there were still coasters, I guess we'd rave about the ones with the most gravity.

 

The speed of the lift has a minor effect on ride speed. Using a free fall calculator, a 10 MPH lift increases the theoretical max. speed from 77.35 MPH to 77.99 MPH, that's all*. But then, I didn't feel like there was anything faster about about Skyrush's drop than other hypers either, except being over quicker. The speed of the ride is due to to no other part going near as high so it never slows down.

 

* I can check this for conservation of energy easily, 10^2 + 77.35^2 = 77.99^2 . Since kinetic energy varies as velocity squared, 10 MPH just isn't much energy.

[AstrumSpark]

How DARE you try to bring math into my coaster loving escapism hobby!

 

Roller coasters are basically physics, which is primarily math.

 

Example: You know what "Gs" actually mean? That's how many times the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s^2 or 21.94 mph) the coaster will reach. It's NOT the same as velocity. The reason you get airtime is because you're getting the opposite; negative acceleration due to gravity.

 

One of the reasons why Skyrush is so fast despite the drop being smaller than many other hypercoasters is because the cable lift will already yield a higher amount of KE to add on to the existing drop. Conversely, of the reasons why dive coasters are always slower than hypers despite similar drops is because the amount of KE at the top is near zero thanks to the holding break.

 

Actually not a very good explanation. You get airtime because it lets you fall with the acceleration of gravity, or pulls you down even faster. If there wasn't normally gravity, airtime would be the norm. If there were still coasters, I guess we'd rave about the ones with the most gravity.

 

The speed of the lift has a minor effect on ride speed. Using a free fall calculator, a 10 MPH lift increases the theoretical max. speed from 77.35 MPH to 77.99 MPH, that's all*. But then, I didn't feel like there was anything faster about about Skyrush's drop than other hypers either, except being over quicker. The speed of the ride is due to to no other part going near as high so it never slows down.

 

* I can check this for conservation of energy easily, 10^2 + 77.35^2 = 77.99^2 . Since kinetic energy varies as velocity squared, 10 MPH just isn't much energy.

 

[RollerManic]

You, of all people, want to mock someone's mathematical speculation for the crime that it was written with too much authority?

 

EDIT: Oh wait, I see. You're involved in that thread of quotes. It's personal now. You have to switch sides when it's personal, right? But wait - this post of yours was more BS. So now that it can be seen that you were of the essentially the same ideas the solution changes to hypocrisy, right?

 

ps — bill_s I don't think that of your post. I'm just saying that's AustrumSpark's intent.

[AstrumSpark]

You, of all people, want to mock someone's mathematical speculation for the crime that it was written with too much authority?

 

EDIT: Oh wait, I see. You're involved in that thread of quotes. It's personal now. You have to switch sides when it's personal, right? But wait - this post of yours was more BS. So now that it can publicly be proven that you were of the same ideas the solution changes to hypocrisy, right?

 

ps — bill_s I don't think that of your post. I'm just saying that's AustrumSpark's intent.

 

Um that's not my intent. It was a joke. Stop acting offended for no reason.

[bill_s]

^^-- I got that he was saying pie on his face (probably). But it was a good enough segue to get in a slightly deeper.

 

One thing I wouldn't argue is that with a fast lift, if you change it but nothing else you will be able to feel the difference, even if the speed number change is small.

 

Another thing I didn't think about, in my example of a weightless environment coaster you can still get ejector airtime ( -G's), or is it then ejector gravity?

P.S. had to look to remember which thread this is.

[JordyC]

If there wasn't normally gravity, airtime would be the norm.

 

Well, then zero-G would be the norm, actually.

[AstrumSpark]

In more important news...

 

TRACK IS NOW ON HURLER!!!!

Credit goes to @mid.atlantic.thrills on Instagram.

[bgtlover]

From American Amusement Park Museum and Club on Facebook:

[WOFanatic]

From American Amusement Park Museum and Club on Facebook:

That's awesome! Super excited to see what they can do with Hurler, and glad to see a smaller park getting more attention in the Cedar Fair chain (I know, it's not a Valleyfair/Worlds of Fun size, but it's not exactly top-tier).

[bill_s]

And some truly groundbreaking news:

 

Shortcut path is open between Dominator area and the kids area. Make a beeline to Woodstock Express. Smoking area there is currently gone, though wasn't a popular one.

 

 

And the new RMC track looks impressively big and solid too. This seems like a pattern, to lay track at the bottom of the lift very early, must help reinforce it at the base. No trick track this time. Looking a bit more at their methods, it makes some sense they're building it slowly and stretched out with a small team. While the track pieces are large, compared to a steel coaster it's more a bunch of small pieces bolted together.

[coasterdude28]

Any chance we see the first turn use an adapted version of the outward bank on Wildfire or the wave turn on Lighting Rod?

 

[Rayj]

Is there a reason why RMC tends to recycle the same 3 colors (red, orange, or dark red)? I wish hurler was a light blue or some other color, KD already has two red coasters. Not that big of a deal but something I've noticed.

[AstrumSpark]

Any chance we see the first turn use an adapted version of the outward bank on Wildfire or the wave turn on Lighting Rod?

 

 

Possibly.

 

Is there a reason why RMC tends to recycle the same 3 colors (red, orange, or dark red)? I wish hurler was a light blue or some other color, KD already has two red coasters. Not that big of a deal but something I've noticed.

 

I'd rather they save the blue for a future B&M or so. Warmer colors go better with wood.

[boldikus]

And the new RMC track looks impressively big and solid too. This seems like a pattern, to lay track at the bottom of the lift very early, must help reinforce it at the base.

I doubt this is the reason why, though someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think a better guess is that its because its easier to start installing track on the lower parts of the structure where they don't need large cranes, which the parks tend to have for limited amounts of time during construction due to their cost.

 

Is there a reason why RMC tends to recycle the same 3 colors (red, orange, or dark red)? I wish hurler was a light blue or some other color, KD already has two red coasters. Not that big of a deal but something I've noticed.

Agreed 100%. This grinds my gears. Why not a banana yellow Ibox track? Or hot pink? A nice baby blue? If we have colors like Twisted Colossus and Joker, why so many reds and oranges on all the other RMCs? Ridiculous track colors add to the already freakish/Frankenstein look of all the RMC's.

 

I'd rather they save the blue for a future B&M or so.

I suppose you're referencing that B&M flyer that some kid pipe-dreamed into existence?

[bill_s]

And the new RMC track looks impressively big and solid too. This seems like a pattern, to lay track at the bottom of the lift very early, must help reinforce it at the base.

I doubt this is the reason why, though someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think a better guess is that its because its easier to start installing track on the lower parts of the structure where they don't need large cranes, which the parks tend to have for limited amounts of time during construction due to their cost.

I know they'd do that anyway. But they lay the track on the lift before even completing the lift hill itself. And how many months went by between the first track up the lift (STILL incomplete) on Mean Streak and track anywhere else? The only other reason that would make sense is they want to get some visible track on the coaster and that's the bit that suits them to start with, but then part of that reason wraps back around to where we started. Plus it brings up the question of if announcing by doing is something they do intentionally (I think so, but the parks don't act like it)... The new part of the Hurler lift structure also doesn't look stronger than the original, in fact there's no cross braces (edit: diagonals) at all on it right now, which points back at that bit of track at the bottom tying it down. Looking at other bits of RMC, the wood part of the structure never looks very strong, they must rely on the track itself to hold up to more intense elements.

[AstrumSpark]

I hope you'll be able to see the ride as you enter the park. You couldn't with the old Hurler.

[bgtlover]

From KD Golden Years on Facebook:

[Canobie Coaster]

I've been meaning to make a return trip to Busch Gardens and this is another great reason to head down to Virginia.

[Fooz]

Intimidator was "slowed" by a minuscule amount

 

No, they trimmed the living sh*t out of Intimidator. That trim bites harder than any non-midcourse trim I can think of, but guess what... the ride is still awesome.

 

The mid-course trim was there opening day on I305. It's no less intense now than spring 2010.

[Liampie]

Hello! I already asked for BGW tips in the BGW thread, but since I'm also visiting King's Dominion on Wednesday, I'd like to hear some input on the same practical questions:

 

- What crowds and queues can I expect?

- Which rides get the biggest queues and should I try to do first? Is there a recommended order?

- What are the best seats in every coaster?

 

Thanks!

[mike541x]

Hello! I already asked for BGW tips in the BGW thread, but since I'm also visiting King's Dominion on Wednesday, I'd like to hear some input on the same practical questions:

 

- What crowds and queues can I expect?

- Which rides get the biggest queues and should I try to do first? Is there a recommended order?

- What are the best seats in every coaster?

 

Thanks!

 

-Since you're going on Wednesday, crowds should be pretty light and I would expect most queues should have minimal wait times with the exception of a few rides.

 

-Head to Volcano first since that always has a long queue through out most of the day,. If you get there first thing in morning when the park opens, you can get a few rides in.

 

-I might be a little biased since I'm a backseat rider, but most rides there are great in the last row, notably Dominator, Intimidator, and Grizzly. However, I do prefer the front on Volcano and Flight Of Fear.