Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[boldikus]

Really? On opening day they weren't having any of that. I was still using my zippered pockets, but they were all about the lockers.

[CPmillenia94]

Not an unreasonable assessment of I305. It's definitely in my top 5, but on a scale ranging from flat-out-fun to manic-intensity, its very far from fun. I find it to be almost an endurance challenge of sorts. I still love the sh*t out of it though, even though I can't believe it actually exists.

 

Call me a masochist, I think I305 is pure fun and totally re-rideable. To each their own..

[Afterburner]

Not an unreasonable assessment of I305. It's definitely in my top 5, but on a scale ranging from flat-out-fun to manic-intensity, its very far from fun. I find it to be almost an endurance challenge of sorts. I still love the sh*t out of it though, even though I can't believe it actually exists.

 

Call me a masochist, I think I305 is pure fun and totally re-rideable. To each their own...

 

I do too, normally. But if I were already feeling a bit iffy, I probably wouldn't want to do a lot of re-rides either.

 

Thankfully, KD is an awesome, well-balanced park with a ton of other great rides if you're not feeling up for an I305 marathon.

[Rougarou]

^^^^^ I had a jacket with zip pockets

10 TT rides & out

 

Clint whoever you are your the KING of KD for riding TT 100 times in a row

[Card]

I wore sunglasses through the queue of Twisted Timbers and when I reached the station, I was just instructed to put them away, which I did. Say what you will about cargo shorts, they are a must when I visit the parks. Yeah, they don't look good, but that's because I'M wearing them. Putting me in any type or brand of clothes automatically sullies their reputation.

 

Also, I305 is a great ride (DEFINITELY a motherfucker, intensity-wise) but I've always preferred Millennium Force for its legacy, commanding presence, and beauty, and Fury 325 for its fast, smooth, free, intense-but-not-wanting-to-kill-you ride experience. Don't know why I suddenly felt the need to drag the other domestic gigas into the conversation, but there you have it.

[hoppedup]

I guess I need to revisit I305. I took 22 years off from riding coasters and it was the third one I rode after that break. Now I have 35 more coasters under my belt. It seemed super intense when I rode it. My daughter didn't want to re-ride I305 so we got many laps on Volcano, Dominator, FoF and Backlot the day we were there. We will probably stop by KD in June on our first big trip this summer since it's on the way home, even if it's just to ride TT and I305.

 

1995 - Last coaster ride was Thunder Road at Carowinds

2017 - Next three coaster rides: Dominator, Volcano, I305

[cfc]

Really? On opening day they weren't having any of that. I was still using my zippered pockets, but they were all about the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo.

 

I had a coat with zippered pockets, where I kept my phone and glasses (in a case). They were checking everyone wearing glasses for straps, though (they wouldn't let me wear mine on Flight of Fear, either).

[Jason Maier]

I guess I need to revisit I305. I took 22 years off from riding coasters and it was the third one I rode after that break. Now I have 35 more coasters under my belt. It seemed super intense when I rode it. My daughter didn't want to re-ride I305 so we got many laps on Volcano, Dominator, FoF and Backlot the day we were there. We will probably stop by KD in June on our first big trip this summer since it's on the way home, even if it's just to ride TT and I305.

 

1995 - Last coaster ride was Thunder Road at Carowinds

2017 - Next three coaster rides: Dominator, Volcano, I305

 

Wow . . . . why the 22 year break from riding coasters?

 

At any rate . . . . nice comeback there

[hoppedup]

 

Wow . . . . why the 22 year break from riding coasters?

 

At any rate . . . . nice comeback there

 

1995-2017: Got married. Got into whitewater kayaking, recording live music shows and a few other hobbies. Had a kid.

 

2017: Divorced for 4 years. My 15YO called me one day and said she had just been to Carowinds, had a blast and wanted to go back. I suggested KD and BGW since I never went to those as a kid and they had commercials on our local TV station all the time. We rode Dominator first and I was hooked. It was a Proustian moment, for sure. Then we did Volcano and I305 and I realized coasters had changed a lot in 22 years. Two weeks later we had Platinum Cedar Fair passes and SF Gold passes. We went to Dollywood and SFOG in November. We are taking two ten-day trips this summer hitting 14 new to us parks and possibly over 100 new coasters. The bug has bitten hard! We are only an hour and a half from Carowinds so we can go there anytime we like. KD is only three hours so it may get a few visits this year as well.

[Vigil]

I'm meeting my friends at the park tomorrow, and they're trying not to pay for parking. Is there a place they could park their car for the day outside so they could just pile into mine?

 

On a different note, how is TT doing? Have they figured out the issues? I told them to get there early so we could go ride it before it gets crowded, but if it has issues opening with the park I'd go do Volcano first.

[Canobie Coaster]

I'm meeting my friends at the park tomorrow, and they're trying not to pay for parking. Is there a place they could park their car for the day outside so they could just pile into mine?

 

On a different note, how is TT doing? Have they figured out the issues? I told them to get there early so we could go ride it before it gets crowded, but if it has issues opening with the park I'd go do Volcano first.

 

Twisted Timbers didn't open with the park last Friday, but that was due to the cold weather delaying their morning testing. It looks like it'll be 10 degrees warmer tomorrow, so cooler temperatures shouldn't be an issue. Once the ride opened, I didn't see it go down at all on Friday. The second row was blocked off though.

[bigchooch11]

To any Kings Dominion regular visitors trying to figure out the best place to stay for a night that's less than 100 dollars, I've never been to the area so any advice would

be appreciated, Will be going in late June thanks.

[DoinItForTheFame]

HOLY

 

 

 

I take back all those negative things I have ever said about i305. As of today I FULLY understand the craze for this coaster. Like, I need a moment to catch my breath.

 

(Full TR to come later! The day is still young, and there is still a lot of park to enjoy!)

[ytterbiumanalyst]

 

Wow . . . . why the 22 year break from riding coasters?

 

At any rate . . . . nice comeback there

 

1995-2017: Got married. Got into whitewater kayaking, recording live music shows and a few other hobbies. Had a kid.

 

2017: Divorced for 4 years. My 15YO called me one day and said she had just been to Carowinds, had a blast and wanted to go back. I suggested KD and BGW since I never went to those as a kid and they had commercials on our local TV station all the time. We rode Dominator first and I was hooked. It was a Proustian moment, for sure. Then we did Volcano and I305 and I realized coasters had changed a lot in 22 years. Two weeks later we had Platinum Cedar Fair passes and SF Gold passes. We went to Dollywood and SFOG in November. We are taking two ten-day trips this summer hitting 14 new to us parks and possibly over 100 new coasters. The bug has bitten hard! We are only an hour and a half from Carowinds so we can go there anytime we like. KD is only three hours so it may get a few visits this year as well.

I totally understand this story. I got out of coasters in 2007. I got married, had a kid, and my life went in a different direction. In 2012 we brought my daughter to SDC during my wife's work picnic event, and she loved it. That's what got me back into theme parks. Not as much time, granted, but I get you. Your kids can sometimes show you something you love.

[bill_s]

TT was running both trains last night with no blocked-off rows. So all worked out. I rode far back and front for the first times. Both were great, front better. More hang and air at the leading edge of the hills rather than the ends. It was really using every last bit of momentum to complete the course though, maybe due to it being breezy and some empty seats. The end was only a little mild but the brakes may or may not have touched before the drive wheels engaged and accelerated the train!

 

I tried Border Burritos. This year the menu choices are halved but there are actually more items to put on it. They added pork, and I tried the OMG shredded beef with Spanish rice and refries etc.

[thepoint4life23]

I found this funny. Not sure what to think of it but still entertaining. https://thepeedmont.com/2017/04/27/humanitarian-efforts-underway-after-kings-dominion-volcano-erupts/

[PKI Jizzman]

How consistent is the fire effect on Volcano?

[coasterbill]

It's consistent with a real volcano since it only goes off once a century or so...

 

It's theming.

[PKI Jizzman]

It's consistent with a real volcano since it only goes off once a century or so...

 

It's theming.

 

Nice ninja edit Well done on this one haha. Makes sense, was pretty much the answer I was expecting.

[coasterbill]

Yeah, my first answer was way more boring.

[DoinItForTheFame]

It's consistent with a real volcano since it only goes off once a century or so...

 

It's theming.

 

 

Coasterbill strikes again.

 

But... Such a great discription. And accurate too.

[Highridin]

Help me out. What kind of friend discounts does the KD gold pass give? Free some days? 50% off? Thanks for the help.

[hoppedup]

Help me out. What kind of friend discounts does the KD gold pass give? Free some days? 50% off? Thanks for the help.

 

 

https://www.kingsdominion.com/tickets-passes/season-pass-bring-a-friend-days

[Highridin]

Thanks. Guess I'd do better with the $38 tickets on base.

[zburns999]

In regards to Twisted Timbers, I know we were all kind of speculating a month+ ago about "what this thing will be like when it's 90 degrees out." I'm happy to say that I got to ride it a handful of times today (in the midst of a nice heatwave here in the DMV) and it totally exceeded anything I really thought possible based upon my first ride back in March. I used to be one of those people who secretly judged anyone who ever complained that [N] coaster was too intense or had too much airtime or the restraints were too hard or whatever. But five TT rides and two bruised thighs later, I'm finally starting to understand where people's heads are at. What a gem by RMC, seriously. It was so cool being in the station in the evening, overhearing multiple guests calling the ride "amazing" or something similar. People are eating this thing up!

 

Two sidenotes: I'm still not sure if I prefer front, back, or in-between on TT. I was actually surprised how much more extreme some of the airtime was in the front seat (especially on the triple hill part), but that drop into the on-ride photo section in the back is about as close to El Toro's Rolling Thunder hill as anything's ever going to get.

 

Also, today was the first day I've ever seen The Crypt open (and I've been going to KD routinely over the past three years). I just figured it was SBNO. Anyway, had to give it a shot, and it was freakin insane. I remember being super disappointed by past top-spin offerings (HangTime at Dorney and King Kahuna at Kennywood). Why is this one so good?