Beautiful Nostalgia - Kings Dominion
I've always had an interest in Kings Dominion's early years. You don't really run across much from KD back in the day, so I am always very happy when something like this comes along.
It must have been amazing to visit such a monstrous park when it first opened. Too bad it's been chopped up quite a bit...Lake Charles was filled in, the animal areas, monorail, and steam train were removed, etc.
I'm only 30 years old, so it's not right that I should be saying "You kids these days just don't know" but you don't know.
Duke,
Kings Dominion was really full of charm and magic. I could tell you about Yogi Bear's cave and how magical and myserious that was - people would say 'it's just Yogi Bear's cave' but it was so well done, everything was so well done, that it was more than that.
You can see how Rebel Yell was so proud, painted in red and blue trim, gleaming white. You can see the happy cheerful Apple Turnover in green and red.
When your car was lifted up and out of the Sky Ride station, there was a group of four or five mechanical mushrooms that would spring up to life out of the green lawn and sing barbershop tunes, bopping to the tune, mouths moving to sing, eyes moving, so wonderful.
The park was carved into a thick forest, and the trees were kept so nicely and so plentifully to really shroud everything in magic and enchantment. It was like there was always something magical that you missed, hidden behind the trees.
The Antique Car ride, the water flume, white water canyon, Grizzly, all of them shrouded in the trees, wrapped in foliage and moving amongst the streams and little waterfalls and truly like an enchanted magical forest.
Mount Kilamanjaro was majestic like you couldn't ever believe now. The mountain held a water flume, a train ride, and three flat rides. Three or four water fountains cascading down the mountain sides. It was breathtaking.
Lake Charles was a lake. It was beautiful.
I feel very bad for the people who never experienced the park back then. They'll never get a nighttime ride on Grizzly when there are no stars and no moon. They'll never see the woods lighted the wayit used to be. It's a crying shame.
Coasterphan - anything Cedar Fair does with this park couldn't rip out any more heart than its already lost.
- J *** Edited 7/1/2006 1:55:30 AM UTC by ErinGoBraugh*** *** Edited 7/1/2006 1:56:37 AM UTC by ErinGoBraugh***
Coasterphan,
I'm only 30 years old, so it's not right that I should be saying "You kids these days just don't know" but you don't know.
So that only makes you 8 years younger than me.
And yes, I do know. I've been to Kings Dominion when King Cobra was running, When Smurf Mountain, Time Tunnel?, and Lost Cavern?( The Log Flume), used to occupy what Paramount could only manage to put one ride into.
I remember to singing mushrooms at the sky ride station. Hell, I even miss the Waynes World theme to Hurler. *** Edited 7/1/2006 2:29:53 AM UTC by Coasterphan*** *** Edited 7/1/2006 2:30:15 AM UTC by Coasterphan***
Coasterphan said:
Hey! if Paramount didn't do it, and left the park the way it was(Still adding rides, but leaving all of the old stuff in as well), then you can bet your sweet arse that Cedar Fair would be ripping it all out.
I'm not bashing Paramount. I'm just saying it's a shame that so much of the park has been lost over the years. I feel the same way about my home park, Carowinds.
For what it's worth, Paramount put more money into the parks than KECO ever did. I think it's great that they added something new almost every year, I just wish they hadn't had such a destructive attitude towards the older "essential" stuff.
ErinGoBraugh, it's cool to hear the recollections of the park "back when". You mentioned the famous singing mushrooms - they make an appearance in the movie "Rollercoaster". Here are a few screenshots taken from the movie that show KD in 1977.
I only wish I had been able to visit Kings Dominion in its early years. It was truly the regional theme park concept pushed to the max.
*** Edited 7/1/2006 4:11:09 AM UTC by Dukeis#1***
I guess progress is indeed a double-edged sword. Without the investment in the park it may not have survived at all. It serves its niche in Virginia for being more of the "thrill ride park" (although I don't necessarily agree with that notion, I think some degree of truth exists there); without Paramount's investment, it may have succumbed to competition from nearby BGW.
Let's see what good things are in store for it now that Cedar Fair is at the helm!
This movie also highlighted Magic Mountain (no flags in those days) and Great American Revolution. The movie also wanted to highlight Kennywood and to blow up Thunderbolt in one of the scenes. KW refused to make a deal becuase they felt so highly of their coaster and wanted to preserve it. This was the case even though they could have built a new wooden coaster with the money they would have received. *** Edited 7/1/2006 5:21:25 PM UTC by Arthur Bahl***
Arthur Bahl
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