CAROWINDS & KINGS DOMINION - QUESTION

These are my new Home Parks, after 4 years living next to 6 Flags Great America I am now located in North Carolina, 4 hours driving from Carowinds, Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens - Williamsburg .. I am buying a season Plat Pass for Carowinds/Kings Dominion .. Question, which park is better?

Answers to questions like this are always subjective. You'll get many, many opinions and in the end you still won't know.

Since you'll have a pass you'll be visiting both parks anyway, right? So why don't you wait and give us your impressions?

I'd advise you go to each park's website and research which park you think you would like better.

It depends on what you seek in a park. If you seek a massive number of roller coasters then you would hit Kings Dominion or Carowinds. Both parks are home to one of the top 10 tallest coasters in the world. But if you want something more aesthetically engaging but still has some good coasters then you visit Busch Gardens. There are only aboutt 6 coasters there, but the actual park and grounds are gorgeous and well landscaped. But again its all about what you like to see and do.

I THINK THEY'RE BOTH GREAT!!11!1!1!1

In all seriousness, it's hard to say which is better. I'd argue that the Intimidator/Fury 325/Afterburn trifecta will give you the ultimate coaster combination (although Dominator/I305/Grizzly is a force to be reckoned with in its own right), but I think Kings Dominion has the edge on atmosphere and such.

I realize that wasn't overly helpful, but what can I say? Both are great for different reasons.

Since you'll have a Platinum Pass, why not go to both and then figure out which one you like more?

No answer is going to be helpful.

My mommy just came home from the produce stand in town, and I don't know what to eat now. Which is best? Apples or oranges?

Apples, by far.

Depends on the variety of apple and orange in question.

KD has Grizzly, which really means a wooden-coaster freak such as myself calls it a no-contest....but then again, Carowinds has *the* set of flying skooters....

Worms, everywhere...

Don't forget, Mr. Gator, KD has their original B/R Flying Scooters as well, and the line isn't nearly as long. There's no free ride for the best flyer, mind you, but that reduces Carowinds' capacity even further.

And here I am, in with an opinion. Dammit.

Carowinds flying skooters >>>>>> KD flying scooters. The expressions on the faces of the onlookers at Carowinds when an expert is on the ride are absolutely fantastic. You'll see parents and kids both pointing up to good flyers with looks that contain awe, reverence, and disbelief. The Carowinds set has better reference points as to how high you're actually flying with the nearby trees and the roof of the ride queue.

The free ride for the best flyer at Carowinds - while it does reduce the capacity of the line - again works in their favor. How many parks actively encourage you to fly them in the awesome manner they were intended to go? That's one of the reasons I think the Carowinds set beats out Knoebels set too. I always feel a little "dirty" snapping the flyers at Knoebels if there's a ride op (outside of PPP) who looks like he'll shut down the ride if riders continue to snap. What fun is that?

OK did both parks this week. For how pretty a park can be goes to KD, but Fury 325. After burn trumps prettiness for this coaster rider!

RCMAC - yes, I am aware of KD's Skooters...gotten many *really good* rides on them. But not KI/Carowinds quality. And not even on the same planet as Knoebels'! I cannot understand for the life of me why even sets from the same manufacturer behave so different. I've even been on a few Larsons that beat KD's set (sacre bleu! Blasphemy! LOL). Try the set at Lagoon sometime...my goodness.

But back to KD, I'm probably biased based on the nostalgia factor...my first loop, the last park I visited with my father when he was still alive, my "home park" for 6-7 years in the early 80s, long before Adventure World blew up.

That being said, they're both fine parks, and Carowinds is growing better faster...it will be "the CP of the South" very shortly, if it's not already. Can't wait for my first lap on Fury...

I think the reason I've never been a huge flyer nut is precisely because I grew up going to Kings Dominion. I liked them (especially as the Parrot Troopers when they partially flew over Lake Charles) but never understood the fascination enthusiasts had for them until my first trip to Knoebels. Completely different animal. Apparently I missed out on KI's and Carowinds' as well.

Both look like a better place to get some rides in than SFGAm, but the real treasure in that part of the land is Busch Williamsburg.

sirloindude said:

...although Dominator/I305/Grizzly is a force to be reckoned with in its own right...

I can see Banshee 2.0 making an appearance sooner rather than later as well.