Exotic Kings Dominion 9/9/07
Associated parks:
None
Didn't get to the park until around 1:30 and it closed at 8. My friend and I are pros at Kings Dominion now and were just going for a chill visit. Thanks to light crowds, we hit everything we wanted to (all coasters minus Ricochet and Avalanche)!
Ride Reports:
Volcano - I'm starting with this because it was the highlight of my day - and not only because of its usual kickassness. Rode front seat after a 25 minute wait early on. Later we found a short line but the ride hadn't fired in the second launch. We came back a few minutes later and got back row.
After the first fantastic launch, we hit the tunnel. Wait, did it...no...YES! we aren't going to make it! My first ROLLBACK ever was on Volcano and it was amazing. My friend and I were excited and enjoyed our memorable half-ride.
The interesting part comes here. As we rolled to a stop, a lady and several little girls started freaking out. Screaming, cursing, yelling at the workers. The lady was like "you answer me right now" to the mechanics. As a reminder of what direction our society is heading, a little girl yells "we can sue, you know." I tried to calm them down, but was shut-down. I shouldn't have bothered. Now before you go telling me that the GP might have been scared, let me say this: I get it. But, we were stopped and the crew was obviously trying to get us down. We were released from the train in less than five minutes.
After joking around with one of the workers about the crazy customers, they let my friend and I wait in the cleared station. Everyone else on our train decided to leave. After some test runs, we got the front row and the girl we talked to rode behind us. A fantastic, FAST ride followed. We rode a third time in the back. All in all, a fantastic experience, proving mechanical errors are fun and bring out the best in some people. Also, I never noticed the transfer track before. Is that a third train I saw? I also found out that when Volcano rolls back, it travels full speed back around the wide turn and breaks in the first tunnel, which makes sense. When the ride fired up, we moved backwards more into launch position.
The other highlight of our day was our marathon on the woodies, which were kicking butt.
Hurler - Running well at Carowinds last month, just as good here. Got ejector (not a mistake) airtime on one of the hills.
Grizzly - Talk about a new park staple. I had the best rides on this coaster yesterday that I have ever had. It was hauling and the first drop was killer. The tunnel was intense, and quite brutal - but in a good way. This coaster is a real gem. We rode front, back, middle without leaving the train.
Rebel Yell - I finally got to "race" on this coaster on both sides. A little rough before the turnaround, but otherwise nice.
Shockwave - We rode it.
Hypersonic XLC - Here is where I am a little sad. I took my purportedly last ride on this yesterday and all I can say about the ride I once enjoyed is good riddance. I smashed my head good on the giant phallus, and I know better. This ride has outlived its short life and nearly everybody I heard talking about the ride was complaining. And I'm usually positive. I'll try to remember it back in 2001. Adios polluter of the woody corner of Kings Dominion, hello Dominator!
Flight of Fear - Nice and smooth this time, running very fast. This ride is always fun. What's up with the new orange seats in some of the trains? They are ugly.
Anaconda - Love this Arrow looper. 'Nuff said.
IJST - Fix the helicopter, nice forces in the helix.
Drop Zone - I got about six fantastic drops. Works every time.
Staff:
Some better than others. Slow on Drop Zone. Great on Hurler.
Park:
Clean and looking good this late in the season. Getting ready for Halloween.
Overall:
My Volcano ride and newfound love for Grizzly made the day a great one. The sunset over the park yesterday was beautiful.
I apologize for the stream of consciousness of this report. I just don't have it in me to copy edit it much more. :)
Thanks!
I went to King's Dominion this summer for the first time with my family and the Grizzly blew my brother and I away. Its amazing. I dont want them to ever retrack it unless it becomes dangerously rough. The ride is perfect in intensity. I thought it was a good ride during the day, but when night came around was when I was blown away. Our trip to KD was two days, thursday and friday, open until 10pm each day. At around 9:15pm on the first day, we went to the Grizzly for a few more rides (we had already ridden it 6 six times prior to this). We ended up staying on it until 10 oclock, a total of 8 more rides due to one train operation and only waiting in line one time. Then, the next day we did the same thing, only we headed there at 9:00 instead of 9:15 and we stayed on it until close again. We rode it a total of 30 times in two days. The Grizzly is now my number 1 wooden, right in front of the Thunderbolt at Kennywood.
We also had several rides on Anaconda, which was surprisingly smooth, and Italian Job, which I feel something similar would do well for kennywood. Pretty much everything was a walk on. It sort of concerns me because the same thing was occuring at Geauga Lake when it was a Six Flags. I hope this place isnt in trouble. I will be returning to KD next summer with my Cedar Fair Maxx pass!
If the floorless from Geauga is actually headed to KD, I'm not sure it's going in the spot where you thought it would. *** Edited 9/10/2007 10:20:22 PM UTC by Seahawk & the Wave*** *** Edited 9/10/2007 10:21:05 PM UTC by Seahawk & the Wave***
If the floorless from Geauga is actually headed to KD, I'm not sure it's going in the spot where you thought it would.
Didn't mean to imply it'd go where Hypersonic is. I have a feeling it will be going near the entrance or behind Anaconda if it does make an appearance. *** Edited 9/10/2007 10:39:06 PM UTC by Willh51***
However, in the when the park first opened, I noticed that Hypersonic wasnt shimmying as much. Is the ride more enjoyable in the morning?
On the other hand, i though Grizzly was just ok, it rained all day. It reminded me of a way to make a cheaper beast down south.
Hurler, that ride had good laterals in the turns but nothing special to me. The crew was terrible on that ride as well, they didnt even open the exit gate so people in front of us tried to rip it open. After yelling at them to open it they finally did after we disturbed their conversation.
But i wholeheartedly agree that the gems are volcano, and anaconda i really enjoyed that ride, that and Nessie i rode on that trip and made me a whore for Arrow loopers.
All in all the park reminded me of Kings Island alot, it seemed like most rides were clones of each other, ie of course, rebel yell, grizzly reminds me of beast, but not nearly as trimmed, ITSC, FOF, Anaconda, but better than Vortex, and King Kobra, to Shockwave too much of the same, not enough variety. But still a good time, because lines were short that day.
Resident Arrow Dynamics Whore
Why didn't Arrow use the vertical drop that much? Maybe it's more than I think, but some of the Arrows that come to mind (either former, removed ones) or current ones have drops similar to GASM...yawn!!!
The Vortex drop at least has some intensity to it in the back!
Seahawk & the Wave said:
Thanks, I am very glad to hear of a good time at Kings Dominion. I have been a frequent visitor for many years and have long thought this park could do no wrong (other than some bad decisions with real estate), but lately people have been coming back with reports of dirty park, surly staff, etc - all the stuff you don't want to hear after a well-established park changes ownership. You have lifted my spirits and revived my faith in one of my favorite parks. And The Grizzly is one of the best in the world, I've always thought. One of the most underappreciated, out-of-control rides out there. Just stay out of seat 3, that's mine. Glad it's running good.If the floorless from Geauga is actually headed to KD, I'm not sure it's going in the spot where you thought it would. *** Edited 9/10/2007 10:20:22 PM UTC by Seahawk & the Wave*** *** Edited 9/10/2007 10:21:05 PM UTC by Seahawk & the Wave***
My two trips this season were rather good,with the exception of the extreme heat on my august trip & as usual Grizzly was running well.No signs of a dirty park but the staff on some rides could move a bit faster when checking trains.
Dominator wouldn't fit in HSXLC's footprint,rumor has it that it's going in the parking lot just behind scooby doo & that markers have been spotted recently in that area....at least it's not going in congo as there are already too many coasters in that section of the park as it is.
If it does go Raptor Jo won't be sited at GL anymore (not a rumor!)
Maybe KD can provide that coaster with the TLC it needs and deserves! I noticed X-Flight--oops--Firehawk seems very well taken care of at KI.
Awesome tr thanks for sharing!! :)
Jo
Lifetime Raptor flights: 1220 :)
Lifetime Dominator rides: not enuf :(
'00 '02 '03 '09 Raptor Crew
2018 - present Mako Crew
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