Kings Dominion announces Intimidator 305

You always describe the weirdest things about how you fit into rides, Dave. I thought we were of similar heights, and I can't say my shoulders have ever touched the shoulder bar. In fact, I know Pete is much taller than me, and in the video I shot of him on the day of the media event, his shoulders don't touch either.

Are you a freak of nature? :)

It's the beard... That's all I can think of. :)

My shoulders don't usually touch in the station. If they did, I'd probably be more comfortable.

It's further down, where the lap bar can't come down without the shoulder bar coming back (I'm bigger 'round the middle than you) where things jam up. Whenever the ride supplies either airtime or hang, that's when my shoulders hit because they hit before my thighs do.

Maybe I'm just a freak. :)

The fact remains, I've never met a shoulder bar I liked.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

WHO OH WHY Don't they use the U shaped Lap bars like on El Toro. There safer than the T shaped lap bars, and you get all the leg room you will ever need. EVERYONE WINS!

Sounds to me like MF will still have the best drop in the world. This one may be steeper but the element of insecurity is gone.

I dunno...which drop do you like better, the 300 foot 80-degree straight drop on Millennium Force, or the 400 foot 90-degree twisting drop on Dragster? The drop on Dragster is the one that looks like it is going to take your head off...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Having the OTSR's allows for a lower height requirement for the ride meaning that more guests will be able to enjoy the attraction next season,my only complaint is with the layout & lack of large hills following the drop & the 2nd hill through the lift.

Did anyone go to the park on saturday?Boy talk about a storm of epic proportions,it started raining around 2 pm & didn't let up until about 5:30 pm but they did manage to get most rides up & running by then.

This sounds like it has some airtime!!! I am just curious about those quick switches like maverick. At maverick's speed they are cool but at 90mph I don't know.

^^ They are two different animals. I actually find that the spirals kill the drop on TTD and KK. Your actually not weightless the whole time and being pushed into your seat during the spirals; while on MF your out of your seat the whole time. Also on TTD and KK you go up so fast you never get to appreciate how high up you actually are; where as on MF there is plenty of time to appreciate the altitude.

I will still ride it regardless of the restraints they use. It's just annoying that these restraints are being used. They are painfull and too restricting, and most people would agree. I am a big guy and have no trouble fitting into MF, TTD, or S:ROS so I don't see the reasoning behind not using t-bars. They use them on the new mega-lites why not just keep with the t-bar or just do away with the straps? I've never ridden a coaster so I don't know how their restraints are but they don't use over the shoulder straps.

^You've never ridden a coaster? Well, they're pretty fun. Most of us around here enjoy them. ;)

All joking aside, I rather like the restraints, but it does get a little annoying bashing my neck into them in the tight transitions on rides like Maverick. At the speeds this thing will be traveling at, I don't expect much improvement. Again, as far as OTSR's go, these ones are pretty lenient and don't really detract from the experience. After all, the straps sit noticeably off of my body, so I don't get much of a feeling of restriction.

Layout-wise, I think it looks really cool, combining the better elements of Millennium Force and Maverick as many have suggested. It'll be really neat experiencing the wild direction changes at those blazing speeds, and I'm really liking the SROS-esque ground-level turn off the first drop. Here's hoping that only offering two eight-car trains doesn't equate to massively long lines.

From an enthusiast perspective, if the ride is anything like Maverick, all you locals will quickly learn "how to lean" into the curves so your head doesnt get whacked. I know mine hasn't on Maverick since 2007.

Haha i meant to say Maurer Sohne coaster

Overall other than the first drop, a disappointing coaster. They took a mega-lite (which is a good coaster at less than 200 ft) and just made the first hill taller. Definitely a budget 300 footer. The layout has very few drops, and all of those low high speed curves are going to be very hard on equipment. There are many 200 footers that are done much better. Good thing is it will clear the lines of the park's better coasters!

They really missed the chance to create a good twister with higher drops and overbanked curves. But that would have cost more for the tracks and supports.

The theming is awful for that section of the park. They really missed out on creating a new themed section by simply making it have an Area 51 theme like Flight of Fear.

Your comments sound awfully familiar. To those made in, say, 1999.

Heck, Intamin missed a chance to do a mega-looper.

I can see a 300 ft first drop right into a 200 ft loop, into a 150 ft triple corkscrew.

GIGAFORCE01 said:
WHO OH WHY Don't they use the U shaped Lap bars like on El Toro.

Those are the worst restraints I have been in. Yes I am a bigger guy, and yes I did get stapled. My reasoning does not have to do with that though. There are a lot of us that are bigger. This means slower loads as the crews try their best to get the restraints green lighted. This also means more people doing the walk of shame which does not leave people feeling good about their day at the park.

BATWING FAN SFA said:
Having the OTSR's allows for a lower height requirement for the ride meaning that more guests will be able to enjoy the attraction next season...

How do you figure?

Storm Runner - 54"
Farenheit - 54"
Maverick - 52"
Kingda Ka - 54"

Millennium Force - 48"
El Toro - 48"
Pilgrims Plunge - 48"

As a general rule, rides that have shoulder restraints usually have a higher height restriction than rides that do not, because as people get taller the variations between people get smaller.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The problem I have with Intamin's OTSRs is actually with the lap bar portion. My shoulders don't come close to touching the shoulder-straps but that lap bar staples me into place and takes all of the fun out of the airtime elements.

I've gotten a good whack on the side of the head on the last curvy section of Storm Runner. Also on the twist on KK, I've been hit. I can't say I know what will happen on I305, but I'm pretty sure a lapbar only restraint system would be better.

DaveStroem said:

GIGAFORCE01 said:
WHO OH WHY Don't they use the U shaped Lap bars like on El Toro.

Those are the worst restraints I have been in. Yes I am a bigger guy, and yes I did get stapled. My reasoning does not have to do with that though. There are a lot of us that are bigger. This means slower loads as the crews try their best to get the restraints green lighted. This also means more people doing the walk of shame which does not leave people feeling good about their day at the park.

I agree with this 125% !

This will increase load and unload time, it will make for more guests to be able to ride.

I also still think that they went with shoulder restraints because it has an 85 degree first drop, that is only a 5 degree difference than Griffon and the dive machines and I certainly would not feel safe with just a lap bar at that angle.