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Advice on a trip to Kings Dominion


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Snow woman and I are planning a trip to KD this spring. I was wondering if anyone who has been there might be willing to share their thoughts, advice, or feelings about KD and the Richmond area. Like how does KD compare to KI? (other than one is a Dominion and the other is an Island)

Thanks

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I've been once (2 days) and had a blast. Liked the atmosphere and didn;t really have complaints, though they were not prepared for opening day. Dominator opens early and is a great start to the day. Volcano is a must and is known for having a long line all day. I rode front and totally understand why Terpy puts in in it's own class. I've heard many people advise to start at Dominator and get to Volcano when it opens. I adore i305 rode it 20+ in a day. Apparently it usually has a pretty short line so no worries there. Grizzly was closed. Hurler was fun but noting special in my book. Anaconda wasn't worth the credit and was a real headbanger. Wasn't really impressed with their Crypt but the themeing was great. Didn't do their Flight of Fear or BLSC because I had so much fun on i305 and Dominator I didn't feel like riding them. Oh, I;'ve hateed every wild mouse I've been on but loved their. Re-rode it several times.

Glad to hear your going. You'll have a blast!

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Like how does KD compare to KI? (other than one is a Dominion and the other is an Island)

One is in VA & the other in OH...... ;)

My first trip to KD was terrible, I don't know if we were just in bad moods, or expected a similar experience to KI, but we actually left early. We were happy BGW was close by- opening year for AC too!

We did go again, and had a better experience. Volcano is a must, and does typically have the longest line. You should have no problem getting on the major rides at least once.

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Just wanted to comment on some of the food options in Richmond if you're interested...

Helen's - I've eaten here on two separate occasions and it has been fabulous each time. Their menu changes seasonally. They use locally sourced ingredients where possible so that's an added bonus. If you are heading down before May 1 there's a Groupon available also. See the link below:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/helen-s-restaurant?pt=aUOxjqTAAAACdPS83hEipleNJu-CfQ6D4

Deluca Gelato - Every time I'm in Richmond I bring a cooler with dry ice so I can bring some back to Cincinnati. I'm a big gelato fan and the stuff here is absolutely fabulous; some of the best in the country.

http://www.delucagelato.com

Montana Gold Bread Co. - Some of the best cinnamon rolls anywhere. I'm not a big breakfast fan but I always manage to make my way here during trips.

http://www.montanagoldbread.com

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I'd say skip Flight of Fear. My aunt lives in Maryland and she went there for two days. She said it was same throughout international street but got really strange when she went beyond that section. She said she liked KI's layout a whole lot better but that's just her opinion. I'd say also ride shock wave. I know it hurts but it's probably one of the older standup coasters left unless you want to go to CW. What ever you do, have fun! (Take lots of pics)

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I'd NOT skip Flight of Fear. It often doesn't even slow down on the midcourse brake, though this can vary from season to season and sometimes even day to day.

My favorite ride in the park is Volcano: The Blast Coaster. Very fun, with incredible hangtime. Don't miss Avalanche, it's a rare Mack bobsled ride, a great deal of fun in the front.

And note the many differences in the Royal Fountain, compared to the one at Kings Island.

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And isn`t the Best Western in Kings Dominion`s parking lot owned by Cedar Fair? I could be wrong, but I seem to recall coming across that information at some point.

I may actually be returning to Kings Dominion this spring. I last was there in 2000, so its been a while since my last visit. I also plan to hit up BGW too, and I`ve never been there.

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No trip to Kings Dominion is complete without a ride on Dominator, Volcano, I305, Blue Ridge Tollway, Flying Eagles, Triple Spin, Shockwave, and The Crypt. The Crypt has the best theming of any Top Spin named The Crypt IMO. Oh and Berserker is more painful than it is fun. You should definitely skip it.

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I was at KD this past spring, in 2012. :)

-Anaconda, actually, can be a very fun ride. Just make sure you relax and stay open-minded during the ride - it really helps lessen the chance of a so-called "headache." (the ride is going on 22 years old this year; so, out of common sense, you should expect it to be "bumpy." ;)) If you want some Arrow ejector air, ride in the last car. You'll literally be whipped over the top of the first hill - it's an awesome feeling!

-Shockwave has incredible ejector air on every single hilltop and good-feeling positive G-forces in the loop. (In my opinion, I actually like it better than Mantis @ CP)

-FoF is very similar to KI's. A fun ride it is, indeed.

-I305 has A LOT of positive Gs on the turn at the bottom of the first drop. Relax and try not to gray out! :lol:

-Volcano has incredible hangtime (as Terp said) in it's three in-line twists. The launch out of the volcano is really fun!

Another note: Quite a few of the rides had fairly long dispatch times (about 5 minutes) when I was there last year, on April 10, 2012 (only its fifth operating day of the season...). Try not to be surprised if you discover that that is the case when you go.

Hope this advice helps! :)

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Take a look at the posts in a similar topic that I started in July of last year. http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/25914-kings-dominion-tips/ . Kings Dominion is so far my favorite park and home to several of my favorite rides including my #1 I-305. Also check out my trip report about the trip for some more information.http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26108-kings-dominion-trip-report/

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And, I'll say it. If you get even the slightest chance, head over Williamsburg way, too One of the best parks in the business, incredible landscaping, theming, beauty and shows. And Colonial Williamsburg, too.

I second Terp. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a fantastic park with a great collection of rides, not to mention the fantastic landscaping, theming...pretty much what The Interpreter said. :P

Snowman, take lots of pictures and tell us about your experiences!

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If you are thinking of going opening weekend, don't. I went two years ago and I swear nothing in the park was really ready to operate. Most coasters only had 1 train op, with BLSC being the one that had it the worst.


I liked and didn't like the park at the same time. It felt weird since KI is my home park, but some of the rides were a little bit better.

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Snow woman and I have been to BGW and loved every part of it. The food, atmosphere, and rides were wonderful. Got to ride Big Bad Wolf, (will muchly miss) have read about a new coaster there. We couldn't afford to hit KD on that trip seven years ago. I don't know if we'll have time to go to both parks this trip, and we want to give the KD coasters and rides the time they sound like they deserve. Thanks for all the posts, we're reading every update. Any thoughts about Richmond as a place to stay and eat?

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Take a look at the posts in a similar topic that I started in July of last year. http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?

/topic/25914-kings-dominion-tips/ . Kings Dominion is so far my favorite park and home to several of my favorite rides including my #1 I-305. Also check out my trip report about the trip for some more information.http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/26108-kings-dominion-trip-

report/

Some excellent food advice in that thread!

:)

Terp, trying to help.

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