super7

The trees that were removed had some major limbs already removed, so that's a good point. I think overall there are more trees, but its not going to end up being a shaded paradise. The tree opinion subject is really a matter of tree lovers or not. It's pretty obvious I am a tree lover I wasn't sure what kind of trees those were around the Eiffel Tower at KD, but I was assuming they were ash and the beetles go to them. Those trees definitely needed to go. I was surprised they didn't take them out sooner because they looked horrible. But it was also disappointing they didn't plant replacements as it was quite a special feeling with the Eiffel Tower rising out of the woods.

I agree that hill at the entrance at Kings Dominion serves only to block the view of the fountain as you enter. But the fountain is fully visible from the other points. KD personally one of my favorite parks because of how much of the park and walkways are under the trees. More of the walkways there are shaded than even nearby Busch Gardens. Before the trees around KDs Eiffel Tower were removed due to disease,the Tower looked incredible popping out of the forest. IMO Treeless parks feel barren and MORE like parking lots. And they are hot. KI in general does not have a lot of tree covered paths. Trees definitely make Winterfest better. Light covered trees have a special feeling of immersing you in the lights. KDs International Street at Winterfest was absolutely one of the most impress Christmas sights ever (with the exception of the elevated skating)

The new International Street is definitely an improvement, but I don't believe that it will be as beautiful as its 2 counterparts (for tree and landscape lovers). It looks like a huge part of the changes are new pavers closer to the fountains. At least there are trees, but it will take a while for them to be of any size. I was hoping for landscaping islands that King's Dominion has, but the trees are planted directly into the pavers. International Street for Winterfest is going to not look good this year compared to the previous years. The canopy of white lights in the trees was a big part of the special feeling when you walked through the gates. Will the 2 outlooks be the only seating areas or will there be tables on the inner side of the trees toward the fountains?

Winterfest is my favorite time to go to the park.

Things like this matter in park quality. Without a doubt, current mgmt is sending the Taft parks back to the top after they bottomed out during the Paramount years.

Yay! No dog show. Choreographed 80s show in the Showplace. Off the Charts and cirque show are back.

Will the generic white picnic tables be replaced by European street style umbrella table seating like the park originally had? Those unshaded tables were one of the worst things about I Street

Fountains should be sky blue. KDs I Street is absolutely gorgeous with all the trees, landscaping islands and detailed buildings. But I agree. The water looks bad.

The ire is because it’s a frontier-ish themed section and metal warehouses did not exist in those days. Parsmount didn’t even bother to disguise it other than some bamboo in front. Neither did 60s pick up trucks but at least Timbers station matches the overall area theme.

Yay! The outdated pedestals are going. The fountains at Kings Dominion and Canada’s Wonderland look cleaner with the jets coming out of the water. KIs seems it will be even better!

Rivertown will not have a great feeling as long as that hideous warehouse that was tomb raider is standing

The park definitely needs more trees. The area around the Eiffel Tower is pretty barren.

I agree with dumping the Dog Show. It was really nice the year they had Off the Charts in the international show place. You could actually sit down and watch the performers And the performers had shade!

Phantom Thestre was almost Disney quality. Boo Blasters isnt even carnival quality. I would also take the return of enchanted voyage although that will never happen with the loss of Hanna-Barbera licensing Cedar Fair really should install some high-quality family oriented dark rides at all their parks. There is a reason Disney has the highest attendance. There is something there that everyone can do together

I have not made it to Canada’s Wonderland yet but it looks like their international street is as wonderful as Kings Dominion. Look at all the big mature trees and shade. And you can see the entire fountain. I just don’t get where trees block the view of the fountain. They’re normally trim too well above everybody’s head The main Problem with Kings Dominion to see the fountain at the entrance is they have a big landscaping hill At the front of the fountain the blocks the view.

What Action Zone needs is retheming since the current theme is absolutely nothing. With the goth theme of Banshee and The Bat already re named, Transylvania would make good sense and a popular theme.

I believe this park was built in 85 after KECO took control. It was a great example of how poorly KECO did things compared to Taft . Australia’s Wonderland was really poorly built compared to the other Taft parks. The layout was random and unimpressive. Hanna Barbera Lsnd was especially poorly done compared to the other parks. That park did get two of Kings Islands best flat rides. Zodiac (the best ever) and Bayern Kurve rethemed as Wizards Fury. The Bush Beast was a duplicate of Grizzly/Wilde Beast Years before the park was closed and destroyed, they closed HB Land entirely and The Beastie was snbo.

Hopefully this renovation include the planting of even more trees. King's Dominion's version is absolutely gorgeous and its mainly because of the trees.

This is awesome news! This is actually the best improvement they could make at the park IMO. Kings Island's International Street has been way outdated and not-so-nice for a while. Lack of shade. The hideous white picnic tables. Tables right up against the walkways. King's Dominion's International Street is so much nicer that present KI. Kings Dominion has lots of wonderful trees and lush landscaping. There is shade EVERYWHERE. There are nice umbrella tables by the fountain to sit, and they are separated from the walkways with landscape islands. Let's hope that King's Islands ends up like this as well. Lets hope the plant more TREES! King's Dominion International Street at Winterfest also blew way the Kings Island version. It was much more immersive with the lights in the trees all above you wherever you were walking. Although King's Island's Snowflake lake was better because it was lower in the ground and more visible. It looks like they are taking the ugly pedestal fountains out. Kings Dominion and Canada's Wonderland's fountains come directly out of the water, which is a much sleeker look. Hopefully that is the case as well. I am soooo happy Cedar Fair bought these parks. In the begin, I thought they would become generic parks because of the way Cedar Fair didn't care much about atmosphere or theming in the past. But they are returning the Taft parks to their former glory after the destruction that Paramount did.

There was not much racing this year. One side always got to the lift hill first and it was over. One of the best parts of the ride is the slide by slide speed of the initial hills, but it failed to run together to produce that. What any racing coaster really needs is a sensor that adjusts lift hill speed so they both reach the top at the same time.

I really like the way Cedar Fair has headed with the Taft parks, especially after Paramount did so much damage. Each year at the parks seems to make that more solid. New attractions are being themed, family rides being added and Winterfest is my absolute favorite time of the year to attend. If one attends a lot, CF season passes with dining are a huge bargain. Although KI has some of the lowest food quality of any park I have attended. Winterfest this year was notably better than last year. More immersive lights in the trees. Hopefully they keep improving the lighting each year and it will hands down be the best winter event of any park (although Kings Dominon will beat KI if it catches up because KD has more trees to light and is a more scenic park). I would take a night at Winterfest anytime over a full operating day at the park in the summer. Its that special. The former Taft parks are the gem of theme parks and Cedar Fair seems to be rising to their potential.

I agree. On the steel coasters and mine trains also. I always try to get a middle row seat.

Middle seat of any car is smoothest on wooden coasters with 3 row cars.

That ride has such bad capacity that they should have twin rides. The child proof belts don’t help the capacity either!

Will Racer eventually look horrible with unpainted wood as Thunder Road did? Right now Kings Iskand Racer looks the best of the 3 (Including Thunder Road at the end ). They aren’t painting new track on Racer 75 at Kings Dominion Thunder Road looked dilapidated as it had no painted wood in the end Racer is a good coaster. Racer 75 and Thunder Road is/was superior however. The two tracks stay/stayed together until the turn around on those coasters producing a better racing effect. They both have/had a wonderful floater hill instead of that larger hill where KI Racer splits. They both have/had surprise tunnel finales which KI Racer lacks. Plus they took out the final hill of Racer for X Base entrance. Racet 75 does not have trims at the turnaround like KI. Will Ki lose the trims with this retrack?