SonofBaconator

Take the Skyride to the train station. It might not be super fast but you won't be tired.

I assume the building is most likely on the chopping block for a flat or something but I always wondered how a small, indoor-outdoor coaster like Mystery Mine would look.

The only scene that isn't shown as much is the actual theater scene where the canon was -today its where the library is on Boo Blasters. This scene also had the audience members in the balcony and the it was always super dark so its hard to see on any video.

From an enthusiast's point of view the discount thing its great for reasons like you mentioned: the park is dead, the rides are more geared to enthusiasts because of intensity, and so on. I, however, don't think being the discount park/chain is something companies should shoot for. I get the idea but I've always been one for quality over quantity. I'd personally rather spend more money if the quality is going to be better. I wish Six Flags didn't see themselves as the discount chain and pushed to be more. In a way calling yourself a discount park/chain is just an excuse to not invest more in your assets. Its not just parks, certain sports owners share this mentality where they do the bare minimum and are satisfied with the profit they make. I think companies in general would make a larger profit if they invested more into their parks. I see what you're saying with KD being the discount Virginia park and it is in a lot of respects, but I don't want it to stay that way. They could label themselves as "Virginia's Family park", "Virginia's Fun park" or something along those lines as a way to differentiate themselves. The way I see it, BGW is Virginia's destination park where as KD is Virginia's regional park. I know people like I-305 but I don't think it was the best decision for the park to get at the time. I'm not arguing that its not a fun ride but I know the gp, who make up the majority of park attendance, prefer rides with less intensity. I think it would've fit in great with a park like Great Adventure or Magic Mountain but for a park like Kings Dominion it was too......commanding.

There are regions that have parks that directly compete with one another- CGA and SFDK in the bay area, SW and SF in San Antonio, and of course KD and BGW in eastern Virginia. If Zimmerman gave you the task of "overthrowing" BGW what would you do? I'll start. Honestly, I would try to get a B&M hyper if there's not a current clause preventing it. Hypers are loved by the GP and praised for their reliability and capacity. I know BGW has the 1st ever hyper by B&M but that debuted in 1999 which was over 20 years ago and is a bit dated in many ways. If KD got something with large floater hills it would be less intense for those who are tired of I-305. Hypers can be found at almost every large park so I don't think it would be a poor business decision to get one. I'm almost confident Virginia enthusiasts would dub it the state's superior hyper. I still wonder where they would be if they got a hyper like the majority of the other Paramount parks got in the late 200s Another ride I would add that would bring some diversity to the park's lineup would be a water ride replacing Anaconda. This could either be a Mack Powersplash that Airtime Thrills suggested in one of his videos or something that incorporates the lake. Aside from more mild rides I think focusing on families is the way to go.

One thing KI has an immediate advantage over CP is the presence of a stationary observation tower.

Gotta be Spaghetti Bowls for me. I think someone should buy a clone of Dragon Challenge- whether it be just one side or both coasters.

The patent by B&M looks to have standup trains with vest restraints. This would explain why they'd have to design a whole new coaster because I know vest restraints require some alterations. If this is accurate then surf coaster trains wouldn't be compatible with current stand-ups like Riddler's Revenge or Georgia Scorcher. If the trains are more comfortable to riders I wonder if we'll see one come to KI someday. Nothing massive, but something closer to King Cobra's original size. I always felt like King Cobra was removed at the right point before people really started to dislike it; Shockwave and Skyrider lasted longer but their popularity decreased with each passing year. I I argue having a small scale surf coaster would be well received as long as its not painful.

I do, but look at other high attendance parks that have them: BGT, BGW immediately come to mind. They do make a model that features a transfer track allowing two stations; make them hold 3 car trains and the capacity would improve significantly. I know SRIIs have very poor capacity but I was thinking more along the lines of just adding a coaster. If there's a higher capacity filler coaster that fits in a compact plot of land I'm all for it.

I still wouldn't count out the idea of a filler coaster e.g. a Sky Rocket II like Tempesto or Tigris to hold people over until something larger arrives. Yes enthusiasts don't care for them as much as regular guests do but they're compact, intense, and don't cost as much.

I used to want a B&M flyer until I realized how complicated they are. I think there's a reason why there's been 8 made (11 total but 4 are clones). If someone gets one they'll have to anticipate downtime which is what most parks try to avoid. In my opinion, flyers aren't too different from inverts. At least Vekoma flyers have riders starting off above the track.

The biggest perk of KI over CP from a visitor's standpoint is that KI can be tackled in 1-2 days and is easily accessible to season pass holders where they can go multiple times a month. Cedar Point is a park that you almost have to spend multiple days to get the full experience with the coasters, the water park, and the lake. Cedar Point is a park you need to plan for if you have a family or a group. You have to decide what resort you want to stay at, how many days, if you want fastlane plus, if you want to send the extra admission on the water park, etc. You don't know how long the lines will be, so you feel rushed. KI does not have this problem. Yes there are some long lines but they move pretty fast for the most part. Also there is no need to really plan your visit. The water park is included in your admission so you have options. If you go for two days you can hit both parks and get your money's worth. At KI you can re ride popular rides in the same day without the need of a fastlane. I was fortunate enough to marathon Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster but that was in the middle of May when they were slower. Unless you have bad weather, or its super early in the season, its hard to get re rides on CPs coasters without fastlane plus.

I watched El Toro Ryan's video on Superman Ultimate Flight and it made me rethink my desire for a B&M flyer. I don't know if they have improved their technique but they seem to be the most maintenance heavy designs B&M has to offer.

If that's the case I'd want something like Valkyria. I don't care if it hits 200ft if it has more than 4 inversions and has good pacing

Would it surpass Valravn or Yukon in some way or would it be closer to Sheikra or Griffon?

I wonder how this pandemic is affecting their next coaster plans. Whatever they decide to add they're obviously not going to spend Orion money on it. I think the lower $20 million range would be the maximum they'd be willing to dish out. That being said they'll also want something safe and reliable since downtime will not help the ROI. A floorless would be the safest option IMO but I'm not in charge. Considering the cost of steel has risen I don't know what's the new normal when it comes to building a coaster so even a B&M floorless might be a tall order coming out of a pandemic. There was a 4 year gap between Fury 325 and Copperhead Strike, a 7 year gap between Leviathan ane Yukon Striker (2 year gap between Leviathan and Wonder Mountain's Guardian), and an 8 year gap between I-305 and Twisted Timbers. We shouldn't expect a coaster until at least 2023 but 2024 seems more realistic as the minimum.

I consider KI and CP as equals in a sense- CP is one of the best destination parks in the country where as KI is one of the best regional parks. CP has to have more thrilling rides like TDD, SV, and so on because they need that draw. KI already has the greater Cincinnati area and its 2 million+ residents in their pocket; that's not even including cities under 2 hours away like Indy, Dayton, Columbus, Lexington, and Louisville In terms of staff, KI relies more on locals so the experience is more personal as opposed to CP where they have a ton of non-locals and internationals.

You have the opportunity to change the trains on one coaster at KI. Which one do you chose and why? Per usual I add all current coasters to avoid bias.

If they get something from Mack I want it to be something like Helix

Do you think they're overdue for another bigger attraction? Do you think that'll give the park record attendance like Thunderhawk did?

I wonder if that'll encourage them to remove even more maintenance heavy rides in the coming years.

I remember from Kinzel's book that CF has planned on building a park in Michigan before settling on purchasing MA. It makes me wonder why they invest so little into the park if they were planning on building one anyway. I still think they should get a ride like Tantrum.

It seems like multiple members have voiced their complaints about the same general issue. Many people have went out of their way to address what's annoying them. It seems like the majority of members are called wrong while the individuals who are causing the complaints are not. We have members who contribute meaningful and accurate content to this site. Allowing other members to continuously talk about inaccurate information does@KIghostguy , @TombraiderTy, and other credible members a disservice. Immunity must be nice.

I don't want Racer touched by RMC.

Probably would have been closer to something like Steel Eel https://rcdb.com/532.htm