My cousin and I are planning a little trip to Kings Dominion next week. We plan on leaving thursday night and arriving early friday morning...Does anyone have any tips, must rides, etc. This will be my first trip out of Ohio just to visit a park...Also, how far is Busch Gardens from KD. IF it aint too far we might head there on saturday. Any tips or must rides from that park as well?

^^All I can suggest is while the peeps are running to the Dominator, YOU should be running to the Volcano!! That'll be its shortest wait time all day if it's up and running then.

Be certain of the hours for the park...they are different than Kings Island, and in some ways not what you would expect. It looks like that Friday they are open 10:30 to 6.

If you have a Platinum Pass, don't miss this:

http://www.kingsdominion.com/special/passi..._spbenefits.cfm

Includes 10 minutes early entry. Enter via the walkway behind the Eiffel Tower, saith the website.

As in other parks, go the opposite direction from the public...at opening, most will head for Dominator...in my book that'd be a great time to go ride Volcano: The Blast Coaster, which is not to be missed. And don't be surprised that the park seems just like Kings Island...and you are cruising along knowing where you are going, and suddenly find...a wall or a dead end! If you find something wonderful to eat, be sure to let Terpy know...he hasn't found anything grand foodwise in that park in years!

EDIT: I see tigellinus and I both posted the same Volcano advice at the same time!

^^It's ok! Great PP find, btw!

Also, Anaconda is nowhere near as thrilling as Vortex!

I'll have to remember that for my trip there, which I hope to make later on in the summer.

Anaconda is as violent to one's head as GADv's GASM riders claim Vortex is and Vortex riders claim GADv's GASM is.

The drive to Busch Gardens if I remember correctly takes around a hour. I am not 100% as it's been many years.

The KD pizza wasn't much good I can say I remember that 100%.

I don't really like LaRosa's pizza, but Kings Island's pizza is only about 1000 times better than the crap they call pizza at Kings Dominion, in my humble opinion. Years ago, they had a kids place that had great French Bread pizza...but it's long since gone. I am sure there are plenty of fried food options in the park, but I never found anything that was both tasty and healthy at Kings Dominion. Perhaps it has changed. Cedar Fair CAN and DOES serve good food....they can do it. Perhaps they are now. I was serious when I said let me know if you find good food options!

Don't take his word for it because it's not.

Honestly, we try to eat as little inside the park as possible. At Kings Island the only thing I bought all year, whether being food or beverage, was bottles of Coke. I bought a soft pretzel one time but it ended up being a not so soft pretzel.

It's not like KI there isn't much outside the park. You have to drive down 95 a little to find anything or thats how it was when I was there.

It's still that way. Over in Ashland there's the Smoky Pig, which has good barbecue...nothing fancy. 212 South Washington Hwy - 804 798-4590. Excellent crab cakes, too.

thats good to know. wouldn't have been good to get down there hungry and not have anything around.

Its about an hour away from Busch Gardens. KD was approximately my halfway point from Arlington on my way down to heave and I mean Williamsburg. Ive only been to KD once because of that, Volcano and Hypersonic (its first year) were fantastic but the rest I could ride else where or I didnt particularly care, and seeing as it was only an hour to my favorite park not in Orlando I haven't been back.

All this talk about Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion combined with good local places to eat gives me a grand idea for a trip. Thanks, guys. I'll put it on the agenda!

I know that I am late in this conversation but, I had similar plans for a coaster trip this year. Any additional info for Kings dominion would be appreciated. I also thought about a trip to Holiday World and then a side trip to Beech Bend. I am from southern ohio, so I am about 3 hrs from KI which I already have plans for in July. THANKS THUNDERBEAST.

I will be heading there in May for the first time so I too appreciate all the tips given in this thread. Great advice so far.

Posted from my BlackBerry mobile device.

I wrote a TR for King's Dominion when we went last summer. A little long-winded, but lots of details.

Agree on the Volcano being the first ride of the day. It had the longest wait both days we were there.

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...ion+trip+report

When it comes to Williamsburg, do yourself a favor and spend at least 3 days here. Besides Busch Gardens you also have Water Country USA, a fantastic water park and Colonial Williamsburg a historical reenactment park set in the Revolutionary War period (Williamsburg was the colonial capital of Virginia) that is amazing. Those three parks last time I was there, had a pass you could buy that would get you free parking and unlimited admission for 5 days at all their parks (ie a Park Hopper just like Disney World.) Williamsburg also 15 min from Jamestown and Yorktown.

If you add on Virgina Beach and Washington DC (not to mention all the civil war battle sites that are nearby) you could easily spend 2 weeks down in the area seeing all the attractions.

Turns out we're not going to Busch Gardens....but still to Kings Dominion. Cannot wait.

Oh, BGE is my second favorite park and it being dominated by B&M doesn't hurt either.

I hope you have a great time at KD!

Does anyone know anything about the turnpike is W.V. Is there a better way to go than that. IF not, anyone know the prices....

Does anyone know anything about the turnpike is W.V. Is there a better way to go than that. IF not, anyone know the prices....

1.25 the last time I went through last fall. You can take RT 50 but takes way longer.

There is no better way. It's currently $1.25 at each of three toll gates. A rate increase is being considered. Watch your speed at any exits, especially the Pax one.

Thanks for all the info. You guys have helped a lot. Right now they're predicting a 40% chance of showers that day. I hope it doesn't keep all the rides closed. That would be a real bummer

Wait a minute...you won't be doing all three tollgates if you are going to Kings Dominion...only the first two...so $2.50 each way, not $3.75. Thought for a second you were going to Carowinds. Still no better route to VA from Cinci than I-64 though.

Well, everything got pushed a day back because my cousin has jury duty tomorrow. On saturday, Doswell has a 60% chance of rain. Would it still be worth going. I know that on days with rain the crowds tend to be really light but we don't wanna get down there and everything be closed.. What do you think we should do?

Well, this is a darned if you do and darned if you don't situation. If your luck is like mine, if you go, you may get rained out. If you do not, the weather will be fine and the park nearly empty. Can you live with the fact you may not get to ride anything? If so, I'd go. If not, I'd not. That's my advice.

Allow me the rare double post...I see from the National Weather Service forecast for Doswell that they are now predicting an 80 percent chance of rain Saturday, but in the morning. The afternoon is supposed to be sunny. If so, this is perfect for driving away crowds and giving you an uncrowded park. I'd take my chances and go, but I'm funny that way.

While I agree with the earlier advice about hitting Volcano first, make sure you also ride Grizzly. I find that coaster to be the hidden gem of KD.

Enjoy.