Just before 2 PM today a surprise earthquake shook the East coast. The quake’s epicenter was in Central Virginia near the town of Mineral. That’s only about 30 miles from Kings Dominion and about 100 miles from Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The 5.8 magnitude rumbler was felt at both parks and as a safety precaution rides have been temporarily closed. Mosts
A ride to the top of Kings Dominion’s 305 foot tall Drop Tower: Scream Zone is quite a harrowing ascent even for a seasoned coaster vet like myself. There’s quite a difference between a roller coaster car and just seats with restraints. At the top, Drop Tower holds its ring of 56 seats for a few seconds. These few seconds
Remember that roller coaster that everyone talked about when you were young? That one ride that was considered a kind of local legend of sorts. These rides were sometimes the focus of juvenile horror stories, myths, and just plain made up stories. The folklore often stemmed from respect and fear of that one wild roller coaster that you just had
A reader suggested that I write a post asking everyone how Intimidator 305 was this year. The Giga coaster (meaning taller than 300 feet), is among the tallest roller coasters in the World. That extreme height, means a massive drop, and that drop generated some intense grey out-inducing g-forces when it opened last year. So, this past winter Kings Dominion gave
This is a photo of Kings Dominion’s Shockwave. As much as I dislike it, for its rough, jerky hills during the second half, there are still some who enjoy it. At least it never produced an extreme amount of leg pain like Mantis at Cedar Point. After the not-so-great reviews of Green Lantern, Six Flags Great Adventure’s reborn stand-up, I started
Today’s Daytona 500 marks the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash. With his enormous success and signature aggressive racing style, the legendary racer left an undeniable mark on one of America’s most popular sports, NASCAR. In 2010, Carowinds opened a new roller coaster with the aim of thrilling guests with its height and speed while also paying tribute to
Patrick Wisniewski is on the staff at Theme Park Central. You can follow their latest updates on Twitter – @ThemePrkCentral. Hurler is a wooden roller coaster experience designed by International Coasters Inc. The ride opened in 1994 at Kings Dominion, originally themed to the 1992 film, Wayne’s World. The ride is located in the Grove section of the park. Hurler
Kings Dominion's Marketing Manager, John Pagel recently shared the park's plans on the Intimidator 305 construction that has had enthusiasts scratching their heads
Intimidator vs. Intimidator 305 | Roller Coaster Showdowns In this edition of Roller Coaster Showdowns the two NASCAR-inspired Intimidator roller coasters do battle. We’ll look at Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion (Doswell, VA) and Intimidator at Carowinds (Charlotte, NC). Ever since the announcement of the two roller coasters with their similar themes and proximity (it’s about a 5 hour drive between
In a potentially controversial edition of Top 3 Thursdays, I’m going to share my Top 3 States for Roller Coasters. Instead of a top three ranking, I’m going to list the the three states and explain why. Here’s the list in no particular order: Pennsylvania – Quantity, Variety, & History Pennsylvania is the roller coaster mecca in my opinion. There’s a
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