Paramount's Kings Dominion - A Thrill A Minute

Doswell, VA, is just 10 minutes outside of Richmond on Interstate 95 (2 hours from D.C. and 2 hours from the eastern shore of Virginia), and the only reason you’d likely want to visit is Paramount’s Kings Dominion theme park. This theme park has been around as long as I can remember and has changed over the years. A few of the old attractions remain, but most have made way for the new, high-tech rides and the Paramount branding. (Nickelodeon characters dominate, etc.)

To park at Kings Dominion costs per car (be sure to note your row letter and number), and the entrance fee can vary. For instance, you can buy and print your ticket online for , which is less than if you bought it at the door. There are season passes, skip-the-line passes, and corporate discounts, but figure on at least per person.

By far, my favorite ride of the day was the Hypersonic XLC, and the newest at the park. The Volcano, having been featured in a Travel Channel show about East Coast roller coasters, came in a close second. And no visit to Kings Dominion is complete without a ride on the oldest roller coaster in the park – the Rebel Yell..

Having matured now and no longer being interested in kids’ rides, I can only tell you that there are many rides/activities geared for the ankle-biters, and a water park in addition to everything else. The roller coasters, however, are my greatest lure, and they don’t disappoint.

Quick Tips:

If you buy and print your ticket online (kingsdominion.com), you can save a few dollars over the at-the-door admission price. Also, if you know anyone who works for a big company in Richmond, VA, or the surrounding areas, they might be able to snag you a corporate discount ticket for even less.

Best Way To Get Around:

You have no choice in this theme park. It used to be that there was a passenger train and a skyrail to get you from one part of the park to the other. Now you have to rely on your own two feet!

I certainly don’t recommend riding these coasters on a full stomach – it might not be full for long. However, if you’re ready for a break, or if you’re done for the day, you might check out the Happy Days Diner in the "Grove" area of the park right near the entrance for the Rebel Yell and the XLC. A ‘50s motif, with ‘50s cars and neon lights, this diner offers what I think to be the best food deal in the park.

For $6.75, you can have a Cunningham burger with all the fixings, crinkle fries, and a drink so large that it could be its own water ride. While certainly not fine dining, the burger was edible and the fries were delicious. Compare the cost to other "snacks" in the park. The "fresh-squeezed" lemonade that tasted like sugar water with no lemon - $4. The funnel cake - $4.99. Ice cream - $4. So you see, this was quite a deal.

The only downside is that it’s not an indoor-seating place – so there is no air-conditioning to cool you off on those hot summer days. The tables are outside, but are covered with umbrellas, which, unfortunately, don’t protect you from flies or bees. But it’s a good place to rest your tired feet and grab a bite to replace the contents of your stomach from earlier coaster rides.

All in all, I’d give it an 8 for price and a 7 for taste. I’m sure Al’s was better on the show, but then, he’d had the Fonz to grace his establishment. Heeeeeeey.

By far my favorite coaster of the day – and the newest at the theme park as of this journal – is the Hypersonic XLC. It is 18 seconds of pure enjoyment and thrill riding.

On a crowded day, I’d expect quite a wait. The coaster only seats eight, and they load one coaster while the other is navigating the tracks. However, on this Thursday, we had only a 35-minute wait for the back car and a 50-minute wait for the front car. Keep your head against the head rest for this one folks, because it uses compressed air (the only one in the US) to send you speeding up to the top of the first – and only – drop. From there, you’ll generate a second or two of hang time, and then a straight drop to the bottom. Add in a few turns and you’re putting on the breaks before you’ve had time to catch your breath!

Here are a few observations. The front car is a much better thrill (you can’t see what’s coming, and you have a better drop sensation), but is a little jerkier of a ride. The back car is a much smoother ride, but you don’t experience quite the same stomach-jerk as you do in the front. Plus, this ride only relies on a lap harness – there are no shoulder harnesses. Also, if you start screaming when you launch up the hill – and you’ll want to – you’ll run out of breath for the plummet on the other side. One more note is that the stop is about as sudden as the start.

I think I liked this coaster the best because there aren’t any spins or corkscrews; it’s just fast and then you fall. It’s rated an “extreme” ride, and that it is – but everyone was raving about it throughout the park. It’s the only coaster I rode twice!

You can hear the rumblings throughout the park. You can see the smoke rings float in the sky from atop other rides. And you can hear everyone discussing probably the most popular coaster at the park – the Volcano.

Located in the “Congo” section of the park, this coaster was a Travel Channel favorite for the East Coast – and it’s easy to see why. First, it’s a suspended coaster, and you ride beneath the rails with your feet swinging. Secondly, while other coasters rely on an initial drop to gather speed, this one just shoots you into 70 miles an hour from the get-go. You’re then immersed in darkness while the volcano spits out – YOU! You’re shot – upside-down – through the mouth of the volcano, then sent into a series of corkscrews and an 80-foot plummet. NICE!

As the most popular volcano, and next to a new Tomb Raider ride, expect a wait on this one. And they trick you – you wait outside like cattle in the maze of railings, and when you get inside the volcano, you think you’re there. Nope, you’ve got another 15 minutes or so from there. Our wait was a little over an hour, but the ride was definitely worth it.

I only experienced the front car on this one, but I can guess that it’s the best view (from my experience and hearing others discuss it). This one was only my second favorite of the day for two reasons. First, I don’t get the same gut-in-my-throat thrill from a suspended coaster as I do from one that sits on the track, and second was the line. I’d have gladly ridden this one again had it not been for the terrible wait. It’s a great ride, and ironic, since the mountain had been repurposed from another older and retired ride – the less-threatening Smurf Mountain. Ha.

• Cheer
• Flag

• by Carmen on July 30, 2005

Kings Dominion
Route 30 & I-95 Doswell, Virginia 23047
+1 804 876 5000