King's dominion this weekend (Manassas, Leesburg: waterpark, hotel, gardens)

[Samara11]

I have family visiting.... three girls (15, 17 & 22) and they want to go to an amusement park this weekend. I also have a 3.5 yrs old daughter.
We don't want to stay overnight in a hotel so I was thinking about taking them to King's Dominion (since its only a 2 hr drive).

We're not roller coaster fans (any of us, including the girls) and I've read online reviews praising KD for roller coasters mostly although their website lists a lot of other rides too. I would like to know people's first-hand experience, would we enjoy the other rides or are they mostly crappy?

What has your experience of KD been? Also, would there be a big crowd since its July 4th weekend? Thanks for your inputs.

[fjennell]

I like KD but I like roller coasters. Do you guys like swimming? There is a water park there and some shows but I don't know that I would pay the money to go to an amusement park and not ride rides. Where are you located? Maybe I could give some other suggestions. Do you guys like the beach?

[tgbwc]

My son is 8 years old. He is just starting to like some of the smaller coasters. There has always been plenty for him to do without the coasters. When he was smaller he really liked the kiddie area. Of course there are the bumper cars, swings, old cars, scrambler, log flume, things like that to do. I kind of actully like the Scooby Doo haunted house. I wouldn't say the rides are crappy at all.

[540_804]

I like KD but then again, I like coasters. KD really is a roller-coaster oriented theme park. Sure there are kid-friendly offerings but really not much.

If you aren't particularly a roller-coaster lover and if you were interested in an additional 1 hour of driving then maybe Busch Gardens in Williamsburg would be more to your liking.

[michgc]

You could try Six Flags since it is much closer. I've never been there, though so I cannot comment. Another option would be Splash Down WaterPark in Manassas.

[OrangeFish]

Driving on I-95 S during July 4th weekend? *ugh* I think I'd opt to drive the slightly longer distance northbound and head for HersheyPark.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by michgc

You could try Six Flags since it is much closer. I've never been there, though so I cannot comment. Another option would be Splash Down WaterPark in Manassas.

From where are they coming? That would be helpful to know. Six Flags would be farther away if they are coming from west or south of KD.

[neighborhoodfind]

I like Kings Dominion because of the water park within it. It is a great break from rides and cools everyone off. We went twice last year on the weekend, and the lines were not very long at all. Some rides had no lines. Maybe this was due to the recession and the fact that it is further from DC metro area, but I'd rather drive a bit further and have no lines than drive less and have to deal with huge crowds and lines.

[ChristineVA]

Kings Dominion is a thrillriders dream. It has a lot of thrill-type rides. That said, there are some milder rides for those who don't. The park itself is not "pretty". It's all about the rides and very little theming. I've been many, many times and always find it to be very crowded with slow lines.

Depending on when you go, the traffic down I-95 can be horrendous.

[Samara11]

Thanks for your feedback everyone We're driving from Leesburg, VA on Friday morning. Busch Gardens is just one hour further. Should we go there instead? I checked out "tickets at work" and we'll get an adult ticket (e-ticket) for around $51 for Busch Gardens which looks like a good deal. I'm leaning towards Busch Gardens now, based on what I've read on the internet and your comments .

We all have been to Disney in FL and we loved it, is Busch Gardens that good too?