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From a 'wooden roller coaster' junkie: If you go to Kings Dominion, be sure to ride the Rebel Yell and the Grizzly. Both *awesome* old wood coasters. I think most of the 'coasters at Busch Garden Williamsburg (as in Tampa) are steel.
From a 'wooden roller coaster' junkie: If you go to Kings Dominion, be sure to ride the Rebel Yell and the Grizzly. Both *awesome* old wood coasters. I think most of the 'coasters at Busch Garden Williamsburg (as in Tampa) are steel.
Definitely! The Grizzly has to be my fav oldie but goodie. I have fond memories of riding that with my dad.
And don't forget about The Hurler either. That one is fast and fun. The last time I rode it was believe it or not, 1995, but I still remember it well.
I'll just add my two cents about BG. I personally don't like it because it doesn't have all the cool roller coasters like KD, Six Flags, and others. This is my pet peeve because that's all I really care about. I also don't like the layout because even when it isn't so crowded, the common walkways are extremely narrow. (Last time I experienced this was in October. I can't imagine how a weekend summer day would be).
Also, BG is very hilly and it can and will tire out some family members who aren't so shall we say, fit and energetic.
The kiddie area was a bit weak too, although they have opened up a newer playland (Sesame Street theme).
All this talk about amusement parks has me itching to go back to one. The girls and I want to try Carowinds for the first time.
Definitely! The Grizzly has to be my fav oldie but goodie. I have fond memories of riding that with my dad.
And don't forget about The Hurler either. That one is fast and fun. The last time I rode it was believe it or not, 1995, but I still remember it well.
word. i grew up in richmond & worked for a summer at king's dominion. i was in the merchandise as i could never deal with the food service. at any rate, i worked in the rock shop (at the wayne's world area) & we were by far the coolest shop since we got to select our own music.
while working at the park, we got plenty of time to ride the coasters & for employee evenings they would often flip the coasters around to go backwards (which they ended up doing for the rebel yell on a regular basis for park attendees). these wooden coasters are awesome in a quite jarring way. don't miss them if you go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mia78
All this talk about amusement parks has me itching to go back to one. The girls and I want to try Carowinds for the first time.
good luck with this. the one time i went, i was sorely disappointed because it was so much smaller than KD. at least that was my perception. i'd definitely take the drive to KD over that one!
I've been to all three, and I must say that KD is my favorite (BG is my 2nd favorite of the 3). With that said, I think the perception of Carowinds by most folks are a bit dated. Carowinds has plenty of rides; they're just not very "scary" (scary=thrill for most people). Here are the stats on each of the three parks.
I must say that Carowinds is by far the most foot friendly park of the three. Walking from one ride to another at KD can be a chore for even a fit person.
FWIW, "The Intimidator" at Carowinds made a top 10 list of "must ride" coasters. "The Intimidator 305" at KD made the same list. There aren't any BG Williamsburg coasters on this list.
Intimidator, Carowinds
Charlotte "Pedestal-style seats have thrill-seekers leaning back with their feet off the floor. "It's like riding in an out-of-control easy chair," Ruben says of this brand-new steel coaster that reaches speeds of 80 mph. "Anything that makes the rider feel more vulnerable is good. It enhances the sense of imagined danger"
Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion
Doswell, Va. "NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt inspired this steel coaster, which boasts an "incredibly high" average speed of 68 mph, nearly double the pace of most rides, and faster than traffic can legally travel on adjacent Interstate 95, Ruben says. It starts with a drop from a 305-foot hill. "I counted six moments of air and several way-too-fast turns," he adds."
I like King's Dominion for the roller coasters, but I like Busch Gardens for the family experience. The BG Safari tour is neat. Here is a comparison between Busch Gardens and Carowinds (don't know why King's Dominion isn't on their list): Busch Gardens Williamsburg vs Carowinds | Compare Amusement Parks on Pikimal
Kings Dominions has the best roller coasters out of the 3 hands down. Busch Gardens is Very "Pretty" wooded and hilly. And Carowinds falls somewhere between the other two, In my honest opinion.
Been more than 10 years since I went to Carowinds but I remember everything being packed very close together compared to Busch Gardens, so you can easily hit all the rides much more quickly. I think they've done a lot to add more rides and improve the ones they do have since then too. Busch Gardens is indeed very pretty and has a lot of shade so it's more comfortable in the summer, but fewer rides and longer walks are the price you pay...
WindSeeker’s three minute ride begins when the ride’s carriage, featuring 32 two passenger swings, slowly rotates while climbing to the top of a 301-foot tower. Riders will experience a sense of weightlessness as the swings reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour and the arms extend outward at a 45-degree angle. WindSeeker will give riders an astonishing panoramic view of not only the park, but also of the greater Charlotte region.
Just wanted to chime in...My 15 year old daughter has a season pass to Busch b/c her grandparents live in Williamsburg. She is sooooooo not impressed. I feel the park is designed for mixed generations...she wants thrill rides and there is no water park! She says the park is boring.
She used to have a pass to Dorney Park when grandparents lived in Allentown and she has also been to hershey park many times, so that is her yardstick...she loved Dorney, and I agree that with the waterpark it is pretty amazing. Hershey is more attractive and better for little kids and grandparents.
I think we will get up to Kings Dominion soon to give that a shot. I have a feeling it is MUCH more like Dorney Park.
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