Kings Dominion is a solid Cedar Fair park that currently has 13 different roller coasters,
including one of the best top twos in the world with Intimidator 305
and Twisted Timbers. In this video, I will be ranking the top 15 rides at Kings Dominion.
Before starting the video, I want to note a few rides that will and will not be included.
I have been visiting this park for 1.5 decades, so this list will include a few defunct attractions.
This list will not be including any attractions from the Soak City water park
since I have never visited it. 15) Reptilian- The rethemed Mack
bobsled is a decent experience. Most of the coaster is pretty tame, but the transition
into the final helix is pretty quick and offers some faint weightlessness. Just make sure to lean
forwards on this one since the train rattles down the slatted trough, as I mentioned in my review.
14) Racer 75- The former Rebel Yell wood coaster got a ton of trackwork,
so it’s running decently fast and smoothly. But despite all those bunny hills, Racer 75
doesn’t have much airtime. The only moment now is the entry into the far turnaround up front,
which really catapults you out of your seat. The racing element is solid on the outward leg,
but whether you race depends on staffing and crowd levels.
13) Delirium- This Mondial frisbee is pretty large, but it doesn’t have the best cycle. It
only offers 2-3 max swings. Those max swings do offer decent floater airtime though.
I just wish there were more of them. 12) Shenandoah Lumber Company- This is a relaxing
log flume. I love the heavily wooded setting. The drops on this one are ok, but the first one can
really soak you, especially if you’re up front. Crypt- The former Huss top spin had a solid cycle.
There were 2 separate instances where you’d get 3-4 forceful flips in a row. Then there
were some minimal water and fire effects to accompany those flips in the ride’s final years.
11) Anaconda- This Arrow multi-looper has a great location over the water and a strong
start. The underwater tunnel is cool and then you have a forceful vertical loop and sidewinder.
The second half is awkward though. The mid-course saps the ride of all its speed and then you crawl
through these elevated pretzel turns. The transitions are less than ideal, so watch you
head. Then the final two corkscrews are taken so slowly that they have rare hangtime for an Arrow.
10) Backlot Stunt Coaster- This Premier family launch coaster has a shockingly forceful helix
at the start. I always greyout here from the sustained Gs. The rest of the ride is pretty mild,
but there are some small pops of airtime and visuals. The effects on this one are often broken,
but the visuals alone are strong enough to enhance the experience.
9) Windseeker- This giant Mondial swing ride offers breathtaking views of Kings Dominion.
This park really has an underrated skyline, especially since it towers
over the surrounding woods, and it’s neat getting that view from so high up.
8) Boo Blasters on Boo Hill- This Sally dark ride is a nice change of pace from the park’s thrills.
The 2D aesthetic matches the other Boo Blasters, but you have helpful laser sights and
all of the targets and effects work on this one. 7) Tumbili- This may be the worst S&S free spin,
but it’s still a fun ride. The magnets induce a few wild flips along the course, but the trims on
the raven turns hamper the pacing and intensity compared to the ones at the Six Flags parks.
However, I love this attraction’s soundtrack and how it was incorporated into the newly
rethemed Jungle X-Pedition area. Shockwave- How you felt about this
ride depended if you hated the restraints. They were awkward, but I did find them uncomfortable.
Shockwave had a forceful vertical loop and helix, but what stole the show for me was
the airtime. It’s such a bizarre sensation to get airtime on a stand-up, and Shockwave
did this on the first drop in the back row and the flurry of bunny hills in the second half.
6) Flight of Fear- This indoor Premier launch coaster has some fun sci-fi theming in the queue.
I don’t love how cramped the restraints are, but thankfully the lap bars prevent headbanging.
There’s just some shuffling along the course. The
experience starts with a respectable launch and three forceful inversions.
The mid-course does bring the ride to a near halt and neuter the start of the second half,
but the final corkscrew still sneaks up on you and is pretty disorienting with the lighting.
5) Dominator- I’m still bummed this B&M floorless is missing a zero-G roll,
but it’s a pretty good ride. I like riding in the back for the whip on the first drop
and the floater airtime off the mid-course brake run. But the inversions are the focal point.
They don’t have as much power as the older B&Ms, but the vertical loop produces a little hangtime
in back and the final two corkscrews have some mild whip. This ride does have some nice speed
in the first half though and it’s pretty smooth. 4) Grizzly- This wood coaster has gotten a lot of
flack recently, but I like the ride’s layout and setting. You are pretty secluded from the rest of
the park, which is why night rides on this coaster are so good. Then the ride has a satisfying mix
of airtime and laterals. The two pops after the first turnaround are particularly strong.
Then you also have several instances of laterals on the turnarounds and banked bunny hills.
The ride can run rough on wheel seats, but it rides well up front.
Hurler- The version of Hurler that could be experienced from 2010 onwards would not have
made this list. That rode similarly to the one you can experience at Carowinds today. But the
version I first experienced in 2006 was very good. The ride had recently been retracked, so it was
running smoothly. And there was no trim after the first drop, so the train flew through the layout,
delivering nice airtime on most of the ride’s bunny hills. While I miss that version of Hurler,
I have to admit the ride that replaced it is a far superior experience.
3) Drop Tower- This Inamin drop tower is a rush. You have a different seating arrangement with that
massive ring. While it doesn’t rotate like the gyro drops, you get a great view since this ride
stands 305 feet or 93 meters tall. The employees tease you at the top via a speaker and the drop
occurs with no warning. And that drop is powerful, offering a nice stomach-dropping sensation
plus some nice floater airtime. Volcano- the Blast Coaster-
This Intamin inverted launch coaster was removed due to maintenance issues, but the ride was such
a thrilling experience. The ride started with a rolling launch that would suddenly engage and that
launch was pretty punchy. You’d then fly around a speedy turn and get boosted through an inversion
out the top of the volcano. It was one of the most exciting visuals on any ride. The coaster
then wound around the Volcano, treating riders to three inline twists loaded with hangtime.
Volcano was short and a little repetitive, but I loved the ride’s uniqueness and visuals.
2) Twisted Timbers- The Rocky Mountain Construction conversion of Hurler is an
ejector airtime machine. This ride is advertised as having 20 airtime moments and I believe it.
Most of those airtime hills are strong pops of ejector airtime, but you have a signature three
camelback sequence on the outward leg that add in sustained airtime as well. This coaster also mixes
in three inversions, with the barrel roll downdrop and zero-G roll offering delightful hangtime.
It really is impressive how much RMC packed into a layout this small.
This was my favorite in the park for a while as I mentioned in my review,
but my recent visit gave the spot to a different ride.
1) Intimidator 305- This Intamin giga coaster has a case as the most intense coaster ever built.
Everyone talks about the turn after the first drop that’s an automatic greyout and for some a
blackout, but the ride has several other moments of strong positive Gs and downright insane
transitions. When I305 changes direction, the train is violently snapped sideways which somehow
causes both laterals and airtime. And speaking of airtime, I305 is underrated in this department.
Beyond those transitions, you have a massive first drop with good ejector airtime in the back and a
camelback under the lift with the best sustained ejector moment in the park. And all of these
elements occur in rapid-fire succession since this coaster is a speed demon. Check out my
review if you want to hear more, but I305 is the coaster for you if you love intensity.
So those are my top 15 favorite rides at Kings Dominion. What are your favorite rides at this
Virginia Cedar Fair park? Let me know what you think about any of the rides I mentioned
or any you think I missed. If you enjoyed this countdown, I’d appreciate it if you
gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a lot
more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!