Ranked: The Top 10 Roller Coasters at Kings Dominion
Welcome back to another “Ranked" article here on Laughing Place. This summer, I’ve expanded my amusement park horizons and visited three parks that I haven’t been to in a long time or at all. First up on my travels was Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia – a park I had supposedly been to as a youngster, but have little recollection of. The park has a pretty great lineup of coasters, alongside some truly great landscaping and theming in much of the park.
For this list, I’ll be counting down the Top 10 roller coasters at the park. Sadly, I did not get the chance to experience two pretty big coasters. One of those was Flight of Fear, an indoor launched coaster from Premier Rides, with a loose alien theme. I’ve been on two clones of the ride that are placed outdoors (Joker’s Jinx at Six Flags America and Poltergeist at Six Flags Fiesta Texas), but I won’t rank it here due to the uniqueness of it being set in the dark. The other was Pantherian, formerly Intimidator 305, a massive 305ft tall giga coaster that had been closed for much of the season, only reopening within the last couple of weeks.
With that being said, let’s count down the Top 10 roller coasters at King’s Dominion!
10. Tumbili
If you’ve never been on an S&S 4D Free Spin coaster before, I assure you it’s quite the strange experience. The seats on either side of the track rotate based on a number of factors, such as weight and gravity. I’ve been on a few of these in the past, and let’s just say, they’re not for me. The spinning factor is really disorienting, and while the unpredictability does add a lot to the experience, for me, it just made me feel nauseous. I will give Tumbili points for its theming though, as with the rest of the Jungle X-Pedition area, it's immaculately themed. Even the supports are themed to look like bamboo!
9. Apple Zapple
Apple Zapple is your run-of-the-mill wild mouse coaster, albeit a slightly longer version with a zippy first drop. This is essentially the same ride as Coast Rider at Knott’s Berry Farm, but thankfully, this version doesn’t have the uncomfortable shin restraints. It’s a perfectly enjoyable ride, with fun laterals and zippy drops, but it's nothing all that special or unique.
8. Woodstock Express
Woodstock Express – a small wooden coaster perfect for young thrill seekers – actually predates the park itself, opening during a preview event the year before the park’s official opening in 1974. The ride was originally themed to Scooby Doo, and now features the Peanuts gang, as part of Planet Snoopy. For what is advertised as a kids coaster, this ride packs a little bit of a punch, with a few small pops of airtime here and there. However, for someone like me, a 6ft 2 tall man, it can be quite the interesting ride to contort your body into!
7. Backlot Stunt Coaster
The last coaster added to the park by its former owners, Paramount Parks, Backlot Stunt Coaster was originally themed to the early 2000s adaptation of The Italian Job. Themed around a Hollywood backlot set, there’s a decent amount of theming and effects here, although, sadly, most of them don’t work anymore. At one point, the trains come to a complete stop, and fire is supposed to rage while gun shots whizz by, but all you get currently are just sound effects. Tucked away in the corner of Jungle X-Pedition, this coaster also now feels very out of place in the immaculately themed land, and is ripe for some sort of reimagining. As for the coaster experience itself, it starts out with quite the punchy launch, leading into a pretty forceful upward helix. I was also surprised by the length of the indoor section of the coaster, which features a sizable drop. All in all, a fun ride that could use a little reimagining.
6. Dominator
Walking up to Kings Dominion, you won’t be able to miss Dominator, as it's located right near the front of the park, just off to the side of International Street. This large-scale Bolliger & Mabillard coaster actually got its start at the now defunct Geuga Lake amusement park in Ohio, before being moved to Kings Dominion in 2008. You’d never know that it was a relocation, as the ride is smooth, intense and plain old classic B&M. My one gripe is that this is perhaps the ugliest coaster in the park, with the station set in a plain warehouse type box and nothing else interesting to look at aside from the coaster itself.
5. Grizzly
You’ve heard of exiting through the gift shop, but how about entering? That’s how you have to access Grizzly, one of the park’s two wooden coasters. Because of this, I’m sure this tucked away coaster can often be missed, but you absolutely shouldn’t. Even though it's been around for nearly 45 years, recent re-tracking efforts have made this coaster pretty dang smooth for a wooden coaster, even providing some great airtime moments! It’s definitely better than its cousin with the same name at sister park California’s Great America. That ride is about as thrilling as “it’s a small world"...
4. Reptilian
Reptilian is part of a dying breed of coasters – the bobsled coaster. These were all the rage in the 1980s, which is when Reptilian (formerly known as Avalanche) was introduced. With the removal of the similar La Vibora at Six Flags Over Texas last year, Reptilian is now the only coaster of its kind left in the United States. Which is a shame, as these are fun rides! They’re called bobsled coasters, as they are not fixed to any guided track, instead making use of a wide trough. These rides tend to start off pretty tame, but pick up quite a bit of speed by the end of the ride. Add to that some great new theming introduced as part of the recent Jungle X-Pedition renovations, and you have a truly unique ride that I hope sticks around for years to come.
3. Racer 75
Opening with the park in 1975, the dueling wooden coaster formerly known as Rebel Yell is a great time! It’s glass smooth, perhaps more so than its older sibling, Grizzly. The racing element, which was actually in use here, adds a lot to the experience. Plus you get some truly fabulous views. Nothing beats seeing the absolutely towering lift hill of Pantherian at the end of the coaster, as you quickly make your way towards it before returning back to the station via a barrage of airtime hills. An absolute classic!
2. Rapterra
The park’s newest coaster, which opened this year, is also one of its best – if you sit in certain seats. Rapterra opened earlier this year, serving as the replacement for the park’s beloved former Volcano: The Blast Coaster. This B&M wing coaster is one of only two in the United States to feature a launch, and that is truly a fun experience in these wing-style seats. Unfortunately, depending where you sit, this can be a REALLY bumpy ride. In the front row, I had a smooth and incredible experience. But in the back row, the seat bounced all the way down the launch and at many moments during the ride – something that should not be happening with such a new coaster. If the park and B&M can somehow fix these issues, then Rapterra might have a case as the best ride in the park. What it really does have going for it is the theming, which includes a massive temple-like structure and dig-site theming in the station. As with everything else in Jungle X-Pedition, it’s really well done.
1. Twisted Timbers
The park has a Rocky Mountain Construction coaster, so of course it has to be the best in the park. And Twisted Timbers really is one of the best RMC coasters period. If you like airtime, then this ride is for you. It’s relentless, perhaps too much so at points! This is one ride that is a little difficult to re-ride, as the airtime is so strong, it can leave a mark on your thighs. Another highlight is the swooping inversion based drop, that serves as a unique way to kick off the relentless ride that awaits.
I hope you all enjoyed this ranking of my Top 10 attractions at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Stay tuned, as I’ll also be ranking the coasters of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Six Flags America in the near future! In the meantime, if you want to see some more theme park rankings, feel free to check out some of my other “Ranked" articles listed below: