From Robert Niles on May 20, 2008 at 10:14 PM
Great report, as always, Russell. Thanks!

From James Rao on May 20, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Another great ride report!

While the area around the coaster looks a little short on eye-candy, foliage, or anything other than dirt, the coaster itself looks like a lot of fun.

I may make it out to KD towards the end of the summer when I fly back to Annandale, VA to visit some friends. If I do make it to the park, this coaster definitely looks like it would be the first stop on my KD Touring Plan!

From Larry Zimmerman on May 21, 2008 at 3:47 AM
KD, always a contender in the coaster category, adds a top-flight attraction to its repertoire of rides. I loved this ride at Geauga Lake, and now it's another reason to go back to Kings Dominion. Perhaps they should have named it "Dominionator."

From Todd Houts on May 21, 2008 at 5:59 AM
I was on a coaster run in Ohio last August and stopped at Geauga Lake on a Thursday just one month before it closed for good. It was like my own private amusement park for the first few hours as the park was nearly empty. Once Dominator opened for the day (operators arrived about 30 minutes after the park opening) I rode it six times in a row - four of those as the only passenger. I'm looking forward to trying Dominator in its new home when I get to visit Six Flags America, King's Dominion and Busch Gardens Europe while tacking a short coaster outing to a brief business trip to DC in mid-June. (Although I'm most excited about my first-ever trip to BGE.)

From Anthony Murphy on May 21, 2008 at 6:37 AM
Your report puts mine to shame :)

From Deidre Dennis on May 21, 2008 at 9:04 AM
I've been watching the progress of this all winter long as we, too, have a planned trip to BGE (first trip ever), Six Flags America and purchased our tickets to Kings Dominion about a month ago. We're excited to visit this park. This coaster looks awesome and we can't wait to ride. Woo Hoo!

From Derek Potter on May 21, 2008 at 5:28 PM
KD has a winner here. I've ridden this one several times...one of the best B&M's in the country. I don't necessarily agree that it's inferior to Kraken. It's pretty neat that they surrounded it with pathways though. Maybe a little more development around the coaster would look a little better.

From Peter Stephens on May 25, 2008 at 10:00 PM
I rode Dominator today - front row and back row, (and got the free T-shirt!) It is an excellent ride; the best KD has to offer. It's best described as an "up-close-and-personal-coaster". All of the cue lines and the station are part of the experience as Dominator makes multiple passes within a few feet of guests waiting for and departing the ride. It is very loud (in a good way) and the ground shakes noticeably when the train is near. The "noise" seems to be due to both the proximity of the track to the spectators and the design of the box-beam rail which produces that hollow roar even when the train isn't nearby.

The front seat had the novelty of absolutely no floor but the best ride was in the back row. The inversions are very much like those of the inverted Alpengeist (at BGE) and similar in intensity. The ride is "B&M smooth" but a little "shakier" than other B&M's (but not jerky, in any way). The arrangement of the relatively long track and various features into a compact area is well done. The lines moved very quickly; something KD has never seen. My favorite sensations were the first drop (back row), the tall loop (back row), the general nearness to the ground/people/structures (front row) and the resulting impression of speed and change of direction. Seats were comfortable and attractive. The view of the track from anywhere and everywhere and the constant roar (again, a GOOD sound) are unmatched. All seats are "good seats". Decent, brief air-time is experienced on the 1st hill and after the MCBR, but the strength of Dominator is in the inversions and uniqueness of the layout.

Negatives: There is no theming and no scenic/landscaping value at this point. Painting has not been completed. The attendant made me remove my tightly strapped-on prescription glasses on my SECOND ride. (No explanation.)

Ride it!