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Kings DominionDoswell, VirginiaAbout Kings DominionLocation: Kings Dominion is located right off Exit 98 on Interstate 95, 20 miles north of Richmond, VA and 75 miles south of Washington, DC. History: Kings Dominion was opened in 1975 by Family Leisure Centers, a joint venture between Top Value Enterprises and Taft Broadcasting Company, both of Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1982, senior executives from Taft Broadcasting purchased the theme park division of Taft and formed Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) which included Kings Dominion, Carowinds, Kings Island, and Canada’s Wonderland. In 1993, Paramount purchased KECO and Kings Dominion became part of the Paramount Park chain. In 2006, Cedar Fair Entertainment purchased Paramount Parks and is the current owner of Kings Dominion. Hours: http://www.kingsdominion.com. Kings Dominion is open from April through Halloween. Tickets: Buy and print online. Always try to buy your tickets in advance, to save time when you get to the park. Reservations: Kings Dominion does not offer any type of Fastpass or ride reservation system. Strategy: As with any amusement park, arrive early (at least :30 minutes before opening) and hit the headliner attractions first (usually roller coasters). Head clockwise around the park hitting Dominator, Volcano, Flight of Fear, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Shockwave (if the line is too long, skip it and try back later), Rebel Yell, and Grizzly. With your first sweep around the park complete, circle back around making sure to hit The Crypt (just for the theming), Avalanche, Anaconda (it never has a long line so you can catch it anytime), Shockwave (if you had to skip it earlier), Ricochet, and Hurler. Once you have completed the main tour, some other rides you might want to hit are Berserker, Drop Tower, El Dorado, White Water Canyon (you will get wet!), Shenandoah Log Flume, and any other midway attractions you enjoy. Finally, take a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower for some nice views of the whole park. There are two sections of Kings Dominion set aside for families with very young children: KidZville and Nickelodeon Central (currently being re-themed for the 2010 season). Most of the rides in these areas are pretty standard midway fare, similar to those found at a carnival or mall food court play area. However, there are a few stand out attractions like Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Mansion, Scooby-Doo Ghoster Coaster, and Action Theater featuring SpongeBob SquarePants 3D. WaterWorks is free with park admission and offers 20 acres of water-filled activities. It generally opens an hour or two after the main gate. Coming In 2010: One of the world’s tallest and fastest Giga coasters is Intimidator 305 and it opens in 2010 at King's Dominion. For details see the official Intimidator 305 site. Additionally, the kiddie areas of the park (Nick Central and Kidsville/Hanna-Barbera Land) are going to be re-themed to feature the Peanuts characters. The re-imagined area will be called Planet Snoopy. -- Last edited by James Rao [Update this description | Read previous versions] Photos from Kings Dominion
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