Register or Login to Hide This Ad for Free!
Dec 7, 2021
1,171
1,917
250
I actually jumped on this thread because I've been thinking about the Action Theater a lot recently! I recently took some friends to KD and we spent little/no time in the Old Virginia side of the park. Something great in that theater could really help that side of the park regain popularity.
Something significant needs to be installed there and stay long-term. The announcement of DarKoaster at BGW has me thinking about rides that could go in that structure. Having a climate-controlled ride on the opposite side of the park from FoF would be a great addition, especially during the middle of the summer and Winterfest.
Any decent coaster wouldn't fit in that building, but a flat ride might. The ride wouldn't have to be geared around the fact that it's inside a theater; it could just be an indoor flat ride! Any ideas?
Move Arachnidia inside that make it like Catapult at BGW was when it first opened. then a new flat in Arachnidia spot?
 
Nov 1, 2012
1,231
2,803
250
The issue is that action theater has little flat floor space. Much is taken up in the 3 tiers of concrete bases that the 2 seat motion platforms were originally anchored to. You can see the tiers from the front pre-show area. They just continue through the front wall across the whole theater width. They would have to be jack-hammered out on both sides. If that were to happen, I could see some sort of new indoor attraction go into the building.

Also, if the whole building were to be used, the Haunt Hotel maze would have to go elsewhere.
 

Jonesta6

Glumble
Feb 14, 2019
4,731
4,803
250
Are you sure that it's a concrete base for each tier? Pretty sure that they had to remove the tiered seating for much of the Haunt house to the left, and when I was in there during WF one year watching whatever cheesy police chasing Santa film, I thought the tier we were leaning against in the bottom row was hollow... Potentially wood?
 
May 3, 2011
2,541
4,314
250
Richmond, Va
Are you sure that it's a concrete base for each tier? Pretty sure that they had to remove the tiered seating for much of the Haunt house to the left, and when I was in there during WF one year watching whatever cheesy police chasing Santa film, I thought the tier we were leaning against in the bottom row was hollow... Potentially wood?
The maze actually goes around the seating. At the beginning of the maze, you turn to the right toward the former screen and you move along a bunch of zigzags which was the flat area on row 1. But, the entire time you're heading to the back of the building towards the exit hallway. Then, you go around the former seating by going down the long straight hallway which is really part of the exit hallway of the right theater. Same thing when you circle back around. Zig zagging, but heading towards the front of the building. I'm not sure about today, but at least 5 years ago, the old chairs were still installed (in poor shape) on the left side of the building. I'm not sure about it being concrete, but the maze does go around where the seats are.
 
Last edited:

Mushroom

Getting aHEAD of myself
Advisory Panel
Feb 12, 2011
6,224
18,669
250
Also, if the whole building were to be used, the Haunt Hotel maze would have to go elsewhere.

Fortunately, since they still have two Haunt maze buildings sitting vacant this year (old Zombie High and Lockdown locations), losing the Action Theater shouldn’t be a big issue for Haunt at all.
 
Aug 5, 2022
16
78
40
Move Arachnidia inside that make it like Catapult at BGW was when it first opened. then a new flat in Arachnidia spot?
I REALLY like this idea, but since the retheme just took place, it'll probably be a different ride (unless the Bayern Curve comes from CGA and becomes Mt Kilimanjaro (!!!) and they have to move Arachnidia for some reason). Unfortunately, there's not many other flats at KD that could be moved to the Action Theater. There's really only Bad Apple and Flying Eagles, and neither of those are going anywhere. It'll probably have to be a brand new flat ride!
 
Jan 30, 2022
61
104
90
I actually jumped on this thread because I've been thinking about the Action Theater a lot recently! I recently took some friends to KD and we spent little/no time in the Old Virginia side of the park. Something great in that theater could really help that side of the park regain popularity.
Something significant needs to be installed there and stay long-term. The announcement of DarKoaster at BGW has me thinking about rides that could go in that structure. Having a climate-controlled ride on the opposite side of the park from FoF would be a great addition, especially during the middle of the summer and Winterfest.
Any decent coaster wouldn't fit in that building, but a flat ride might. The ride wouldn't have to be geared around the fact that it's inside a theater; it could just be an indoor flat ride! Any ideas?
The action theater could be repurposed a s a staging area for an awesome front-of-the-park roller coaster (with high visibility from I-95), if KD would bite the bullet and move the Park Ops buildings to the west of the parking lot on the giant plot of unused land they own on the other side f the railroad. Then the camp ground and the dormitories they own would be located adjacent to the park ops buildings.
 
  • Love
Reactions: 92ramsfan
Nov 1, 2012
1,231
2,803
250
Fortunately, since they still have two Haunt maze buildings sitting vacant this year (old Zombie High and Lockdown locations), losing the Action Theater shouldn’t be a big issue for Haunt at all.
Keep in mind that the Action Theater allows for much larger sets in the maze due to the height of the ceiling. Several rooms in the first half of the maze are 2 stories tall. Would have to have the larger sets greatly scaled down and/or eliminate the larger 2 story sets in order to go in the old zombie high building. If it was moved to the FOF queue building, I would think the sets would need to stay permanently due to their size and scope.

Plus, we don't know if FOF will get some sort of Jungle-X retheme in the next few years.
 

Mushroom

Getting aHEAD of myself
Advisory Panel
Feb 12, 2011
6,224
18,669
250
Keep in mind that the Action Theater allows for much larger sets in the maze due to the height of the ceiling. Several rooms in the first half of the maze are 2 stories tall. Would have to have the larger sets greatly scaled down and/or eliminate the larger 2 story sets in order to go in the old zombie high building. If it was moved to the FOF queue building, I would think the sets would need to stay permanently due to their size and scope.

Plus, we don't know if FOF will get some sort of Jungle-X retheme in the next few years.

Oh, agreed. To be clear, I was addressing a concern over a lack of Haunt buildings in general if Action Theater got refitted with a new attraction. I definitely think they’d have to retire Condemned if that happened.

That said, if you count Condemned and No Vacancy as the same maze, it’s been around since 2012, so I wouldn’t be too upset to see it go eventually. (I still love it though.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nicole
Mar 26, 2022
109
87
90
So I had an idea to put a clone of Maxx Force where Backlot and Anaconda currently are. It would be a great addition to the park’s lineup, there’s nothing like it close, it would fit in the spot, and it would give KD a trifecta with that, TT, and I305. Plus it would be perfect if they opened it sometime in 2024 for the park’s 50th anniversary.
 

Attachments

  • 6345595A-3650-4789-A96C-1E12D4E649BF.jpeg
    6345595A-3650-4789-A96C-1E12D4E649BF.jpeg
    429 KB · Views: 24
  • 7680FA6F-52DF-4300-A7EF-4FCB4EA65E59.jpeg
    7680FA6F-52DF-4300-A7EF-4FCB4EA65E59.jpeg
    357 KB · Views: 24
May 3, 2011
2,541
4,314
250
Richmond, Va
Any specific reason you would like to see a clone and not a ground up build? I'm a fan of the model and all. But, if we are looking at a 50th anniversary attraction, I picture a custom-built S&S air launch (go crazy and make it a S&S launched Axis). Maxx Force looks great (haven't ridden it), but is short in length. And we still have that giant Volcano plot next door that needs to be used before taking out two other rides.
 
Jan 30, 2022
61
104
90
Kings Dominion owns more unused acreage than used acreage. People need to stop suggesting the removal of rides and start promoting an east-of -the-tracks expansion. Pedestrian bridges across the tracks would cheaply solve the rail issue.
 

Jonesta6

Glumble
Feb 14, 2019
4,731
4,803
250
Or how about rectifying the I-305 dead end and loop it back past R75 to create a second Soak City entrance while also allowing southern expansion since that's where most of their land is. Also would put up use some of the old safari areas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Intimidator325
Jan 30, 2022
61
104
90
Or how about rectifying the I-305 dead end and loop it back past R75 to create a second Soak City entrance while also allowing southern expansion since that's where most of their land is. Also would put up use some of the old safari areas.
The original Hurricane Reef vestiges need to be moved south of Racer so that all of soak city is located contiguously south of the main park - then a soak City entrance would make even more sense, and real estate in the park proper could be reallocated for dry rides, or Lake Charles could be re-dug and a water coaster put in.
 
Mar 26, 2022
109
87
90
Any specific reason you would like to see a clone and not a ground up build? I'm a fan of the model and all. But, if we are looking at a 50th anniversary attraction, I picture a custom-built S&S air launch (go crazy and make it a S&S launched Axis). Maxx Force looks great (haven't ridden it), but is short in length. And we still have that giant Volcano plot next door that needs to be used before taking out two other rides.
You actually make a really good point. It was just a concept tho.
 

Jonesta6

Glumble
Feb 14, 2019
4,731
4,803
250
The original Hurricane Reef vestiges need to be moved south of Racer so that all of soak city is located contiguously south of the main park - then a soak City entrance would make even more sense, and real estate in the park proper could be reallocated for dry rides, or Lake Charles could be re-dug and a water coaster put in.

Eh, I vote no on using Lake Charles water for any attraction.

I think the current issue is the main locker room infrastructure is under Victoria's pizza, so to move/replace all water attractions south of R75 in favor of dry park attractions would also require an entrance near the other locker rooms... Which would likely be a huge undertaking with low payoff even if they connected the path to I-305 from about where Baja Bend's splash pool is. Plus, doing do may cut off backstage road access if they don't also rework that too.
 
Mar 16, 2016
8,339
13,698
250
Eh, I vote no on using Lake Charles water for any attraction.

I think the current issue is the main locker room infrastructure is under Victoria's pizza, so to move/replace all water attractions south of R75 in favor of dry park attractions would also require an entrance near the other locker rooms... Which would likely be a huge undertaking with low payoff even if they connected the path to I-305 from about where Baja Bend's splash pool is. Plus, doing do may cut off backstage road access if they don't also rework that too.
There’s space next to TT to make a new entrance FWIW. And it would likely be wider and more inviting.
 

Jonesta6

Glumble
Feb 14, 2019
4,731
4,803
250
I was looking at Google maps plus having been there - I'm not saying it's not doable, but I'm not seeing much return value for the park to make the change unless they were also doing other major capex projects that warranted it.

Basically talking having a plan for the existing soak city section north of R75 repurposed, a general Soak City expansion, and possibly other items though I'm not sure what as this kind of change may also limit any further dry park development south of R75... Though tbh I doubt there's any desire for that kind of expansion unless that area of Hanover County is urbanized (which is a whole separate conversation fwiw).
 
Consider Donating to Hide This Ad