Kings Dominion Quality Control Team

[I305Evan]

I've said it numerous times and will continue to say it now: Even though Kings Dominion is changing a lot of aspects about themselves, they're not the perfect place to visit.

We notice the things that look neglected and forgotten. This thread will serve as a place to share the needed repairs of the park. Please keep the thread helpful and polite. Hopefully, this will help the park see what "we" see.

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Can someone tell me where "Trails End Grill" is?

 

[Mushroom]

The main sign for Outer Hanks is badly, badly faded. While it's always had a "faded" look to fit the theme of an old seafood shack, the colors are almost completely gone so the sign is essentially black-and-white now.

Here's what the sign used to look like:

And here's what it looks like now:

In this picture, the lighting did NOT throw off how the color appears. What you see in the picture is exactly what the sign looks like in person. Sorry I didn't get a closeup, it didn't even occur to me to just photograph the sign.

I wonder if the sign is repaired/repainted every off-season or every few seasons, and it was just forgotten about this year. On second thought, it's been six years since the restaurant was renamed Outer Hanks (2008 was when the Bubba Gump's Shrimp Shack name was removed) so that sign is pretty old by now. I do hope it gets some love soon- this is one of my favorite restaurants in the park and it's looking rather forgotten.

 

[Nicole]

I totally agree about the Outer Hanks building. It looked abandoned. That said, my impression in general yesterday is that KD could use paint almost everywhere. I think the newly updated rides and statues actually kinda highlight how run-down a lot of the park is. I hope they continue to freshen everything.

Also I wish they would do something about all of the hanging green worms. They kept getting on us and our clothes. One rode Anaconda with us.

 

[Mushroom]

Also I wish they would do something about all of the hanging green worms.  They kept getting on us and our clothes.  One rode Anaconda with us.

Those worms come out every year, and they are very annoying. With all the rain the park has been getting, they have also been hit with swarms of beetles all over the place. The park did put out an apology on their Facebook page, but there's not much you can do about nature.

 

[Nicole]

I saw one teen-aged girl squash a hapless beetle for no reason at all. It was standing line for i305, minding its own business, when she saw it, made a huge scene, and stepped on it.

There were a lot of beetles, but since they weren't dangling at head-level, they really didn't bother me.

Bug control is something SW and BG generally do very well, I think. So, I have to believe there are ways to combat the creepies, even in Spring.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

The inch worms were rampid at BGW last weekend, I found at least 5 inching their way on my feet. I hate those things.

 

[Hoopla]

I think they're cute. Oh well, back on subject. A big thing with KD especially during the summer is that it is overrun by teenager.

 

[Nicole]

In that case I'd stay away for a few weeks. Education Days at KD:

Program Dates
PROGRAMMING DATES
April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

NON-PROGRAMMING DATES
May 27–29; June 2–6; June 9–13
There will be no activities on these dates.

 

[Mushroom]

Also, it looks like Dominator is one hell of a coaster!

 

[Mushroom]

The sign Evan mentioned in the OP that shows the Trail's End Grill has finally been attended to.

Apologies for the crappy quality. I gotta stop using my phone to take pictures...

Another sign has been fixed so I can make my way to the new Candy Apple Grove...

...but what the heck is the "Congo"?

Mr. Gator in the "Ghastly Swamp" of Boo Blasters on Boo Hill needs some love. His back has been all ripped up and styrofoam is puffing out everywhere. Also, I wish the swirling water around the gator would return. It was a cool effect that made the gator look like he was thrashing beneath the bridge, but alas I haven't seen that effect working since the ride had its Scooby Doo theme. The pipes are still there, if they could just get them working again... Oh well, at least the bubblers are back in the rest of the pond.

I nitpick, but Kings Dominion is certainly showing they are capable of showing so much care, and these little fixes can certainly enhance the park experience. It's the little things...

 

[Zachary]

The gator has bothered me for a while now. Honestly, i'd much rather just see it removed- it doesn't match anything else in the queue anymore.

 

[Mushroom]

Agreed- with the Scooby Doo references gone, it seems out of place with the remaining props and theming.

 

[Nicole]

Um...so...how does an alligator make any more or less sense when the swamp is themed to Scooby Doo?

 

[Mushroom]

Well, I mean, it never fit perfectly, but there were lots of cartoony props like that throughout the queue with the Scooby Doo references. There was the Mystery Machine, a cartoon-like ecto vacuum, and different Scooby Doo characters. The queue had a distinctly more cartoony theme, which is why the gator somewhat fit. It used to be pretty cool, with the water swirling effect and all.

 

[Nicole]

As odd as it is for me to post in this thread, the burning sensation in both of my legs is growing increasingly insistent.

Kings Dominion needs to do something about its bug problem.

Zach, Evan, and I went Thursday and Monday afternoons to the park. Both times Zach and I were eaten alive by the local wildlife. On Monday we used Deep Woods Off. The weather was completely different for each visit, incidentally, so I tend to rule out rain as an excuse.

The simple fact is that I don't get bitten at any of the Sea World and Busch Gardens parks, and say what you want they have more vegetation than Cedar Fair parks. In fact, I have never been bitten at Discovery Cove, even when our cabana was surrounded by plants.

There are bug suppression techniques that most theme parks use to protect their guests from bug bites and the associated health risks. KD needs to start implementing them...now. I fully support animal conservation, but I am not really worried about protecting the mosquito population at the moment. In fact, I would advocate that KD get itself a colony of bats.

Anyway, time to reapply the AfterBite...

 

[Mushroom]

I don't disagree. In fact, the only means of bug control I've seen at the park are those pots of nectar that catch bees and yellow jackets. Heck, they even have signs by some of their coasters warning people with bee allergies not to ride because of the insects nesting at the top. I typically have more of an issue with the bees/yellow jackets personally, but I do agree that it should be addressed.

 

[wombat96]

I think the reason why Kings Dominion has so many bugs is do to the fact that it smells. It smells of sweat and chlorine which smells terrible. The smell is the one of the worst parts about the park but I'll stop ranting. Also Kings Dominion might want to ask if drivers have explosives in their car. On Fourth of July these people that had a confederate flag on the back of their truck were launching fireworks, in the parking lot during the fireworks! It was one of the most stupid things I had seen at a themepark. Kings Dominion has definitely been improving in the park itself but some of the guest are still the rambunctious people from the paramount days.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

I don't think SEAS parks do anything extensive about pesky bugs like Mosquitos. I personally, think it has to do with park cleanliness and shrubbery. All SEAS parks are big on landscaping, and the types of plants they plant repels bad bugs like Mosquitos, and attracts good bugs that eat the bad bugs. Overgrown shrubbery can also be an issue. Although, SEAS parks have more shrubbery, it is managed. Safari Village, and the edge of Lake Charles comes to mind in this case. And then, there's standing water, and drainage issues, which causes mosquito eggs to hatch. All of these are issues I easily see KD having, which in result, increases the bug population. They are starting to improve on most of them, but it's going to be a somewhat long process.

 

[Nicole]

Google found me this very interesting piece on theme park bug control.

 

[wombat96]

Walt would put in small bugs at Disneyland that ate the bigger bugs so the bugs that were there weren't noticeable. I found that out from the book mousetales which was excellent. I wonder what they do at Kings Dominion?