The Next Coaster

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I agree something should be put in old virginia. That part of the park is in need of something fresh (not that I don't love it, as it is one of my favorite parts of the park). It would be interesting to think what the theming would be of this potential B&M (or whatever it is) coaster so that it would fit in this area. Also, I would be careful what I would put in this area as it is loved for its quite and secluded environment. A huge hyper coaster may take away from that if not done right.
 
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You make good points, Peyton.

As far as theming, it looks like Cedar Fair's coaster additions under Ouimet's administration have had decent theming. Perhaps there would be some reflection of that should they add a coaster to Old Virginia. The area has a lot of history and folklore to play with.

In regards to maintaining the wooded environment, it would be important to limit the layout to that narrow strip of land behind Old Virginia, which is already far beyond guest access so any deforestation would be of minimal concern. One thing they could do is remove the Grand Prix Go-Karts, since Cedar Fair is slowly eliminating go-karts from their parks, and put the potential coaster's station in its spot, thus eliminating the need to develop any more land. But they would have to do it right.
 
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Actually taking out the go karts wouldn't be a bad idea. I myself (nor anyone i know) have never even thought of paying to ride around in a little cart for a few minutes while I have some great coasters and attractions all around me included in my pass. Also, when those carts are going round and round they , as well, take away from the quiet and peaceful environment, not to mention the smell of gasoline. Like you said Joe this could save a number of trees if there were a new attraction placed here
 
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I was actually thinking about that. KD really needs something unique to really plant there footing on top, and that could totally do it.

Hey! Theming idea! Virginia = Mines. Mines = Dynamite. Dynamite = Explosions. Explosions = Launch coaster?

Mining explosion-themed launch coaster = Protests?
 
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Old VA is fine the way it is. A new attraction would mean far less trees in that area. If they were to rip out the go karts, that still isn't enough room for anything bigger than a kiddie coaster without pulling trees or getting rid of Grizzly (and they better not get rid of Grizzly).

Just tear out Hurler and stick a new coaster over there. There's enough cleared space back there for a coaster without Hurler, you'll add another anchor attraction there to compliment Windseeker, and you'll draw people away from 305/Volcano/FOF to that corner of the park.
 
Check the layout I linked in my first post, netdvn. The actual coaster wouldn't go there; just the station. The ride would maneuver its way to the far back of the park, where the number of trees would never go noticed by guests regardless.

It seems like Hurler is here to stay for a bit longer. Its tracking job may have been minimal, but it was still an investment that would be unwise to demolish after a very short period of use. Also, the master plan for the park which includes the rumored Safari Stage still features Hurler, so going under the assumption that Safari Stage is not coming in 2015, then Hurler will be around through at least the 2016 season. Plus, it's easier to build a new coaster in an unused, and frankly prime location, than it is to demolish another one first and work within the confines of its locations.

And as much as I enjoy the quaint atmosphere of Old Virginia, it really does need an attraction to anchor the area. During colder days when the water rides are closed, there's no major reason to stay in the area except for Grizzly and maybe a show in the Kings Dominion Theatre. The park really needs an addition on that side of the park, not a replacement, to help even out its lopsidedness.
 
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Zimmy said:
Shockwave needs to go before Hurler.
Click to expand...

Zimmy,

I take it you are not fond of Shockwave. While you may for your own reasons want to see it go, you are wrong in saying that it is in the park's best interest to remove it. Shockwave, while an admittedly painful experience, is nowhere near the end of its life service.

Despite its general reputation of a less than comfortable ride experience, Shockwave is a surprisingly popular attraction for its age, as I was told first-hand by Kings Dominion's vice president of maintenance. Speaking of maintenance, Shockwave is considerably less headache-inducing than the majority of the park's coasters, and experiences very little downtime. Furthermore, Shockwave has a long-lasting plethora of parts from its defunct sister coaster King Cobra at Kings Island, and it goes without saying that having essentially free spare parts available on hand is an enormous plus in terms of economics. Finally, and in my opinion most importantly, Shockwave is remarkably compact and its location offers virtually no space for a viable replacement. In fact, the coaster's footprint is hardly more than 400 feet long and not even eighty feet wide, a footprint so small that finding any coaster worth replacing Shockwave would be practically impossible.

So, in short, Shockwave ain't going anywhere anytime soon. :p
 
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^I think I am confused by what "Shockwave needs to go" means, then.
 
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Another thing Cedar Fair could potentially do to save space is use up the space occupied by Dinos Alive (I recall hearing that the contract is up at the end of this year) and play with that along Grizzly and back. Another thing that springs to my mind is that KD doesn't have to just go straight out and back like a traditional B&M Hyper and instead possibly pull off something similar to what Six Flags over Georgia did with Goliath.

I'm saying this primarily because Grizzly barely has any trees left and needs its shade like we need cheap oil (by god we're getting it now), and having the coaster stray away from Grizz as much as possible (besides maybe the lift, station, and brakes) could help save as many trees as possible for the ride. It will also potentially create a nice eye catch for guests watching a roller coaster scream over their heads while they're walking to or from another ride. Kinda like this:

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In a similar vein, the coaster does not have to be a Hyper. It could be a traditional Wing Rider, launched anything, whatever (RMC!?). As long as it doesn't just stray in the woods for its entire duration but instead winds around in Old Virginia it could create a great focus point for guests to actually go and ride the ride. Plus it makes it much easier to find the ride when you can actually see where the train is going, instead of having to judge over trees and hope the map helps you.
 
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As long as they don't touch Shenandoah Lumber Company (the log flume), I'm all for it.
 
Zimmy said:
Joe, go back and read it again, you will notice the word "before"
Click to expand...

That is irrelevant, Zimmy. Remove the prepositional phrase and your post still warrants the response which I gave. Furthermore your post at the top of this page clearly states that you "did not say it should be torn down", yes?

Hurler, on the other hand, is without a doubt in my mind closer to the chopping block than Shockwave. Although I presented reasons as to why it will likely be around through 2016, it makes no financial sense to remove a popular steel coaster before removing arguably the park's least popular roller coaster. Plus, as I mentioned previously, Shockwave's footprint offers very little room for a headlining new attraction, whereas Hurler's land offers key real estate for future expansion.
 
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It's not my intention to create aggression, Nicole. I merely mean to provide logical reasons as to why one coaster should be removed before another. It's a common misconception and it's worth clearing up. My points were not aimed at Zimmy personally, but to support a valid discussion about the future of the park. I think this discussion has value, and I would hate to see it diminished.
 
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