Kings Dominion, VA

[Tigger&Belle]

I bought season passes for Kings Dominion since we are planning on going at least 2-3 times this year and also plan on going to King's Island in Ohio.

I was wondering is any of you are season pass holders. Also, I'd love any tips and hints for touring the park since it's been years since we've been. My kids are 6-18yo and like all the big rides. My 6yo will do anything that he's tall enough for and he's nearing 48", but probably won't be quite 48" this spring (hopefully this summer/fall).

Do they allow any food or drinks into the park? How is the food that they sell? Are there lots of places just outside the park to eat (especially for after we're leaving the park and before heading home). Anything else I should know?

 

[N.Bailey]

It's been years since we've been to Kings Dominion and I'm FAR from the expert on that park. When our kids were little though, it was the worst park that we'd ever been to for getting smaller children on rides. They are strict! I'm not asking the limits to be pushed because I believe in safety 1st, but I found it odd that other parks had lots of rides available for all sizes, but it seemed like this one did not. Basically, we paid a small fortune (admission tickets, gas, hotel stay) to get in and spent the entire day putting the kids on the kiddie rides only.

We're Hershey Park people and my kids were riding some of the coasters by this point and they were totally upset with Kings Dominion. They were also riding coasters at Kennywood and Cedar Point.

We've not been back since. We're certainly not boycotting, we just haven't made it back yet. My kids could ride anything today and we'd love to go again and the time hubby and I went before having kids was a blast.

Check their website (Hershey lists all requirements on theirs so I'd imagine Kings Dominion would as well) and see what you'll be able to take advantage of. Just be prepared to split up if you want to ride many of the rides. We'll skip a ride or all rides really before we'll split up, but not everyone does that.

 

[Cantw8]

I can't answer any of your questions but I just wanted to say...they have the best roller coasters ....if you're in to that. Oh, and by the way...What's up??????????

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

The food in the park is ok. I know they were real strict with my dad about bringing his Diet Pepsi's and apple into the park. They eventually let him but he had to argue and tell them that WDW let him do it

Directly outside the park is a 7-11, Burger King, Denny's and a gas station. If you want to travel a few miles south to Ashland, there are lots of places to eat.

We used to be passholders for years but we haven't been in a few so no touring tips from me. We're closer to Busch Gardens now so we go there.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

N.Bailey, hopefully my little guy will reach a good 48" buy sometime this summer or he will really be bummed! He can handle not being tall enough at the beginning of the summer, but he already hates being the little guy in the family. Funny that you mentioned Cedar Point. Our original plan was to go to CP this summer since my older kids have been wanting to go to the big coaster park, but when I came up with the plan to get season passes to Kings Dominion and then go to Kings Island for a couple days the kids jumped at that (more days at amusement parks). I was kind of surprised.

Cantw8, it's been so many years I don't even remember any coasters. Or maybe my memory is just bad. I've only been twice--once about 9 or so years ago and then once about twenty something years ago--before kids. My 12yo looks on the website every day and is getting so excited about all the big coasters. This is the boy who cried when he went on Super Dooper Looper at Hershey Park less than 2 years ago and only went because his then 4yo brother was going.

Pooh Girl 71, I'll have to remember to compare them to WDW! And hide my food. Know how well they go through the bags? Maybe I'll stick water bottle down my shirt...

 

[AspiringCindy]

Can't comment on King's Dominion, but we visited King's Island in August and loved it!! "The Beast" was awesome...and I generally don't like wooden coasters! Also, "The Italian Job" was really cool! Didn't care for the food much, but the beer tasted great! Cedar Point, on the other hand...had great food!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Can't comment on King's Dominion, but we visited King's Island in August and loved it!! "The Beast" was awesome...and I generally don't like wooden coasters! Also, "The Italian Job" was really cool! Didn't care for the food much, but the beer tasted great! Cedar Point, on the other hand...had great food!

There is a new Italian Job opening this spring at Kings Dominion.

My 12yo is excited about the Beast at KI. MY DH will be happy as long as there is beer. Did you stay at any hotels around KI?

 

[koopa]

Kings Island (PKI): Didn't like the food much at all. Nice waterpark next to it, and you can get there easily from the kiddie area of (PKI). There is a parking lot just for season pass folks. Italian Job was new last year here and a lot of fun, but lines were so long. They offered fast pass to season pass members on limited dates on the Italian Job and some other rides. There is a newsletter that you can subscribe to that is very useful too. In that newsletter, they will give you dates when the park might open up an hour early for season ticket holders. The Beast is my favorite coaster.

 

[koopa]

There is a new Italian Job opening this spring at Kings Dominion.

My 12yo is excited about the Beast at KI. MY DH will be happy as long as there is beer. Did you stay at any hotels around KI?

I live an hour away, but there are some hotels on I-71 and Kings Mill Rd that are close to Kings Island. Plenty of restaurants and a large movie theater too. Kings Island has their own hotel too, but it looks kind of dated. Kings Island is very close to this interchange and you can see Kings Island from I-71. They are in the process of building an indoor waterpark type of hotel adjacent to Kings Island, but I don't know when it will be open.

 

[Christine]

I used to have the season passes there as we are only a bit over an hour away from the park. The main reason I stopped getting the passes was that life kind of always got in the way and we weren't going enough. Now, if I want to go, I just buy tickets from the Navy rec center at $22.00 a ticket.

They have always been VERY strict about bringing food in. My son went a few times with his summer daycare provider and she always packed full lunches, kept them in the van with a cooler and left the park and lunch to go eat in the parking lot.

I always felt the best deal was the pizza, if you're going to buy lunch. It isn't too bad and you can buy one or two pizzas and feed everyone. Most of the other food there is horrible.

King's Dominion is no Busch Gardens, but for roller coasters, it is a great place. My kids love it there and the water park isn't too bad either.

 

[mom2boys]

Haven't been to KD in several years. There's not much right outside the park as far as eating but you will be headed north on I-95 and there are plenty of fully developed exits with tons of fast food & other dining options. The Potomac Mills exit will have all types of food.

As for KD vs KI - KI seems a bit nicer. KI is a bit cleaner & actually had a few more rides - KI seems to get them before KD.
Don't worry though, your kids will be thrilled with KD -especially since you can do that as a day trip.

 

[AspiringCindy]

There is a new Italian Job opening this spring at Kings Dominion.

My 12yo is excited about the Beast at KI. MY DH will be happy as long as there is beer. Did you stay at any hotels around KI?

We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Sharonville...just 7 minutes away! They gave us an offer I couldn't refuse! For $99... we got the room, 2 tickets Newport Aquarium, 2 Pizza Hut pizzas and a pitcher of soda! We also ventured into Newport. We ate at the Hofbrauhaus! The only one in the U.S.! We had eaten at the Hofrauhaus in Munich, Germany and couldn't resist!
The "Italian Job" is very Disney-esque!

 

[JESW]

Sorry, can't help with your questions, but I just wanted to say that back in the late 70's I went to King's Dominion and my friend & I rode The Rebel Yell roller coaster 36 times in one day! Yikes! I would be if I tried that now!

Jill

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Koopa, our passes at KD don't give us the special parking at KI, at least that's what the websites say. Of course I will ask like I always seem to do, The worst that they will say is no.

Christine, it's good to know about the food/drinks. Better to know in advance so I won't have to carry things back to the van or toss stuff away. We'll probably just eat lunch in the park the first day and either have a picnic dinner before leaving or pick up a bite on our way out of town or soon after leaving. Our van has a navigation system so it's easy to find a place to get a bite to eat.

The pass will be a one time deal for us and the Kings Island trip was the deciding factor. We're about 2 hours from KD, so it's a long day trip. We don't have a good, close amusement park. Six Flags I think is about an hour away, but it's so bad that I won't go there. Hershey Park is a lot of fun, but I think it's a good 2 hours. Maybe one year will get passes for there and go several times.

mom2boys, Yes, Potomac Mills has enough food to eat at for a month. We were there a couple weeks ago and it too us a while to decide where to eat. I also think the kids will enjoy the rides. My 12yo is also going to KD with camp. He will be the expert by the end of the summer.

AspiringCindy, that's great to know about Holiday Inn! I was wondering about that hotel since I can get an Entertainment Card rate there and it ends up being very inexpensive. It would be for a regular room. We'd have to get 2 rooms if we all go, but if our college DD doesn't go that might be a good place. It was an ok place?

JESW, I can't imagine that many times on any ride, except maybe Tower of Terror! I would lose my lunch for sure!

 

[AspiringCindy]

Koopa, our passes at KD don't give us the special parking at KI, at least that's what the websites say. Of course I will ask like I always seem to do, The worst that they will say is no.

Christine, it's good to know about the food/drinks. Better to know in advance so I won't have to carry things back to the van or toss stuff away. We'll probably just eat lunch in the park the first day and either have a picnic dinner before leaving or pick up a bite on our way out of town or soon after leaving. Our van has a navigation system so it's easy to find a place to get a bite to eat.

The pass will be a one time deal for us and the Kings Island trip was the deciding factor. We're about 2 hours from KD, so it's a long day trip. We don't have a good, close amusement park. Six Flags I think is about an hour away, but it's so bad that I won't go there. Hershey Park is a lot of fun, but I think it's a good 2 hours. Maybe one year will get passes for there and go several times.

mom2boys, Yes, Potomac Mills has enough food to eat at for a month. We were there a couple weeks ago and it too us a while to decide where to eat. I also think the kids will enjoy the rides. My 12yo is also going to KD with camp. He will be the expert by the end of the summer.

AspiringCindy, that's great to know about Holiday Inn! I was wondering about that hotel since I can get an Entertainment Card rate there and it ends up being very inexpensive. It would be for a regular room. We'd have to get 2 rooms if we all go, but if our college DD doesn't go that might be a good place. It was an ok place?

JESW, I can't imagine that many times on any ride, except maybe Tower of Terror! I would lose my lunch for sure!

It was actually pretty nice for a Holiday Inn. The pool is enclosed in an atrium right in the lobby. It was really pretty neat. They also had an outdoor pool. The restaurant was reasonable(price and quality)...and they let the kids eat free! We had a room with a King bed and a queen pull out sofa!

 

[Christine]

Just a heads up. On your way back from KD, there's a Cracker Barrel restaurant right off I-95 and the 234 exit (Montclair/Dumfries). Very easy on and easy off. It would be about 10 minutes before the Potomac Mills exit.

 

[2BigKIdz]

They do have Chik-Fil-A and Subway inside of the park now, the food is better than what the park restuarants have but it does cost more than you would normally pay at the same restaurants. I think their pizza is decent. I would avoid the hamburgers totally!

Kings Dominion is very strict about what you can bring in. My SIL gets season passes every year (and she is cheap ) so she packs a cooler and goes to the car to eat lunch. They also have metal detectors you have to pass through and they search bags.

Suggestions- if at all possible go on a weekday, get there early and do the most popular rides first, hypersonic is slow loading and few cars-do this early if you don't want to wait 2 hours. The new ride Italian Job will be busy too. The water park is a nice way to cool off.

 

[caitycaity]

i went to pkd for the first time with some friends last summer.

we had a great time! the coasters were really great!

the food in the park wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. it was your generic fast food. we ate at bubba gump's and all got some kind of chicken sandwich. it was pretty good.

Just a heads up. On your way back from KD, there's a Cracker Barrel restaurant right off I-95 and the 234 exit (Montclair/Dumfries). Very easy on and easy off. It would be about 10 minutes before the Potomac Mills exit.

i second this cracker barrel. we always stop there on the way back from williamsburg.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Our first trip there will be for the Season Pass day on April 10th. Hopefully that day won't be too busy since it's supposed to only be open to passholders. It will give us a good chance to check out the park and since the water area won't be open we can concentrate on the rides.

2BigKIdz, you say to go on a weekday, but do you know how Sundays normally are? I'm wondering if the park is pretty overrun with camps, etc during the weekdays. To me, those are the worst groups since there is little supervision (and yes, my older kids have all gone on those trips so I'm not knocking the individual kids or groups, it's just the nature of the beast ).

That's good that there's Subway in the park. Does anyone know how far Subway is from the pizza place? My 6yo is not a pizza eater ( ) and some of my other family members prefer to not eat pizza--I know, the shock of it. So if we can get some pizza, some Subway, the whole family would be happy. Don't ask.

If we have my DH with us we have to revolve things around food a lot more than if he doesn't come with us, so we would probably stop for breakfast before every going into the park. You have to understand that I live with 4 male creatures, so I just have to keep the food coming. Irritating, but there is no reason to fight reality!

 

[Christine]

Here is one thing I hate about KD and maybe it's changed. You always hear: go during the week. Well, I did that a few times and it was a disaster. Yes, the crowds are less, but the park people know that so they run some of the rides less. For instance, on the Scooby Doo coaster, they can run two trains at a time on that coaster. During the weekday, for most of the day, they will only run one car. So you've got the same stinkin' long line. I noticed this on the Rebel Yell too and it really ticked me off. On the weekend it is more crowded, but the lines seem to move better as they are are "ramped" up so to speak.

T&B--During the week, it does seem like there are more "roving teens" there and it is a little less family oriented than on the weekend.