Episode 34: Kings Dominion (Kinda)

Sometimes theme park road trips don't go perfectly to plan, but a good trip is what you make it.  It's all about being flexible, and above all, don't forget to enjoy the ride.  My first expedition of 2025 brought me to Kings Dominion looking forward to riding their brand-new B&M launched wing coaster Rapterra.  While in the neighborhood, I planned visits to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Carowinds.  I had the pleasure to spend my day at Kings Dominion with my new friend Mike from Fun Time Coasters, and he joins me on the podcast to talk about our experience.  It was a whirlwind five-day trip filled with plenty of ups and downs, but it's also one I'll never forget.         

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Transcript

Sometimes theme park road trips don’t go perfectly to plan.  Rides may be closed, or maybe they’re running with limited capacity.  New coasters draw record crowds as parks work through growing pains while opening for the season.  As coaster enthusiasts, we take these risks head on when planning multi-day trips, and the chance of encountering challenges grows, especially during the early spring.  But a good road trip is what you make it.  You gotta be fluid.  Expect the unexpected, adapt, and at the end of the day, enjoy the ride.        

My first road trip of 2025 was a whirlwind expedition to visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Kings Dominion, and Carowinds when I found myself with a week off and an itch to ride roller coasters.  While I was excited to get back to all these parks, the biggest draw was Rapterra, the brand new B&M wing coaster at Kings Dominion, a park I hadn’t visited since 2018.  It was five days of long drives, and plenty of ups and downs, but this is what we live for, right?

Welcome to Season 4 of Coaster Redux.  My name is Erik, and this is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom. For years, I’d all but forgotten my coaster obsession from high school and college, but since the pandemic, I’ve been on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can.  I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is getting the reaction of somebody coming off a ride they’ve never ridden before.  That’s what I want to share with you. 

And with that, join me for my first-time reactions to Rapterra, updates on this powerhouse trio of parks, and a conversation with my new friend Mike, who I met at Kings Dominion.  Episode 34 of Coaster Redux starts right now.   

Spring fling was in full swing, and it’s a big thing here in Florida.  Temps were beginning to rise, and our beaches were burgeoning with college students soaking up the sun while snowbirds began planning their annual northern exodus.  Regional parks hosted media days showcasing their shiny new installations.  As for me?  I’ve transitioned to freelance work as a charter yacht captain, meaning my calendar resembles the ebbs and flows of a tide chart.  Some weeks I work every day, and others are wide open.

I found myself with the third week in April almost completely vacant.  I hadn’t ridden a roller coaster since a Christmas week visit to Busch Gardens Tampa with my father and brother.  Kings Dominion opened their new Rapterra wing coaster, followed shortly by Six Flags Great Adventure’s Flash: Vertical Velocity.  Watching media day reactions to these new rides got me fired up.  I’ve got a week without work, and one of these new Six Flags All Park Passports.  Time to plan a trip and get 2025 started strong.

Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA stood out as a park I really wanted to get back to.  While I’m generally not the biggest wing coaster fan, Rapterra’s layout looks pretty darn good, and different from B&M’s previous builds.  Plus, it’s been almost seven years since my last visit.  I haven’t done a full podcast episode on it, so that would be my anchor point.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is just over an hour away, and it’s such an awesome park, I’d be more than happy to go back for more laps on Pantheon, Griffon, Apollo’s Chariot, Verbolten, and more.  Their new B&M family invert Big Bad Wolf wasn’t quite ready, but I know I’ll be back in the neighborhood at some point to try it out.

Then Carowinds in Charlotte, NC is always an ideal last stop for me.  Capping off a trip with Fury 325 and the rest of their monster line-up always satisfies, then I’ve only got 9.5 hours to drive home the next day.

Busch Gardens was open the entire week for spring break with KD and Carowinds Friday through Sunday, so that was it.  Leave Wednesday, Busch Gardens Thursday, Kings Dominion Friday, Carowinds Saturday, home Sunday.  Three of the best parks in the county, tons of epic roller coasters, and if nothing else, a great five day escape.

I set about getting ready the Tuesday before my departure.  The typical stuff.  Wash the car.  I love having a clean car when I leave, and hate how dirty it always is when I get back.  Packing, cleaning my place so it’s fresh on my return.  It’s a familiar pre-trip ritual that somehow helps me build anticipation.

Come 7am the next morning I was heading north.  I posted an Instagram story with my route and the three parks I was visiting, and stopped at Dunkin for coffee on my way to the highway when it donned on me.  Every other road trip I’ve taken I’ve left on either a Saturday or Sunday, allowing me to breeze out of the state.  At this time, I risked fighting rush hour traffic, so I opted to jump on the Turnpike instead of 95.  It paid off, and I was on cruise control with a mere 900 miles and just over 12 and a half hours between me and my hotel.  

I’m not going to sugar coat it.  This is a long haul.  I always start my road trips with the longest leg.  I don’t have much of a choice because of how long it takes just to get out of Florida.  Two years ago I drove to Williamsburg the first day.  Last year I drove to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN.  It’s a slog, no doubt about it, yet I endure.  

Of course no road trip is complete without a stop at Buc-Ee’s.  The buck-toothed beaver beckons with burma shave billboards boasting barbeque and bathrooms, as well as plenty of gas pumps.  This stop was about two thirds of the way in Florence, SC.  While I wasn’t hungry at the time, I still grabbed a brisket sandwich knowing I’d be thankful later.

As I-95 weaves its way through the Carolinas, it’s basically two lanes on each side surrounded by massive trees.  It’s pleasant, but there’s absolutely nothing to look at.  I crossed the Virginia border at dusk and settled in for the final stretch.  Just after 9pm, I arrived at the Marriott Courtyard by the Richmond airport.  This would be my home base for the next three nights, being about an hour drive from Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion.  As I hopped out of my car, the clean, crisp aroma of a springtime night overwhelmed me.  Florida simply doesn’t have the same seasonal smells.  

I found my room, made myself comfortable, and microwaved a dinner I’d meal-prepped the day before, expecting to be tired upon arrival.  I checked my phone after the drive, and I got a DM on Instagram from Mike, a listener who I’d chatted with a few times before. He asked when I would be at Kings Dominion, and it turned out we’d both be there on Friday, so we planned to meet up.  Then after over 13 hours on the road, I headed to bed.  The Old Country awaited, and I was psyched to get back to this spectacular park.

I had a Zoom call in the morning that I’d scheduled long before planning this trip, and after concluding that business, I got on the road.  This meant that I left my hotel just after noon, but that was fine.  I had until 8pm to enjoy Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The weather was brisk with temps in the low 70’s and clear skies.  Nobody could ask for better weather.  Plus, this wasn’t a first-time park visit. There were no new credits to chase, no new rides to review, and as a passholder, this was just another scan for my membership.  It was simply a day just for me to enjoy some awesome roller coasters in one of America’s most beautiful theme parks, pretty much pressure-free.  Because of that, I won’t be going in-depth about the rides on this day, just giving a quick park update.  My full audio vlog on Busch Gardens Williamsburg is available in Episode 13, so please go back and listen to that for all the details.  

After about 45 minutes behind the wheel, I exited Virginia route 64 right into the parking lot. The purple track of Apollo’s Chariot dominates the view above.  At the parking gate, I was routed to the England preferred parking lot.  It was decently full on this Thursday during school break.  I lathered up with sunscreen and walked towards the gate.  

The entry plaza for Busch Gardens is located in a valley beneath a canopy of trees just above a creek.  It’s a gorgeous setting, and once past the turnstiles, you enter the England section of the park.  There are no rides here, but it’s worth taking a look around this Main Street section, because it’s beautifully done, complete with a Big Ben clock tower and Beatles music.  

As I hung a left out of this area, I passed the Sesame Street Forest of Fun on the left, and the Escape from Pompeii water ride on the right.  My destination was Festa Italia, as I was craving me some Intamin airtime and LSM bliss from Pantheon.  I made the turn off the main pathway, and as usual, Festa Italia was bustling.  Home to midway games, flat rides, and three roller coasters, this is always a popular spot.  Pantheon’s wait was posted at 55 minutes, with the line extending almost to the entrance sign.  During my last visit, the line usually started around the first switchback by the launch track and that was about 30 minutes, so it was probably accurate.  

I decided to change my tactic and walked across to check out Apollo’s Chariot.  It was 25 minutes, but I took advantage of the single rider line.  This was well worth it, as I walked straight up the station and was directed to choose any open seat on the next train out.  Row 8 left please!  

B&M’s first hyper ever still delivers.  You get yanked down the first drop in the back row, and the ride cruises across the water, through tunnels, and out into the woods.  It uses terrain beautifully leading to some surprisingly large drops in the second half.  It’s chock full of floater airtime and got me hyped for the day to come.

I returned to Pantheon to find the line drastically shorter.  Not sure what happened in the last ten or so minutes, but I was able to walk around that first switchback, almost all the way to the vertical spike.  Experience told me this would be about 20 or so minutes, but boy was I wrong.  Operations on this Intamin launched coaster were among the worst I’ve ever seen.  They were running two trains, and I started timing dispatches as I baked in the unthemed and uncovered queue.  3 minutes.  5 minutes.  The line absolutely crawled.  

After about 15 minutes, I finally climbed the stairs into the station, and began to observe what was going on.  Quick Queue riders board from the exit side of the platform.  Rows three and four are blocked on the standby side, reserved for those who paid to skip the line.  Fair enough.  The problem here was that stand-by riders board first.  They take their loose articles across the platform and stow them, and wander back to their seats.  Once this was complete, they would open the Quick Queue gates, and they too had to store their loose items before boarding.  Then add in the person struggling to fit into the restraint, the dude with a hat that wasn’t stowed, or the lady with glasses with no straps after all that.  You get the idea.  This was compounded by the most lackadaisical ride ops I’ve ever seen.  You can tell when a crew is hustling, and this group had no pep in their step.  It was so bad that even the GP around me were commenting and rolling their eyes at how pathetically slow they were.  Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa gets a lot of flack for slow ops, and the Pantheon crew on this day made them look like an elite crew at Universal.   

I finally sat down in row 9, second to the back, and lowered that phenomenal Intamin lap bar.  It’s super comfortable and delightfully simple.  It was finally time to ride my favorite roller coaster in the park.  

Pantheon didn’t disappoint.  It’s delightfully unique.  You get hangtime in the first inversion which Intamin calls a Zero-G winder, funky laterals in the outer banked turns heading towards the launch track, and wicked backwards ejector airtime before the rush of that spike.  Then it’s more crazy airtime over the top hat, and through the huge outer banked hill, a whippy zero-G stall, and wacky sideways bunny hop before the brakes.  It’s a dynamic roller coaster with modern elements executed fluidly.  While I think it’s a bit on the short side, there’s a lot to love about Pantheon, and despite abysmal operations, I’ll be back for more.

It was time for lunch, and I stopped at Marco Polo’s Marketplace in Italy.  Pizza, pasta, and Asian options were available, but I keyed in on the Mediterranean-style beef platter with roasted potatoes and grilled veggies.  I always try to find interesting and different food in theme parks, and this looked really good.  I waited a few minutes in line for this particular counter, and when I placed my order, the worker pulled out a chunk of juicy marinated beef, and a scale, and proceeded to slice it.  She placed the slices on the scale, and the hunk of meat yielded two more slices than the corporate bean counters permitted, so they were extracted from my plate, and placed back below to be served to the next guest.  No more beef for you.  

The plate looked good, but for the twenty something dollars I paid for it, the portion was petit.  At least it felt warm and looked fresh.  I then stepped into the line to pay, and this was when I about lost my mind.  I stood in line for at least 15 minutes for one of three registers that was open as diners from four different eateries were funneled together.  After forking over too much money for my paltry plate, I sat down to ingest my now stone cold lunch that probably would have been good, save for sluggish operations.

My hangry mentality melted away as I stepped back onto the midway with a full stomach to continue around the park.  I crossed the Rhine River into Oktoberfest, marveling at the scenery, and lamented that Verbolten was closed for maintenance.  I had noticed this when I checked the app upon arriving, but was bummed to miss out on this coaster for the second consecutive visit.  I haven’t been on this highly themed Zierer launched coaster since my first visit to Busch Gardens in 2018.  

I bypassed DarKoaster, the enclosed Intamin straddle coaster as it boasted an hour wait, and entered Germany proper to ride Alpengeist.  This massive B&M invert is themed to a runaway ski lift, and I remembered it being a bit on the rough side during my last visit.  This also featured a single rider line, so I bypassed the 30 minute posted wait and hopped into the sixth row on the next train out.  This ride was much better than my last one.  I love the huge 170 foot spiral drop, and the big forceful elements.  The cobra roll is so snappy you get a head bang or two, but the rest of the ride was great.  The ending in particular has some awesome theming as you careen through snow filled trenches with great near-miss visuals.  Good stuff.

Next up was Griffon.  This is my favorite B&M dive coaster.  It features 10-across trains so you get extra whip through its pair of Immelmans if you can secure a wing seat, and the use of the original style B&M shoulder harnesses guarantee more room for floater versus the new vest restraints.  While the queue house was full, this is such a capacity monster that I was onboard in about 15 minutes.  I love the massive first drop, and the airtime hill after the second Immelman.  Plus it’s smooth as can be.  I had so much fun, I went around again for a second ride.  I’ll stand by what I said before.  This is my second favorite coaster in the park.

I headed back downhill into Ireland where I wanted to ride Finnegan’s Flyer.  This was closed when I tried to ride during my last visit, and these S&S Screamin’ Swings are my favorite model of flat ride.  This one isn’t as big as its counterparts at Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld San Antonio, but it’s got a gnarly location swinging way out over the river below, and it was awesome!  The way these rides use compressed air to swing faster than gravity never fails to leave your stomach in your throat, and I’ll always ride these when I can.

I crossed yet another bridge into Scotland on my way to ride Loch Ness Monster.  This classic Arrow with a pair of interlocking loops got a major refurb since my last visit, complete with some track work, fresh paint, and improved theming, so I was excited to check it out.  The theming in the station suggests that we’re boarding excursion boats heading out on the lake in search of Nessy.  There’s a drawing of one of these small boats that looks just like the lead car on the train.  Super clever.  Additional improvements include a screen projection of the monster inside the ride’s enclosed helix and a head-to-head fly-by with Nessy herself after the second loop.  As for the track work, I couldn’t tell what was replaced and what was original, but one thing that caught me completely off guard was during both vertical loops, my head was slammed backward into the headrest.  It was violent, and left me with a headache when I got off.  This didn’t happen on any of my prior rides.  I was in the second to back row, and it was so bad, I’m not sure I’d ever ride this coaster again.  Let me know in the comments if you’ve experienced this, because it’s not something I’ve heard of before.

I returned to Festa Italia for another ride on Pantheon.  Same painfully slow dispatches, same excellent ride experience.  I concluded my day with a dusk ride on Apollo’s Chariot that was wonderful.  The air was fresh as there was a distinct chill that was a welcome change from my Florida norm.  I had a good day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.  I rode everything I wanted to, and this park is simply gorgeous.  While Tampa is pretty too, it’s got nothing on this place.  Then, I lamented that the same quality issues plaguing SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa have also made their way here.  This is a special park with an outstanding ride collection surrounded by stunning natural beauty and strong theming.  Simply put, United Parks has to fix their dining and operations.  The new Six Flags is prioritizing these areas, and Herschend excels here.  Busch Gardens is seriously lagging.

I made the drive back to Richmond and relaxed for a bit, enjoying another meal-prepped dinner before retiring for the evening.  Tomorrow was another day, and I was excited to get back to Kings Dominion.

The next morning brought more summer-like temperatures with a bit of haze.  It was already hot as I exited my hotel and made my way to my car.  Kings Dominion opened at 11, yet after two long days before, I dragged my feet a bit.  I was in the car at 11 hoping to be there by 11:30.  Mike messaged me that he was rope dropping the park and heading to Rapterra.  Then my GPS said it would be about an hour drive due to construction traffic, so I wouldn’t get there until noon.  No matter.  I had plenty of time.  This park was absolutely dead the last time I visited, and Busch Gardens was only moderately crowded yesterday.

As I battled stop-and-go heading northbound, I got to thinking about the day to come.  Rapterra looks pretty darn good, and based on the POV videos I’ve seen, I thought it had a shot at becoming my favorite B&M wing coaster.  Before my trip, the park had announced that Pantherian, formerly Intimidator 305, would not open until summer.  This was a bummer, because of all the rides currently sitting in my top 25, this was the hardest to place because it’s been so long since I’ve ridden it.  I really want to get back on this intensity monster.  Then there’s Twisted Timbers.  This was my first RMC, and like Pantherian, I hadn’t ridden it since 2018.   I’ve since ridden so many other IBOX coasters, and I really wanted to give this one another try.  Another recent addition was Tumbili, the S&S 4-D Free Spin that opened in 2022.  Then the Grizzly wood coaster got a major refurbishment as well, so despite Pantherian being closed, there were still a lot of changes to look forward to.  

I exited 95 and got that grand vista of the Kings Dominion skyline.  The Dominator B&M floorless with its fresh orange paint gracefully loops in the foreground while Pantherian’s minimalist lift structure towers to the left.  The Eiffel Tower stands tall front and center with Rapterra’s green track just poking above the trees.  

I approached the front gate, and the line to get through security was sprawling.  They had several lanes open, but it still took several minutes to get through.  I messaged Mike that I had arrived, and we planned our meet up.  

As I stepped into the park, I was impressed by the beauty of the place.  Somehow, during my last visit, it didn’t have the same feel.  Obviously that was some time ago, and Cedar Fair has prioritized beautification recently.  International Street was bustling with guests.  Quaint shops line both sides of the fountain pool at its center.  The pathways are well shaded and the landscaping is top notch.  While it’s not as grand as Kings Island’s entrance, it still made a strong first impression.

I met up with Mike on the left side of International Street, and he’s going to join me now.

After my second ride on Rapterra, I was seriously tempted to try a few more coasters.  The lines for Rapterra had been manageable thus far, so I pulled up the app.  Like the day before, everything was now an hour plus.  I really wanted to experience more of Kings Dominion to make a full episode on this park, but I just didn’t feel it was worth it, especially given my lodging plans.  My watch revealed it was just after noon, and I had a five hour drive to Carowinds.  I decided to roll the dice and get on the road, hoping for a better experience at KD’s sister park.  Like Thursday at Busch Gardens, I had nothing new to experience there, so I’d be happy with whatever I got.

The drive was hassle free down I-85 as I made my way towards Charlotte, only stopping briefly for gas and lunch.  As I pulled off the highway onto Carowinds Boulevard and looked up at the towering structures of Fury 325 and Intimidator, now Thunder Striker, I felt a calm. I made it, and I freaking love this place.  It was my first stop on my first road trip three years ago, so it’s got a special place in my heart, and this would be my third time pulling in for one last hurrah to end out a road trip.  By the way, if you want my full in-depth review of that first visit to Carowinds, check out Episode 4.

I parked and walked straight towards Fury’s ferocious S-bends, then right down the border between North and South Carolina to enter the park.  Entry was a breeze, and I hung a right because when you come to Carowinds, you gotta start with Fury.  This B&M giga coaster currently holds the number three spot in my rankings.  It’s tall, fast, and a pure joy delivering a perfect blend of airtime, speed, whip, and re-rideability.  

The line this afternoon was about 20 minutes, which is actually the longest I’ve ever waited for it.  All three trains were on the track, and was clear from the moment I stepped into the station that Carowinds takes pride in speedy operations.  I don’t like that they assign seats.  I think there’s enough room in the station to let people select their own rows, but I applaud the park’s push for efficiency.  My first ride was in row 2 left, which as I recall is one of the best seats on this coaster.  I buckled in, lowered that delightful clamshell, and listen to how this crew hustles people onboard and projects that sense of urgency while keeping it fun.

The Fury crew puts on a clinic for great operations, and Busch Gardens could learn a thing or two from them.  And with that, I and set out on one of my all-time favorite coasters.

I swear every time I get off Fury 325, I’m reminded just how good it is.  The first drop is a maniacal descent.  Of course that moment is better in the back, but it’s so big that you still get plenty of float up front.  The direction changes in the outbound run combine whippy laterals and pops of airtime, and the Treble Clef turnaround is wild with sideways airtime and an aggressive dive beneath the pedestrian bridge.  Then the three big airtime hills on the return run provide some of the most sumptuous flojector you’ll find anywhere.  I find this coaster really shines towards the front in a wing seat for everything beyond the first drop.  Fury 325 is a masterpiece, and worth a visit to Carowinds alone.  Fortunately, there’s plenty more to enjoy here.

I left Fury, and continued towards the back of the park.  I passed through AeroNautica Landing, a recently refurbished section complete with fresh theming and a package of flat rides from Zamperla.  Cedar Fair did a great job cleaning up this previously dog-eared section of the park.  With their leadership now at the helm of the merged Six Flags, I’m sure this type of investment will continue.

My next stop was Copperhead Strike.  This multi launch coaster from Mack Rides was the newest coaster in the park as of my visit, as the new-for-2025 Snoopy’s Racing Railway family ride was still under construction.  Imagine my surprise when I entered the queue and walked directly into the station with absolutely zero line on a Saturday evening.  Copperhead usually has one of the longest lines in the park, so I don’t know if I got there just after it reopened from a breakdown, or what, but I’ll take it.

I sat in the second to back row, and relished in the pleasure of Mach’s over the shoulder lap bar.  It’s right up there with Intamin’s for comfort and openness.  In just a few minutes, we were out the door, suspended through the jojo roll before entering Granny Byrd’s secret moonshine distillery.

The launch engages, and Copperhead Strike’s beautiful black train careens through inversions filled with hangtime, strong airtime moments, and a delightful spaghetti bowl of twisting steel track.  It’s not super intense, but you get a variety of sensations on this coaster in a package that’s silky smooth, well paced, and sublimely re-rideable.  And given the absurdly short wait, I went around for a re-ride, this time enjoying the view from the front row.

I left Copperhead Strike on my way towards the front of the park to ride Thunder Striker.  Apparently there’s a lot of striking going on here.  This B&M hyper received its current handle two years ago when Cedar Fair lost the rights to the Dale Earnhardt name.  It’s now generic race themed, which is fine, because it wasn’t heavily themed to begin with.  I waited about ten minutes for this one which was also rolling all three trains with excellent ops.  Nobody was assigning seats, so of course I selected the back row.  

B&M built a handful of hypers with this staggered seating arrangement which results in the trains being twice as long as the normal four-across trains.  While I don’t typically favor this configuration, I will say that when riding in the back row, the whip over the 211 foot first drop is absolutely crazy and is definitely more intense than Fury’s which is 100 feet taller.  The rest of the coaster is a series of undulating airtime hills that are great fun, but Thunder Striker simply doesn't offer the variety of sensations you’ll find on the bigger green ride next door.  If it was in any other park, I think this coaster would get a lot more love because it is a great ride, but here it’ll forever be in Fury’s shadow.

I left Thunder Striker and walked past the now abandoned plot of land where the Nighthawk Vekoma Flying Dutchman once stood.  I never got to ride this coaster as it was either closed or sported too long a line when I visited.  I did ride Batwing at Six Flags America, and was surprised by how good it was.  Nighthawk’s footers remained with the lagoon around them drained.  With this being such a prime location front and center in the park, I have to imagine there’ll be something big and exciting coming to this plot in the very near future.

As the sun began to set, I returned to Fury.  I had time for two more rides, again with about a 20 minute wait.  The last one was a full night ride, and it was absolutely ripping through the course; a perfect way to end off this trip.  While I didn’t have as much time here as I’d originally planned, I got my fill of the rides that mattered, and I did so without overwhelming crowds or poor operations.  

I left the park at closing, returned to my car, and drove across the street to the same Marriott TownePlace Suites I always choose when I’m here.  As I wound down for the evening, I looked back at the last three days, and while they weren’t perfect, I still had a great time.   My main goal was to do a full episode on Kings Dominion, minus Pantherian.  That didn’t work out, but despite the crazy crowds in the park, I had a blast hanging out with Mike all day, and left with a new friend.  That’s always a win.  I adapted and got my two rides in on Rapterra, and a memory refresh ride on Twisted Timbers.  My visits to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Carowinds were just meant to be fun on either side of Kings Dominion because I was in the neighborhood, and any nitpicks aside, they were.    

I drove back to Florida the next day, already looking forward to the next trip, though if I’m being completely honest, it’s one I’ve been anxiously anticipating for the last several years.  Maybe Kings Dominion’s season reopening combined with the debut of a new roller coaster will prepare me for what’s to come.  I’m probably going to have to be fluid again, and accept disappointment and/or frustration, because my next adventure will bring me to a brand new theme park.  Not just one that I haven’t been to before, but an entire park filled with cutting edge attractions that I’ll be visiting shortly after opening.  

Join me for the next episode for two full days beyond the portal, home to gardens green and epic worlds to fill your dreams.  I can’t wait to bring you along to Universal Epic Universe…….Next time on Coaster Redux.