Thursday, March 24, 2016

Kings Dominion Opens Delirium Tomorrow + Hurler Closed for the Season


© Kings Dominion
Tomorrow marks the opening of Kings Dominion's 2016 season, which is also the first day that the public will be able to take a spin on Delirium.  The new ride has taken up residence in the park's Candy Apple Grove section, which has been also refreshed for this year.

"The opening of Delirium marks our continued commitment to providing thrills for the entire family to enjoy,” says Pat Jones, Vice President and General Manager of Kings Dominion. “Delirium is a unique, exciting ride unlike any other in our park and it’s a fantastic addition to Candy Apple Grove.”

© Kings Dominion
Delirium is sure to please thrill-seekers who visit the park, as the pendulum style flat ride will swing them up to 115 feet in the air at 120 degrees.  The above press image released by the park shows Delirium at full swing - those are riders' tiny feet you can see way up at the end of the arm!  The new attraction holds 40 riders per cycle on the end of the circular gondola, each facing outward while it spins and swings.


Also of note is that Kings Dominion has closed one of their wooden roller coasters, Hurler, for the entire season to perform "extensive maintenance" on it.  The coaster is still featured on the park's website, however it is listed in multiple places as closed for the year.

This news would perhaps make good fodder for rumors of the ride's eventual removal from the park, but they do mentioned that they "anticipate the ride will reopen net season."

So if the ride is receiving a major refurbishment, the question then is just how major will it be?  The ride has run rough for many seasons now, so much of the track could use replacement.  Could it be a total renovation (with new trains?) like we're currently seeing on GhostRider at Knott's?  Or even something more extreme?  Time will tell!


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