Refreshed + Restored Grizzly Coaster Now Open at Kings Dominion

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion spent a lot of time this past off-season detailing the work that the park had The Gravity Group put into restoring The Grizzly.  If you missed that coverage, you can see the final post at this link and then move backward.  The Gravity Group has done some engineering work to the ride to modify the first drop and some additional sections of the coaster.  This has resulted in a longer drop (by 12 feet) that's also steeper by 10 degrees.

© Kings Dominion

Aside from those changes there was quite a bit of precut track placed on the ride, which is engineered specifically to be smoother for the trains to pass over and also to create a more enjoyable ride for passengers.  Plus, it's easier for the park to maintain so that the smoothness lasts longer, a win for both the park and riders!

The Grizzly opened in 1982 and was designed by Curtis Summers and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.  With many parks choosing to retire their wooden coasters, or turn them into steel rides (or hybrids to make things more confusing) it is nice to see Kings Dominion spend the time and money to "restore the roar" and keep The Grizzly as thrilling as ever!

The theme park released an updated point of view video ride on The Grizzly, embedded below, so you can check out all the changes!

Kings Dominion's Grizzly Coaster Undergoing Major Refurb From The Gravity Group

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion is showing off their love for the park's Grizzly wooden roller coaster this off-season by making a large investment on a major refurbishment of the ride.  The work is being performed by The Gravity Group, and will feature retracking some significant portions of the ride but also making some interesting changes.  This project was first announced in November, and the park created great posts about the ride to get us up to speed (post 1 and post 2) but now is giving us even more great details.

The Grizzly opened in 1982 and was designed by Curtis Summers and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, and over the years has become fairly rough - typical for wooden coasters.  The Gravity Group's work is somewhat similar to what they did on The Beast last year at Kings Island, which also involved major sections of retracking and the use of pre-cut engineered track.

© Kings Dominion

Also similar to the Beast project is the major reprofiling of The Grizzly's first drop.  The Gravity Group is able to make the drop go closer to the ground since the original drop was quite shallow - this also allows the first drop to go from 45 degrees to 55 degrees.  This will also make a slight speed improvement as well.

There are a lot of other more subtle changes being made as well, and this video that the park put together with the ride's refubishment lead designer will spell them all out:

Carowinds and Kings Dominion to Operate Year Round Starting in 2023

© Carowinds

Both Carowinds and Kings Dominion have announced that starting in 2023 they will be open year round, continuing operations during the winter months of January, February and March.  This is a big move for owner Cedar Fair, as they try to create more revenue opportunities for the company on a 365 day calendar, similar to how Knott's Berry Farm already functions.

Carowinds traditionally closed after their WinterFest celebration at the start of the new year.  Moving forward, however, guests will be able to visit the park on weekends and partake in even more fun and special events during the winter months.  The park does warn that weather events, maintenance on rides and other factors will limit the amount of operations and food and retails locations open during the added operating days.

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion, which is further North than Carowinds, will also follow the same schedule and stay open on weekends in January, February and March in 2023.  While weather may be more of a factor for this park than Carowinds, they're giving it a try and are excited to welcome guests each month of 2023.

“Kings Dominion will be the cure for cabin fever in 2023,” said Bridgette Bywater, vice president and general manager. “We’ve always wanted find a way to extend our season to all 12 months, and now families and season passholders won’t have to wait until the spring for their favorite rides or their first taste of funnel cake.” 

This is an exciting move for fans of both parks, who no longer have an "off season" and can ride year round!  Hopefully it is a success for the parks.

Kings Dominion's New Tumbili Coaster Now Testing + Jungle X-pedition Updates

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion is very close to its 2022 season opening, and while Tumbili might not be ready to go on opening day the park has still made major progress with the new coaster.  The S&S 4-D Spin coaster just recently started performing test runs, always a good sign of the final stages of construction.  You can see a clip of Tumbili running its entire course via this link.

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion has been giving updates of Tumbili's construction during the off season, including a look at the ride's queue and station area.  The above photo is one the park shared of the queue, showing off what looks like some wonderful theming to go with the basecamp-in-a-jungle feel.

Tumbili will be the standout attraction in the park's newly themed Jungle X-pedition area, which was announced along with the coaster last year.  However, during this off-season Kings Dominion has given us some additional information on Jungle X-pedition's offerings.

© Kings Dominion

The classic Mack Rides bobsled coaster, formerly named Avalanche, will now be known as Reptilian and reside within the Jungle X-pedition area.  The coaster will receive some heavy renovations and an all-new color scheme, as detailed in these updates from the park.  Additionally, the park's Scrambler ride, which also resides within Jungle X-pedition, is now to be known as Arachnidia.  Kings Dominion is really doing a great job tying their themes together here, a promising change!

Kings Dominion's New Tumbili Coaster is Going Up Fast

© Kings Dominion

Just before the holidays Kings Dominion posted a new photo update for Tumbili, the park's new S&S 4-D Free Spin coaster that will open in 2022.  The new coaster is a part of a new themed area, Jungle X-Pedition, which will feature all new theming, paint, a new Basecamp restaurant, retail and more.  The park's existing roller coaster, Avalanche, is also being repainted and will become a part of Jungle X-Pedition.

© Kings Dominion

As you can see from these photos that the park shared, Tumbili is well on its way to being finished!  The park has given the ride a unique look by making the support columns appear as if they're made of bamboo, which contrasts nicely with the green track.  It won't take long after construction crews return from holiday break for the rest of the ride's track and supports to go into place.

Tumbili will utilize individual cars that are flipped using magnetic technology, creating a wild ride that's rarely exactly the same.  Riders are located on each side of the track with a total of 8 riders per car.  The ride's station and queue are highly themed as an exploration site, and the finished product should be very cool looking.

Entire New Themed Area + New S&S 4-D Free Spin Coaster Headed to Kings Dominion in 2022

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion has announced the addition of a new roller coaster, restaurant, immersive retail location and a totally new themed area for the park's 2022 operating season.  The major capital expansion will see the addition of the Jungle X-Pedition themed section, which will replace the park's existing Safari Village area.  Kings Dominion has put a lot of effort into creating a cohesive theme for the new area, complete with a full backstory:

"After a decade of searching in the Amazon jungle for a place he called “X”, in 1935 Professor Gerald Winston Whey found his prize – ancient ruins of temples built by humans to worship animal spirits. But not just worship: legend had it that animals possessed all who entered the temples. Whey claimed to experience that phenomenon firsthand after being possessed by a monkey, or Tumbili, as the Swahili call it.

Fellow archaeologists lauded Whey's astounding discovery but scoffed at his claims of spiritually connecting with animal spirits. Whey's great-granddaughter Alexandria believed, though, and today operates the ancient site as Jungle X-pedition. She needs additional explorers to help excavate the area and find proof in Professor Whey's claims. Are you game? Come to Jungle X-pedition for the adventure of a lifetime!"

 

© Kings Dominion

Among the new themed land will also be the Basecamp, which features the highly renovated restaurant that is currently known as Outer Hanks.  I'm not totally sure if the restaurant is named the Basecamp, or that's a sub-section of the greater Jungle X-Pedition area.  Either way, it's set to feature "hearty meals and snacks prepared by" the park's Executive Chef.  Nearby will be a new "immersive" retail location that will offer plenty of souvenirs for visitors.

 

© Kings Dominion

The star addition of the expansion is the new roller coaster, named Tumbili - which is the Swahili word for monkey.  The ride is one of S&S' 4-D Free Spin coasters, the same model as we saw debut this season at Adventureland.  The ride will utilize magnets that make the cars flip passengers throughout the ride, and also offer a different experience each dispatch.  The ride features some wonderful theming that tie it back to the "monkey god" temple described in the area's backstory.

Tumbili will stand 112 feet tall and feature a vertical lift hill as on other 4-D Free Spin coasters.  The ride will last around 55 seconds and passengers will travel at a maximum speed of 34 miles per hour over the 770 feet of track.

© Kings Dominion

The coaster will have supports that are painted to look like large bamboo beams, and the track will be a fittingly jungle green.  The layout includes two raven turn drops and several undulating hills that will be perfect for flipping riders head over heels on.

“Kings Dominion is in the business of making people happy, and the introduction of Tumbili and the Jungle X-Pedition themed area in 2022 is sure to excite our park guests,” said Bridgette Bywater, vice president and general manager. “We place a lot of focus on providing immersive experiences for our guests, and both of these certainly deliver on that promise. Riders will want to ride Tumbili again and again because, depending on the weight, position, and rider interaction, it provides a different ride experience every time."

 

I'm impressed with the level of detail and theming that the park has put into this expansion, and am excited to see how they incorporate the existing Avalanche bobsled coaster into the area.  By all means, let this level of theming permeate into all the Cedar Fair parks!

 

Kings Dominion has also announced that when Haunt returns this fall for their 20th year of screams there will be a new maze, new scare zone and new live entertainment - plus Winterfest will feature an all new parade this year.  

Cedar Fair Parks Release Schedules for Summer Seasons

© Michigan's Adventure

Many Cedar Fair parks just released their summer schedules, through Labor Day, giving us the ability to plan out our summer trips.  The schedules vary by park, but generally speaking the plans seem pretty conservative right now at many of the parks.  Cedar Point released their plans earlier and we already covered that here, so we'll skip that park in this post.  Most parks previously released their opening dates as well, with their full schedules as the new information shared here.  Right now Knott's Berry Farm, California's Great America and Canada's Wonderland have not released their full schedules.  Let's dig in!

© Worlds of Fun

Worlds of Fun will open May 22nd and Ocean of Fun will open on May 29th.  They've announced that Grand Carnivale will run July 24th through August 8th and Halloween Haunt will take place September 17th through October 31st.  They are the only park so far to confirm they are holding Halloween Haunt.  They also note that WinterFest will not be taking place this year.  

Their season through Labor Day is around 80 operating days, with hours varying from 11 am to 7 pm on weekdays, staying open to 8 pm on weekends and 9 pm during Grand Carnivale.  During their summer season the park will be open 7 days a week.

Dorney Park will open May 22nd and Wildwater Kingdom will open on May 29th.  The park will announce hours for the fall later this year.  Grand Carnivale will be returning it looks like July 24th through August 8th.  The park shows around 75 operating days through Labor Day.  The park will remain closed on Tuesdays during the summer season.  Hours are 11 am to 7 pm each day, with the exception of closing at 9 pm during Grand Carnivale.

© Valleyfair

Valleyfair will open on May 22nd and Soak City will open on May 29th.  Grand Carnivale will take place starting July 24th and run through August 8th.  Fall hours will be announced later, and through Labor Day there are around 64 operating days.  The park will remain closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday with some exceptions, like when Grand Carnivale is running.  Hours vary from 11 am to 7 pm some weekdays, 10 am to 8 pm on weekends and a 10 pm closing time during Grand Carnivale.

Michigan's Adventure will open on May 29th and WildWater Adventure will open on June 19th.  They will have around 63 operating days through Labor Day, but that will be their whole season as the park does not usually operate in the Fall.  The park will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays during their season.  Hours are 11 am to 6 pm in the early season, then 11 am to 7 pm the rest of the time.

© Carowinds

Carowinds will open on May 22nd and Carolina Harbor will open on May 29th.  Fall hours will be announced later, and the park will hold Grand Carnivale from July 17th through August 1st.  Featuring around 87 operating days through Labor Day, Carowinds will stay open 7 days a week.  Hours are generally 11 am to 7 pm on early season week days, then closing at 8 pm mid-summer and a 9 pm close during Grand Carnivale.

Kings Dominion will open on May 22nd and Soak City will open on May 29th.  Like the other parks, Fall hours will be announced later and Grand Carnivale will be held July 17th through August 1st.  The calendar reflects 76 or so operating days through Labor Day, and the park will stay open 7 days a week during its busy season - however they do switch to weekends only pretty early in August.  Hours are generally 11 am to 7 pm weekdays and 11 am to 9 pm on weekends.

© Kings Island

Kings Island will have a pass holders weekend on May 8th and 9th, then open to all on May 15th.  Soak City will open on May 29th.  Fall and winter hours will be announced later, and while I do not see Grand Carnival mentioned just yet if they do have it I'd assume it would run July 17th through August 1st as the company has three "sets" of the event and that is the only time slot available.  There are around 91 operating days listed through Labor Day, and the park will stay open 7 days a week.  Hours vary with an 11 am opening and closing anywhere from 8 pm to 10 pm.

Additionally, Schlitterbahn New Braunfels will open on May 8th and Schlitterbahn Galveston will open on May 15th.

While some other park operators are adding as many operating days as they can, we're seeing the opposite approach for most of the Cedar Fair parks.  It is important to remember that it's easier for parks to start with less operating days and add more should the demand need it, but I also think that a big consideration here is the current labor market.  Things are changing quickly with regard to vaccinations and the public feeling much more comfortable going out, so it will be interesting to see how things progress as the season happens.

Cedar Fair Parks Release 2021 Opening Dates

© Dorney Park

This past week several Cedar Fair parks sent out e-mails to their mailing lists that provided their opening dates for the 2021 season.  We previously heard from Cedar Fair that they were evaluating opening some parks later this season, and that did happen for some parks in varying degrees.  The full operating calendars have not been released yet, just the opening dates.  The parks promise more information on operating days and hours in the coming weeks.

The earliest opening announced is for Kings Island, which plans to have a season passholder weekend preview on May 8th and 9th.  This is later than their usual opening in April each year.  While it was not stated yet when operations begin for all visitors, it is hoped it will be the following weekend.

Cedar Point will open on Friday, May 14th, which is similar to past (normal) seasons pre-pandemic.  Canada's Wonderland also announced plans to open on May 14th.  That park was not able to open at all during 2020, so fingers are crossed that this given date works out in the end.

The weekend after, specifically Saturday, May 22nd, will be the opening date for a longer list of other Cedar Fair parks.  These include Dorney Park, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, Valleyfair and Worlds of Fun.  This date is just a few weeks later than pre-pandemic opening dates for many of these parks, but much later for some like Carowinds, Worlds of Fun and Kings Dominion.

California's Great America also announced plans to open on May 22nd, and since we know that no amusement or theme parks are currently allowed to open in California we hope that happens for them.

Last but not least, Michigan's Adventure plans to open on Saturday May 29th, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend.

The parks appear to be planning to continue the safety measures that were in place when they closed for the 2020 season - though they are not ready to release details on that just yet.

Kings Dominion to Open in December for Taste of the Season

© Kings Dominion

With revised capacity limitations now in place in Virginia, Kings Dominion has announced that they will be opening in 2020 in order to hold Taste of the Season, a new limited time holiday event.  The event, like we've seen at Carowinds and Knott's Berry Farm, will be centered around the use of tasting cards to try out delicious seasonal treats while at the outdoor event.

The park will offer visitors a choice of 25 different food items, all with a "Christmas twist." From sweet to savory, there will be something for everyone in the family at Taste of the Season.  There will also be special beverages created by "Santa's mixologists," and other must have treats.  Each tasting card will allow guests a specific number of tastes, and other locations in the park will be open for guests to use their dining plans, should they have one.

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion will decorate fully for the event, with tons of lights and other holiday decorations throughout the park.  There will be special activities such as a digital scavenger hunt and distanced selfies with Santa as well.  Plus holiday shopping will be available at the park's stores, there will be games for the whole family and live entertainment as well.

Ride fans will be happy to know that they will get a chance to get in some thrills at Kings Dominion during the event.  The park plans to have open select rides in Planet Snoopy, some family rides like the Grand Carousel and bumper cars and for true thrills, Delirium and Dominator.

© Kings Dominion

Taste of the Season reservations and ticket purchases must be made ahead of time on the park's website.  All 2020 season passes and 2021 season passes are valid for entry as well.  Safety standards that have been put at place at all Cedar Fair parks will be utilized for the event.  The first night of Taste of the Season will be December 5th, continuing select nights through December 27th.  Watch for reservations for the event to open soon!

Kings Dominion Shows Off New-for-2021 Coconut Shores Waterpark Expansion

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion did not get to open in 2020, but that doesn't mean that the park didn't finish their new-for-2020 water park expansion, named Coconut Shores.  In a new blog post the park is showing off the construction that went into the transformation, along with the finished product.  Kings Dominion is now advertising Coconut Shores as the park's new-for-2021 attraction.

There are actually two new attractions within the expansion.  There's the huge family water play structure seen at the top of this article, named Lighthouse Landing.  Featuring more than 200 interactive elements and 8 small waterslides, Lighthouse Landing will keep guests busy for hours near year.  Additionally, the park built Sand Dune Lagoon, a kid-sized wave pool with a maximum depth of 24 inches and gentle rolling waves.

© Kings Dominion

The park is proud to show off this aerial shot of the finished product, with Sand Dune Lagoon on the left and Lighthouse Landing on the right.  The expansion was placed on top of what was the park's original wave pool, and you can see that the new items fit nicely in the old pool's footprint.  The park is even featuring some photos of lucky testers who got to play in the new area for quality assurance!

© Kings Dominion

In addition to the new attractions, Kings Dominion is also making other improvements in Soak City.  They've taken the time to totally re-coat and repaint Pipeline Plunge, one of the park's huge slide towers.  The finished product is seen above, with bright colors added to the mix - previously the tower was all dark colors so the new look is really nice!

Closed-In-2020 Cedar Fair Parks Detail Extra Pass Perks for 2021

© California's Great America

When several Cedar Fair parks decided that they would not be able to open in 2020 they announced that season pass holders would be getting some extra benefits out of their Pass Perks program in 2021.  It was designed to be an extra benefit to pass holders who didn't get to visit their park this year, but at the time no real details were given.

I noticed that now some of the parks that weren't able to open are listing more specific benefits for next year, and they are pretty nice.  Pass Perks debuted at the parks a couple seasons ago, and after a visit to the park, season pass holders sometimes get an e-mail with a free perk, like a food treat, steep discount on retail, etc.

California's Great America has stepped that up a bit with their 2021 program.  Season pass holders who purchased before August 4th will receive a monetary credit on their pass that they can use freely (with some restrictions) in the park.  Silver level pass holders will receive $25, Gold and Platinum will receive $35. 

© Carowinds

At Carowinds, Silver pass holders will receive a $35 credit, and Gold and Platinum pass holders will receive $50!  Kings Dominion will have the same levels as Carowinds, Silver pass holders will receive the $35 credit, Gold and Plantinum will receive $50.  Valleyfair, which also did not open in 2020, does not have detailed information up yet, and Canada's Wonderland, which is still in limbo with regard to 2020, also does not.

This is a really nice benefit for pass holders, especially since it's not the park's fault that they couldn't open.  Consider that for a family of 4, even at the lower levels, will start the season with a total of $100 - $140 to spend.  That's a couple meals or quite a bit of shopping if they choose.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Kings Dominion to Stay Closed in 2020?

© Busch Gardens Williamsburg

The Governor of Virginia has only allowed entertainment facilities such as Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Kings Dominion to open with a maximum of 1,000 visitors in the state's 3rd phase of reopening.

While it is good that the parks are able to open, they're not able to make it financially worthwhile at a maximum of 1,000 visitors per day, and as such do not appear to plan to reopen this year.

This article gives a nice summary of what has transpired so far, and the leader of Busch Gardens Williamsburg has been outspoken about wanting theme park capacity lifted to 5,000 to 7,000 people per day.  The park has been trying to work with the Governor's office to get the visitor limit lifted, but with no luck so far.

The park has stated that they have a very detailed COVID-19 related operating plan ready to go, and that in some ways they're not that different from Virginia Beach, which has been allowed to open.  Another part of their argument is that the size of the parks make it such that people are easily distanced apart.

We will have to keep tabs on the story, but at this point we're already in July and these parks would need at least a couple weeks (or more) to get ready if they were allowed to open.  Plus, in different parts of the country the COVID-19 cases are rising fast, which might not help their case either.

Cedar Fair Parks Update on What's Staying for 2020 and What's Pushed to 2021

© Cedar Fair

Cedar Fair has sent out updates for all their parks that detail what attractions and special events planned for 2020 will remain for 2020 when the parks can reopen, and which ones have been bumped to 2021.  Also, no estimated opening dates have been set for any parks yet, as they continue to work with local officials on the reopening process.

Instead of doing separate posts for each of the parks, here is one big summary of each of the updates from the properties.

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion will continue to debut their water park expansion, Coconut Shores, in 2020.  It will feature a new water fun house named Lighthouse Landing, and kiddie wave pool named Sand Dune Lagoon.  Grand Carnivale will be postponed until 2021, along with the Memorial Weekend Salute.  The park's Run & Ride event will only take place virtually.

Dorney Park will still open their new family water play area, Seaside Splashworks, in 2020.  They are also working on remodeling Center Stage and adding more green areas to the park.  Both the new Summer Nights block party event and Grand Carnivale will be postponed until 2021.

The two Schlitterbahn parks in Texas will have to delay their annual American Heroes Week for now.  The parks have already had a ton of changes done for 2020, all of which will remain.  These include remodeling entrances, painting and refurbishing slides, adding food options, more seating and more.

© Kings Island

Kings Island is still planning to open Orion, the park's new giga coaster, as soon as the park opens for 2020.  However, both the Summer Nights and Grand Carnivale special event celebrations are being postponed until 2021.

Michigan's Adventure's park update didn't specifically call out their new Camp Snoopy expansion in any way, though the expansion is still on the website as New For 2020 - so we will assume that remains true for now.

Valleyfair has been hard at work on several projects, all of which are still on for 2020.  These include the new Lakeshore Landing event space, renovated restrooms, changes to food offerings and more.  The park unfortunately will not have Monster Jam Thunder Alley in 2020.  They have also had to postpone both Grand Carnivale and The Peanuts Celebration until 2021.

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point has made the tough decision to postpone their 150th anniversary celebration until 2021.  That also includes their new attraction, Snake River Expedition, which won't open in 2020.  The Celebrate 150 Spectacular will also move to 2021, along with the opening of the new Town Hall and merchandise promotions.  The park's new food offerings will still open in 2020.  Essentially all other special events for the season, including Performances in the Park, Spring Youth & Education Programs, CoasterMania!, Frontier Festival, Coaster Campout, Run & Ride and Season Passholder Appreciation Weekend will all not take place in 2020.

California's Great America's update did not address their massive waterpark transformation, South Bay Shores, but it is largely completed and still shown as "opening soon" on the website.  The park will not hold their Red, White and Brews festival this year, and Monster Jam Thunder Alley will no longer take place in 2020.

Worlds of Fun's new waterslide, Riptide Raceway, is still planned to open when the park is able to in 2020.  The park's special events Summer Nights and Grand Carnivale will be postponed until 2021.

© Knott's Berry Farm

Like Cedar Point's tough decision, Knott's Berry Farm has also decided to postpone their 100th anniversary celebration until 2021.  The park's new ride, Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair, will be ready when the park reopens in 2020.  Ghost Town Alive! will also not take place in 2020, but will return in 2021.  The Knott's Chicken-To-Go Restaurant, Farm Bakery and Knott's Berry Market are open in limited capacity for to go orders.

Carowinds will still open their new water slide, Boogie Board Racer, in 2020.  Two events, Carolina Summer Nights and Grand Carnivale will be postponed to 2021.  Monster Jam Thunder Alley will take place in 2020.

Finally, Canada's Wonderland posted that both of their new attractions, Mountain Bay Cliffs and Beagle Brigade Airfield, should be completed within a month and will still open in 2020.

We heard on Cedar Fair's conference call that a lot of capital was cut from the 2020 season, and now we can see that a significant portion of that was in festivals and other limited time events.  While sad to see so many items pushed off a year, it's still better to have them at the parks when they can fully be enjoyed!

Kings Dominion to Remove 'The Crypt' Huss Suspended Top Spin? Plus New Restaurant to Open

© NewsPlusNotes

While I haven't seen an official confirmation from Kings Dominion, it is being reported that they are currently removing their HUSS Suspended Top Spin, named The Crypt.  The news was broken by KDFans.com on social media, and Kings Dominion actually replied to the tweet with the surprised owl meme, which I guess is kind of a confirmation?

It makes sense though, as Cedar Fair has removed HUSS Top Spins, both mega sized and regular sized, from their parks in the past.  Off the top of my head Knott's Berry Farm, Calfornia's Great America, Dorney Park, Worlds of Fun, Valleyfair and Kings Island have removed theirs in recent years.  In that sense it seems The Crypt at Kings Dominion has been living on borrowed time for years now.

The ride opened at Kings Dominion in 2005 as Tomb Raider: Firefall, but lost its franchised theming when Cedar Fair purchased the Paramount Parks.

© Google Maps

Taking into account that Volcano: The Blast Coaster has already been removed from the park, it is looking like half of Safari Village will be rather empty for the 2020 season.  Seen above, with both Volcano and The Crypt gone a big part of the land - whose theme makes no sense now more than ever before - will be empty space.  There's already rumors out there about the next big coaster for the park, which seemed planned for the area Volcano took up.  But perhaps there's more to that plan than first thought?  As always, time will tell.

© Kings Dominion

One additional item for the park that is not at all speculation, a new restaurant named Grain & Grill will be added to International Street, where Panda Express was formerly.  The location will offer grilled meats and a nearly endless combinations of sides that guests can choose from.  The park is proud to accommodate a variety of special dietary needs at Grain & Grill, and there will also be a full bar!  Read more directly from the park at this link.

Coconut Shores Waterpark Expansion Sailing Into Kings Dominion in 2020

© Kings Dominion

With all the announcements that have taken place lately somehow Kings Dominion's 2020 news got lost in the shuffle!  The park has announced a large water park expansion for 2020 named Coconut Shores.  The development includes two new family friendly attractions.  Kings Dominion is already working on removing their original wave pool, and once the land is cleared the work on the new Coconut Shores will begin.  Along with the two new attractions the park will also bring a new dining experience to Soak City, featuring "Latin and Asian" flavors along with "family favorites like flatbread pizzas."

© Kings Dominion

The largest of the two additions is Lighthouse Landing, a 45 foot tall water playhouse that will feature more than 200 interactive elements to keep kids busy for hours.  The brightly colored structure will also feature 8 different water slides coming from different levels of it.  To top it all off, literally, Lighthouse Landing will feature not one but two different tipping buckets that will drench anyone below them every few minutes.

© Kings Dominion

Sand Dune Lagoon is the second addition, and it's aimed at smaller kids and their families.  The mini-wave pool features a maximum depth of only 24 inches and there will be gentle one foot tall waves flowing from the rocky waterfall at the back of the pool.  With plenty of lounge space nearby, kids can splash in the pool with water shooting features such as crabs and turtles.

“The investment in Soak City demonstrates our commitment to being Virginia’s premier water park,” said Tony Johnson, Vice President and General Manager of Kings Dominion. “Offering a high-quality water park within our amusement park gives guests of every age a chance to cool down during the hottest part of the summer season.  It’s our mission to make people happy and we believe our 2020 water park enhancements will go a long way to doing just that.”

Kings Dominion Announces Attraction Closure for 2020 + Hint of What's to Come

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion has announced the permanent closure of one of Soak City's wave pools, named Big Wave Bay.  The wave pool was the older of the two wave pools that can be found at the park, and is tucked in the far back corner of the property.

The park uploaded a short video to their social feeds today announcing the attraction's departure, telling fans to "wave goodbye to Big Wave Bay" as they are "making waves" for something new.

© Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion included a quick shot of the year 2020 at the end of the video, with a couple palm trees after the numbers.  While not much of a clue as to what is coming to the park, at least we do not have to wonder if this will be for the theme park or Soak City... obviously Soak City.

The Big Wave Bay wave pool has only operated on some very busy days in the past few years, so no one is really surprised to see it go.  It is still listed as closed until further notice on the park's website, and its individual attraction page has been pulled down.

© Google Maps

What will replace the wave pool is just speculation for now.  I'd think it would be something sizable however, or the park probably wouldn't even bother to make an announcement about the wave pool's closure and the nod toward something new in 2020.  Soak City already received one of the drop box slide towers that have gone in most Cedar Fair parks, so that gives me further hope that it is going to be a bigger investment.  It would be neat to see something like a water coaster slither around the large space (above) that the pool took up!

© Google Maps

Thinking on a much grander scale, it would be fun to see Kings Dominion condense Soak City into just one section, as right now it is one of the most awkward and spread out water parks I can think of.  Racer 75 bisects Soak City and a lot of the newer attractions are already clustered in the far side of the area.  The park recently removed their Tornado water slide, which leaves the lazy river, a kiddie area, and some old water slides and amenities on the side of the park closest to the rides.

What if next year's addition was the start of creating a more condensed park in the far side?  With another slide tower and a new lazy river (plus items like changing rooms, lockers etc) in an expansion to the far area the park could gain a lot of valuable real estate right by the theme park.

Then again that's a really big change for one season, so perhaps 2020 is the start of a bigger process?  All pure speculation on my part!

Cedar Fair Testing New "Pass Perks" Reward Program at Several Parks

© Cedar Fair

We've heard for some time now via Cedar Fair's earnings calls that they are planning to test a season pass reward program in 2019, with a full rollout scheduled for 2020.

Late this past week season pass holders to certain parks received e-mails detailing Pass Perks, the rewards program.

Mine came in the form of an e-mail from Dorney Park, but the Pass Perks details show that Pass Perks is also testing at Carowinds, Kings Island, Kings Dominion.

So what is Pass Perks exactly?  The company's website explains it very clearly:

Pass Perks is a loyalty program that rewards Season Passholders simply by visiting the park. Each time Season Passholders visit, they will earn Pass Perks that count toward rewards – which are always surprises – redeemable on future visits.

© Dorney Park

So unlike other rewards programs there is no point system or anything where you accumulate a balance then deplete it as you choose rewards.  With Pass Perks you simply visit the park and then will be e-mailed some sort of benefit after the fact.

There is no definitive list of rewards as it sounds like they'll be tailored to each park, and probably for each guest depending their purchasing history, but they include "free Bring-A-Friend tickets, sweet and savory treats, and discounts on merchandise and in-park experiences."  We will have to see them start to rollout after this weekend to get a better idea.

Although Cedar Fair does have a sign-in season passholder website for each park, the Pass Perks will be administered exclusively through e-mails, so make sure your e-mail is up to date if you're visiting one of these parks!

Volcano: The Blast Coaster Nearly Gone from Kings Dominion

© NewsPlusNotes

Sorry it has been a bit quiet around here lately, we've been away.  I noticed more and more sad photos of the destruction of Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion over the past couple weeks.  They're popping up all over the interwebs, photos and video of not only the coaster itself coming down, but also the entire mountain that the ride surrounded.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by KDFans.com (@kdfanscom) on May 10, 2019 at 8:22am PDT

These photos were shared on Instagram today by KDFans and show the most recent views of what little is left of Volcano.  It is not much!  Basically all that remains is the steel support for the center of the volcano structure, which has the coaster's supports intertwined with it.  It's kind of neat to see how the mountain supports stayed separate from the coaster's, but I think we'd all rather go for a spin on Volcano than see the inside of the mountain like this.

YouTube user World of John has also been documenting the removal of the coaster via aerial footage.  The most recent video is embedded here, taken about a week ago.  There's a little bit more of the ride still standing at that point, but not much.

At this rate, the main structure of the ride will probably be completely gone in a week.

Cracked open the Easter egg today and discovered there might just be more insight for the @KingsDominionVA Volcano site. New “Expeditions on the Horizon” sign located near the ride. 📷 WC pic.twitter.com/B9mr8oMNf3

— CP Food Blog (@CPFoodBlog) April 21, 2019

As for the future of Volcano's site, the park has placed the above sign on the construction fence.  This photo, from CP Food Blog, promises us that there will be a new expedition on the horizon.  Exactly what that means remains a mystery, and the sign isn't really very telling.  I think there's probably no chance that any type of animal attraction will replace the coaster, though the general theme used here might be employed.