To build the water park, Kings Dominion filled in two-thirds of Lake Charles near the Candy Apple Grove region of the park. Ī new 20-acre water park addition called Hurricane Reef opened in 1992. Anaconda was also originally billed as having six loops, but unlike Arrow's six-inversion coaster Drachen Fire that opened at Busch Gardens Williamsburg the following year, the Anaconda actually has only four inversions: a vertical loop, a sidewinder, and two consecutive corkscrews. A new, looping roller coaster from Arrow Dynamics called Anaconda was introduced the following year in 1991 featuring the world's first underwater tunnel which travels under part of Lake Charles. Kings Dominion continued to expand over the next few seasons starting with Hanna-Barbera Land in 1990 with the addition of more children flat rides. The trains of Avalanche are themed after the United States', France's, Germany's, Canada's and Switzerland's bobsleds, so that riders in different trains can simulate being in a bobsled race in the Winter Olympics. A water slide complex known as Racing Rivers would open in 1987, and Avalanche, which remains the only Mack bobsled roller coaster in the United States, would debut the following year in 1988. King Kobra was removed at the end of the season. Shockwave has one loop like the older King Kobra but adds a helix. Kings Dominion unveiled a TOGO stand-up roller coaster in 1986 called Shockwave, the first of three roller coasters to be added under KECO. Also that year, Smurf Mountain would replace the mine ride Land of the Dooz transforming the Lost World into The Smurfs theme. One of the first additions under the new management group was Berserker - a swinging, inverting pirate ship added to International Street in 1984. American Financial Group would later purchase KECO in 1987 but allowed KECO to continue to manage operations at the amusement parks. Three parks were involved in the sale - Kings Island, Kings Dominion, and Carowinds - along with a 20-percent stake in Canada's Wonderland. Taft Broadcasting Company sold its theme park division in late 1983 for $167.5 million USD to Kings Entertainment Company (KECO), a new company formed by senior executives and general managers of Taft's Amusement Park Group. Kings Dominion later expanded Old Virginia with the addition of the park's second wooden roller coaster, the Grizzly, in 1982 and a river rapids ride called White Water Canyon in 1983. Only a year later in 1980, the flume ride was rethemed Haunted River. Originally, the Lost World featured three rides: a flume ride called Voyage to Atlantis, a children's attraction mine ride known as Land of the Dooz, and a rotor called Time Shaft. The replica Eiffel Tower at Kings DominionĪ campground was completed in time for the 1978 season and the park's well-known Lost World mountain debuted in 1979. Also in 1977, Kings Dominion was one of several amusement parks used as a set for the film Rollercoaster. It was in the park for nine seasons before being relocated to Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Ocean City, Maryland and later to Hopi Hari in Brazil where it exists today as Katapul. The King Kobra featured a 50-ton counter weight drop launch and was the park's first launched roller coaster. Kings Dominion added their fourth roller coaster, a Schwarzkopf shuttle loop known as the King Kobra, in 1977. Original themed areas included The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera, International Street, Lion Country Safari, Old Virginia, and Coney Island. In addition, Kings Dominion's 1/3-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower and the International Street Fountain greet visitors near the main entrance to the park. Also present at the opening was a log flume, steam train, a collection of flat rides and a cable-car sky ride that transported visitors between Old Virginia and The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera. Kings Dominion officially opened on offering fifteen attractions including the Rebel Yell, the Lion Country Safari Monorail, Galaxie, and a junior wooden roller coaster known as Scooby Doo. ![]() The new park was designed with Kings Island in mind as the blueprint using similar themes, rides, and activities. A 400-acre site was chosen in Doswell, Virginia in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic, and construction began in the summer of 1973. ![]() The park entrance as seen from the observation deck of the replica Eiffel Towerįollowing the success of Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, Family Leisure Centers (a partnership formed between Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises) decided to expand into a new region of the country by opening a second park. History Early history as Kings Dominion (1973-83) File:PKDEntrance.jpg 1.2 Growth under KECO management (1983-92).1.1 Early history as Kings Dominion (1973-83).
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