When Kings Dominion opens for their 50th season on March 29, they will also unveil their brand-new roller coaster, Rapterra! Coaster101’s Kyle and his son Andrew were there to preview the record-breaking coaster and are ready to share their take...
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Kings Dominion Announces Events Schedule For 50th Anniversary
Today, Kings Dominion announced a robust lineup of special events for the 2025 season to celebrate the park’s 50th anniversary. The golden anniversary begins with the spring launch of the park’s newest roller coaster, Rapterra, and continues all season long with...
Continue reading...Which Park Can Stake Claim to the “Wooden Coaster Capital Of The World”
It’s been a few years, but we’re back with another one of our highly scientific “capital of the world” questions. First, we wanted to determine which park had the most B&M track. Then, we were tasked with a follow up...
Continue reading...Kings Dominion Announces Pantherian Retheme of Project 305 Coaster
Kings Dominion announced today that the park’s “Project 305” Intamin giga coaster (formerly known as Intimidator 305) will be rethemed and renamed “Pantherian” in 2025. The coaster will sport a new color scheme of orange track and black supports and...
Continue reading...Rapterra Rising at Kings Dominion
On July 31, Kings Dominion announced the park’s newest roller coaster, Rapterra, a launched wing coaster from Swiss coaster designers Bolliger & Mabillard. Located in the park’s “Jungle X-Pedition” area, Rapterra will become the third roller coaster in that area...
Continue reading...Virginia Is For Coaster Lovers: Which Park Has The Best Lineup?
With the recent announcement of Rapterra, Kings Dominion’s “new-for-2025” launched Wing Coaster, there was, of course, some discourse online about which Virginia park had the best coaster lineup. Debuting less than two weeks apart in May 1975 and separated by...
Continue reading...Kings Dominion Opening Rapterra Launched Wing Coaster in 2025
Kings Dominion announced plans today to open Rapterra, a Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) launched wing coaster, in 2025 for the park’s 50th anniversary season. Touted as the world’s tallest and longest launched wing coaster, Rapterra will feature a 0-65 mph...
Continue reading...Parks Begin To Tease 2025 Announcements
One of the best times of the year to be a fan of amusement parks in the United States is the late summer and early fall, probably better described as “Announcement Season.” During this period every year, parks around the...
Continue reading...The Coaster101 Podcast: 1 on 1 with “Mr. Theme Park,” Dennis Speigel
When you have the opportunity to connect with a long-time industry veteran, you’re bound to get some incredible stories. When that industry veteran is Dennis Speigel, the stories are even better. A former Kings Island and Kings Dominion General Manager,...
Continue reading...13 Defunct Theme Park Monorails
While Walt Disney may have thought they were the way of the future, monorails have failed to become a widespread mode of transportation. Like stream trains, after the Disneyland monorail opened there was a building boom of theme park monorails...
Continue reading...2023 Coaster101 Park Mania: The Finals!
It’s an all Cedar Fair Final! This. Is. March. You know what March means? It’s that time of year at Coaster101 where we typically fill out a college basketball bracket, have it bust after the first two days of the...
Continue reading...Gravity Group Restoring Grizzly at Kings Dominion
Kings Dominion is enlisting the help of The Gravity Group to perform track work on Grizzly to make the 40-year-old wooden coaster smoother, faster and more thrilling. Opened in 1982, Grizzly stands 87 feet tall and stretches 3,150 feet in...
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