[super7]

I'm glad others feel this way too. Carowinds is where I grew up and I will forever love it, but it is really hard to find that 'chill spot.' Until I began traveling to other parks, I thought Carowinds was perfect, but now with BGW, KD and Dollywood among others under my belt, I cant help but envy those parks. One of my favorite sections of Dollywood is from county fair to Tennessee Tornado. There are literally no rides through there and it seems so down home and relaxing. Kings Dominion's entire entrance plaza is one of the most beautiful places in the park. My friend and I were walking through the plaza in front of Boo Blasters at Carowinds the other day and compared it to the area under the eiffel tower at KD, but that only made me want to go to Virginia. We still have potential, but lots of our past has been destroyed.

Our heritage still looms in places; Rip Roarin' Rapids, the waterwheel mentioned last page and Goldrusher; everything else feels almost industrialized anymore.

King's Dominion has the most spectacular entrance of any park, including Disney. It's perfect and much better than King's Island's version. It's a great place to sit and exist.

[coasterbruh]

I'm glad others feel this way too. Carowinds is where I grew up and I will forever love it, but it is really hard to find that 'chill spot.' Until I began traveling to other parks, I thought Carowinds was perfect, but now with BGW, KD and Dollywood among others under my belt, I cant help but envy those parks. One of my favorite sections of Dollywood is from county fair to Tennessee Tornado. There are literally no rides through there and it seems so down home and relaxing. Kings Dominion's entire entrance plaza is one of the most beautiful places in the park. My friend and I were walking through the plaza in front of Boo Blasters at Carowinds the other day and compared it to the area under the eiffel tower at KD, but that only made me want to go to Virginia. We still have potential, but lots of our past has been destroyed.

Our heritage still looms in places; Rip Roarin' Rapids, the waterwheel mentioned last page and Goldrusher; everything else feels almost industrialized anymore.

King's Dominion has the most spectacular entrance of any park, including Disney. It's perfect and must better than King's Island's version. It's a great place to sit and exist.

Did...did you just say any park...including Disney? You don't get out much do you? You also say it [s]must[/s] much better than KI's...but they are identical...

I want whatever you are on!

[super7]

I'm glad others feel this way too. Carowinds is where I grew up and I will forever love it, but it is really hard to find that 'chill spot.' Until I began traveling to other parks, I thought Carowinds was perfect, but now with BGW, KD and Dollywood among others under my belt, I cant help but envy those parks. One of my favorite sections of Dollywood is from county fair to Tennessee Tornado. There are literally no rides through there and it seems so down home and relaxing. Kings Dominion's entire entrance plaza is one of the most beautiful places in the park. My friend and I were walking through the plaza in front of Boo Blasters at Carowinds the other day and compared it to the area under the eiffel tower at KD, but that only made me want to go to Virginia. We still have potential, but lots of our past has been destroyed.

Our heritage still looms in places; Rip Roarin' Rapids, the waterwheel mentioned last page and Goldrusher; everything else feels almost industrialized anymore.

King's Dominion has the most spectacular entrance of any park, including Disney. It's perfect and must better than King's Island's version. It's a great place to sit and exist.

Did...did you just say any park...including Disney? You don't get out much do you? You also say it [s]must[/s] much better than KI's...but they are identical...

I want whatever you are on!

King's Dominion ENTRANCE area is much better than any Disney park. At least in the US (maybe Disneyseas can compare). The fountains are spectacular. Magic Kingdom is an asphalt street. I don't know of any Disney park in the US that has the same relaxing atmosphere AT THE ENTRANCE as KD. Most of Disney's parks are designed to move you out of the entrance area so a mob does not form there.

King's Island's is different. KI does not have nearly the same amount of shade along the street. At KD, the Eiffel tower is surrounded by trees, at KI, there are none. KD's has islands that separate the places where you can sit down from the main walkways. At KI the tables are right with the walkways. The fountain is nicer at KD without the ugly pedestals at KI. The buildings are also more detailed and true 2 story buildings at KD. At KI, they are facades.

[coasterbruh]

Well...everyone is entitled to their opinion....even if they are the only person who feels that way...

[arby]

I do have to agree with super7 slightly. While most of the Disney parks have entrances that I think are pretty nice, I think the Magic Kingdom entrance is awful. While Main Street USA is great, albeit crowed beyond belief, I don't consider that their entrance. Primarily because it is nearly impossible to get from your car to the park gate in less than an hour each way since you have to go through the transportation center and get herded on the monorail like cattle. At least at Disneyland it's a short bus ride and when I was there (during an extremely busy time right after Christmas) they never packed the buses like they do the monorails.

[RollerBee]

We had the nicest entry gate of any park I have been to including Disney but then Cedar Fair came in and ruined to cut expenses.

However they also gave us better plaza than we had, if only they could have moved the old buildings.

[Capler]

Carowinds entry from the Plantation house down to the Sky Tower, sort of felt like you were on Main Street at The Magic Kingdom. It does not feel like that at all now.

[RollerBee]

I agree with that statement especially prior to 2000!

[swampfox43]

King's Dominion has the most spectacular entrance of any park, including Disney. It's perfect and must better than King's Island's version. It's a great place to sit and exist.

I will say the fountain entries at KD & KI are my favorites too. I love fountains and these are just so massive and beautifully located at the foot of the Eiffel Towers.

I was hoping for a large fountain in the new entry area. There's plenty of grassy areas that would work right there near the Fury crossovers.

Overall, I do miss the downsizing of the parks lagoons and fountains. Losing Pirate Island, the Sternwheeler, even the lagoon around the log flume put a huge dent in the water supply.

For the most part I like the direction that the park is going in and feel confident that the missing niches will eventually be filled. I have much more confidence in the current VP. Doesn't mean I don't miss the old days when the park had specifically themed areas depicting the Carolinas, but we are an amusement park now, not a theme park.

[Ty-Rant_13]

Reading this thread, I'm realizing how few of you have been to Canada's Wonderland. They have the same Royal Fountain as KI and KD, and Wonder Mountain which is much more beautiful than those Eiffel Towers (cascading waterfalls into the head of the Royal Fountain beats a steel triangular post ), including having trees not only around it, but ON it! Also, no pedestals, dinosaur, or flagpoles. Instead, a Canada flag flower bed! We also have decently themed two storey buildings throughout, and three daily shows along International Street.

It's too bad you guys didn't get any kind of fountain. It could have looked really nice. Maybe that'll be the "big splash" next year!

[Jonathan]

I've been to all three and I agree with super7 that Kings Dominion's is the best. Either way all three are on a different level than Carowinds.

[FamousAmos]

Hey, we should remove Nighthawk and Vortex, fill in all of the water and build a GIANT MOUNTAIN in the middle of the park!

[RollerBee]

^and move Ricochet in it along with a more exciting coaster. Hmm, what about adding a Wing Coaster to the side. We could be like Canada's Wonderland but so totally awesome-r!

[Capler]

Reading this thread, I'm realizing how few of you have been to Canada's Wonderland. They have the same Royal Fountain as KI and KD, and Wonder Mountain which is much more beautiful than those Eiffel Towers (cascading waterfalls into the head of the Royal Fountain beats a steel triangular post ), including having trees not only around it, but ON it! Also, no pedestals, dinosaur, or flagpoles. Instead, a Canada flag flower bed! We also have decently themed two storey buildings throughout, and three daily shows along International Street.

It's too bad you guys didn't get any kind of fountain. It could have looked really nice. Maybe that'll be the "big splash" next year!

Never been to Wonderland but it seems like a great park. I spent the day with a Canadian family, (Reids), at Carowinds about 12 years ago when they came down to visit parks in the area. Very nice people.

[Capler]

^and move Ricochet in it along with a more exciting coaster. Hmm, what about adding a Wing Coaster to the side. We could be like Canada's Wonderland but so totally awesome-r!

It is my hope that if something is removed, they won't add any more new coasters within the interior space of the park. Vortex is about at the end of it's usefulness, and Night Hawk, is fairly useless with the low capacity. Carolina Cyclone does not take up much prime space, unless of course they expand the park back into the maintenance area.