Summer's over, but that doesn't mean the fun has ended at Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA. Visit Kings Dominion on weekends during October, before it closes until 2014. Cooler weather. Less crowded. Same amazing fun.
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| Kings Dominion (Point B) |
THINGS TO DO:
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Kings Dominion (85 miles, 1 hour 23 minutes)
- Ride rides from morning until night
- If you are with little children, enjoy family friendly Halloween fun during the day
- If you like being scared, visit Halloween Haunt's scare zones, mazes, shows, etc. after 7:30 p.m.
- Shop for souvenirs and goodies to eat
- Play amusement park games
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| Dominator - our favorite |
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| Intimidator - incredible drop and speed |
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| Anaconda - a classic |
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| Planet Snoopy - separate kids' ride area |
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| Charlie Brown's Wind-up |
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| View of the park from Ferris Wheel, Americana |
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| Measuring station (only in the front of the park) |
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| Plenty of souvenirs and treats to buy... |
THINGS TO KNOW:
The great thing about Kings Dominion is that there is something for everyone: wooden roller coasters, steel roller coasters, family rides like the scrambler and Ferris wheel, kiddie rides, shows, games, water slides (not open during the fall), shopping, dinosaurs, games...
If you're attending the park with children, make sure you stop at the measuring station at the front of the park so you know how tall your child is; this will save you from waiting in line and getting to the front only to be turned away because your child doesn't meet the minimum height requirement. Also, make sure to pick up a park map because it lists the height requirements for the rides; that's the type of feature our family loves because it saves us from even walking to the rides for which we don't qualify and allows us to spend our time enjoying ourselves rather than walking away from a ride in disappointment. If you have small children, you'll love Planet Snoopy, an entire section of the park dedicated to the smaller guests. It creates an environment where the little ones are less likely to be run over by taller kids running to get in line for their favorite roller coaster. (For those visiting in the fall, Planet Snoopy rides are closed during the evening--at least they were when we were there). A family care station in Planet Snoopy provides a clean and comfortable place for nursing and diaper changing. Every parent who has ever tried to care for their baby in a dirty public restroom will think this aspect of the family park absolutely heavenly.
Once you're in the park, plan to either continue spending some extra money or exercise a great deal of self-control. The park admission covers the rides, but there are several additional fun activities that cost money. There are fun souvenir shops, candy shops and clothing shops. Dinosaurs Alive is a walk-through tour that costs an additional $5 per person. (During October, this attraction is also family-friendly trick-or-treating area.) You'll find plenty of kiosks offering treats as well as games spread throughout the park. Most locations take credit cards, but some kiosks only take cash. If you plan to spend money on the extra fun in the park, you might want to have a little extra cash on hand, though if you forget to bring it with you, the park does offer an ATM. In addition to the kiosks and restaurants selling treats and cold drinks, there are also vending machines throughout the park offering drinks for several dollars each as well as water fountains at each restroom location. If you plan to purchase meals inside the park, consider purchasing the dining plan online in advance. It will save you a little bit of money. Kings Dominion's website has a thorough list of food vendors, each with a complete menu (minus the prices) and the site also tells you exactly what each location offers as part of the meal plan. Take a look before you go to decide if the restaurants and meal plan are of interest to you. Another money saving option is packing your own food. You can't bring food into the park, but you can get a stamp on your hand when you leave the park which will allow you to enter again. There are picnic tables in the parking lot for anyone who wants to utilize that money-saving feature. You are even permitted to leave the parking lot and return without paying for parking a second time as long as you keep your parking receipt. (If you go to Kings Dominion in the fall, you are not permitted to re-enter the park after 7:00 pm, so plan meals around that timeline.)
We loved Kings Dominion in the Fall. The weather is cooler and it's less crowded. It just so happened that we didn't wait any more than 45 minutes for any of the rides that we rode and we walked right on to several rides. However, because we attended in the fall, we didn't have the opportunity to enjoy any of the water slides because they close for the season after Labor Day. (Even though we didn't get wet, we noticed one particular feature that we wanted to point out for those who attend the park and take full advantage of the water rides: the Family Dryer. For $5, your family can stand inside a booth that is essentially an over-sized hand dryer so you can enjoy the water rides, and then enjoy the rest of the park without walking around dripping wet. Nice touch). We did notice that the wait time increased as the day went on because of people coming to the park after 4:00 p.m. (Twilight Admission) for the Halloween Haunt. Kings Dominion recommends the Halloween Haunt for ages 13 and older.
In addition to the reduced wait time and the nicer weather, the daily admission is a little bit less in the fall. There are many ways to save on admission; see Kings Dominion's website for details. As an added bonus, Kings Dominion is offering a free one day pass through October with the purchase of a 2014 season pass ($81 each). What a great deal!
