Reader's Mailbag: June 2019
Month two of our Reader’s Mailbag blog series is in the books, and you all continued to submit interesting questions! While we can’t get to every single question, we hope that you will keep submitting each month for a chance to be featured in a future blog. Take a look at what questions we were able to tackle this month below.
How come Woodstock Express opened a year before the park did, did it operate in 74? – Holden G., Charles Town, WV
Woodstock Express, formerly known as Scooby-Doo!, did indeed open and operate in 1974. While the park itself did not officially open until 1975, Lion Country Safari made its debut in 1974, where Scooby Doo! was part of the initial attraction and the only ride to do so.
In a recent tweet with the Halloween Haunt of that girl with the teeth out, is this hinting at Tooth Fairy from Knott’s Berry Farm coming to Kings Dominion this year? – Baxter E., Lynchburg, VA
That’s a good guess – we like the way you think. While that toothy beast sure was scary, she’s actually from the Cleaver Brother’s Carnival last year and just one of the many intricate monsters you can encounter at Halloween Haunt! Have all the fear though - we’ve got some different tricks and treats up our sleeves this year at Haunt. Stay tuned, but don’t start carving the pumpkins just yet. You might lose your head over the scares we have in store.
How much electricity does the park use in a full 12 hour operating day? – Josh R., King George, VA
A conservative number would be approximately 70,000 kWH per day. Of course this may fluctuate depending on the time of the year.
I remember one slide on the first side of the water park it was almost out on the lake. What was the name of it? – Seth A., Chesterfield, VA
We did some digging and found that the original name of that slide tower over Lake Charles was Torrential Twist, which opened in 1992! The name was changed to Spiral Chute in 1999, which eventually closed in 2006.
What happens to the decorations from defunct rides like Smurf Mountain and Yogi’s Cave? – Tami H., Raleigh, NC
Great question! Décor and animatronics from defunct attractions are normally destroyed and discarded along with the building and ride structure, usually because they are in poor condition. Occasionally items will be saved to be reused elsewhere, but for example, with new park ownership, décor from Nickelodeon had to be destroyed as per franchising contracts. The same thing happened when Paramount purchased the park and all of the Hanna Barbara theming had to be removed – thus the fate of our beloved Smurfs! Sadly, these items usually end up in the trash and not in the hands of theme park collectors and historians. Most recently, DINOSAURS ALIVE figures were removed in the fall of 2018 and destroyed as per the contract with the manufacturer.
Catch us right back here next month as we answer interesting and intriguing questions you have about Kings Dominion! To submit your questions for possible inclusion in a future Reader's Mailbag blog, click here.