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Kings Dominion
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===Early history as Kings Dominion (1972β83)=== [[File:PKDEntrance.jpg|thumb|right|The park entrance as seen from the observation deck of the replica [[Eiffel Tower (Cedar Fair)|Eiffel Tower]]]] Following the success of [[Kings Island]] in [[Mason, Ohio]], Family Leisure Centers (a partnership formed between Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises, owned by supermarket chain [[Kroger]]) decided to expand into a new region of the country by opening a second park. A {{convert|740|acre|km2|adj=on}} site was chosen in [[Doswell, Virginia]], with construction beginning on October 1, 1972.<ref name=AR2021>{{cite web|title=CEDAR FAIR, L.P. Form 10-K|url=https://s2.q4cdn.com/170666959/files/doc_financials/2021/ar/Cedar-Fair-2021-10-K.pdf|page=14|access-date=April 5, 2022}}</ref><ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://www.coaster-net.com/kings-dominion.html|title=Kings Dominion|date=11 February 2011|publisher=COASTER-net}}</ref> The new park was designed with similar themes, rides, and activities as sister park Kings Island. Following a limited preview of the park's Lion Country Safari, a drive-through animal zoo with 230 species of animals, and the Scooby-Doo rollercoaster in 1974,<ref>{{Citation|title=Funny Stories from Lion Country Safari at Kings Dominion| date=6 December 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9yp00j6buU|language=en|access-date=2021-04-19}}</ref> Kings Dominion officially opened on May 3, 1975,<ref name=bdarrfrKD/><ref name="facts">{{cite web|url=http://www.kingsdominion.com/news/detail.cfm?item_id=557 |title=Park Fun Facts |publisher=Kings Dominion |access-date=4 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713152553/http://www.kingsdominion.com/news/detail.cfm?item_id=557 |archive-date=July 13, 2011 }}</ref> offering fifteen attractions including the Rebel Yell (later renamed [[Racer 75]]), the Lion Country Safari Monorail, [[Galaxi]]e, and a junior wooden roller coaster known as [[Ghoster Coaster (Kings Dominion)|Scooby-Doo]]. Also present at the opening was a [[log flume]], [[steam train]], a collection of [[Amusement ride#Carnival or funfair rides|flat rides]] and a cable-car sky ride that transported visitors between Old Virginia and [[Hanna-Barbera theme parks|The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera]].<ref name="history"/> In addition, Kings Dominion's [[Eiffel Tower (Cedar Fair)|1/3-scale replica]] of the [[Eiffel Tower]] and the International Street Fountain greet visitors near the main entrance to the park. Original themed areas included The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera, International Street, Lion Country Safari, Old Virginia, and Coney Island.<ref name="timeline">{{cite web|url=http://timelines.home.insightbb.com/pkd_years.htm|title=Paramount's Kings Dominion|publisher=Theme Park Timelines|access-date=4 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713043926/http://timelines.home.insightbb.com/pkd_years.htm|archive-date=13 July 2011}}</ref> Daily admission price in 1975 was $7.50, and a dollar for parking.<ref name=bdarrfrKD/> Opening day of the park saw 50,000 guests, with an additional 50,000-60,000 guests waiting to enter.<ref>{{Cite web|title=IAAPA Oral History - Dennis Speigel {{!}} IAAPA|url=https://www.iaapa.org/node/30651|access-date=2021-04-19|website=www.iaapa.org|language=en}}</ref> Kings Dominion added its fourth roller coaster, a [[Anton Schwarzkopf|Schwarzkopf]] [[Shuttle Loop|shuttle loop]] known as the King Kobra, in 1977. The King Kobra featured a 50-ton counterweight drop launch and was the park's first launched roller coaster. It was in the park for nine seasons before being relocated to [[Jolly Roger Amusement Park]] in [[Ocean City, Maryland]], [[Alton Towers]] in [[England]], and later to [[Hopi Hari]] in [[Brazil]] where it exists today as ''Katapul''.<ref name="kingkobra">{{cite web|title=Roller Coaster Database |work=King Kobra (Jolly Roger Amusement Park) |access-date=28 July 2006 |url=http://www.rcdb.com/id638.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909051445/http://www.rcdb.com/id638.htm |archive-date=September 9, 2006 }}</ref> Also in 1977, Kings Dominion was one of several amusement parks serving as location for the film ''[[Rollercoaster (1977 film)|Rollercoaster]]''. A campground was completed in time for the 1978 season and the park's well-known Lost World mountain debuted in 1979. 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 (ride)|rotor]] called ''Time Shaft''. Only a year later in 1980, the flume ride was rethemed ''Haunted River''. Kings Dominion later expanded Old Virginia with the addition of the park's third wooden roller coaster, the [[Grizzly (Kings Dominion)|Grizzly]], in 1982 and a river rapids ride called [[White Water Canyon]] in 1983. Kings Dominion was also active in [[political lobbying]]. They and other entertainment businesses convinced Virginia to make it illegal for schools to start classes before the [[Labor Day]] holiday in early September.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Max |date=21 March 2019 |title=With repeal of Kings Dominion law, Va. schools can now start before Labor Day |work=[[WTOP-FM]] |url=https://wtop.com/virginia/2019/03/kings-dominion-law-repeal-means-virginia-schools-can-start-earlier/}}</ref> They thought that if students were not able to attend school in August, then more families would spend money at Kings Dominion, and more teenagers would be able to provide a low-cost workforce to the amusement park.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Grose |first=Jessica |date=2022-09-03 |title=The End-of-Summer Child Care Crunch Is Here. I'm Not Amused. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/03/opinion/summer-child-care.html |access-date=2022-09-04 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> This law, known as the ''Kings Dominion Law'' after the amusement park, stayed in force until 2019.<ref name=":0" />
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