 Hey there Park Journey fans and welcome to our comprehensive look at the all new coaster Rapterra, the culmination of years of planning and kicking off the 50th anniversary of Kings Dominion! I believe this is the first time we've ever covered a media event at this park and we were thrilled that fan of the site PJ was able to head over to the park to not only get an incredible on-ride POV (seriously, have already heard from people who "don't like" on-ride POV's that they actually loved it) but we also have a comprehensive look at the ride and other prep for the 50th anniversary of the park. So let's head right in. And thanks again to PJ for the amazing coverage. I think we can all admit he knocked it out of the park!  Let's start off with a few pictures provided by the park showing off Rapterra. Being from the West Coast I've only ridden 2 of these (X-Flight and Gatekeeper) but I loved both. We need one of these out here.    It's not a media day with out food. Or in this case, Kings Dominion showing off some new food for their 50th celebration!
   Let's head in and check out Rapterra!  A couple of weeks ago the park announced a 48" height requirement for the coaster. Which was a very pleasant surprise! 
 Lots of cool stuff to see in the ride queue
 Love the X-Files reference. One of my top 2 TV shows of all time.    Nice, PJ got us some sweet Trainless Tuesday pics! Or is it Thursday? =)   Let's head into the temple 
     How about some Rapterra action shots ...    Rapterra sure does look pretty ... 
  A few more action shots   The park is also gearing up for their 50th with some amazing looking merchandise!
  I don't know that I'll actually get out to the park this year, but I'll need somebody to pick me up a mug at some point. =)    Love this one!!  They even have a Spirit Jersey!  And of course, some sweet looking Rapterra merch is available too   
 For all you Nanocoaster enthusiasts out there
  I don't usually buy "coaster shirts/hoodies", but I have to admit, I like this one  Thanks again to Kings Dominion for being so kind to invite us out to today's event, it's appreciated always. And another shout out to PJ for the incredible coverage today! Related Videos
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World’s Tallest, Longest Launched Wing Coaster Rapterra to Kick Off Theme Park’s Golden Anniversary Celebration Doswell, Va. -- March 20, 2025 — Kings Dominion will officially launch its newest addition as Rapterra takes flight on the park’s opening day, March 29. At 145 feet tall and 3,086 feet long, Rapterra is the tallest and longest launched wing coaster in the world and headlines the park’s 50th anniversary celebration season in 2025. “Rapterra is the perfect centerpiece for our 50th anniversary celebration and promises to bring a captivating and exhilarating set of thrills to a brand-new generation of guests,” said Bridgette Bywater, vice president and general manager of Kings Dominion. “Cutting-edge attractions, family-friendly thrills and developing rich, immersive experiences are what has made Kings Dominion the premier Virginia destination for 50 years. We carry on that tradition with the introduction of Rapterra." Rapterra was inspired by the flight of the mythical creature the “jungle hawk.” The journey begins as riders choose to soar on the hawk’s left or right “wing,” and board a seat suspended on either side of the track with nothing above or below them. With tension mounting, Rapterra takes flight and riders are launched from 0 to 65 miles per hour in just four seconds. The ride then ascends to its zenith over the Jungle X-Pedition midway. Rapterra’s thrilling aerial maneuvers and inversions include:
The nearly minute-and-a-half adventure includes eight breathtaking moments before Rapterra smoothly glides back into the station. Rapterra will open to the public when the park opens on March 29. The park remains open every day through April 6 for spring break. Season passholders will be among the first to have an opportunity to ride during passholder preview night on March 28 from 5 to 10 p.m. Guests can enjoy unlimited rides on Rapterra with the purchase of a 2025 Silver Season Pass. For more information on Rapterra, season passes and the robust lineup of events during the park’s 50th anniversary season at Kings Dominion, visit www.kingsdominion.com  ABOUT KINGS DOMINION Kings Dominion, a 400-acre amusement park located in Doswell, VA off I-95, is home to more than 60 rides, shows and attractions, including 13 world-class roller coasters and Soak City, a top-rated 20-acre waterpark. Kings Dominion is owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: FUN), the largest and most diverse amusement park operator in North America. ABOUT SIX FLAGS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: FUN) is North America’s largest regional amusement-resort operator with 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties across 17 states in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Focused on its purpose of making people happy, Six Flags provides fun, immersive and memorable experiences to millions of guests every year with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks, resorts and a portfolio of beloved intellectual property including Looney Tunes®, DC Comics® and PEANUTS®.  Happy Friday Everybody and welcome to our first coaster construction tour since ... honestly, I can't even remember the last time we had a coaster construction tour. And we are SO excited to bring you a look at the upcoming Wrath of Rakshasa at Six Flags Great America. We had Scott out at the park yesterday to learn more about the new coaster and get some amazing pics of the coaster itself. We hope you enjoy and we can't wait to see this amazing looking coaster in action later on this year.  Let's start with some coaster pieces waiting to be installed. They've made some great progress over the winter.    In addition to the coaster, they have moved the ticket booths back to the old security and metal detectors, and opened up more of the entrance to the park.  Still an amazing park reveal, along with it's sister park in Santa Clara.  An interesting tidbit learned during the tour is that Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger was originally slated and designed for Six Flags Great America, and in the same spot. They then decided they wanted a taller more intense dive coaster with more inversions so sent that coaster to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. 
 Hi Scott! Thanks for the awesome coverage!
Another reason for the change and sending Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger to Six Flags Fiesta Texas is that they wanted more guest interaction over pathways and the midway. Something that Six Flags Great America does not currently have. We absolutely love this trend of being able to see more coasters and them not just being backstage all the time.    The biggest and deepest footers are not where you would expect them (like the lift or drop). They are actually on the last few turns at the end of the ride. The biggest footers are 6 feet wide and 90 feet deep.   Hi Demon, we see you back there.     Nerd shot!   
 Hi Batman and Goliath. We see you back there.   As you can see, work is going on feverishly at the park, with lots of installation still to come. 
 Let's head inside for a close up look of the trains. These have the same set-up as the previously mentioned Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger, with a "true" center seat.   Nerd Shot #2  Nerd Shot #3  Nerd Shot #4. Let's be honest, every picture in this update is a nerd shot. And we love it.   Heading back outside for a few more pics. You can see how it dominates the center of the park now. Which is awesome.    Three B&M's will kind of tower over this area of the park now. And that's not a bad thing at all. There's not too many B&M models this park is missing at this point.    A look at the station area   Alright, that's going to wrap it up for our tour. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. It's never lost on us how much of a privilege it is to be included in such things. Thanks to Six Flags Great America and Tony Clark (that's so weird to type out) for having us out. Hope to see you again soon! Related Videos
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