It’s a big year for Kings Dominion. Not only have they opened their new hybrid coaster, Twisted Timbers, to rave reviews, but the park will also debut Winterfest later this year. However, these new attractions aren’t the only 2018 additions in Doswell this year. Back in February, the park announced that 44-year Cedar Fair veteran Tony Johnson would be named General Manager of Kings Dominion.
Kings Dominion General Manager Tony Johnson addresses the crowd at Twisted Timbers Media Day
Tony started his theme park career at Kings Dominion in 1974 as a “tower guard” at Lion Country Safari. Since then, he has held multiple roles at Kings Dominion, and has also worked at California’s Great America, Carowinds, and most recently, before “coming home” to Kings Dominion, in the Cedar Fair corporate office.
While I was at Kings Dominion earlier this season, Tony was kind enough to give me a few minutes of his time, where I inquired about his background at Kings Dominion, a few of his favorite things at the park, and because he and I share the same alma mater (Tony is UNC Class of 1972, and I’m UNC Class of 2012), I even threw in a question about his favorite North Carolina Tar Heel.
C101: I’m going to start with a tough question. Who is your favorite UNC athlete of all time?
Tony Johnson: Obviously, Michael Jordan from that standpoint. If you go with football, it was Don McCauley [UNC Running Back, 1968-1970], you probably don’t remember Don. Obviously Michael Jordan for what he did for the University and Don McCauley. And I was in school with Roy Williams a long time ago, and he and Dean Smith made a huge impact on the University. See how easy that was?
C101: You were UNC Class of 1972 and majored in Education. How does an education major end up as a General Manager of a theme park?
Tony Johnson: You know, I think it’s the same way that a lot of us got in the industry. I started here young – there’s no diploma or degree in this industry – back then there wasn’t – but when I got into it, it was just a start-up. I think Kings Island started in 1971 or 1972, and Kings Dominion opened in 1974. I was teaching school and looking for a summer job, and as they say, the rest is history.
Lion Country Safari at Kings Dominion. Photo: Richmond Times-Dispatch
C101: What was your first job at the park?
Tony Johnson: I was a “tower guard” at Lion Country Safari. Then the next year, I got into the security part of it, and did that for the next eight or nine years – the loss prevention part of it.
C101: During your first few years working at Kings Dominon in the summers, you were also a teacher and a coach. What were you teaching and coaching?
Tony Johnson: Well, I started with history, but then I ended up in Physical Education and Driver’s Ed – I always enjoyed being outside – it was mainly about the teaching and coaching. I ended up as the athletic director at the junior high, and then I went over to the high school, where I coached track and basketball.
Kings Dominion’s Clown Band
C101: How have the first few months been for you in your new role as General Manager of Kings Dominion?
Tony Johnson: I think “a whirlwind” is the best way to describe it. We jumped right into it, and we were getting ready to open the park, which I don’t know if it was the best time for transition, but it was the time. I think it’s been a learning experience for all of us. I think the advantage I’ve had is that I “grew up” here if you will, so I know the people, so that’s been a big help. I was away from this park, and by that I mean not involved here for five or six years, so trying to get back into that is the biggest thing. But the beauty of that is that we have great people, so I think it’s been a good transition.
C101: What’s the biggest difference working in the corporate office versus working in-park?
Tony Johnson: Now everything’s corporate’s fault, when back then it was the park’s fault! [laughter] No, there’s a great partnership. I think it’s being more involved. From the corporate standpoint I had a focus, on operations. Here, and because we’ve got good people, I don’t have to know all of the disciplines and functional knowledge. But getting more involved in each of the four or five disciplines, from marketing to food to retail and all of that. That’s been the biggest thing. Getting involved in that part of it.
Dominator at Kings Dominion
C101: You’ve spent a large portion of your career at Kings Dominion and obviously gone through multiple park owners. How has it felt for you to see the park grow like it has?
Tony Johnson: Well, the transition from owner to owner has not been an issue for us. Certainly, we feel like we’ve known our business, plus also, coming out of operations, the operation is basically what the operation is, so from that part it’s not been a big deal. Usually, when we’ve done those transitions, the companies who have purchased us have purchased us for our knowledge. I don’t think it’s changed that much. When Paramount owned the park, it was about the brand and all of that, and sort of the magic of the movies, and our perfect partnership is obviously with Cedar Fair, because we’re in the business. So that’s probably been the best partnership for us. It’s just business; people merge, people change, so it’s not that big of a deal from the operations side.
C101: Looking at the park as a whole and how it’s grown. Not necessarily how it relates to the ownership, but rather how it started with Lion Country Safari and a Scooby Doo roller coaster and now you’ve got 13 roller coasters and many more attractions…
Tony Johnson: We’ve definitely watched it grow. I think you take a look at the product and you try to stay current. I think that’s the biggest thing. We can have the biggest, fastest roller coaster, but I think we want to make it an “experience.” That’s the biggest part of it. Whether it’s the food quality, the entertainment, the ride packages – you know we’re doing Winterfest this year, it’s a great event, it’s something that all of us are going to be proud of. It’s a family event and it extends our season. Looking at how we stay current is our biggest challenge, we’re a mature business, and providing that “well-rounded” entertainment package is what’s important.
C101: You mentioned Winterfest, and obviously, Kings Dominion has had another big debut in 2018 with Twisted Timbers. It’s a big year for the park.
Tony Johnson: It is. We’re very excited about it. We’ve got a great opportunity this year. We’ve talked about it as a management group and as a full-time group, and it’s a big year for us.
C101: Not trying to fast forward 2018, what’s personal your vision for the future of Kings Dominion, in 2019 and beyond?
Tony Johnson: The biggest part of it is that we’re going to have an opportunity to make decisions about our future, and that’s very refreshing. We’re coming up with our five-year capital plan, we’re working on that right now. We’ll be accountable for our future, and we know our product, so I think that’s the biggest thing.
To me, the future is about our associates. It’s very important that we, as a full-time and seasonal staff, provide an environment that folks want to work in. When the guests come here, we talk to our seasonal associates, and you’ll come here and you’ll ride Twisted Timbers or you’ll ride I305, but at the end of the day you’re going to remember those experiences with our associates. From our seasonal associates to our full-time associates, being sure we provide that experience is what’s important for our future. We keep working on that. The labor market’s a little bit tougher right now. We want to be “the place” to work.
C101: Do you have a Favorite “Hidden Gem” at Kings Dominion?
Tony Johnson: That’s a good question. I certainly think, and this is more “me,” but I’ve talked to our food folks about, and we’re taking a look at our food quality, and what we’re doing there, and how we change the perception of our food in the park. Which is a good thing.
Tony Johnson: What I like to do, and I’m not sure if this is considered a “hidden gem” or not, but just getting out and talking to the folks and understanding what they want. We talked the other day, we’ve got some folks who have been coming to this park for years and years, and it’s their park, just understanding what they want, that’s very important. It’s more the interaction with the guests, and that part of it. Looking at it, I’m not sure if there’s a certain thing or ride that I like more than the others, because it’s about the experience here.
C101: Talking about food for a little bit. Do you have a favorite food item in the park?
Tony Johnson: The Twisted Timbers Burger [at Juke Box Diner]– I tried that the other day, and it’s probably my favorite right now. That’s a good one!
C101: What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Tony Johnson: I think it’s the people. There’s no doubt about it. I was a teacher and a coach, and working with the folks, I enjoyed that. I never got out of that part of it, never got out of teaching. All three of my girls worked here – it’s a great place to work. There’s a great tradition here in a lot of the departments, and it’s definitely the people.
C101: What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
Tony Johnson: I think it’s staying current and being sure that we provide the best experience that we can. It’s not particularly “challenging,” but when we don’t do that, our guests tell us, and I don’t blame them.
C101: Do you have any advice for anyone who is hopeful future theme park general manager?
Tony Johnson: I think when you get into this, obviously there are some long hours, that’s fine, I think that you should try to learn as much as you can about all areas, I think that’s important. Working with your counterparts, but learning as much as you can about the business.
C101: The last question I ask in every interview. What’s your favorite roller coaster?
Tony Johnson: Originally, I wanted to answer Volcano, because I thought the launch was the best, and I go between that and I305. But for a different experience, I really enjoy Twisted Timbers. And I’ll stay at Kings Dominion, because that’s where it’s at. I love all three of those.
Thanks again to Tony for his time, and also to Kings Dominion Communications Manager Maggie Sellers for her assistance with this interview!
For more information about Kings Dominion, be sure to visit the park’s website, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter!
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