Kings Dominion Announces Removal of Volcano: The Blast Coaster
Earlier tonight, on their official blog, Kings Dominion announced that Volcano: The Blast Coaster would be removed.
According to Kings Dominion, the closure revolved around the inability to keep Volcano: The Blast Coaster up to the park’s high reliability and guest satisfaction standards.
Full Statement:
Part of getting ready for a new operating season includes an expert evaluation of our rides and operations. As a part of that evaluation, every aspect of our rides and attractions are analyzed, from guest satisfaction, throughput and rider capacity to reliability, uptime and maintenance. After thorough evaluation, the decision has been made to remove Volcano: The Blast Coaster. This wasn’t an easy decision for us, because we know that people love this one-of-a-kind coaster; however, over time it became nearly impossible to keep the ride up to our high standards of reliability and guest satisfaction, and for these reasons we had to make the tough call. We apologize to anyone who is inconvenienced by the removal, but hope they will understand that it was done to enhance the overall guest experience here at Kings Dominion.
Volcano, the first inverted roller coaster to feature a LIM (Linear Induction Motor) launch, opened at Kings Dominion in 1998, and was built by Intamin. It resided in a man-made “Volcano” structure that was formerly “Smurf Mountain,” and prior to that, “The Lost World.” The coaster’s four inversions featured three heartline rolls, and a 155′ “roll out” inversion out of the top of the Volcano, which was at one point the tallest inversion on a roller coaster. It reached top speeds of 70mph.
We don’t know the exact details on why Volcano is being removed, but check out our explanation of some of the reasons behind coaster removals.
This story will be updated as we have more information.
Are you sad to see Volcano go? Let us know in the comments below!
The removal of volcano sucks. This is the most popular ride in the park. Kings dominion should repair this ride.
This truly sucks because I’ve been riding this bad boy ever since I was little. I’ve been brought here by my siblings and then I brought my husband and friends. I have a lot of memories with this ride and It’s unfortunate. Also super strange because I’ve never heard of anyone complain about this ride and it seems pretty odd that they’re shutting it down due to keeping up with guests
Volcano deserves better than this. Such disappointing news.
The ride was down the entire 2018 season. It is a ride with a serious history of malfunctions and those malfunctions get expensive to fix. When you are a guest and you wait in the 2 hour long line on a hot July weekend to ride a 2 minute ride that you enjoy but it shuts down unexpectedly due to technical issues, many guests become dissatisfied. Plain and simple, the volcano cost more money than generated. It frees up space for Cedar Parks to put in a new coaster/attraction.
Now if only Kings Dominion could improve its Intimidator 500 from shutting down on a daily basis during the summer that would be sweet.
Volcano was open April 2018 when I last rode it. While it was a little notorious with breaking down, I only experienced maybe one breakdown in 18 years of attending a few times a year (sometimes more in seasons where I owned passes). So it’s personally quite shocking to me. It’s also so unlike any other ride that without it, Kings Dominion becomes a cookie cutter Cedar Fair Park (and it’s been struggling with that post XLC dismantling).
I can’t believe this. I am very upset I was getting passes this season for my family to go there instead of Busch gardens for this reason. This is tough call now for me to buy 4 passes and this ride be taken away. Guess I’ll keep my money afterall.
I can’t believe this.I love this ride.
Volcano was closed the past few times I been to Kings Dominion.That line on a Saturday was like 2 hours (maybe).
The Closing of the Volcano is very Sad news. I wish there was something that could be done to keep this ride. I have had passes to Kings Dominion for many years. Volcano has been one of my favorite costers since it opened in 1998.
Now my Boy is old enough to ride the costers. This is also one of his favorite costers. Everytime we went in 2018 he asked before we got there.. Wonder if the Volcano will be open? I replyed I guess we will see. Having to till a 12 year old that is bad news everytime. Taking this coster out is news that could keep me from getting passes for 2019. Once the Volcano is gone it will not be replaced with anything compairable in the near future. I am sad to see it go now its just going be one more attraction that is left empty.
This is beyond heartbreaking through I understand Cedar Fairs reasoning for removal it makes it no easier. In the last 5 years I’ve attended Kings Dominion (maybe 6-7 times) it was only open once. I get the same report from friends who attend as well. I personally am sick of it always being closed so I can justify the decision but some of my best KD memories were of Volcano. Kings Dominion/Cedar Fairs please, next time you announce a majorly popular attraction is leaving at least have a plan for what’s going in it’s place. You all did an amazing job with Twisted Timbers so it’ll ease the blow with some good news.
My youngest has been wanting to ride it forever and was never talk enough. This year was gonna be the year. Man!
I will never go to kings dominion again. That was the only good thing it had going for it.
It’s was down so much and was disappointing. Will be missed but put new coaster there we all be happy.
Totally bummed to hear this! The volcano was one of the best rides at the park. We only visit KD once every year but we always try and ride the Volcano at least twice when we’re there. It was a total let down last year when we weren’t able to ride it and now I guess what’s done is done. I hope they are able to replace it with something equally good, but I’m not sure anything can live up to that standard.
It appears I’m in the minority, but I really don’t have a problem with this. KD is my home park and I’ve been attending for decades. Volcano has always been the flashiest, and least interesting, ride in the park for me. It was a great concept, but the ride never lived up to the hype IMO. After a thrilling few seconds, it was a rather generic, relatively slow and leisurely circle around the mountaintop while doing a couple heartlines, and the pacing problems always kept it from being worth the 2 hr wait for me. I look forward to seeing what comes in it’s place, because the Dominator, Intimidator and Twisted Timbers are all much better rides IMO. My one real regret is that Volcano WAS a crowd sponge, and the long lines there helped keep long lines down on what I consider to be much better rides. Like the hypersonic XLC, i’m glad the coaster went up and I got to ride it, but i’m not shedding tears over its removal.
I’m glad to see it go. Lines were too long, poor design, too short of a ride. Apart from it being unique, everything about it was terrible
This is so sad. Lots of memories thru the years for my family and I for sure. We hate to see it go ?
Considering how much of a maintenance nightmare it was last year, I’m honestly not surprised at all.
This sucks so bad I anit never going again peace
My home park is Kings Island but I loved the 5 hour trip to the dominion for Volcano….I am devastated….First XLC now Volcano….I have flight of fear at my park…..guess I will be traveling to Virginia for Busch Gardens now…..
So so sad they’re getting rid of it ?
I enjoyed this ride but truly enjoyed the rides that where in the mountain when I was young like the haunted boat ride and the land of doozy Plus time shaft. I know that was some time ago. I look forward to what’s to come thanks for providing safe fun for all families.
Even though the Volocano was an awesome ride, it stayed broke down. Sorry to see it go.
Sad to see this go. My family loved this ride. I know every time we went last year it was closed.
Damn! I’ve been riding this ride since it’s inception to the park. I was there and waited many hours to ride it opening day. To this day it was still one of my favorite rides .This is sad news for me..
I love this ride! My only issue was many times I anticipated getting on this ride, it had mechanical issues. That was disappointing because this ride was always worth the 1 to 2 hr wait!!! An explosive ride! I would rather see modifications and updates to the ride rather than the removal of such an iconic coaster! What will replace it??? The way it surprises you at take off with a burst of exciting power and run you through the great inversions of turns is exuberating!!!!! I hate to see this ride go!!!
I am pissed beyond measure i literally cannot and will not understand this at all i feel like crying and screaming likenthis is a bad dream and ill wake back up and it not be true. I think this is the worst decision on cedar fairs behalf and it will drastically change everyones views of the company behind it. Twisted timbers is a great ride but not great enough to remove a staple the following year after lies upon lies of the state of volcano last season. All they kept saying was its down etc and now this wack tail news is straight up bull crap.
This is sad to me. Loved it. But they really need to get rid of that terrible heachache inducing Anaconda.
I mean… I am sad to see it go, but it was ALWAYS out of commission when I attended the park over the last couple of years. Good thing you guys have Intimidator 305. That ride is my all time favorite ride of any theme park. What they REALLY need to do, is get rid of that tumultuous nightmare from the past Anaconda….
besides me losing my earring on it.. i thought it was amazing. i got front row seat and not 1 thing about volcano disappointed me. it will be missed and I hope it’s replaced with something worth it!
Since it is being removed would another launch coaster be there. The super fast launch is what everyone is looking for. Kings dominion is the only place around that has the best launch coasters.
Mane….are y’all crazy!! Taking that coaster away doesn’t enhance nothing. The damn shockwave, backwards coaster and now the volcano!!! The element of surprise, corky, different once in a lifetime coasters are being deleted. Y’all killing us out here…I’m definitely disappointed. Come on folks…come on…backwards, shockwave and now volcano. Not enhancing no experience…it’s making you not wanting to go, and those coasters are not being replaced by another unorthodox coaster. IT SUCKSSSSSSSSSS!
This is absolutely bullshit!!! The removal of this ride is seriously making me reconsider my season pass to King’s dominion!!
Yes it’s sad to see it go. Why do they have to take it down?
What the actual Fuck you fucking fuck yard idiots. This is the best fucking ride behind the intimidator you ducking dumb ass fucks fuck you.
I’m so sad. This is my favorite ride at KD and one of my favorite rides ever! 🙁 Surely it can be renovated and not removed??
Take Volcano but leave Anaconda? Oh. Ok. That’s dumb.
Does Anaconda have maintenance issues?
My family and I love this coaster. We hate to see it go. It was our favorite ride in the park.
I love this ride and Hate to see it go… I hope you can replace it with something just as unique and mind blowing or this is just a tragedy…