The following is a sponsored post in partnership with Cedar Fair Entertainment
2016 has been a pretty big year for my kids. Up until this year, my kids have never set foot inside an amusement park. Yep, it’s true!
Having grown up here in Northern Virginia, I have fond memories of going to Kings Dominion during my youth. In fact, out of all the amusement parks Virginia has to offer, Kings Dominion is arguably the best and oldest one.
My friends and I at Kings Dominion in 1988!
In “Dodgem” bumper cars in 1989!
However, after I got married and had kids, life got busy and time flew by! Now it had been over a decade since visiting a Virginia theme park. So I was excited when my family received an invitation to experience Kings Dominion firsthand and discover the new kid-friendly areas of the park.
I was excited for my kids to experience some of the classic roller coaster rides I grew up loving here in our home state as well as discover their own new favorite attractions.
My young Kings Dominion First Timers had a blast! I’m excited to share some of the rides and attractions we experienced that have made it onto our top 20 list of Kings Dominion best kid rides!
Kings Dominion Height Check Chart & Wristbands
Before covering the rides and attractions, I wanted to share this useful height check chart and color-coded wristbands which we discovered not far from the entrance of the park. This is a great resource, particularly for kids visiting for the first time! The wristbands are optional, but make it much easier for ride attendants to know from a glance if your child is tall enough for any particular ride. It is also a helpful guide for parents who have kids of varying heights or whom recently had a growth spurt, so you know which rides you can and cannot go on both individually and as a family.
Top Kings Dominion Kid Rides & Attractions:
The Eiffel Tower
Experience a little slice of Paris (though not in Paris, Virginia) by visiting one of Kings Dominion’s original and signature attractions: The Eiffel Tower. Located on International Street, this replica 1/3 the size of the real Eiffel Tower is hard to miss, standing tall at 315 feet. Ride the elevator to the top to get a bird’s eye, panoramic view of the entire park! My kids enjoyed this, but if you have little ones scared of heights, this may not be for you. Children under 46 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Planet Snoopy
Measuring in at an impressive 14 acres, Planet Snoopy is the largest PEANUTS-themed children’s area in the world! Planet Snoopy includes 18 rides, live entertainment, and opportunities to meet your favorite PEANUTS characters in costume. My kids (4 & 1/2 years apart in age) and I had a blast here. This area is great for families with both preschoolers and elementary school children.
Our favorite Kings Dominion Planet Snoopy Rides
Charlie Brown’s Wind Up
Description: Circulating swings themed around baseball.
Mild Thrill (level 2)
Height requirement: Children less than 42 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Flying Ace Balloon Race
Description: Fly high in a hot air balloon, reaching 43 feet into the sky!
Mild Thrill (level 2)
Height requirement: Children less than 42 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Great Pumpkin Coaster
Description: Junior steel roller coaster with two turns, hills and dips. This was one of my kids’ favorite rides!
Mild Thrill (level 2)
Height requirement: 36 inches minimum. Between 36 and 40 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Joe Cool’s Driving School
Description: Drive your own pint-sized car around the Planet Snoopy Expressway, complete with traffic signals and gas station.
Mild Thrill (level 2)
Height requirement: 40 – 60 inches.
Linus Launcher
Description: Suspended flying ride in which you lay down on your stomach with feet dangling behind you.
Mild Thrill (level 3)
Height requirement: 42 inches.
Lucy’s Crabbie Cabbies
Description: Bumper cars for smaller kids themed as PEANUTS cab drivers.
Mild Thrill (level 2).
Height requirement: Less than 54 inches.
PEANUTS Turnpike
Description: Children take the wheel and drive their own car around the track!
Low Thrill (level 1).
Height requirement: Maximum 54 inches.
Snoopy vs. Red Baron
Description: Take flight in the iconic Red Baron aircraft!
Mild Thrill (level 2).
Height requirement: 36 – 54 inches.
Snoopy’s Junction
Description: PEANUTS-themed railroad!
Low Thrill (level 1).
Height requirement: Children less than 36 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Snoopy’s Moon Bounce
Description: Jump for joy in the Moon Bounce which is topped with a giant inflated Snoopy!
Mild Thrill (level 2).
Height requirement: 36 – 54 inches.
Snoopy’s Rocket Express
Description: Rocket-themed monorail gives you a bird’s eye view of Planet Snoopy!
Mild Thrill (level 2).
Height requirement: 36 inches minimum. Between 36 and 42 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Snoopy’s Space Buggies
Description: Ride in Snoopy’s space buggy and soar through the air in this out-of-this-world ride!
Mild Thrill (level 2).
Height requirement: Children less than 36 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Woodstock WhirlybirdsDescription: Spinning teacups meets Woodstock birds nests!
Mild Thrill (level 2).
Height requirement: Children less than 42 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Soak City
Our next favorite section of Kings Dominion was Soak City! This 20-acre section of the park is perfect for hot summer days. My kids and I spent the last few hours of our time at Kings Dominion, cooling down and splashing around in the water.
Lazy Rider
Description: This lazy river extends for 1/4 mile as children and adults can lounge and ride inner-tubes through waterfalls and geysers.
Mild Thrill (level 2).
Height requirement: Children less than 48″ must be accompanied by a supervising companion. Between 42 – 48″ must wear a life jacket.
Splash Island
Description: Great spray ground allowing young children to romp in the water.
Low Thrill (level 1)
Height requirement: 54″ maximum.
Tidal Wave Bay
Description: Fun wave pool!
Moderate Thrill (level 3).
Height requirement: Children less than 48″ must be accompanied by a supervising companion. Between 42 – 48″ must wear a life jacket.
Tornado
Description: This popular water ride extends 65 feet into the air and involves riding down a raft through a big “funnel” like structure. My son loved this!
Agressive Thrill (level 5).
Height requirement: 48″.
Candy Apple Village
Another section of the park we checked out but didn’t get to fully explore was the Candy Apple Village. If you remember this area from years ago, it was re-themed 3 years ago for the Kings Dominion 40th anniversary celebration.
We had to ride the popular Dodgem (bumper cars)! This was one of my son’s favorite rides. My daughter wasn’t tall enough for this ride, so she got her bumper car experience in Lucy’s Crabbie Cabbies.
Safari Village
I didn’t realize that Safari Village just made a comeback in 2013 during the 40th anniversary of the park (formerly named the Congo area)! We didn’t spend a lot of time in this area of the park, simply because we spent most of our time in Planet Snoopy and Soak City.
Before we left, my son had a request: “Mom, can I ride the roller coaster with the burst of fire and that rips through the billboard!” Yes, why wouldn’t any daring 9 year old want to ride this?! The Backlot Stunt Coaster was a great ride for him.
Kings Dominion Family Fun
I hope this list of our top 20 favorite rides and attractions helps show that Kings Dominion isn’t just for older thrill-seekers, it’s great for families and kids of all ages! They have so many family rides and attractions that we didn’t have time to ride everything. We can’t wait to schedule our next visit to experience other parts of the park we didn’t have time to explore during this past trip.
Kings Dominion Ticket Discounts
You can save money by buying Kings Dominion Tickets online, plus be sure to follow Kings Dominion on social media @KingsDominionVA (Facebook, Instagram & Twitter) so you can find out about special offers and events. If you plan to visit the park multiple times, be sure to look into the Kings Dominion Season Pass options, which offer a great value for those looking to visit more than once per season.
I’ve noticed many military discounts and occasionally other offers such as moms of multiples or friends and family of season pass holders. Kings Dominion also offers group discounts for parties of 15 – 99 guests.
Now’s the time to go experience the summer fun at Kings Dominion yourself! If you haven’t been in years or just need a fun, local excursion with your kids, now is the time to plan out a trip to introduce your kids to one of Virginia’s top theme parks in Doswell, VA, just a quick jaunt from DC!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in conjunction with Blog Meets Brand, and I have been compensated for my participation. All opinions are my own.
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