Amusement Park News

Virginia's Kings Dominion theme park will have a whole new look in 2022. From a new spin coaster to makeovers throughout the park, guests will find plenty of exciting changes.

The theme park's Safari Village is getting a new makeover as the Jungle X-Pedition, which the park describes as “an exotic archeological dig site and research facility, where explorers can visit the base camp for a bite to eat at a new signature restaurant and shop at an immersive retail location. Around the corner, guests can climb aboard a brand-new roller coaster for a topsy-turvy adventure.” The restaurant will be themed as a base camp and feature innovative dishes from the park's executive chef to fit the theme.



That roller coaster is the Tumbili, a 4D Free Spin Coaster designed by S&S Worldwide. Compact in size, the coaster style has a number of unique features. For example, riders sit on either side of flat rails with their feet dangling over the open air. Large carriages also flip passengers – hence the tumble-related ride name – turning them head over heels through both the gravity of weight and the use of artfully positioned magnetic fins, the latest in innovative magnetic technology. That technology will start and control the ride's spinning, creating a sensation of weightlessness for riders as they flip through the vertically stacked three layers of the ride, reaching up to 34 miles per hour in dizzying speed.

Tumbili will also feature a 90-degree vertical lift. Cars can hold 8 riders, suspended on each side of the track, and will rise dramatically up to 112-feet into the air.
The coaster design has appeared elsewhere in the U.S., but Tumbili will be the first for a Cedar Fair attraction. According to Josh Hays of S&S Worldwide, “Cedar Fair is such an important park group in our industry…For us to have a coaster with them is very flattering.”

The ride will be themed to fit the new Jungle X-Pedition area, with the ride's support mimicking the look of bamboo. Hays loves the paint color and aesthetic, calling the theming exciting, and one that marks the ride as special. Tumbili is named for the Swahili word for “monkey.”

Tumbili will replace the former top spin flat ride, The Crypt that was removed in 2020.



This new ride is more compact than other S&S free spin coasters. It belongs to the latest generation of free spin rides, which were introduced first this summer at Iowa's Adventureland with the park's new Dragonslayer ride from the Utah-based S&S.

Speaking to the ride's compact but powerful experience, Hays says, “We love the compact installation because it packs a really big punch into a small footprint. The capacity and footprint demands at Kings Dominion made the compact version the ideal fit for the park.”

The ride is also eminently attractive to riders because there are two different sides and directions for guests to experience. It lends itself to multiple rides, offering a potential of four different rider experiences. And parks themselves can customize each side of the ride, by adding more magnetic fins to adjust the ride experience.

Elsewhere in Virginia, there are also theme park changes. At Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Pantheon will make its delayed debut in March 2022. Billed as the “world's fastest” multi-launch coaster, the 180-foot-tall thrill ride will reach a top speed of 73 miles per hour with a 95-degree drop, four launches, two inversions, and five air-time hills. It will be positioned in the theme park's Festa Italia village and become the eighth in Busch Gardens roller coaster roster.

The track will utilize a Roman gods theme, with five different deities - Pluto, Mercury, Jupiter, Minerva, and Neptune, represented on areas of the coaster's track that, per the park, “reflect their respective powers.”  Announced in 2019, the coaster originally had a planned 2020 opening, but the scheduled opening was delayed due to a variety of pandemic-related challenges, according to the park president Kevin Lembke.



The roller coaster is manufactured by Liechtenstein-based Intamin. Lembke adds that “Pantheon marks an exciting new page in the story of Busch Gardens,” as well as for Intamin, as it is set to break records for speed and thrills. Intamin has previously constructed what is billed as the world's tallest accelerator roller coaster, Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, with a height of 456 feet, a 129-foot drop, and a maximum speed of 128 mph.

Lembke says that the new Pantheon ride will provide “an incredible addition to our world class coaster lineup, and showcase our dedication to bringing innovative, exciting new rides to the park.” He adds that “As with so many others, we faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years, resulting in delays to the scheduled opening. We are so grateful for the excitement and patience of our guests.” The track appeared to be 90% complete as of the end of August. On its website, Busch Gardens Williamsburg notes that all active park members will be among the first to ride with exclusive ride times. Platinum members will get “first to ride” access at the kick-off of the exclusive ride time in March 2022.