Apple Zapple is a steel wild mouse roller coaster tucked into the Candy Apple Grove section of Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Built by Mack Rides, the coaster first opened on March 23, 2002 under the name Ricochet, running for over a decade and a half before the park gave it a thematic makeover.
In February 2018, Kings Dominion announced the ride would be rebranded as Apple Zapple to tie into the surrounding Candy Apple Grove theming, swapping its original yellow track with blue and silver supports for a new green and brown color scheme. The reimagined coaster reopened on March 24, 2018, and has remained a compact, family-friendly staple of the park’s lineup ever since.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Kings Dominion
- Manufacturer: Mack Rides
- Opened: March 23, 2002 (as Ricochet; renamed Apple Zapple in 2018)
- Height: about 52 feet
- Top speed: about 35 mph
- Length: about 1,312 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Apple Zapple packs a lot of punch into a small footprint. Riders climb a lift hill before plunging down a roughly 50-foot first drop, immediately setting the tone for the wild mouse layout that follows.
From there, the coaster snaps through a series of tight hairpin switchbacks characteristic of the wild mouse style, where small single-car trains whip around sharp turns before finishing with a couple of smaller drops back toward the station.
From Ricochet to Apple Zapple
Before its 2018 makeover, the coaster operated for 16 seasons as Ricochet, part of Kings Dominion’s original attraction lineup in that area of the park.
The renaming and repainting were part of a broader refresh of the Candy Apple Grove area, giving the ride a sweeter, fruit-themed identity that better matched its surroundings without changing the layout riders had known for years.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Build a working coaster on the kitchen table and learn why the first drop has to be the tallest. A good gift for young coaster fans.
Over 3,700 pieces, a real vertical loop and a working chain lift. Display it on a shelf in the coaster room.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Apple Zapple FAQs
Who manufactured Apple Zapple?
Apple Zapple was built by Mack Rides, a German roller coaster manufacturer known for wild mouse and family-style coasters.
Does Apple Zapple have any inversions?
No, Apple Zapple has zero inversions. Its intensity comes from the sharp hairpin turns and a roughly 50-foot first drop rather than loops or rolls.
What was Apple Zapple called before 2018?
Apple Zapple was previously known as Ricochet, operating under that name from its 2002 opening until Kings Dominion renamed and repainted it in 2018.
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Photo: Willow Westervelt / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.