BeastForever

^Not sure, but I don't think its ever been dusted! https://rcdb.com/66.htm#p=90493

^My thoughts exactly. It's never failed to amaze me how something that tops out at 26 mph can be among the roughest rides in the park. Granted, I still think its a decently fun ride for a family coaster, but my goodness does it shuffle... Ugh...that's oldschool Vekoma for ya... That is, of course not to be conflated with the new Vekoma, which I will admit have been making some pretty impressive-looking rides as of late and we should try not to let their flawed rides of the past discount what they're truly capable of today.

I can think of at least 824,659 reasons not to...

I disagree. Millions of eager guests line up to ride The Beast each and every summer. Of those people, I’d say upwards of 99% of them have no idea what an ACE Landmark is (at best they’ve glanced at the plaque), and if they do, I doubt they care. Sure, while things like historical significance, legacy, and nostalgia, do certainly contribute to the “aura” of the ride (I’m not going to deny that)... ...I’d say the vast majority of its riders love it simply because they believe its a flat out awesome riding experience, and a thrill to be found nowhere else, just as I do.

While it certainly be would be nice if Congo Falls was in Rivertown and BLSC was in Action Zone, allow me to just say that uprooting large rides just to install them into better fitting areas makes almost no sense from an investment standpoint. The gain from investment on such actions would be practically zero.

^That is a fair point. B&M doesn't have much of a history with failed rides. I guess what I really mean, is that I just don't see any practical way ANY manufacturer can alleviate the negative externalities brought by flying coasters. Their issues seem to be inherent, inextricable...

At least one person here does truly enjoy the so-called "Junkyard coaster" and would not like it to be removed anytime soon simply out of spite, vengeance, or a warped form of "restorative justice". Is it off-putting for the area its in? Absolutely. Should Paramount have built it in Action Zone instead? Absolutely. Should Les Taxis and Screamin' Eagles NOT have been removed. Absolutely. But the damage has been done for some quite some time now, so I think we should judge the ride on its own merits, and appreciate it for what it is. Besides, we've received both of those wrongly deceased rides back in some form, albeit not as great or grand as the original, but hey its something!

Agreed. IMO, CW has perhaps the most top-heavy coaster lineup I’ve ever seen. To be fair, any park with 13+ coasters is bound to have some filler, and KI, KD, Carowinds, HP, SFGAdv etc. are no exceptions. But CW is unmatched in this regard… To start, even Behemoth and Leviathan, which don’t get me wrong, I’m sure are great rides, have incredibly bland-looking layouts. Leviathan’s stats are underwhelming for a Giga (which is why I’m all the more glad we did not receive B&M’s first go at a 300+-footer, as Fury by most accounts was a vast improvement, and why I’m all the more optimistic that our B&M Giga will be an improvement even upon Fury’s already great design.) After that, their arguable third best coaster (sans YS) would be……………….Vortex? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’s a great ride like just our near-clone, early-90s Arrow Suspended is, but when a park has 16 coasters, and the third best thing they have to offer is that! Um, you’ve got problems… Wonder Mountain’s Guardian looks intriguing enough, but to me that’s more of a dark ride than a coaster… After that, there’s Wild Beast and MCMB, two woodies of which I’ve read middling-at-best reviews… Then there’s what are perhaps the three most infamous clone concepts ever devised in Time Warp, Flight Deck, and their Bat: A Zamperla Flyer, an SLC, and a sit-down boomerang. Three rides in which for many people the optimal amount of times ridden is zero (myself included). There’s only one coaster at KI in which I’m better off just skipping entirely, and that is Invertigo. But even then, I’ve always considered the inverted Vekoma boomerangs to at least be a full-step above the sit-down versions (even if that’s not saying much). The Fly looks decently entertaining. An interesting take on what otherwise would just be a regular wild mouse. That having said, it’s still, just a wild mouse... Thunder Run is unique, but technically not even a roller coaster as it is powered at all times (is listed as Powered Coaster on rcdb: https://rcdb.com/63.htm) Rounding out their lineup is BLSC, Silver Streak, Ghoster Coaster, and Taxi Jam, which would cancelled out by KI’s respective clones. Honestly, when it comes to determining which non-CP Cedar Fair park has the best and most complete lineup of coasters, I’d say its pretty much game over once we get that Giga. That’s all we need. It’s the last major piece of puzzle… It would put KI at 5 certifiably standout coasters, which would be more than KD’s 4, Carowinds' 4 (with Copperhead Strike), and CW’s 3(with Yukon Striker). And past that, we have one of the world’s five spaghetti-bowl clones (which no one else in the chain but KD has), a racing woodie (again, only KD has that) an Arrow Suspended (which only CP and CW have), a BLSC clone (which Carowinds does not have), one of the best mine trains, and an Arrow mega looper. If Kings Island, Cedar Fair, and B&M execute this Giga well (which I have full confidence that they will), I believe it will have quite a good chance of jumping Fury, MF, and SV all the way to #1 on the GTA Steel List…Even if you don’t take any stock in the Golden Tickets, it’s bound be the one of the best coasters in the world… But if this means anything, the mystery 2020 B&M KI is destined to receive will be the 5th coaster (including Firehawk, which has been noted many times before, cost almost as much to relocate than it would have to build ground up) that CF has given them. That is more than Carowinds’ 4 (including Carolina Cyclone) , CW’s 4, and KD’s 3 (including Dominator). Simply put, Cedar Fair wanted to acquire Kings Island like no other. And I for one believe they are treating Kings Island like no other...

In a vacuum, I believe flying coasters are generally pretty fun rides, but that their capacity, reliability, and maintenance issues serve detrimental to their respective parks. Which is why, while I do miss Firehawk, I would not want Kings Island build another one anytime soon. Even if B&M were to propose some revolutionary loading/operating system that'd claim to significantly alleviate these issues, I would not want KI to roll the dice on that. We've had enough failed prototypes in KI's history, I'd hate to see another one, especialu tried on a concept we've already had before.

With Flight of Fear as being the lone attraction in X-Base next year, may we see the return of its iconic sign? http://www.coastergallery.com/2000/pki26.html

I retract this statement entirely. I would hate to see that happen as what's not broken does not need fixing.

To the list mentioned there was also technically Scooby's Ghoster Coaster in 1998, but that's not really relevant anyway as it made by 'Pinfari'. Yep, there was a coaster manufacturer called 'Pinfari'. EDIT: Sorry for the double post. My mistake. I thought I was in the edit mode for the post above.

From the bugs' perspectives, I can't imagine that they appreciate being slaughtered by the millions every summer being hit by 60-120 mph roller coaster trains.

I've heard some on here regard the Lindner era as the lowpoint of Kings Island's history. A lowpoint which very well could have doomed the park for good... So if anything, even though Paramount was by no means perfect, I'm just thankful they purchased the park when they did. And as others have noted, who knows how the Paramount days would have gone had Viacom not purchased it so early on. (As a brief side-question, to anyone who was around back then and knows... What was it exactly that the Lindner/Great American ownership did that was "dooming the park"?) I'm not trying to refute your claim or anything. I would just like to know... Because on the bright side, they did bring us AE and what was later themed as Top Gun, which I think the vast majority of us would agree were positive additions...but there's probably more to the story than that...

Contrary to her's and some others' beliefs, there is absolutely NO requirement that those waiting together in single-rider line actually be "single" (that would be difficult to enforce anyway)... It's only that, as you noted, they can't hold any expectation to be put together in the same row or even same train. You sir, were in the right... She was in the wrong.

And I have a feeling it could also be the last year in which the world knows Fury as the world's tallest coaster to feature a lift hill.

I find this rather interesting. Why? Because of the requirements that a coaster must fulfill to be granted the status of ACE Classic is that you must be allowed to pick where you sit (https://www.aceonline.org/page/Classic). Perhaps preferred seating is not as "Classic"-al as ACE makes it out to be? -- (And yes, I'm bumping this thread because OBVIOUSLY because line separation procedures that took place on The Beast over eight years ago is just sooooooo relevant right now. )

Millennium Force (2) vs. Maverick (10)Top Thrill Dragster (4) vs. Banshee (10)Steel Vengeance (10) vs. Magnum XL-200 (3)Diamondback (8) vs. The Beast (10) Beast FTW

Magnificent photo! Thank you for sharing... Just curious, what year is that? I figure it's at least 1987 because of Vortex in the background but before 1993 (Paramount) EDIT: Upon further review, it looks as if Vortex is under construction, so I would presume winter of '86 then.

Immediately, and I mean IMMEDIATELY, absolute first-order-of business rename Woodstock Express back to Beastie... ...And I've said before in a different topic, have it REMAIN as Beastie, no matter what company's licensed cartoon characters in fuzzy costumes are roving nearby...I don't care, it STAYS known as Beastie (and perhaps even out the tunnel back in, but that's a different matter...) As for what I would make the other names, I'd have to think on that for a little. But I will be sure to get back to you on that as this is a good topic.

Millennium Force (2) vs. Maverick (9) Top Thrill Dragster (4) vs. Banshee (7) Steel Vengeance (8) vs. Magnum XL-200 (3) Diamondback (5) vs. The Beast (6)

Millennium Force (10) vs. Adventure Express (4)Top Thrill Dragster (10) vs. Blue Streak (5)Steel Vengeance (10) vs. Flight of Fear (1)Diamondback (10) vs. The Racer (4)The Beast (8) vs. Mystic Timbers (9)Magnum XL-200 (10) vs. Rougarou (3)Banshee (10) vs. Raptor (1)Vortex (4) vs. Maverick (10) Beast losing? Pfft, not if I have anything to say about it.

Beastie is a name I really wish we could have back. ...and have remain as such, regardless of what theme the surrounding kids' area takes on.

It'd only be here so it wouldn't get fined. ...Wondering if someone gets the reference...

Right but there were some enthusiasts who were doubting Maverick's legitmacy as a thrilling coaster simply because of it small height. Even Joel Rogers of CoasterGallery.com said this: http://www.coastergallery.com/CP/120.html Is Mystic Timbers as intense as Maverick? Of course not, but I think it's more robust than some people give it credit for...