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If it's corn themed I can already imagine some of the things people will say. :That ride is so corny: :This ride shucks!:

The Beast ran trimless only in intial testing. Thats when it's "speed" was clocked. It's never achieved that top speed since. I believe that until the coster was re-vamped with an updated Op panel (in the late '80s - early 1990s, I believe) the trim brakes were not mechanical. They were skids operated by counterweights. Speeds were checked throughout the day by maintenance, and the counterweights were increased, or decreased based on various conditions affecting the speed. The counterweights were... drumroll please... coffee cans with nuts and bolts in them suspended down through the lift structure by long steel wires. I "drove" The Beast in 1998-99 prior to the change to magnetics. The operation of the skids was a bit of an art form. You had to disengage the skids by holding down the brake button, and then releasing the button at various marked points. Depending upon conditions, where you needed to release the button in order to stop the train in the proper point could change. Weather most definitely affected this - particularly on cold days when the hydraulics would take longer to raise the skids. (You had to release the button much earlier than usual.) This manual operation of the station brakes and final brake run is why they crew used the term "drive." We never "operated" The Beast... we "drove" it. Because of this learning curve, it took a long time for a newbie to test up to diving The Beast. On the coldest day I ever worked (Oct 1999) I was driving Beast while it was literally snowing. Because of the conditions, a wood maintenance crew member was stationed in the booth as a back-up. Trains were consistantly sliding partially out of the station due to brake delays. At one point while I was driving, the train slid all the way out, rounded the corner and made it's way to the base of the lift hill. This, obviously created a blocking set-up and the ride had to be stopped and re-set by wood maintenance. I'll never forget the looks of the faces of folks as they passed through the station, past the drivers booth and rounded the corner. It was a "What the....!!!" reaction. I literally had my hands in the air (I had long before engaged the brakes, but the hydraulics were too cold and didn't raise) saying "It's not me! It's not me!" LOL. The maintenance guy, Doug, just laughed and said something like "Hope they liked it the first time... because theyre getting a bonus round!" I still have my Beast Op Manual, btw... On a simular note... when Racer and Scooby Doo opened - they opened with manual skids - literally an in-station lever that was pulled back and forth to engage/disengage.

Or maybe you people should take certain tweets that get sent out by the park with a grain of salt.

I will provide links rather than embedding the pictures so that the bandwidth-conscious needn't worry. I feel you, I have a smartphone with a finite data plan. I came home from work yesterday and realized that it was one of the few times Stricker's Grove is open to the public. Having never been there, I decided that it was high time. After a slight miscue with my ATM insisting that my PIN was wrong (even though I typed the PIN I've used since the day I opened the card...), and needing to drive back home to get some cash from my parents (who thankfully are cool enough to loan me money in these sorts of occassions) I finally was able to get it sorted out and get to the park around 6:30. The bear out front told me they were open! https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/993023_628853687132282_854425368_n.jpg I went straight for the ride ticket booth of course, and the lady in the window (noticing my snazzy Vortex T-Shirt) asked me if I was a Roller Coaster enthusiast. I told her that you could say that, and she asked where I was from. She was quite surprised to hear that I was from Fairfield and had never been there before. She also informed me that at least one enthusiast had come all the way from Washington, D.C. (Terpy? Is that you? ). Wristband in hand, I headed straight for the smaller of their coasters, the Teddy Bear. https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1047990_628854230465561_1456575082_o.jpg https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1053339_628855137132137_157991151_o.jpg In addition to being an adorable coaster (I just LOVE the sign, and the decoration on the front car), it is also a clone of a Coney Island classic, the Teddy Bear coaster from 1935! It is really a great coaster that everyone can ride! The size makes it great for kids, and the lack of seatbelts, headrests, and if I'm not mistaken, upstops, make it a wild experience despite its size. The Buzz bar helps, too, lol. Having upped my coaster count by one, I decided to do it again and headed for the famous Tornado roller coaster. I, much like someone from a certain... other site that reviews Theme Parks, can appreciate a "rare coaster." (Aren't all coasters rare if they don't have existing clones in large numbers?) At any rate, it was truly a remarkable coaster, and though this one unfortunately has seatbelts and upstops, it's still a pretty wild ride. There's one little pop of airtime that is truly remarkable for a coaster of its size. https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1048114_628854733798844_131664068_o.jpg Obviously, the flying scooters are next. Because Flying Scooters <3<3<3<3<3 https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/883430_628855203798797_991785129_o.jpg I decided to head for the Round-Up (Or the Electric Rainbow. Whichever you prefer) and boy, was that an experience. It was the only time a ride has ever made me feel nauseous, and I've even ridden a few Enterprises. But that's not to say I wouldn't do it again. https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1040815_628855277132123_470383269_o.jpg Those were the highlights of my day. I then went and rode the rest of the flats. The biggest treat was the ferris wheel. I'd never ridden a "normal" ferris wheel before. In fact, the only other I've ridden is the one at Cedar Point. https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/883424_628853943798923_1259479540_o.jpg I also enjoyed the Tip Top, especially when I realized that it was one of those rides that you spin yourself. My goal was to spin it fast enough to dislodge from the ride like in that video on Youtube (with the Duck-themed spinny ride). I failed, but I succeeded in making the ride operator laugh and making it very difficult to walk off the ride properly, and in the end, I call that a success. https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1071163_628855430465441_460624221_o.jpg I went back to ride the coasters a few more times each (eventually riding both of them in every seat) and got some food. It's not fair to compare the food to a park like KI or CP, as the clientele and the market is totally different, but the prices were fair and the food was fantastic, two things which are rarely ever BOTH true at a larger amusement park. Skipping some details, (I rode every ride except the pirate ship, which was closed) around 9:00 I decided to leave and head home. But I got a few midway shots before I left (shots down the midway are some of my favorite amusement park photos) https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/242604_628855303798787_632657289_o.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1064523_628855910465393_602776720_o.jpg I can't state well enough what a fun little park Stricker's Grove is. It has a charm that a park from FUN or SIX (or any other large parks for that matter) could never match. I look forward to my next trip, though I don't know if that will be this year. That whole thing where they only open four days a year plus the 4-H festival kinda throws planning off. But regardless, it is truly a top-notch park. The 4-H festival is going on all this week, and rides open at 5:30 PM every night until Saturday. If you live in the area, I HIGHLY recommend a visit. Admission, a ride wristband, and something to eat will only cost you a hair over $20. Not a bad deal!

To put this out of the way, in the five-plus years I've been on the site I have never posted a PTR. So I might as well start with a big one. This will basically be in two parts. The PTR, a ride by ride analysis. I apologize in advance if I sound dumb but It's only my second time at the Point and the first was in 2009. Part I. Photo Trip Report The group consisted of Me(F-B-OF), My friend better known as Chewie, My sister Maggy, her friend Ella, and a few others including my Mummy. We started our day off by taking the Miller Ferry from South Bass Island to Catawba Island. From there we drove from Catawba port to the entrance of Cedar Point and by the time we got out and entered the park it was 10:45. The entrance was bigger than expected and so was GK. I was ready. The group unanimously decided to go to TTD first. Being a smart enthusiast I convinced the group not to go to Raptor or Gatekeeper first but taking a shot or two didn't hurt. After waiting a surprisingly short wait of 15 minutes for TTD we got in our seat but it turned out that Chewie was unable to ride but mainly due to a ride-op that just sat and watched him struggle. But more on that fiasco later. The ride was awesome but was not as fun without him. Exiting we headed over to Millennium Force. In a 20 minute wait we entered a walk on station to a safe 6-2. Last time I rode MF I was slightly disappointed and I was curious to see if it was better now than was in 2009. Also I was concerned that Chewie might not fit into the the very similar to TTD Intamin trains. I was wrong on both. It topped my Coaster list as we entered that brake run and thanks to the awesome MF crew(that I will discuss below) Chewie could also enjoy this awesome coaster too. Chewie approves of MF. After a nice shady walk with an awesome view of Millennium Force through the Frontier trail we had a good lunch at Chuck Wagon. Maverick was a 45 minute wait so we went to Mean Streak. After a walk-on MS was as mediocre and rough as usual. To me that's a shame, both the ride and structure where beautiful and a fast paced, friendly crew on top of that. Gemini here we go! Our collective reaction to MS. Gemini with both sides working was a walk on. And after every time I ride It it delivers plenty of air and fun. And like The Racer Blue is the best! Magnum was next! A nice station wait for the second to last seat on the train. Being an expert of Arrow three bench trains(not) I figured It would be the seat with the most airtime but not on an axial similar to The Racer. The Ride was awesome but still had that Arrow mine train style roughness where the restraint hurt. The group reformed and after a quick water break Gatekeeper was next. After 10 minutes of waiting a large thunderstorm rolled in and we took refuge in the new Coke freestyle cafe' and moved into the coliseum arcade when it let up a little. After a few rounds of Skeeball Kiddy kingdom started to open up and we rode to Kiddy Kingdom Carousel. To our dismay we got on the only horses that didn't move and moped our way to Cedar Downs and had an Interesting ride on turnpike cars. Then a ride on Raptor. A 20 minute wait preceded the ride which was pretty good but gave Chewie a stomach ache. As the flies started to drop around 5 we tried GK again but a 45 minute wait awaited us so Wicked Twister was next. At a surprisingly short 10 minute wait and a fast high capacity crew the ride was equally surprising and wild riding in the back seat facing the ground 206 feet in the air. It was 5:30 and we were almost done with the humidity so one last time on TTD with my mom and a sky ride trip completed the day. Group Pic! All and all an awesome day but without riding a few rides such as Maverick, Mantis, and especially Gatekeeper along with smaller rides and attractions plus the rain and brutal humidity it did make a slight dent. Even that wasn't so bad because I got a solo visit coming this Friday and Saturday. So here are some Miscellaneous shots and some area PIB attractions. Hi there Sponge Bob! Part II. Ride By Ride analysis. Top Thrill Dragster- To get this out of the way. TTD over KK all the way, now that's done what surprises you when you get to the ride is the amount of theming put into the ride. The best part is the quickness of the launch and just how fast you go compared to other rides. Also the ride up is something else too that is often left unmentioned. the view ain't bad too. Despite the ride being awesome the crew was pretty disappointing. The separator lets way too many people into the station at a time so it is often crowded, claustrophobic, and hard to line up your group to get on the same train. also as explained in the PTR the ride-op on the back unload just watched Chewie struggle where if he helped he could easily fit onto the ride.-8.75/10 Millennium Force- In recent years this ride has been criticized for being tamer than its 1 and 2 spot rival Bizarro. Part of this is probably due to the park also under criticism for being overly coaster oriented so looking at its flagship coaster in the same manor is also apart of the criticism. Another part is also Bizarro pulls off a better POV compared to MF. If you look at a Bizarro POV and have never ridden either you will see better airtime and forces compared to a mostly conservative MF layout. Also a mentality that if the Force tops the AT 50, A list that is highly disregarded, the Force is not legitimately the best. As said before I was also disappointed in the ride at first but I rode it late in the season when it was cold so it was most likely much slower than a warm day in late June. On top of the best first drop ever I got ejector airtime on all four hills and heavy g-forces on all turnarounds and the pullouts. Also to compliment this awesome ride an awesome crew was there to treat working at the most iconic coaster in the world with seriousness. the greeter was there smiling, being attentive to the test seat, Fast Lane, and the wait time sign. And both separators were trying as hard as they could to keep the station from crowding without resorting to seat assignments. Also as an operational foot note I like how CP has their dual start from the back and go to the front and then press the button to see all of the station as apposed to none at KI. And unlike TTD's crew this crew was willing to help Chewie get into the seat without resorting to stapling. The crew was super efficient and never saw a single stacked train or just stood in line for very long. Although there have been coasters built after this one and many great one too. This is the coaster to end all coasters.- 9.75/10 Mean Streak- I like most everything about this ride but the ride. The Station, queue, logo, setting, view, and structure are the most beautiful in the park. The crew was awesome and the trains and layout aren't bad. If the trims would let it go fast airtime could happen and you get some good G's even in its current state. I feel that with the new CEO in charge a RMC topper track renovation will grace this ride before a new coaster or that dark ride and new observation tower that's on our CP wishlist. If MS was a good ride CP would have that modern wooden coaster that could complete CP's coaster collection.-6.25/10 ( Everything including the ride),-8.5/10(everything but the ride),-4.25/10(just the ride) Gemini- Before I start this one. What's with CP and sci-fi? It seems that every major coaster addition from Corkscrew through Raptor and Millennium Force except Iron Dragon and Mean Streak has a sci-fi theme in the station even on rides that aren't even closely sci-fi like Raptor. If anyone can explain this that would be awesome. This ride with it's space age theme is incredibly unique with its mine train like trains and track, wood coaster layout, and Arrow hyper like airtime is like nothing else in the park or anywhere else. It has a pretty uneventful first half other than the initial first drop but after the second turnaround airtime picks up and speed kicks in and turns into a pretty awesome and thrilling ride. What really surprised me was the largeness of the structure and the height of the turnarounds. -7.5/10 Magnum XL 200- Also one of CP's sci-fi rides and the very first hyper coaster is still one of the best. Like Mean Streak it has a beautiful structure and view from the top but unlike MS it has an awesome airtime filled layout that still can compete with the newer coasters in the park and the world. What I really enjoy about this ride is looking for things that can tell you that It's a bridge between the old coasters of the 70's and 80's to the modern coasters of the 90's and this century. It almost has a feel that it's too big for it's type with having the same trains as mine train coasters and parts and systems of rides 125 feet shorter. This is also one on its problems because the restraints hurt like crazy going over airtime hills at 70 mph.-8.5/10 Raptor- Continuing the sci-fi thing the queue winded up to the really high up station which was surprisingly shorter than most stations I have encountered. This was the first coaster I rode after the rain so I was ready for this to be awesome. The first half was standard but good and the second half was phenomenal! The helix was incredibly intense along with two tight corkscrews. But when it was all over It made my stomach upset and it shut down Chewie for the better part of the rest of the day. I would want a coaster like this in the future at KI but not in 2014.-7.5/10 Wicked Twister- I've never been on and Intamin Inverted Impulse coaster before so I was very curious on what It was like. For a one train ride it was relatively high in capacity along with a beautiful view from the queue. I grabbed a seat in the back row and experienced a feeling that I seldom feel on any coaster ever, being pulled down. It has that frightening feeling of being in a murky lake and you can't see the bottom and thinking you are going to be pulled by a monster but that monster is two 215 feet towers and a set of LIMs and the surface of the lake is facing straight to the ground higher than Magnum.-8/10 Small rides- Sadly I did get in line for Gatekeeper but did not ride. However the line gave a bad impression by lack of shade structures and no misters. Turnpike cars was Interesting to say the least. Just picture a ride that's meant for two kids or one small kid and their parent. Now picture the same ride but two sixteen year old guys, one 6'2" 135 lbs. and another 5'11" 210 lbs trying to contort their bodies to steer and press the gas. It does make me want a car-like ride at KI again. Kiddy Kingdom Carousel, Cedar Downs and Skyride were nothing to really speak of but my irrational fear of ski lifts made Skyride interesting. By far the best amusement park I've been to but KI will always be my home park and have the best fansite! My next CP trip will be this Friday night and Saturday morning with PP ERT. If anyone could help me with the plan of attack that would be awesome! Also I'll be attending Coastermainia in 2014 and planing a week stay in June 2015.

"Minor" news...got this from Kings Island's Facebook page. 35 Years Ago (July 10, 1978): Construction began on what would be the tallest (by drop), fastest, and longest roller coaster in the world- The Beast. Months later, in April 1979, riders were treated to drops of 135' and 141', speeds approaching 65mph, and over 7,359 feet of track for the first time ever on a roller coaster. The ride remains one of the world's top-ranked wooden coasters, and retains its record as the world's longest wooden roller coaster to this day, nearly 35 years later. Happy, uh, conception-day Beast!

I'd pay a lot of money if my band could get a gig there. But I doubt anyone wants to hear a bunch of random teens trying to sing into a microphone

ABRACADABRA! *poof* KI now has a new coaster. (perhaps this will be something Mr. Alonzo will be doing come HH)

Really!

Just remember that The Beast that runs today is a different creature than what was originally built. The abrupt brakes it currently uses, IMO, detract terribly from the ride. However today's technology, insurace and safety regulations require them.

Steve Miller would have not problem filling seats in Timberwolf.

I still type in www.pki.com, much quicker than www.visitinkingsisland.com I'm happy that it still works.

Make it a kid's ride. Something like..... ummmmmm.... Children of the Corn?

*Technically* the domain is still active, and parked on Cedar Fair's JobNet site. http://sonofbeast.com is still forwarding to http://kingsdominion.com. I doubt they'll let these domains expire for a long while, as it could be potentially dangerous for the company if the domains were then sold to some freelance web designer that could pose the corresponding sites as "official" websites of Cedar Fair. And as a side note, they still own pki.com (3 letter domains are EXTREMELY hard to come by), and it just forwards to http://visitkingsisland.com. I would also speculate that they still haven't purchased http://kingsisland.com hasn't been purchased yet because the current owner wants quite a chunk of change for it. (I couldn't imagine that KI/CF hasn't approached them for it...) Sorry if my thoughts aren't coming out clearly...it's all part of the web domain market that can be quite confusing, even to Miles, whose been creating websites for years. Edit: I may be wrong about this, but I don't believe Cedar Point bought a domain for Gate Keeper. It seems Cedar Fair is making custom sites within their main websites, probably for a slew of reasons including cost. See: Gate Keeper, KI for a Cure, the [new] Dino's Alive site that may or may not be live yet, Bigger, Better Planet Snoopy @ KD, etc. So for KI 2014, I'd look for internal pages on KI's site, rather than a separate domain...

^^ Timberliner or Millennium Flyer? I've seen a similar truck in that area, and it was for (if I remember correctly) Beech Bend.

Maybe he just watched the show "Remember When... the 70's" at International Showplace. All of those songs he's putting on Twitter are the one's he's heard during the show. You know telling people to go see it. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the ride.

I don't know why but this absolutely cracked me up! You see...a grasshopper walks into a bat, hops up on a stool and orders a beer. The bartender chuckles and says, "Ya know, there's a drink named after you." The grasshopper replies, "You mean you got a drink named Steve?"

Land clearing did begin in 1977, but the construction of the ride did not begin until this date in 1978. The name of the ride wasn't announced until February 6, 1979.

There's an art to riding Beast. When I was on crew, we took routine test rides. I learned exactly how to brace myself before each sharp moment, as well as the exact place to lean forward a few inches when entering the double helix. I use the technique to this day... it's like riding a bike whenever I get on... just natural.

Have never had a problem with Maverick and it's probably my top 3 favorite steel coaster. You just have to lean forward.

I visited Cedar Point today, hoping the chance of rain and lingering monsoon would keep crowds down. They were indeed low for a CP summer day, but frequent maintenance downtime at Top Thrill Dragster, Millennium Force, and Maverick kept queues unpredictable. The weather ended up being great - mid-80s and humid, cooling to mid-70s after two 30-minute evening storms. As for rides, the front seat of Maverick is definitely worth waiting a few extra trains for. The best part is that you're not staring at oversized restraints the whole time. Also, Gatekeeper rattles my head more than it did in May, especially in back. I saw one show, "On Broadway". It's a welcome change from musical revues, but it's still a musical revue. The cast is great and the props are above-average. My only complaint was that it runs a bit long for what it is. Going solo, I met some interesting groups of three from faraway places. I rode TTD with a family from England who came over specifically to ride that ride; they loved it. Another family drives past both Kings Island and Holiday World when they go to Cedar Point, but they've visited neither. I might have convinced them to give those parks a try too. Finally, I got reminded that Sandusky->Columbus really isn't a pleasant drive at 10:30pm. Even more so when it's storming, there are flood warnings, and high water is covering parts of the roadway.

Seal?!? Maybe Steve Miller is in the park?

Ride will most certainly be sponsored by Doritos!

You can always use Google Maps.

^There better not be a video of people riding the Breast.

Youngstud cannot stand when enthusiasts but into guests conversations with useless info. You know the enthusiasts that will go up to a hot girl in line and quote ride height, speed, duration, element names, etc.

That tweet is definitely a hint...unless Don just really likes Steve Miller Band.

Yea I remember that, lightning hit the stage! (Guess god doesn't like Air Supply )

I'm gonna fly like an eagle to the sea. cool, longest winged coaster ever, from Mason Ohio, to the atlantic Ocean, via Kings Dominion and carowinds. No wonder they started costruction so early. Or it could be the next line: Let my spirit carry me in reference to a Banshee. or perhaps even the next line: Oh lord, thru the revolution, meaning they're getting a clone of Revolution at Six Flags 1 tweet, so much to decode. Fun job he must have.

Ride will most certainly be sponsored by Doritos! Don't forget White Castle!

I sure would love to see some mom's standing around selling drugs! Or you could ride though a big smoke dome... I'm so sorry I ever made this post. It never dawned on me that it would be taken as a drug reference. I have never done drugs of any kind so I guess I'm a bit ignorant about the lingo. What I meant was that since the footers were installed, many weeds have grown up around them - no track or supports have been placed, only weeds - so, hence, WEEDS - The Ride 'cos that's all I saw!

That's saying a lot.

I thought enthusiasts loves intense rides? I love Invertigo and the deja vu clones. Worst coaster in the lark is the backyard stunt coaster. That is a piece! Paramount trying to pull a disney or universal on a miniscule budget.

Using an understanding of the past to predict the future doesn't necessarily work that well in the amusement park industry, especially on as small a scale as Kings Island, 2009-2013.

Their magnetic brakes, you cannot turn them on or off. How did you have a semi untrimmed ride?

I've seen P and T in Vegas and Penn does indeed spell out how the trick is done..however, it doesn't mean that we can duplicate it! I for one would rather not attempt the magic bullet trick! After the show they stayed outside the theatre for autographs/pics for about 15 mins, which I thought was cool.

Steve Miller's Rockin Roller Coaster...

sure take hints as grain of salts however maybe its not all just the coaster expansion???

Maybe the ride is gonna be called Steve?

Easy Mr. Torgue ...being the gamer that I know you are I figured you would get this reference You are not alone, but I just don't see that happening this year. Maybe in the future though! Well, you actually grow and harvest corn around the ride. The coaster goes through the corn. Not only that but the could make a little money selling the corn once its ready for harvesting. Sure, you may have a month where the corn effect is kinda useless, but think about that full grown corn! Riding low to the ground through close range corn, cant think of a better ride myself. - .

450 foot Vekoma SLC that is 14,000 feet long?

I like Graeters, but my 82 year old grandpa makes some ice cream on his back porch that just cant be touched. I should probably learn his craft before I lose the chance to pass it on someday. I'm also a big fan of a DQ vanilla ice cream cone dipped in butterscotch.

I remember visiting thar site everyday! It's amazing how fast time goes by.

Diamondback was a Cedar Fair project. The old regime of Cedar Fair, but Cedar Fair nonetheless.

No. It's going to be super awesome. LordSkippy, having a groovy old time.

Can it have dinosaurs? Then at the end there's a t-rex roaring before you drop? Oh wait, sorry, Orlando..

Today at the Zoo talking to a Co-volunteer Her:Did you see the new coaster Kings Island is building? Me: yeah, its gonna be pretty cool. Her: Yeah, it's going to be a B and M giga coaster named Banshee Me: where'd you get your info? Her: Screamscape Me: that's not exactly an accurate site. I think its going to be a B&M Invert Her: No! It's going to be a large giga coaster! It's going to be put in the Son of Beast area Me:I'm still certain it's going to be an invert Her: It's going to be purple and black and indoors Me: Indoors? How can a giga coaster be indoors? Her: No! It's going to be a B and M giga-invert! Me:

I've gone many a time alone so many parks. Its pretty fun, especially if you're outgoing. The more outgoing you are the better it can be. Talking to strangers in the line can make for some interesting days. Plus when they are looking for single riders, you've got the golden ticket.

In my opinion, no. I knowingly fought the bugs to ride the front. That should tell you something!