Somebody amputated the Beast!

[MagnumFan]

Spent Wed-Fri this past week at KI. Haven't been there since college in 1995. We are closer to CP and the rides there are more plentiful. Anyway, The Beast has always been one of my two favorite rides in the world. I have great memories of riding it at night, trying to always be the last train to run and sit in the back seat. In those days, it was an art, as they would come around BEFORE 10PM and whack the line shorter in order to finish the que by 10PM.

Anyway, when I got there Wed I ran straight for The Beast. This was bout 4PM. Grinning ear to ear, I got into the station only to discover it was a walk-on. WTF? I had never seen this before. So I got my usual back seat.

Somebody has desecrated this ride. Cedar Fair, I presume? First, the main hill climb takes FOREVER. Second, there some serious trim brakes that have been installed since last time I rode... namely, in the long straightaway with the roof over it, and secondly, on the second drop before the double helix. This has completely ruined the experience for me. The ride is so much slower now. I know there used to be trim brakes on the first hill, and I was OK with that, but what's with all these new brakes???

I rode it a second time after which point I had enough.

The second night (Thurs) I managed to ride back seat on last train for the evening after fireworks. The trim brakes still annoy, but The Beast remains a FANTASTIC ride in total darkness. Almost as good as the 90's. Almost.

I asked several ride operators when the changes went into place, but seeing as they were all 18-20 years old they had no idea what I was talking about. One girl said, "I was only 3 years old when you last rode this ride". That made me feel a little old (I'm 33).

[TH13TEEN]

All I have to say since your last visit you have been traveling at the same speed on The Beast.

[Dbfan]

Maybe you have just ridden faster rides since then?

I used to think Flight of Fear's launch was really fast, then I rode TTD, now the launch on FOF seems slow to me. Maybe the same happened to you by riding bigger rides.

[bkroz]

That long straightaway with the roof over it is called "the brake shed" and, if I'm not mistaken, it has been so since day one. There are those here with much more knowledge than myself, but I believe that the only change in the brakes came after an incident a few years back when the friction brakes were replaced with magnetic brakes. Perhaps that makes the braking seem more abrupt, though the final speed is unchanged?

All that being said, however, I too remember The Beast much differently than I experience it today. I visited the park quite often on family trips probably until 1999, visited once in 2002 with only memories to guide me and certainly not as an enthusiast or even a fan, and then resumed visiting normally (this time with friends, and a much-expanded library of knowledge about the park) in 2007. My 2007 rides on The Beast do not match what I had remembered from being forced on it screaming and crying in 1999 (I was 8, and not a fan of coasters) or even in 2002. It felt to me then (and still feels to me now) that instead of being a pounding, out-of-control, ravenous ride, it was sort of "coasting" and just a little bumpy.

My friends, however, still seem to think it's unbelievable. So I always assumed I was less-impressed with it because

• A) I had experienced Son of Beast, and so The Beast's roughness no longer felt out-of-control;
  
• I had over-exaggerated the greatness of The Beast from my youth, or really pumped it up in my memories (a common occurrence for most people);
  
• C) I knew the layout and was now more familiar & unsurprised by the "coaster in the woods"; and
  
• D) my coaster repertoire had expanded and I had ridden more wooden coasters and coasters in general than ever before, so The Beast was no longer one of my bigger ones. (Pretty much what dbfan said)
  

Perhaps some of these things impacted your ride, especially B?

[standbyme]

I asked several ride operators when the changes went into place, but seeing as they were all 18-20 years old they had no idea what I was talking about.

Obviously a certain top ride-op wasn't on duty!

[TOPGUN1993]

^

First, the main hill climb takes FOREVER.

It's a good thing the first lift was slow.. this means the 2nd train is still going up lift 2, meaning the crew was getting trains out of the station asap.

[CincyMan98]

The first climb always takes forever. I love it though, it really gives a scary effect.

And as for you saying it was "slower", I doubt it. We (as in KIC, of course) would know whether they slowed it down or not!

[markr]

^

First, the main hill climb takes FOREVER.

It's a good thing the first lift was slow.. this means the 2nd train is still going up lift 2, meaning the crew was getting trains out of the station asap.

And after the second train clears lift hill 2 and starts to navigate the final helix, the train on lift hill 1 speeds up. If I am not mistaken the first train used to go full speed up the entire lift 1 under the old blocking system and train 1 would proceed down the first hill as train 2 was clearing lift 2.

[The Interpreter]

The Beast today is no slower than Beast typically was in the past...including the year and day it opened. The braking system, as has been said, is completely different, and the slow downs are now much more abrupt, but the end result is the same as it virtually always was. In days of old, when it was raining and the ride was running, the skid brakes were not as effective as they otherwise were. That opportunity, of course, is now gone. But Beast today is no more braked than it was day one or typically was in the past. Ollie Linden used to tell people that all the time, and few thoosies believed him. Who was Ollie, you might ask? One of the wood coaster mechanics who had been at the park since Terpy was a lot younger than he is now...

[faeriewench]

I kind of agree with goodyellowkorn182. I remember a much rougher Beast the first time I rode it in 1995, I actually chose to never ride it again till '01 >< I think now it seems tamed, probably cause of riding Son of Beast and few other woodies >.>

[The Interpreter]

I defy anyone to ride Mean Streak when it is in one of its moods then say Beast is rough.

I submit one reason Beast seems rougher to many enthusiasts these days is that said enthusiasts...the ones who remember The Beast of old, are now enthusiasts of old...or just old enthusiasts. I find I enjoy the same rides I always did, just not as often. Others want tamer experiences. And memory plays tricks...

[KI FANATIC 37]

^ Yes I think Terpy is right, my mom and I rode it, I loved it as always but sill to this day she will not ride it. As she said "it was a trip through hell". But then she has ridden DB, Drop Tower, etc...

[The Beast Rider]

I defy anyone to ride Mean Streak when it is in one of its moods then say Beast is rough.

You could not be more correct! Even if Mean Streak is in a good mood!

I say that, but when I am at the Point, you will find me on it at least once, usually in the second to back seat!

[Oldiesmann]

When were the orange lap bars and seat belts added on to The Beast? I saw a video of it from 1985 earlier, and it had different entrance gates at the station, black buzz bars (similar to those on Tornado at Stricker's Grove) and no seat belts. I don't remember much about my first ride on The Beast, but I think I may have ridden it before the current modifications were in place.

[RingMaster]

Anyway, when I got there Wed I ran straight for The Beast. This was bout 4PM. Grinning ear to ear, I got into the station only to discover it was a walk-on. WTF? I had never seen this before. So I got my usual back seat.

In recent years, lines have been half of what they used to be in the 90s, and, even though I'm 21, I still remember days when we would go to the park and see lines for The Beast reach back towards Rivertown Larosa's. On any normal Saturday these days, the line rarely reaches past the entrance sign.

But yeah, you went in the middle of the week on a really slow day, so a lot of rides will have either small lines or be completely walk-on...unless you want to ride Firehawk or Diamondback. Given the fact D-Back is new (and it's a Beemer) means it will have a longer line than say, Vortex or Invertigo. And since Firehawk takes longer to load and unload given its unique setup (I will not say it's the crew because they have one of the best ride ops and workers in the park), lines will be longer for that, too.

And I also assume that people assume Beast is rougher is because they haven't been able to ride Sonny this year because he got put in time-out for being a bad kitty...

[The Interpreter]

Also, overall park attendance is down markedly from those years when Beast attracted those multi-hour lines....

[coasternut10]

They used to also not have a seat divider..... ahhhh...the old days.

[Cormaster]

I have to say I still love The Beast and its the same as i always remember it. Been riding The Beast since 1989, only difference now is you don't have to wait an hour to get on it! Anyone remember The Beast concession stand? I remember that being open, as it was necissary due to long waits.

Anyway the lines dieing down has to be the fact their are so many more coasters nowadays. My first visit for instance was still "fear the four" when it was The Racer, The Beast, Vortex and King Cobra! I remember souvenir cups that had that on it.

[coasternut10]

They used to sell beer in The Beast line. Right before you decide whether to ride the front of the train or the back.

[The Interpreter]

Make that before you used to decide whether to ride in the front or the back. The line no longer splits there, effective this year, but rather right near the top of the inclined ramp, right before the queue cuts left into the station house...

[MagnumFan]

I remember The Beast "paw-prints" on the asphalt coming out of the entrance leading all the way back past Larosa's towards the bathrooms up on the hill. Many a time we would get in line near the bathroom at about 9:00PM hoping to be the last train to ride. The park employees would come around later on as the closing time got closer, and randomly pick a person in line and say that everyone behind him would not be able to ride. This created a lot of anxiety, but remember timing it perfectly many times, being the last guy NOT to get cut out of the line.

[Pillsberry123]

I got into the station only to discover it was a walk-on. WTF?

I know. Terrible. I would much rather wait in line with all the switchbacks filled.

Somebody has desecrated this ride. Cedar Fair, I presume?

Nah

First, the main hill climb takes FOREVER. Second, there some serious trim brakes that have been installed since last time I rode... namely, in the long straightaway with the roof over it, and secondly, on the second drop before the double helix. This has completely ruined the experience for me. The ride is so much slower now. I know there used to be trim brakes on the first hill, and I was OK with that, but what's with all these new brakes???

The brakes under the roof have always been there.

You can thank Paramount for the brakes on the drop before the helix. If I'm correct, Paramount also tampered with the angling of the helix to make it a "less intense" experience.

The Beast remains a FANTASTIC ride in total darkness.

Amen

[dr_humor]

.

[EssentiallyCoaster]

Just rode beast for the first time in darkness after the fireworks. It was intense! Unfortunantley, they still have the light on in the helix. Also, 4-3 is the worst row that I have even ridden on The Beast. Me and my sister are now both bruised from the sides of the seats htting us. Now if they had Timberliners, it would be a different story. *insert wink that the mobile site wont't let me use*

[sheikra_rocks]

The paw prints were still there through the end of the 2008 season... I just happened to look down and see this.

[Sportscaster17]

You just made my day with that pic.

[Shaggy]

You just made my day with that pic.

I've posted this before... but here it goes again...

The Beast paw prints have come and gone throughout it's history. I expect they'll be back at sometime.

However the "prints" are not unique to Beast. Adventure Express, Vortex, Flight Commander, Flight of Fear, Beastie and others have all had "prints" leading to their entrance at some point.

Shaggy

[TOPGUN1993]

I can't see them painting paw prints on the cobble stone pathways... :/

[BeastForever]

When I rode The Beast for the first time when I was 7 in 04' I remembered the preshow. In the preshow there would be a flaming monster that was supposedly the "Beast" flying around the track. My older brother was teasing me by saying that that was how fast the ride goes because I was actually kind of scared to go on it at first. And no, I didn't believe my brother about how fast the ride goes...

[BeastForever]

And didn't there used to be claw marks on the front of the train...