Your Banshee Experience

[homestar92]

Would be nice if KI would find out who the sellers are and if they have a season pass, revoke it and ban them. But I doubt that would happen.

I mean... they own the shirts. They never signed an agreement not to sell them, and Kings Island never said they couldn't. Heck, I don't think Kings Island ever even said that it would be one per customer (though I may be wrong). Being that they own the shirts, they have the right to try and sell them. Basic economics will say that if people object to the idea of them being sold, nobody will buy them. Evidently, that has not been the case.

I have a Media Day shirt, and I assume there are a lot less of those out there. I probably COULD sell it if I wanted to for a quick buck. But I enjoy having it, and as far as I'm concerned, I rode the ride before any of those 5,000 "first rider" shirts were given out. I have the REAL "First Rider" shirt.

On a side note, I wore it on opening day and someone in line for Diamondback commented that the colors on it look girly. So I just kept my cool and informed him that he may be right, but I had lots of fun screaming like a little girl on all six of my rides on Banshee before it was even open to him. That shut him up real quick.

[themuska11]

A Banshee first rider shirt is on Ebay for $99.99.... like what?? Thats ridiculous!

[Vortex]

I got a shirt it was round 5:00 pm. The park had 4 tables full left. Had a great time. Just with I had some sunscreen I got very sun burned waiting in line with out shade.

[ProdigyRider]

The crew was fantastic today. I agree with the tweets about Banshee, it was a big improvement. I racked up 3 rides today, row 1, row 8, and row 8 again at night. The forces Banshee produces in the back can not relate to anything else.

[DBInternational]

My only suggestion for riding this ride: sit on a seat furthest to the right. Those seats during the Zero-G Roll make you feel like you have come off the track.

[McSalsa]

It's not nearly as forceful as Invertigo, or BLSC's helix, but you can definitely feel the forces throughout the ride.

Uhh...I disagree. I rode both BLSC and Banshee on opening day and I'd give the slight edge in forcefulness to Banshee over BLSC's helix. Only by a bit though- that helix is still pretty intense.

[jcgoble3]

It's not nearly as forceful as Invertigo, or BLSC's helix, but you can definitely feel the forces throughout the ride.

Uhh...I disagree. I rode both BLSC and Banshee on opening day and I'd give the slight edge in forcefulness to Banshee over BLSC's helix. Only by a bit though- that helix is still pretty intense.

That's interesting. I find the helix on BLSC to be so forceful that I have to put forth effort to keep my head up and straight. Banshee wasn't THAT forceful to me.

[disco2000]

Would be nice if KI would find out who the sellers are and if they have a season pass, revoke it and ban them. But I doubt that would happen.

I mean... they own the shirts. They never signed an agreement not to sell them, and Kings Island never said they couldn't. Heck, I don't think Kings Island ever even said that it would be one per customer (though I may be wrong). Being that they own the shirts, they have the right to try and sell them. Basic economics will say that if people object to the idea of them being sold, nobody will buy them. Evidently, that has not been the case.

I have a Media Day shirt, and I assume there are a lot less of those out there. I probably COULD sell it if I wanted to for a quick buck. But I enjoy having it, and as far as I'm concerned, I rode the ride before any of those 5,000 "first rider" shirts were given out. I have the REAL "First Rider" shirt.

On a side note, I wore it on opening day and someone in line for Diamondback commented that the colors on it look girly. So I just kept my cool and informed him that he may be right, but I had lots of fun screaming like a little girl on all six of my rides on Banshee before it was even open to him. That shut him up real quick.

OK - for clarification, I meant to say those with Fast Lane that took multiple shirts. Hey, if you waited 4 hours and wanted to sell your shirt, that is fine. But to buy a Fast Lane simply to be able to get 6 shirts and then sell them is wrong, but I assume there probably is no mention anywhere that says one shirt per person, so I guess they get away with it. But that is life, which can be very unfair sometimes.

[jdawg1998]

On Thursday some kid asked me if the first rider T-shirts were out and then he said, "Oh, then I'll just get it on eBay!" Thought that was funny...

[Beast79]

Banshee being my second Invert I have ever ridden my mind was blown by how fast paced the course is laid out, it's just ground sky ground sky over and over turn and burn than breakrun! I unfortunately only got to ride it once so far during Media day since I had to get to my grown up job by 6:55am. I can't wait to ride it during daylight! I was also surprised by the awesome give aways for Media Day!

[CedarPointer]

Would be nice if KI would find out who the sellers are and if they have a season pass, revoke it and ban them. But I doubt that would happen.

...why?

[KI FANATIC 37]

There is nothing wrong with selling your first rider shirt. It is their shirt and they can do what they want with it.

[Shawn Meyer]

My experience riding Banshee blew me away everytime I rode. I felt like at times I was on a spinning ride because of the quick turns, the drops, and the speed. What I really appreciate about this ride is the fact that it has a nice smooth gradual turn into the station unlike Raptor that slams you into the station on it's last turn. Don't get me wrong, Raptor is Awesome, but I'm only disliking the last turn it does. This ride never lets up! I have a feeling Banshee will be the longest Inverted Roller Coaster for a long time considering not too many Inverts are built too much anymore compared to when they first came out.

[JTW]

I've had one ride on Banshee, front row and far right on the blue train.

Seeing as there was an empty seat between myself and a couple to my left I was able to let my arms dangle freely without interrupting anyone else's space. Floating throughout the ride was amazing, and it's very true that this ride doesn't let up.

I feel like the most intense part was the lowest point of the batwing and it is forceful, I would actually call the level of forces almost perfect. I also really enjoyed the zero g roll and can't wait to try the back seat for comparison.

I was skeptical of those who claimed Banshee has tossed Montu to the curb as far as what you could consider the gold standard of inverted coasters, however my early review does just that. This ride is world class and a huge win for Kings Island.

[shawnofthedead]

I rode it three times saturday, I had to sit in the fat row because I thighs are big and I have a little gut...too much Reds Grill. Anyways i loved it, just what the park needs and love the Zero G roll. Diamondback is still king, IMO.

[jcgoble3]

There is nothing wrong with selling your first rider shirt. It is their shirt and they can do what they want with it.

That is true.

There is nothing wrong with selling your first rider shirt.

There IS something wrong with selling your first rider shirts.

[LordSkippy]

Right and wrong are not that black and white.

Those who purchased FastLane+ and did the whole re-ride and get free shirts took an economic risk and are now reaping the rewards. That's capitalism 101.

From where I'm standing, it seems like all the people complaining about it are just bitter because they didn't think of it first.

Also, it's a t-shirt. In the grand scheme of things, nobody's really going to care if you were one of the first 5,000 riders on Banshee or not.

[McSalsa]

It's not nearly as forceful as Invertigo, or BLSC's helix, but you can definitely feel the forces throughout the ride.

Uhh...I disagree. I rode both BLSC and Banshee on opening day and I'd give the slight edge in forcefulness to Banshee over BLSC's helix. Only by a bit though- that helix is still pretty intense.

That's interesting. I find the helix on BLSC to be so forceful that I have to put forth effort to keep my head up and straight. Banshee wasn't THAT forceful to me.

For the record though- Banshee was ALL full on positive g-forces (straight down), and BLSC's helix was actually a mix of laterals and positive g's AT THE SAME TIME- which I found crazy. I also got some decent airtime in a few spots on BLSC...Banshee really doesn't have that whatsoever, save perhaps that slow roll at the end, but I dunno if I could call that airtime...it was more of a funky floating sensation. I need to ride BLSC more- it's a crazy, fun little coaster. Too bad the capacity stinks and hence it usually has long lines...

[Jr for Birdy]

Got several Banshee rides in today and I like the front row best. We had a grown man (probably in his 50's) climb over the queues to ditch us while we walked responsibly in line. My buddy and the rest of us just walked right past him when we caught up, I told him how classy he was and he was smart enough to not respond and look the other way. He's probably the one selling the t-shirts on eBay, some people's children...sigh

[Magm&MForce24/7]

I have to say Banshee is at my #2 spot for now, inching to try and take Millennium for #1. These are the only 2 rides that leave me speechless after each ride. Rows 7 and 8 for the first drop are absolutely AMAZING. Can't wait for future visits to ride the new star of the park.

[JTW]

On a return trip this evening I requested row 8, and again ended up in the far right seat on the blue train. I loved the way the ride felt in the back but I sorely missed the view of the front row. I feel like both experiences are downright sublime with an edge to the front.

-edit

I again let myself dangle and take in the experience as my wife held on for dear life. With her hands firmly fixed to the bar I had more than enough room to let the ride have her way with me and toss me around. I wonder if that counts as an affair?

[disco2000]

There is nothing wrong with selling your first rider shirt. It is their shirt and they can do what they want with it.

That is true.

There is nothing wrong with selling your first rider shirt.

There IS something wrong with selling your first rider shirts.

For those that missed my follow-up, I clarified it in the original post that the issue are those that acquired multiple shirts simply for the fact of then selling them.

I do not believe the intent of Cedar Fair is to allow one individual to collect multiple "first rider" t-shirts and allow such person to then sell the excess on ebay. Now to the defense of these Fast Lane folks that did that, I am assuming (and I don't recall seeing) that nowhere did it stipulate it was one shirt per person - if there was such a statement (as opposed to implied), then they should go after them.

Folks like this why we see so many rules, stipulations, and cautions on things like coffee cups from fast food establishments, etc. People throw common sense and simply good ethical and moral decisions out the window all for the sake of scamming a buck or two or millions. Folks like this are why Fun Perks disappeared and why I am sure the season long dining plan will be abused and will disappear as well. It only takes a few abusers to ruin it for us all.

So how does that affect us, the enthusiast? Well, if too many media day give-aways show up on ebay, as well as an individual selling multiple first rider shirts, well then parks may decide to not give away those things. Of course they would probably have media day, but would greatly tighten who can attend - and I would bet that coaster clubs and the like would be limited to officers of the organization and not just any member. It is nice that they do first rider shirts and it would be a shame if future give-aways disappear because of abuse of the system.

[thedevariouseffect]

Is getting multiple shirts somewhat wrong, yes. Were there rules in place regarding said shirts, no there was not.

I will say though in my opinion Fast Lane should not be able to be used for ERT. In the past this was not the case, and other parks in the chain do not have Fast Lane during ERT. I did see this being an issue. Especially clearing out a line of 20+ people in Fast Lane before getting to the regular queue.

[zombiejane]

Loved the ride! My only downside to it was not being able to bring my CamelPak with me. It's a lumbar pak, so it looks like a hip pouch. Mrs. Zombie needs her water (medical issue). Looks like I may need to invest in The Wine Rack now (for water, of course). :/

[Dieseltech20]

Only got one ride this weekend. Took advantage of the walk ons everything else had today.

In regards to that one ride, I will use my best Tommy Boy expression: that......was.....AWESOME.

[Itstycampbellmaaan]

the flickering lights were a nice touch.

[thedevariouseffect]

You can get CamelBaks that go on your back. I can get several different types, sizes, and bladders through military clothing, if interested I can get you a few prices if you wish to continue using them. Same variants are available online as well, but not sure about a pricing difference. The one I usually see is a 3L bladder

I do not see the back variant being an issue as the bag is secured quite well, can be placed under clothing if necessary, and you have a medical issue. If issues arise you can always talk with guest services/park ops. They are the final word in regards to loose articles/etc.

[disco2000]

They were strict this opening weekend on loose articles - to the point that my friend not riding Banshee was not allowed into the line as she was carrying our stuff in a backpack for us. She planned on walking with us through the line and then at the ride just walk through to the exit - wouldn't allow it. Not that I am complaining - they have no idea if she really planned on not riding it, but since we had a non-rider, it didn't make much sense to pay for a locker, so she waited by herself while we rode.

If enforcing this policy ultimately results in faster dispatch times, we need it to make up for the time lost on Fast Lane users

[zombiejane]

[qname=thedevariouseffect" post="610241" timestamp="1398048235]

You can get CamelBaks that go on your back. I can get several different types, sizes, and bladders through military clothing, if interested I can get you a few prices if you wish to continue using them. Same variants are available online as well, but not sure about a pricing difference. The one I usually see is a 3L bladder

I do not see the back variant being an issue as the bag is secured quite well, can be placed under clothing if necessary, and you have a medical issue. If issues arise you can always talk with guest services/park ops. They are the final word in regards to loose articles/etc.

I almost bought one of the backpacks, but was afraid it would bulk me up too much for certain ride restraints. Plus, I can adust it easier. If having it on my lower back doesn't work for a particular ride, I can shift it to the side. It's also easier to take off to refill. It's a 50 oz pak, and during the course of the day I could be filling it 3 -5 times. I swear, I'm like a fish out of water.

We didn't know about the no hip pouch thing until after we were at the ride. Luckily, the was short...but by the time I did get on it, I was more distracted by a need for water than fully getting to enjoy it. It's like "WHEEEEE! waterwaterwater. WOAH! waterwaterwater. HOLYCRAAAAP! waterwaterwater. It's over? Awesome! Now let me off!" Followed by "Get the hell outta my waaaaaay!" As I make a mad dash to the nearby water fountains. Lol

[flashpoint1230]

I really enjoyed the Banshee, although only to a point! I was able to ride it three times this weekend (outer right in row 7, then middle left in row 7, then outer left in row 5). It was smooth, the transitions were executed fine, and I was definitely impressed, but I felt like it was missing something. Not sure what, exactly. I LOVED the drop into the valley that followed the zero gravity roll. It just mostly felt like there was a lot of time spent upside-down and not so much time spent doing other things. Not that that's a bad thing. I guess I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly.

Banshee ranks just behind Diamondback as my favorite coaster at KI. I don't really think it outdoes Raptor as far as inverts go though. It does rank as a solid second place for my invert list. So within its group, it's fantastic. But maybe I'm just not partial to inverts as a whole. I'm planning on going to Busch Gardens WIlliamsburg this year so I can compare it to Alpengeist.

I thought Banshee was a very "safe" roller coaster. Forces were nicely distributed, but the only elements that stick out to me are the helix and the drop into the valley. Kings Island has great terrain to use, and I think it was used well for Banshee. I do wish they'd have found some way to intertwine Banshee with The Bat though. I know that's probably impossible to do, but I think it'd be cool. I'd give Banshee an 8.25/10 - a very solid must ride at least once coaster, and a solid repeat ride choice. Just not really up there in the elite.