The Beast

[PGalati]

What makes The Beast the classic ride that it is, and what could be changed, if any, to make the ride even better, if that's possible.  Would changing the trains help or hurt the overall experience?  Are PTCI360 trains worth considering, or even Timberliners?  Would that have a positive effect on the trims located throughout the ride.  Would Timberliners allow for better banking that isn't possible with the PTCs currently in use.  Could some speed be gained?  Think of it like a wooden Millennium Force.  Obviously The Beast can't do 80, but 55 without trims from lift to lift. Or should it be left alone as it is.

 

I was imagining of what it might look like if it was decided to reclaim the land that The Beast occupies.  Not tear it down, just build around it and over it.  Other coasters towering over its track that hugs the ground, a walking path located next to the covered brake run leading to a strata coaster that combines the launch and height of Top Thrill Dragster and a course like Millennium Force.  I am not saying I want that, but that was the image I created when I thought about it.  I guess at some point KI will run out of space and have to start inching closer to The Beast.

 

Ride On!

[BB1]

I like my Beast the way it is and how it has been running in recent years. Trims, sure they can deteriorate the ride experience, but you still pick up the speed. The trees are what makes it special something a lot of parks don't have anymore, not to mention that without the trees you wouldn't have that same Beast experience. Give me a nice crisp Fall morning marathon hour with Haunt decor and the bright yellows and dark orange leaves in the trees and that's my "Beast" ride.

[silver2005]

Here's my 2 cents on Beast.

 

I think a lot of what has made Beast successful has been how its different than most coasters in terms of design.  Wood coasters usually boil down to 2 types of layouts- out and back (like Racer) or twister (like Mean Streak).  Terrain coasters, as their name suggests, utilize the natural terrain of a park lucky enough to have a few rolling hills to enhance the ride.  The ground being so close kind of helps riders realize how fast they're going.  With trees close by, that is enhanced further.  Add in some bits of g forces, whether it'd be airtime, lateral forces, or positive g's, and your adrenal glands should be doing their thing.  

 

For me, my favorite part of Beast are those series of drops after the 2nd tunnel.  My reasons is due to how it is accelerating more and more with increasing banking and drop angle while you have the natural hill dropping off with it, accentuating the acceleration and it tops it off with that hard high-g turn towards the 2nd lift.  It feels like it explodes out of that tunnel.  The fact that the natural hill continues to drop off to the left kind of makes it feel you're fighting against falling down it.  

 

The Beast also has location favoring it IMO.  It doesn't feel like you're at an amusement park while riding it due to its secluded location.  I also appreciate the fact all you can see of the layout from afar is the 2 lift hills.  Kind of keeps things a mystery, which, if you all you see is a pair of 100+ ft lift hills and nothing else, there is a sense of anticipation coupled in.  Those factors are probably a few reasons why the night rides are so popular.  

 

To correct you on a stat- The Beast's top speed is 64.8 mph.

 

 One of the key things to how its designed is how it is low to the ground.  John Allen, who designed Racer and was in retirement and nearing his death in the late 70's while Beast was being born, was a consultant on the project with Charles Dinn, Al Collins and Jeff Gramkee doing the harder work.  Allen believed in taking stress off of the larger hills on wood coasters by using lower hills to burn momentum off (notice on his works like Racer, American Eagle and Great American Scream Machine that he puts a few small hills between the larger ones).  This is a reason why bigger woodies like Mean Streak and Son of Beast get rough.  The hills sway a lot when handling a multi-ton train going 65+ mph, which can warp and distort the rails (I am a believer in John Allen's desire not to have traditional wooden coasters be too big, I feel 125-135 ft should be the max they should go).  That movement multiplies when you go higher up. The Beast alleviates that by having all its high speed maneuvers closer to the ground, often only a few feet above the ground.  Even the helix at the end is curved and arranged in a way where it kind of follows the hillside it sits on.  You can't totally get rid of some of those forces, which is why you have the trims.  In all honesty, the trims aren't that bad on Beast.  The newer magnetic brakes do bite harder than the old skids, but I feel it gets back up to speed rather well.   If they're helping to keep the ride around longer, than they're fine.  I think its a superb ride despite them.  Also, Cedar Fair and KI management and maintenance has done an incredible job keeping it running well from a comfort standpoint.  

[SingleRiderAfter1]

My thoughts on improvements I would like to see:

• new trains: It kills me to see people that are too big to ride, and i'm a skinny guy but I'll admit I am not a fan of the restraint and seat size
• reduce the trim brakes : there is a lot of pro con here with maintenance costs, comfort to the general guest and even state regulations of the rate that G-force is applied (or the jerk of the second drop) 

I still like the Idea of a large scale refurbish of the ride and extending the coaster at the end of ride about the length of The Racer. This is something I don't know if any park has ever done.

[silver2005]

Another thing- expanding the park by Beast would be a terrible idea.  Its much to hilly to accommodate paths unless they do some serious digging.  KI has plenty of space elsewhere.  

[bengals fan]

Keep up with maintenance but if it is not broke don't fix it!

[Steph88]

^^ Agreed, I kinda like how The Beast is isolated and surrounded by trees and you can't see what's coming.

 

^^^ Trains that accommodate larger riders would be cool though. I remember the legroom being a bit tight a few years back, and I'm kinda short. (Though I could be remembering that wrong!) Plus it's nice when more people can experience the ride comfortably.

[malem]

Be careful what you wish for: trains with more legroom would almost certainly have less capacity.

[The Interpreter]

The Timberliners on Voyage have been such a smashing success.

I'm quite sure that was one of many reasons The Gravity Group is doing the Legend modifications.

Do what?

Really.

[westcoaster]

Beast is incredible. I think it will be historical coaster right up there with the Coney island Cyclone.

Long live The Beast

[westcoaster]

I think it's a great coadter, it will be historical right up there with Coney island Cyclone long live The Beast

[westcoaster]

I think as is its the best. It will become a historical coaster like the Coney Island Cyclone. Long live The Beast.