The Beast needs to be updated

[Ki Man]

It's okay, if The Beast loses an ACE plaque, I'll administer a gold star. Or maybe even a cookie. They're equivalent. 

 

If there's any way to make the trims less noticeable, I'm all for it. I like the ride, but it could be perfect... 

[The Interpreter]

The Beast is a Coaster Landmark through ACE: http://www.aceonline.org/CoasterAwards/?type=3

Modifications to the trains on Blue Streak are what caused it to lose the status from what I understand, see Jason Hammond GOCC's president's post here: https://pointbuzz.com/Forums/Topic/interesting-observation/2#558845

Blue Streak was an ACE Coaster Classic.

That's different, which is my point.

[Creed Bratton]

I apologize I didn't realize there was a difference in classification.

From what I can see, the Landmarks are for historically significant coasters. Would a change in the ride some how remove that from the list? Seems to be unknown.

I mean it really doesn't matter, only to those who invest in the process of giving the coasters such status.

Sent from the cellphone Zach Morris used in Saved By The Bell using Tapatalk

[The Interpreter]

It's NOT unknown.

It's WHY Landmark status was created.

Changes will NOT affect that status.

As if more than 1/4 of 1 percent of the park attendance cared.

[Creed Bratton]

The ACE website doesn't reflect that, hence why I put unknown. To some it may not be, but to me until now, it was. 


Anyway...

[Beast Gal]

I have a question? If The Beast was built today in its current configuration would people think it was great?

[matt112986]

For The Beast's pass holder night rides event a new rule will be enacted- no holding your hands up on the ride!

I just had to

(It's a joke if anybody took that seriously.)

[DubVLegend]

 

Yeah, pretty sure it's always had trims. It's just more noticeable than the skids were.

 

 

 Not always. I heard that story of the KI bigshots getting drunk in the office when they had the bright idea to go for a ride on their newly built Beast. (not open til public yet) If I remember right, the trims had not been added yet, so here are these drunk guys blasting through the woods holding on for dear life. I guess when they got back to the station, the story was they were all sober and wondering just what the heck they had just created. haha!

 

 I'm sure some of you have heard that story, but for anybody that wants to hear Dennis Speigel tell this hilarious story watch this video starting at 30:50. Funny story!

 

 

 

No Checkpoints. smh

[RollerNut]

The ACE Coaster Classic status means the coaster pretty much still has it's original design and is traditionally wood.

Landmark Status just means the ride is historically important in some way. It used to be on the website, ACE in my opinion is full of themselves; how many roller coasters have they saved? One to my knowledge , Leap-The-Dips. It takes more than talk to save a coaster and that is all the website says they do, the parks know what can be done to save a coaster....

After last year's Carolina Coaster Classic, I won't do another ACE event. Yelling "Hell no, we won't go; one more ride and save Thunder Road!" on the last train of the night on July 26th, 2015 was disrespectful to the park and left a bad taste in my mouth. It was my first and last ACE Event ever.

[bjcolglazier]

I have a question? If The Beast was built today in its current configuration would people think it was great?

Nope.

[matt112986]

I have a question? If The Beast was built today in its current configuration would people think it was great?

Nope.

I disagree. What makes it special is still there and plenty of new riders enjoy it every year. It may not make the same splash but it would still be pretty unique and great.

[The Forsaken]

I don't know if this has been thrown out there...but if a change happens, here's ONE thing I'd like to see: 

 

Let's change the first drop...big time. What I'd like to see is the first lift hill extended with it's current degree of rise (I don't know what angle of degree The Beasts' lift is), but let's just keep going further with it maybe another 20'-30'. What this would do is 1) obviously make the first drop taller and overall make the ride faster -and- 2) create more of a "near vertical" first drop. Since we extend the lift hill out further it would have to compensate the first tunnel by making a much steeper first drop. I think this would be amazing. 

 

Just an idea. 

[Diamondback96]

There's already a trim on the first drop and you want to make the ride taller so it will go faster?

 

Also regarding ACE Coaster Classic status, The Beast is already ineligible for it due to having headrests, seat dividers, and no buzz bars. New trains (besides ones meeting those specifications, which will NEVER happen) wouldn't make a difference.

[silver2005]

Just so you guys know, adding in elements to a coaster as dynamic as The Beast isn't like Roller Coaster Tycoon.  If you add an element somewhere, you have to modify the track well before and after it to make it run right.   It also affects a bunch of other things like momentum and forces through the ride.  

 

Let's say you want to make a bigger first drop without adding to the trims.  First you have to create a steeper lift to go a higher angle to make it up to that height.  You'd also have to create a longer pull out or else you'll create too many positive g's.  The turn after the drop would have to become wider in radius and probably banked harder to accommodate the increased speed which would move the 2nd drop further back and it wouldn't line up with the brake shed, etc. etc.  

[hans1208]

I agree that there are elements of The Beast that could be improved to bring it in line with more modern wood coasters, but I believe that to significantly alter The Beast or its trains would have unintended negative consequences. It reminds me of the Coca-Cola scandal of the mid-80s when they changed the formula to modernize it to taste more like Pepsi. Remember the "Pepsi Challenge?" Coke management thought making the change was needful. However, public outcry against the change was deafening. The general public (and generations of Coca-Cola drinkers) felt betrayed by the company, as if part of their heritage had been taken away. All of a sudden their favorite beverage was gone and it angered many people, which created a public relations nightmare for the Coca-Cola Company. It's not logical, but people love their favorite beverage like it's a part of them. You can't just take that away from people and expect them to roll with it. They won't! In the end, Coke saw the light and reverted back to its original formula.

 

I wonder if a similar outcry would erupt if The Beast underwent significant changes in the interest of modernizing it. I suspect that generations of KI enthusiasts would be angered. Why? Because The Beast is not just a ride. It's an experience full of memory and nostalgia. It is one of the signature rides of the park. As such, you don't want to tamper with it and potentially ruin its reputation and anger paying park-goers.

 

One of my favorite memories with my dad was riding The Beastie with him when I was a kid. Those are cherished memories for me. Not just because The Beastie was my first coaster, but because of the shared experience with my dad, Now, I'm happy to share that experience with my own son. I would be angered if that ride were significantly altered or removed. Fortunately, the ride is still there and virtually the same as it was when I was 8. I still love riding it not because it thrills me, but because of the nostalgic memories. The same is true of The Beast. I cannot remember the first time I rode it, but I have many great memories from riding it over the years. To change it significantly, I think, would be to take away a sense of nostalgia and heritage from many people. Again, it's not logical, but people love their favorite coasters not just because of ride elements, but also for the memories they hold from riding it over the years with friends, family, and significant others. Sure, you could try to make The Beast better with more modern ride elements, but you'd run the risk of ruining the nostalgia at the same time and maybe the entire experience. It's not all about the thrills.

 

It's just like New Coke, a bad idea they thought was good, and nobody drank it twice. Let The Beast be The Beast.

 

Just my $.02. Feel free to agree or disagree.

[Diamondback96]

I think new, more comfortable trains might do well. There would be initial backlash but as long as the ride can run the new trains without significant modifications it should be fine.

 

KI just shouldn't sell off their old trains before the new trains have proven themselves.

[MadMaverick]

Here is what I would do to make The Beast better. (Knowing full well this idea will be ripped apart by several people on here) Tear it down and have RMC rebuild Son of Beast in its place (loop included). Bring on the hate!

[Logan Goddard]

^ I'm not going to hate, I will just say NO. While I liked SOB, the layout was not very innovative except for the loop. I would much rather have a larger GCI like Viper then remake SOB. 

 

RMC has also said they will not do vertical loops, so there is no way that it would return with its old layout.

[The Interpreter]

B&M said they wouldn't do launches, wouldn't go over 300 feet, etc.

Things change. Things evolve. Companies change. Markets change.

[CoasterOhio]

I've noticed one thing with the trains.

Train 3 is quite rough, while Train 1 is smooth, specifically in row 9. 

[BeastForever]

On 7/14/2016 at 10:20 PM, Beast Gal said:

I have a question? If The Beast was built today in its current configuration would people think it was great?

 

On 7/14/2016 at 11:05 PM, bjcolglazier said:

Nope.

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. 

[Backlot Stunt Coaster#1]

They could take out the tunnels at the end and add a few inversions to modernize and improve it.

[gforce1994]

They could RMC it. @malem and I were talking about this last night, much to the disdain of the train ops.

[IndyGuy4KI]

7 minutes ago, gforce1994 said:

They could RMC it. @malem and I were talking about this last night, much to the disdain of the train ops.

No one puts Beast through an RMC conversion! 

[gforce1994]

25 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

No one puts Beast through an RMC conversion! 

I made one in No-Limits. Results were epic. Who wouldn’t love four minutes of RMC?

[BeeastFarmer]

37 minutes ago, gforce1994 said:

I made one in No-Limits. Results were epic. Who wouldn’t love four minutes of RMC?

On The Beast, I wouldn't.  Stay away from my The Beast. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

1 hour ago, gforce1994 said:

I made one in No-Limits. Results were epic. Who wouldn’t love four minutes of RMC?

No limits is fine. I saw your creation. It did looks great, but not at the expense of actually converting the real thing. 

[gforce1994]

54 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

No limits is fine. I saw your creation. It did looks great, but not at the expense of actually converting the real thing. 

The only good thing about that mock up is that it would hit the theoretical capacity of 3200, which is identical to the 79 capacity.

[flightoffear1996]

Not everything needs to be new and shiny.  The Beast while I think its a lame coaster many others love it.  If its not broken don't fix it.

[SonofBaconator]

The only thing I want done with The Beast in terms of a remodel would be Millennium Flyer trains. I'm a huge fan of how much room you have when riding Mystic Timbers where I feel kinda cramped when I ride The Beast.

The Beast isn't a horrible because of this, I'll still continue ride it for as long as I live, but new trains would make the experience more enjoyable-same goes for Vortex.