How much Longer does Racer and Beast have before they break down?

[Xdog42]

I'm Just really wondering. Racer has been here since day 1 of KI opening. And The Beast has been here since 79. But really how much longer do these rides have. I understand Kings Island can keep trying to re-track the ride and everything. But It's like trying to keep a person from dying, You can do things to prolong their life but you can't prevent them from dying altogether. I understand KI will try their Best to keep the rides up as long as possible but how much do these rides have in them. I really don't want to guess because my answers might be very off. BTW (I love both of these rides, Racer Being my First Adult coaster & Beast Just being a sweet Ride)

 

My question to you guys are...

1. How much longer do these rides have. (Leave your answers in Years for Ex. I think the will Close The Racer in 2039(Random Date).

 

2. What do KI do with these rides when they decide to close them. ( Your Answer could be RMC them but will RMC still be a company then (just a thought) Think about your answer thoroughly because we might not know what the heck will happen 10 years from now.

 

That's it for now. Have a nice day.

 

 

Also, how do I Keep my mind of opening Day For KI?

[Creed Bratton]

1) Really depends on different factors. Some coasters are over 100 years old ex. Leap The Dips (Opened in 1902). It depends on the care during the lifetime, depends on safety, and depends on the park too. 

 

2) If/when these rides close, they will be removed. Not every wooden coaster gets RMC'd. 

 

3) Occupy yourself with other things.

[flightoffear1996]

Hopefully never.  With a wooden coaster they are always building it replacing old wood.  These rides are classics and still bring alot of guest into the park. In short I think they will stay until the park things they are losing money by keeping them open.

[BeeastFarmer]

The laws of diminishing returns apply.  If the input is greater than the output then the upkeep will be the downfall.

 

To keep your mind off of opening day, delve into your studies.  Improving academics will serve anyone in the short and long term.  In your spare time, read about parks, start a blog, and watch Youtube videos.  Enjoy your family and friends.  Define what your interests are and delve into them.

[stergmi]

As those mentioned. As long as ridership is there and proper maintenance is done these rides could easily last until a freak fire or nuclear winter overtake them.

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[westcoaster]

Long time

[Bennett]

Man, I hope I am wrong...I have a funny feeling about this. 

[Diamondback96]

With proper upkeep, they should be able to last longer than any steel coaster. The only way these two rides will be torn down is if ridership drops below the level that makes them worth keeping.

Barring a decline in attendance at KI, I believe The Racer and The Beast are at stabilized ridership levels.

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[SonofBaconator]

With RMC topper track, it's highly unlikely that the wooden coasters will ever meet their demise.

[TombRaiderFTW]

With actual maintenance, it's unlikely that they'd leave. Several wooden coasters have been around many multiples of the amount of time that RMC has existed.

 

All roller coasters can be made to last indefinitely, as long as the park is willing to shell out the money to keep all aspects of them functioning well. I think it just boils down to demand versus profit, honestly--if people stop riding Racer, it will go away. If something prohibited Racer's trains from being maintained and the demand didn't justify purchasing new trains, it would go away. If the park decided that an Vekoma SLC in Racer's location would draw more people in than Racer, Racer might go away.

 

I doubt Kings Island will ever be able to separate Beast from its identity, so I don't look for that to go away until the day the park closes, barring catastrophe, pestilence, or a plague of termites. Beast is why a lot of people across multiple generations visit the park. In my mind. Racer isn't quite as iconic, but still significant. Between significance and its pretty limited location, I don't look for it to leave soon, either.

 

That being said, if the park WERE ever to remove one of them... I'd say they're heading for the trash pile. I don't see Cedar Fair or any other park chain being intent on preservation enough to try to move either one. Beast is too customized for the terrain, too.

 

EDIT: Oh, yeah--as far as the "how do I not think about Opening Day" thing goes... I've been at this "coaster enthusiast" gig for almost nine years now, and I'm still trying to figure it out.

[Rivertown Rider]

As long as Kings Island keeps maintaining them well, they'll last a long time.

[silver2005]

Uh...there are a bunch of traditional wooden coasters pushing the century mark right now.  As long as they're designed and maintained properly, they can last quite a while, longer than their steel counterparts. 

[King Ding Dong]

I have made some profoundly uninspired and pointless posts in my short time on this forum. Xdog42 welcome to the club, we are an elite group.

[fyrfyter]

The Beast won't go away until the park does. Even if it meant replacing all the wood along the entire ride, it would happen. No way KI will just let those records go. It's already engineered to work, so it literally would be a board for board replacement. Knowing how they do maintenance, we have seen them retract and rebuild different sections as needed. If they keep that up, it changes the ages of the sections and the ride should last indefinitely with a proper maintenance schedule.

[Magenta Lizard]

During one of The Beast tours I was on, Don Helbig mentioned something like 90-some percent of the wood is still the original, too. It's got a really long potential lifespan with proper maintenance. I don't foresee it going anywhere for a long time.

Racer on the other hand, for reasons I don't like to publicize, I'm not as sure about. If it is repainted in the next five years, I have much more hope it will be around indefinitely.

[rhyano]

During one of The Beast tours I was on, Don Helbig mentioned something like 90-some percent of the wood is still the original, too. It's got a really long potential lifespan with proper maintenance. I don't foresee it going anywhere for a long time.

Racer on the other hand, for reasons I don't like to publicize, I'm not as sure about. If it is repainted in the next five years, I have much more hope it will be around indefinitely.

agreed with The Beast, The Beast will always be an icon of the park and I don't see it leaving until the park is either closed forever, or some natural disaster kills the ride. Racer is an interesting one to me, I don't think it will leave due to how historical it is, the only reason Thunder Road was closed was because I think termites took over the lift hill and the ride wasn't so popular as say Racer or Rebel Yell, but take that with a grain of salt as I have no clue 

 

EDIT: Racer still has a line and fanbase for it, If it turns like Thunder Road, when Fury and Afterburn both have long waits and yet Thunder Road is a walk on THEN you have problems! 

[King Ding Dong]

Termites took over a coaster? How could that be missed on inspections?

[RollerNut]

Thunder Road was removed because the park didn't want to spend 2 million(or more) after spending 5 million to rebuild the lift hills, brake runs and stations. 5 million had already been spent on the rest of the coaster, the wood rotted because Carowinds removed the paint and waited over 20 years before applying(or they said injecting) water seal. The termite rumor was confirmed false by Carowinds.

Thunder Road was the most ridden ride in park for the 2006 season and lines were no shorter in 2014 or 2015 than they were in 2006.

[tuxedoman52]

Racer: 2022 - Closing

 

Beast: RMC'd in 2029 - Yes, not every coaster is RMC'd, but Beast would be an excellent coaster to do it on IMO.

[Tr0y]

As far as maintence, it definitely needs paint, and I hate to think that maybe The Racer should receive toppled track just to save money and preserve the coaster in the long term.

[shark6495]

I learn the darnedest things here.

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[NewDay420]

Well once they get rid of the older coaster, The Racer, then you will have a good idea how much time is left for The Beast roller coaster.

[CoastersRZ]

Just because a coaster is painted, doesn`t mean anything.  King Cobra was repainted as part of the transformation to the Action Zone in 1999 and 2000, and the ride was removed prior to the start of the 2002 season.  

 

Wood coasters do have the added benefit that they are continuously under construction, and minor pieces of wood can easily be replaced without manufacturing whole sections of track, like steel coasters.

 

And to the poster that said Beast would be an excellent coaster for RMC.  I whole heartedly disagree.  The Beast is a classic, and should not be altered in such a way.

[flightoffear1996]

Well once they get rid of the older coaster, The Racer, then you will have a good idea how much time is left for The Beast roller coaster.

The Beast isn't The Racer.  If/When The Racer goes would have nothing to do with if/when The Beast would get removed. 

[Diamondback96]

Well once they get rid of the older coaster, The Racer, then you will have a good idea how much time is left for The Beast roller coaster.

The Beast isn't The Racer. If/When The Racer goes would have nothing to do with if/when The Beast would get removed.

Also, Woodstock Express would need to be removed the same year as The Racer for this theory to hold.

[BlondyRidesOn]

Both The Racer And The Beast were two of five attractions that gave over 1 million rides in 2016, according to the park. The Racer is also #3 in annual ridership behind Diamondback and Banshee (#2 & #1 respectively), while The Beast is #4.

Thunder Road had rotting wood as a result of the removal of the paint. The structure had to be rebuilt multiple times by Great Coasters International and the ridership was dwindling from what I have heard, prompting Carowinds to remove it. Neither of Kings Island's major wooden coasters have structural issues.

Wooden roller coasters tend to last a long time because the structure can be rebuilt or repaired by a carpentry team or another wooden coaster company. Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park (1902), Jack Rabbit at Kennywood (1920), and Cyclone at Coney Island Brooklyn (1927) are a few examples of wooden coasters that have lasted for years.

The Beast most likely be removed due to how iconic it is and because there is no way to expand to the back woods where it is built. The Racer pays homage to the Shooting Star at Cincinnati's Coney Island and is the main focal point of Coney Mall. Removing it would be forgetting where Kings Island came from.

[Browntggrr]

I'll never understand the obsession with the removal of rides.

Especially good ones......

[RollerNut]

^^Carowinds made the claim that Thunder Road's Ridership went down but the lines didn't back up their claims. Hurler can run one train and still be walk on during the week. In 2006 when I worked at Hurler, we ran two trains nearly everyday and only had walk on lines most days. A few days we only had one train and had walk on.

Thunder Road was the most ridden ride in 2006 despite having short lines and only running one side nearly half the day. GCI didn't rebuild the same sections over and over, they replaced different sections.

Carowinds underestimated how many would be upset over Thunder Road, when they made the announcement the park was selling no March for Thunder Road, afterwards they starting getting some right before the closing day. They are still selling Thunder Road merch last season.

[calakapepe]

People might have been less upset if a coaster removal (2 coasters) was due to a new coaster... but someone thought a water park expansiom was potatoe potahtoe

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[RollerNut]

I would have rather seen Thunder Road combined into one track as a RMC topper track.....

Carowinds would have surpassed The Beast as worlds longest wooden coaster.