KI Blog: The Beast 40 years of terror

[BoddaH1994]

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2019/april/the-beast-40-years-of-terror

Whats interesting is that it took so much planning for The Beast that they basically started working on it not long after the park opened.

Also, I didn’t know they wanted to rebuild the Shooting Star right next to Racer. I wonder where exactly that means. That’s interesting...

[Gordon Bombay]

This photograph is amazing. I knew the exit path once went under the station and out near where KCKC was, but I never realized there was another path under the keelboats. I wonder where it went. 

[flightoffear1996]

It would nice if the park added the lake back while it was feeling all nostalgic  

[TombraiderTy]

1 hour ago, Gordon Bombay said:

[Image]

This photograph is amazing. I knew the exit path once went under the station and out near where KCKC was, but I never realized there was another path under the keelboats. I wonder where it went. 

That's an employee access path, probably to KCKC's pump house (seen at bottom right). You can see the fence between the main path and KCKC continues over top the smaller path, where a guest in white is.

At the end of the main path is the entrance to the old nature trail though - you can see the dirt pathway near the top of the photo.

[TheRickster]

1 hour ago, Gordon Bombay said:

This photograph is amazing. I knew the exit path once went under the station and out near where KCKC was, but I never realized there was another path under the keelboats. I wonder where it went. 

I think it just became the maintenance rd behind TRTR and onto the TRTR access pad.

[fyrfyter]

It would nice if the park added the lake back while it was feeling all nostalgic  

I don’t think they can anymore. Vortex is right near there as well as an access road.

They could always fake it like Disney, where it’s just concrete basins everywhere.

[SonofBaconator]

I feel like man made lakes are a pumber's nightmare.

[jimlaheyscar]

When did they drain the area there?  Seems like I remember the water as a kid but that was long ago.

 

[medford]

I was once told it was because the water was stagnant, stinky and promoted a bunch of bugs.... no idea if that is the truth,  But I'd love to see a water feature (fountain) put back in around the base where all the cables tie in, pump it back to the mill feature on the station to get water flowing there...

[diamondbackfanatic]

9 minutes ago, medford said:

I was once told it was because the water was stagnant, stinky and promoted a bunch of bugs.... no idea if that is the truth,  But I'd love to see a water feature (fountain) put back in around the base where all the cables tie in, pump it back to the mill feature on the station to get water flowing there...

It would be really cool to see the mill feature flowing.  and definitely some kind of water feature in the middle. 

[beastfan11]

4 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

Also, I didn’t know they wanted to rebuild the Shooting Star right next to Racer. I wonder where exactly that means. That’s interesting...

I really, really like this. 

[silver2005]

Wait...that's the lake that the canoes were in, right?  That was man made?

[TombraiderTy]

9 minutes ago, silver2005 said:

Wait...that's the lake that the canoes were in, right?  That was man made?

Yep, all the ponds and lakes at Kings Island were man made. I'd suggest checking out HistoricAerials.com, searching Kings Island, and setting the year to 1964. Before all the coasters and what-not, it was just flat farm land and some splotches of trees.

[silver2005]

^Thanks, I've been looking for photos of that area pre-KI. 

[Pagoda Gift Shop]

On 5/14/2019 at 3:26 PM, jimlaheyscar said:

When did they drain the area there?

Jeff Gramke, one the designers of The Beast, answered this question during the Q&A at Coasterstock last weekend.  The reason was because people used it as a trash can.  Despite the park's best efforts they could not keep it clean, so the decision was made to drain it.

It was not stated how many years the water was there.  Maybe just one (1979)?

[Maddog]

14 hours ago, Pagoda Gift Shop said:

Jeff Gramke, one the designers of The Beast, answered this question during the Q&A at Coasterstock last weekend.  The reason was because people used it as a trash can.  Despite the park's best efforts they could not keep it clean, so the decision was made to drain it.

It was not stated how many years the water was there.  Maybe just one (1979)?

Per KI blog post: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2017/october/the-beast-the-original-biggest-baddest-tallest-fastest-wooden-roller-coaster-in-the-world

 In 1987, the pond over which the station and lift resided was drained for the addition of an accessibility ramp, and the exit was re-routed. 

[Logan]

The next time they do some infrastructure upgrades they should definitely bring back the pond. I think a lot of long-time fans would appreciate it.

[Joshua]

1 hour ago, Logan said:

The next time they do some infrastructure upgrades they should definitely bring back the pond. I think a lot of long-time fans would appreciate it.

I've heard that while the pond looked great when The Beast debuted, it was subsequently filthy as guests were using it as a waste basket. Considering the bracelets, game cards, and as of this year, a shoe (?) gracing the tops of certain structures on both The Beast and Diamondback, it is not hard imagining that being the case.

[befat]

On 5/14/2019 at 12:19 PM, Gordon Bombay said:

This photograph is amazing. I knew the exit path once went under the station and out near where KCKC was, but I never realized there was another path under the keelboats. I wonder where it went. 

 

On 5/14/2019 at 2:07 PM, TheRickster said:

I think it just became the maintenance rd behind TRTR and onto the TRTR access pad.

My guess is it was maintenance road back then too. It looks like the fence line continues across the path as a gate.

[TheRickster]

On 5/26/2019 at 11:13 PM, befat said:

 

My guess is it was maintenance road back then too. It looks like the fence line continues across the path as a gate.

Yup, the building to the right of KCKC in that pic is still there, it's the old pumphouse.