The Beast Retrack Work Reviews

[Coasterteam]

Beast is having an identity crisis today. 

[Orion742]

1 hour ago, Coasterteam said:

Beast is having an identity crisis today. 

Was it like that yesterday? Maybe it used to be a front of one of the trains 

[silver2005]

Holy crap its wanting to become Son of Beast.  SOB had a similar yellow and red alternate paint scheme on the front of the original trains.

[Coasterteam]

2 hours ago, Orion742 said:

Was it like that yesterday? Maybe it used to be a front of one of the trains 

Not sure, wasn’t here yesterday

[Snowball]

Finally got to ride it yesterday! I got in line for it around 6 or 7, waited about 20 minutes, and then it went down. Ended up leaving the line after about another 20 minutes and rode some other stuff. Got back in line at around 9:00 and it went down again after waiting for a bit. I was 2 trains away from riding at this point so I waited it out. Ended up riding at around 9:50. Anyway, its SO much better!

The helix is absolutely incredible now, as is the rest of the ride as well. The only thing I didn’t like is stopping 10+ times in the station as the train parked. I don’t recall it doing that before?

Also, for the first time ever, I got off of The Beast without being in pain!

[New Horizons]

The only thing I didn’t like is stopping 10+ times in the station as the train parked. I don’t recall it doing that before?
Also, for the first time ever, I got off of The Beast without being in pain!

Yeah it definitely seems like beast got a new control system during this refurbishment. The restraints all lock in a different pattern and the train takes forever to park . I hope they figure out a way to make it Park quickly because KI does a great job operations wise and it would be a shame to add an extra 30 seconds every cycle because of the slow parking .

That being said beast is definitely incredible!


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[DoomPlague]

3 hours ago, New Horizons said:

 

 

Yeah it definitely seems like beast got a new control system during this refurbishment. The restraints all lock in a different pattern and the train takes forever to park . I hope they figure out a way to make it Park quickly because KI does a great job operations wise and it would be a shame to add an extra 30 seconds every cycle because of the slow parking .

That being said beast is definitely incredible!


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It will be curious to see if this improves during the season. I'm more concerned about the rides speed or lack thereof in my two rides.

Also, are all of the rides trims now magnetic or are there still some friction ones? I want to get a ride after a heavy rain and see what difference it makes.

[PKIVortex]

Um all of the trims have been magnetic since they got rid of the skids.

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[shadowscare]

Woke up this morning to rain, and saw it would be ending around 9:00/9:30. PERFECT DAY FOR KI! Place was a ghost town for the first several hours. Anyway... onto The Beast.

A couple years ago I swore off ever riding it again. Incredibly rough, and frankly, outside of the first drop/turn and helix near the end, a pretty dull layout. The next year I tried it again, since my youngest two kids were now tall enough. I'll never forget my then 7 year old daughter shouting out mid ride, "WHY. DOES. IT. HURT. SO. BAD?!" Couldn't agree more. Haven't rode it since.

After a retrack, I had to give it a try. Wow, what a difference. Silky smooth? I wouldn't go that far but it's the perfect amount of smooth and slight jostle that I love on wooden coasters, if that makes sense. I was no longer bracing myself, and no longer in pain. For once I could just enjoy the ride. We got off, kids giggling with glee, and went right back on again for our second walk on wait. I still don't understand all the hype, I still believe it needs a reprofile, the trims throughout are still disappointing, and it's not even in my top 5 at the park. But, I will say this... it was a fun ride. Saying that is a first for me. Got a third ride in later in the day, so we rode back, middle, and towards the front, and even in a wheel seat. It felt the same regardless. I look forward to the late closings to try this again at night.

While I scratch my head at why some hold this ride in such high regard, I will say this: that double helix is so unique. The slight, sideways drop that builds anticipation into that tunnel... makes it look like there's no way the train can make that turn. What a moment.
 

[DoomPlague]

21 minutes ago, shadowscare said:

Woke up this morning to rain, and saw it would be ending around 9:00/9:30. PERFECT DAY FOR KI! Place was a ghost town for the first several hours. Anyway... onto The Beast.

A couple years ago I swore off ever riding it again. Incredibly rough, and frankly, outside of the first drop/turn and helix near the end, a pretty dull layout. The next year I tried it again, since my youngest two kids were now tall enough. I'll never forget my then 7 year old daughter shouting out mid ride, "WHY. DOES. IT. HURT. SO. BAD?!" Couldn't agree more. Haven't rode it since.

After a retrack, I had to give it a try. Wow, what a difference. Silky smooth? I wouldn't go that far but it's the perfect amount of smooth and slight jostle that I love on wooden coasters, if that makes sense. I was no longer bracing myself, and no longer in pain. For once I could just enjoy the ride. We got off, kids giggling with glee, and went right back on again for our second walk on wait. I still don't understand all the hype, I still believe it needs a reprofile, the trims throughout are still disappointing, and it's not even in my top 5 at the park. But, I will say this... it was a fun ride. Saying that is a first for me. Got a third ride in later in the day, so we rode back, middle, and towards the front, and even in a wheel seat. It felt the same regardless. I look forward to the late closings to try this again at night.

While I scratch my head at why some hold this ride in such high regard, I will say this: that double helix is so unique. The slight, sideways drop that builds anticipation into that tunnel... makes it look like there's no way the train can make that turn. What a moment.
 

Your feelings on the ride are so close to what I saw about it that I had to doublecheck that I didn't write this (and your name is kind of similar to mine). This is all pretty much exactly how I feel about the ride, except I was able to bear the roughness over the years by avoiding rough seats. That awkward, sideways, drawn-out drop into the helix is something I've always liked.

[Coasterteam]

1 hour ago, shadowscare said:

I still don't understand all the hype, I still believe it needs a reprofile, the trims throughout are still disappointing, and it's not even in my top 5 at the park. But, I will say this... it was a fun ride. Saying that is a first for me.

while most make the argument that the trims are there as a way to "preserve the ride", they aren't wrong, but that's not the entire reason too

without trims it's apparently incredibly intense in the area after the midcourse, both for the rider and the ride itself. The structure simply can't handle it very well, given it was designed with the idea the train would be going slower, so if we want any hope of seeing some of the trims removed/reduced, we'd have to see a lot of the structure redone (like what happened with the helix) and the post-midcourse shed to second lift reprofiled as well for the higher speeds. Unless KI is willing to invest that much money in the ride to removing the things keeping it here long-term, we're gonna see those trims keep hitting. My guess is the Sunday incident (may 8th) was a fluke by maintenance, which was corrected before the next operating day.

as much as I would LOVE to see the trims removed or reduced in some fashion, I don't think it's going to happen for the remaining life of the ride. (can see this past offseason work giving the ride another 10-20 years) (we may even see GG come back a few years down the road to redo the rest of the helix)

that's my view on it at least; long live The Beast

[KI Guy]

19 hours ago, Coasterteam said:

as much as I would LOVE to see the trims removed or reduced in some fashion, I don't think it's going to happen for the remaining life of the ride. (can see this past offseason work giving the ride another 10-20 years) (we may even see GG come back a few years down the road to redo the rest of the helix)

Unlike steel coasters wooden coasters have indefinite lifespans for as long as they're cared for and popular. One hundred years or more for The Beast are possible.

The only way I could ever see the brakes being lessened is if they were to buy a set of Millennium Flyers trains for it which once retrofitted properly are easier on wooden track.

[DeltaFlyer]

The speed at which the trains park in the station is comically slow. It makes me laugh every time. 

[Coasterteam]

1 hour ago, DeltaFlyer said:

The speed at which the trains park in the station is comically slow. It makes me laugh every time. 

The ride ops on Friday and Saturday were mocking the train basically. My favorite quote from one of the operators I heard was "I'm walking backwards slowly and I'm STILL winning!"

[robt]

Tried to ride early today (Monday) but it was closed. Lame!

[brenthodge]

7 hours ago, robt said:

Tried to ride early today (Monday) but it was closed. Lame!

It got up and running by about 12 or so. 

[Shawn Meyer]

I rode The Beast last weekend during coaster stock and I'm loving it! The reviews for The Beast are right on in my opinion. Many people were claiming from the first weekend that the ride skimmed over the trims making it seem barely noticeable. I would have to agree with that. The first drop I barely felt the trims. The new turn that they rebuilt makes it feel like I'm on a new wooden roller coaster. I didn't feel the trims until that long straightaway; feels like normal in that area. The little hill before the concrete tunnel is just as smooth as the drop and the new turn that was rebuilt. Now fast forward to the second lift hill and helix. Ohh man....I normally brace myself for the helix because of past years, but I didn't really need to. I still did anyway because I'm used to it. Going through the tunnel in the helix felt like the turn after the first drop. Absolutely smooth! There's a little bounce going through the helix, but not rough at all by any means. I guess that's to be expected because The Beast picks up a lot of speed going through the helix. It doesn't even bother me that the trims were applied on the second lift hill. If they weren't there, I'd be more worried about the train derailing. Overall, I give Gravity group an A+ for their work on The Beast in the off-season. It was well worth the investment and the extra month needed to reopen it.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Yesterday I counted the number of stops as we came into the station. 10 times before the final stop. I sure would like to understand the reasoning for that.

[Orion742]

41 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Yesterday I counted the number of stops as we came into the station. 10 times before the final stop. I sure would like to understand the reasoning for that.

I agree, did you get thrown back and fourth going into the station?

[disco2000]

I have counted as few as 9 and as many as 15 stops coming into the station.  The most jerky part of the whole ride lol.

[NegativeGs]

The Beast is again my favorite KI ride:

1. Near butter-smooth track
2. Insane helix speed
3. Fun and informative ride operators
4. Deafening pre-teen screams
5. Front-row-night-ride awesomeness

Trim brakes need taming though - just saying.

[FUN&ONLY!]

10 hours ago, disco2000 said:

I have counted as few as 9 and as many as 15 stops coming into the station.  The most jerky part of the whole ride lol.

It is interesting that the amount of stops varies each cycle. I assume it depends on the amount of people in the train which affects the train’s weight. For example, while it never stops, a train on Mystic Timbers comes into the station much slower when the train is emptier. It is still a million times faster than The Beast’s entry into the station, though.

Last year, while in The Beast’s station, I heard someone comment that The Beast’s brakes needed to be re-programmed in the station because it stopped about 3 times before parking in the right spot. I agreed with the comment as I thought it was bad for the ride to be stopping at all before parking in the right spot. Fast forward to this year, and the problem is worse than I could ever imagine

I don’t understand how The Racer, a ride older than The Beast, manages to have trains park in the station instantly compared to The Beast. While the work Kings Island did with The Beast was overall positive, the new control system by Irvine Ondrey Engineering is really bad. Not only is the ride more unreliable now than ever but also it’s capacity is hurt with the poor station programming. The restraint programming is a nice change, though, and the system is probably a lot more streamlined. I just wish that the station programming wasn’t so bad. Hopefully, Kings Island addresses the issue it soon.

[Rivertown Rider]

I finally got to ride it yesterday and in the places where it was re-tracked it is running the best it has in years.  The double helix which was my favorite part back in the day and had become pretty uncomfortable for me over the last several years it back to its greatness again.  I was in a wheel seat but look forward to riding it in a non-wheel seat.  I definitely give the park a lot of credit for investing the money in re-tracking this and Racer over the last few years.  They are both must-do rides again and that is saying something for the two oldest "big kid" coasters (not counting Woodstock Express) in the park.  As I write this I am kind of surprised that the third oldest "big kid" coaster is AE.  

[DoomPlague]

1 hour ago, Rivertown Rider said:

I finally got to ride it yesterday and in the places where it was re-tracked it is running the best it has in years.  The double helix which was my favorite part back in the day and had become pretty uncomfortable for me over the last several years it back to its greatness again.  I was in a wheel seat but look forward to riding it in a non-wheel seat.  I definitely give the park a lot of credit for investing the money in re-tracking this and Racer over the last few years.  They are both must-do rides again and that is saying something for the two oldest "big kid" coasters (not counting Woodstock Express) in the park.  As I write this I am kind of surprised that the third oldest "big kid" coaster is AE.  

Every coaster built in the 80s is gone, sadly.

[FoolCrzy]

Got my first ride this morning. Second row was smooth as butter. Slightly disappointed with the trims, but overall it was fantastic.  The helix feels slightly less insane, but the speed and smoothness are awesome.

Edited May 31, 2022 by FoolCrzy
grammar

[NegativeGs]

On 5/30/2022 at 2:19 AM, FUN&ONLY! said:

It is interesting that the amount of stops varies each cycle. I assume it depends on the amount of people in the train which affects the train’s weight. For example, while it never stops, a train on Mystic Timbers comes into the station much slower when the train is emptier. It is still a million times faster than The Beast’s entry into the station, though.

Last year, while in The Beast’s station, I heard someone comment that The Beast’s brakes needed to be re-programmed in the station because it stopped about 3 times before parking in the right spot. I agreed with the comment as I thought it was bad for the ride to be stopping at all before parking in the right spot. Fast forward to this year, and the problem is worse than I could ever imagine

I don’t understand how The Racer, a ride older than The Beast, manages to have trains park in the station instantly compared to The Beast. While the work Kings Island did with The Beast was overall positive, the new control system by Irvine Ondrey Engineering is really bad. Not only is the ride more unreliable now than ever but also it’s capacity is hurt with the poor station programming. The restraint programming is a nice change, though, and the system is probably a lot more streamlined. I just wish that the station programming wasn’t so bad. Hopefully, Kings Island addresses the issue it soon.

My guess/hope is the PLC contractor is still under contract and the station programming is a punch-list item to be addressed soon.

[NegativeGs]

On 5/29/2022 at 4:17 PM, disco2000 said:

I have counted as few as 9 and as many as 15 stops coming into the station.  The most jerky part of the whole ride lol.

I counted 15 stops today. At least passengers and ride ops are amused by the train's hesitant return to the station.

[Sol44]

Finally got my first ride in last night.

Loved the first drop and banked turn out of the tunnel. Felt fast and smooth.

Loathed the trim in the shed. The middle act until the second lift just felt downright slow. Lumbering.

Loved the helix. Good laterals, good speed, enough rowdiness to keep it interesting.

Loathed the dozen+ stop-and-goes entering the station.

Definition of a mixed review. Ha.


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[robt]

Resolving the 10-15 align tries should  have already been addressed . Unacceptable.

[disco2000]

The start/stop into the station is basically resolved.  Still some tweaks but nothing like the 10-15 stops.