Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

As much crap as Son of Beast gets I am am still going to hate seeing it when I go in a few weeks and not be able to ride it.

^I would just hate seeing it, period.

^ I am just interested because of all the bad rap it gets. I wanna experience it for myself. I have never been on a coaster I have completely hated.

I rode it for the very first time in 2008 and it was at night and I enjoyed it!

As much crap as Son of Beast gets I am am still going to hate seeing it when I go in a few weeks and not be able to ride it.

It's actually really interesting to go, as a non-local. We went for the first time last summer and it's just amazing how you can see this 200-foot ride from all over, yet there's not a single mention of it anywhere. And the line is just blocked off and the entrance sign taken down, so you'd never know how to get to it. It's pretty weird.

^ I am just interested because of all the bad rap it gets. I wanna experience it for myself. I have never been on a coaster I have completely hated.

Find the bumpiest country road you can--preferably with a washboard surface. Then drive over it in, say, an old Willy's Jeep at about 30 miles per hour. You will have experienced Son of Beast.

That being said, I understand where you're coming from.

I think the reason I don't recall any negatives about the ride was because I was just so happy to get to try it out.

It's actually really interesting to go, as a non-local. We went for the first time last summer and it's just amazing how you can see this 200-foot ride from all over, yet there's not a single mention of it anywhere. And the line is just blocked off and the entrance sign taken down, so you'd never know how to get to it. It's pretty weird.

This is such a true statement!! When my wife and I visited Kings Island for the first time the year Diamondback opened, we both commented how weird it was when you walked over to that section of the park and people didn't so much as even look at it. I was enthralled by it to be honest.....I know how bad a reputation it had, but I oddly wanted to ride it anyway. It's just funny having a 200-foot ride sitting there as an afterthought, when many parks would long for something of that stature. I'd be pretty surprised if the park didn't cut its losses and demolish it. I'm sure Rocky Mountain could do wonders to it, but it'd probably carry a hefty price tag.....one probably higher than what the park would be willing to shell out.

^Yeah, at this point I think they know what their possible alternatives are, and the general prices of them. The question isn't so much the alternative so much as it is the ability for any alternative they choose to overcome the reputation this ride has (for "killing some lady" and all that jazz) and provide a return on investment.

It just seems like such a waste to continue to let it sit there and rot away. I understand taking it out costs a ton of money, but how much has the thing already been written off or depreciated by now?

Are all of the lawsuits finally settled?

is fast lane worth it? (i really hate lines especially since i dont got no friends to go to amusement parks with) so will this help cut down on lines

I highly recommend it!! Any sort of fast lane/qbot/exit pass/vip tour has always seemed a totally great value for the time saved. Lines suck when you are alone in a park. Well...to be honest, they suck regardless; but a good group of friends makes the wait much more tolerable.

I'm sure Rocky Mountain could do wonders to it, but it'd probably carry a hefty price tag.....one probably higher than what the park would be willing to shell out.

True, I'm sure Rocky Mountain could do wonders, but what's the point? So could Intamin.....after several weeks of bulldozing leveled the land for 'em.

At least then I'd be enticed to return there.

Son Of Beast was horrible. Bad layout, rough as hell, extremely painful, especially in the wheel seats. The loop was actually fun, but once you were through it, you were right back to the suffering.

There is ZERO reason for them to fix this crap pile. Tearing it down and replacing it with a churro cart would be a major improvement. Trust me, you are missing nothing by not riding it. Except pain.

dt

^ When I rode SOB in 2008 I didn't feel any pain. I found the layout kinda boring, but I never know what pain people are talking about.

I remember the first time I rode SOB. I remember getting off that ride and really being beat up. early SOB was more bumpy/ruff than the later years from what I experienced. The lighter trains they added I think in 2006 made it less bumpy etc. I do miss this ride and the memories,however, that damn ride was nothing but trouble. Heard that they have spent nearly $30 million on this pile of wood so far. Would love to ride it again but from a from a business standpoint I don't think we will see the day!

is fast lane worth it? (i really hate lines especially since i dont got no friends to go to amusement parks with) so will this help cut down on lines

 

I highly recommend it!! Any sort of fast lane/qbot/exit pass/vip tour has always seemed a totally great value for the time saved. Lines suck when you are alone in a park. Well...to be honest, they suck regardless; but a good group of friends makes the wait much more tolerable.

how does the fast lane work on firehawk since the line is kinda weird there

^ I am just interested because of all the bad rap it gets. I wanna experience it for myself. I have never been on a coaster I have completely hated.

 

Find the bumpiest country road you can--preferably with a washboard surface. Then drive over it in, say, an old Willy's GP at about 30 miles per hour. You will have experienced Son of Beast.

 

That being said, I understand where you're coming from.

Or just take a few laps on hurler(preferably on the right side) without getting off.

^ I am just interested because of all the bad rap it gets. I wanna experience it for myself. I have never been on a coaster I have completely hated.

 

Find the bumpiest country road you can--preferably with a washboard surface. Then drive over it in, say, an old Willy's GP at about 30 miles per hour. You will have experienced Son of Beast.

 

That being said, I understand where you're coming from.

 

Or just take a few laps on hurler(preferably on the right side) without getting off.

I actually really like the Hurler they have at Kings Dominion. I never feel pain.

^Yeah, I can't say that I "like" it but it certainly doesn't hurt. It's just boring and I would never wish that layout upon any park in existence! Granted, this is the Kings Island thread...hey SoB.

With Kings Island being my home park I just have to say this!

In 2011, Cedar Fair Partnered with Guinness Book of World Records and set all different records throughout the different parks. Well, I think in 2012, Kings Island should partner with them again to have the World's Largest Bonfire!

I've had good and bad experiences on Son of Beast. However, the bad has outweighed the good. When I worked at the park, I saw a few different "contractors" scaling the ride and checking it out. I just wish they'd announce something and plan for something else!

If you haven't seen the most recent incident report check it out: Son of Beast Incident Report 2009

Just found this on Screamscape. Hope it is not true:

There is a very interesting post over at KICentral this week where one of the readers claims to have bumped into Matt Ouimet during a visit to Kings Island. During the very chat, he explains that Ouimet mentioned that they would have to add something new to Kings Island in the future to replace Son of Beast, because they didn’t feel there was anything reasonable that could be done to fix it.

That said… it sounds like Son of Beast is done for and we can likely expect to see it taken down by the end of the year, as I’m sure the park is tired of dealing with all the guest questions about it. I can only assume they’ll use the site for the park’s next big coaster when they are ready.

While I know many were hoping to see another Texas Giant style transformation done to Son of Beast as well as Mean Streak at Cedar Point, I’ve long had a feeling that Son of Beast may have been beyond hope. Mean Streak, much like Texas Giant, still has a solid structure to rebuild a new ride experience upon. Meanwhile one of the big issues with Son of Beast all along has been complaints about it’s wooden structure. This goes back to 2000, when the ride was just built and Kings Island filed a lawsuit against Roller Coaster Co. of Ohio, Wooden Structures Inc, and Universal Forest Products with claims that ride has insufficient support structures, that Universal Forest delivered subgrade lumber for the coaster along with various other defects. According to the Paramount Park’s lawsuit, Paramount “contends that the companies engaged in negligence, malpractice and breach of contract.”

Son of Beast has been a problem child since construction started on the massive ride, and my gut feeling is that Ouimet’s words true… Kings Island would spend far more trying to fix and rebuild this ride than it would cost to build an iron horse style coaster system from scratch. I think it’s time to let this one go…

Although I never had the 'privilege' of riding SoB, I hope that this is true. The whole thing is taking up some valuable real estate that could be used for a new star attraction, or maybe just a bunch of flat rides, or anything really. Anything is better than it sitting there and rotting away.

I've wanted it to return as a Rocky Mountain, but that would cost a lot of money. But, it would've been a better investment, in my opinion, than spending $10 million on just converting the water park into a corporate water park and adding no new slides.

Although I never had the 'privilege' of riding SoB, I hope that this is true. The whole thing is taking up some valuable real estate that could be used for a new star attraction, or maybe just a bunch of flat rides, or anything really. Anything is better than it sitting there and rotting away.

I agree. I have never even been to this park (that will change however in less than 3 weeks) but I know how it feels to go to a park and have a ride just sitting there (I live close to Knoebels and they have yet to open Flying Turns). I feel like if that story per Screamscape is true than why did they accept subgrade wood? Isn't this stuff (as in materials) inspected before its built once it arrives to the build site? Also, if it has insufficient supports shouldn't they have caught that in designing/building it? I guess to me these things just make sense to check in my opinion. I get sad when I see things like this. Now I know it cost a lot to tear down a coaster - especially one this big. But really come on a decision needs to be made - either "try" to fix it or get rid of it. I would hate to be the guest relations people who probably get questions about it EVERYDAY the park is open.

I've wanted it to return as a Rocky Mountain

That was my hope. I never rode it so that would be the best option. Think of all that speed...airtime and such?