2 hours ago, Coasterteam said:

"They slow it down to build suspense!" 

"I hate the slow lift hill! Why does it randomly speed up???"

 

long story short: blocks.

 I understand lift hills do slow down and speed up due to block sections, but is this (only) reason why the first lift slows down all the time? I thought it was primarily to build suspense and anticipation...

23 minutes ago, MDMC01 said:

 I understand lift hills do slow down and speed up due to block sections, but is this (only) reason why the first lift slows down all the time? I thought it was primarily to build suspense and anticipation...

to answer your first question, yes, that is why the lift is slow as it gives the train ahead time to pass the second lift instead of dead-stopping the train on the first lift until the block ahead clears.

You could say it builds suspense? /shrug

Strictly for the blocking.  If for some reason there is a delay in the station due to getting someone on/off the ride and the train ahead has already passed the second lift, then the 1st hill goes up at the normal "faster" speed.

Sit in the left hand seat near the beginning of the train and watch the 2nd lift hill.  As soon as the train ahead of you is completely off the chain and the last car passes the 2nd camera you will speed up on the first hill.  So that spot of speeding up is basically dictated on the dispatch time of the train in the station.  A slower dispatch time and you start going faster sooner.  A faster dispatch and you will go slower longer.

In recent past it would go normal speed and then slow down at the top of the first hill if it needed to for blocking purposes, but the reprogramming this year changed it to our current 

 

Its also to save wear and tear on the lift system.  Having to stop and start constantly with a multi-ton chain does a number on the chain and motor. 

Ok. I actually did not know that blocking was the only reason the lift slows (I literally thought it was for anticipation purposes first and blocking second* lol). Thanks for the info!

And though I have seen a train on the second lift (or going down the second big drop) while ascending the first, I didn't pay much attention to the timing; I'll do so next time I ride.

*I have been stopped on the lift before, so I knew it had something to do with blocking, just didn't know it was the only reason...

1 hour ago, silver2005 said:

Its also to save wear and tear on the lift system.  Having to stop and start constantly with a multi-ton chain does a number on the chain and motor. 

Beasts lift hill chains don't actually fully stop ever during normal operation; they slow down drastically when no trains are on it. (see KIs recent video on Beasts lift hill chain video)

Easier to keep the chain moving than to fully restart it (stationary objects have static friction; while objects in motion have kinetic friction (static >[greater than] kinetic)

^That's what I just said in the quote, you just reframed it.  

And pre-retrack, it did stop often on the first lift to wait for the block to clear. 

3 minutes ago, silver2005 said:

^That's what I just said in the quote, you just reframed it.  

And pre-retrack, it did stop often on the first lift to wait for the block to clear. 

Ah silly me, apologies for that.

I wouldn't mind stopping at the top, enjoy the view for a little bit longer

(as long as we're just waiting on the train to clear the second lift..., though an evac would be cool to walk down the steps; especially on the second lift)

9 hours ago, Taylor.B03 said:

Has anyone ever been on The Beast and have not heard anyone talk about the slow lift hill? I am convinced that it is impossible to not hear someone say something about it.

Yeah it is pretty much every time, but honestly its understandable. The average rider doesn't know about blocks and most coasters at the park don't do the same thing.

As far as stopping at the top vs the slow climb, it seems like the slow climb also has the benefit of timing the trains to pass each other.

On 8/1/2022 at 9:19 PM, MDMC01 said:

Ok. I actually did not know that blocking was the only reason the lift slows (I literally thought it was for anticipation purposes first and blocking second* lol). Thanks for the info!

And though I have seen a train on the second lift (or going down the second big drop) while ascending the first, I didn't pay much attention to the timing; I'll do so next time I ride.

*I have been stopped on the lift before, so I knew it had something to do with blocking, just didn't know it was the only reason...

With two train operation today, the train is going up the lift hill at one speed and no slow mode since the previous train is well off the 2nd lift.

1 hour ago, disco2000 said:

With two train operation today, the train is going up the lift hill at one speed and no slow mode since the previous train is well off the 2nd lift.

Two train operations on The Beast is awful. Luckily lines aren’t long today.

^yes it is!  Banshee is holding its own with two trains.  Rarely has line been starting down steps. 

Standing in the Racer station. The people next to us were having a conversation. One person asked the other if this is the ride that used to go backwards? The other person said no No that was Gemini at Cedar Point. 

1 hour ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

Standing in The Racer station. The people next to us were having a conversation. One person asked the other if this is the ride that used to go backwards? The other person said no No that was Gemini at Cedar Point. 

It hasn't been that long has it? Last time I rode the backwards train was '06. I guess that is 16 years now... *withers*

After my ride on Orion, we are sitting on the break run. The man next to me wanted B&M trains put on Millie because the seats were so much more comfortable and accommodating.

I think that is a valid reason, but still worth sharing.

Not something a guest said, but last night in Rivertown I scared someone who was sitting in a corner eating beans straight from a can. No idea how they even got that in, or how they opened it.  It totally caught me off guard! 

On 6/28/2022 at 4:52 PM, KIEagle33 said:

Apparently Adventure Express is gone according to one guest.

I have heard multiple people say that! So interesting....

20 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

I have heard multiple people say that! So interesting....

The funny part is we were in line for Adventure Express when they said it! 

Diamondback is actually bigger than Orion according to some teenagers in line for Diamondback.

Fact checked Kings Island, you've been played.

^If going by track length, according to KI's page, Orion is only about 40 ft longer than Diamondback. 

19 hours ago, silver2005 said:

^If going by track length, according to KI's page, Orion is only about 40 ft longer than Diamondback. 

See I always get corrected when I say Diamondback is longer than Orion but I'm talking about ride time...not track length. 

Standing in line for The Bat, someone going on about how The Vortex was sinking and was too expensive to fix...

Does anyone know wether there was any incident or indication once upon a time that caused this to be a rumor?

Last weekend at WinterFest we were by the Rivertown Larosa's. Another family was looking over at DB 's splashdown and a man in the group said that is Mystic Timbers. @electricsunand I looked at each other, looked back to make sure they were looking at DB, and we were not confused. Yep, they were looking at DB. 

So according to one guest Flight of Fear was formerly Tomb Raider and his wife corrected him that Tomb Raider was actually at Universal....

2 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

So according to one guest Flight of Fear was formerly Tomb Raider and his wife corrected him that Tomb Raider was actually at Universal....

Did you tell them both that Tomb Raider was actually a game on the Sega Genesis?

Apparently someone in the Diamondback queue says that you don't have time to enjoy the 200 ft view on Valravn.

So someone in line for The Beast today asked if I had heard about the new HUSS Enterprise opening in Adventure Port called Sol Spin. He further informed me that the park had one once upon a time that was located in the area by Vortex now occupied by shake rattle and roll....

If only the Sol Spin was a HUSS Enterprise....for some reason I prefer the minimal restraints and the "cage" feel on a true enterprise (HUSS or Schwarzkopf) vs the modern equivalent. 

4 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

So someone in line for The Beast today asked if I had heard about the new HUSS Enterprise opening in Adventure Port called Sol Spin. He further informed me that the park had one once upon a time that was located in the area by Vortex now occupied by shake rattle and roll....

If only the Sol Spin was a HUSS Enterprise....for some reason I prefer the minimal restraints and the "cage" feel on a true enterprise (HUSS or Schwarzkopf) vs the modern equivalent. 

Should have told them to listen to the latest KIC podcast. I woukd have fixed that story for them.

 

So I was sitting on the final brake run on Orion. The third train rolled up to the brake run. A teenage girl on my train starts giving introductions to another girl on the third train. They found out each other's names. Still not why they even started a conversation while on 2 different trains in the brake run?

“You’re not her boyfriend, you’re her uncle.” 
 

Heard a grown woman say this to a child yesterday. No context. No explanation.

Glad to be back in the park! 

Overheard some people this morning looking at The Vortex plot of land and trying to claim last week Vortex was still standing LOL.