Comments on: A new beast

A new beast

cashman — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:26:51 -0800

Roller coaster enthusiasts, stop your grinnin and drop your linen. Cincinnati's Kings Island has unveiled Diamondback. A 5,282 foot steel maniac with open air seating whipping at speeds up to 80 mph over 10 acres. Careen down 10 vertical drops including the first one at a 74 degree angle from 215 feet. With two helixes and at over 3 minutes long it might remind you of something. The videos are momentarily buggy, but the ride splashes down in 8 months.

By: everichon

everichon — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:30:57 -0800

Hoo yes.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:36:06 -0800

Holy crap. Literally. I think I just made an uh oh in my pants just looking at that thing.

By: evilangela

evilangela — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:41:56 -0800

This reminds me that I need to make a trip back to the midwest next year to go spend a couple days at Cedar Point. I never did make it on the Millennium Force.

By: painquale

painquale — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:42:36 -0800

Look at the seats. There's nothing to hold on to! Jeez, that would be scary.

By: plaidrabbit

plaidrabbit — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:44:24 -0800

Oh man, way to bring back some long lost memories of summer trips to that park. :) Son of Beast was not only the biggest rip-off ever, but actually injured my knees when I rode it the first time - only because they needed a sign that said "You must be under this height to ride Son of Beast." I need to look around that site and make sure the Vortex isn't gone...

By: GeekAnimator

GeekAnimator — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:45:56 -0800

I spent two summers selling tickets at King's Island a decade or so ago during my summers home from college. Man, I miss that place. I may have to revisit it the next time I get guilt-tripped into flying home.

By: supermedusa

supermedusa — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:48:44 -0800

hmmm...a reason to visit Cincinnati!

By: Camofrog

Camofrog — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:50:47 -0800

From that front-seat vid it looks like that thing has tons of air time. Plus it's a B&M coaster, so it'll likely be supersmooth as well. Nice to see KI getting back into the coaster-building!

By: not sure this is a good idea

not sure this is a good idea — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:52:12 -0800

how can a vertical drop be at 74 degrees?!

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:55:45 -0800

It's 74° from the vertical. Along the z-axis. Eh, roller coasters have lost their allure since I started motorcycling. Why wait in line for hours when you can just hop on your bike and find roads like this? [warning, actual roads near you may suck lots more if you live somewhere like Nebraska]

By: thanotopsis

thanotopsis — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:59:43 -0800

Wow, let's just hope Mr. Brady doesn't lose his architecture blueprints and the kids have to run through the park and get them to him in time for his meeting!!! [Yea, that was King's Island]

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:10:31 -0800

Wow, let's just hope Mr. Brady doesn't lose his architecture blueprints and the kids have to run through the park and get them to him in time for his meeting!!! Huh?

By: box

box — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:13:28 -0800

I just hope the Banana Splits don't show up.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:15:39 -0800

Holy shit, stadium seating on a roller coaster? What a great idea. Seriously, you wonder why no one did it before...

By: davejay

davejay — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:15:47 -0800

Huh? Brady Bunch episode.

By: billysumday

billysumday — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:16:15 -0800

Cedar Point >>> King's Island, even with their fancy new ride.

By: GeekAnimator

GeekAnimator — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:16:34 -0800

Huh? Here ya go.

By: clearly

clearly — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:23:56 -0800

Why does Ohio have the best amusement parks? I'm thinking that it is a chance to one up Michigan in something other than college football.

By: Roman Graves

Roman Graves — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:27:44 -0800

Man oh man, I can't wait to head home to the region for a visit. This looks like a pant-shitting good time. Son of Beast was not only the biggest rip-off ever, but actually injured my knees when I rode it the first time I don't fuck with Son of Beast or the original. I'm all for the romance of wooden coasters, but I'm pretty sure those two bruised some of my internal organs. Vortex, on the other hand, was one of the great loves of my life.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:29:10 -0800

Why does Ohio have the best amusement parks? Florida would like to disagree with you, but Ohio is centrally located among large population centers, making it a perfect destination for small-ish road trips, but lacks natural tourist destinations, like a seashore with great weather.

By: StickyCarpet

StickyCarpet — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:30:00 -0800

The first with "stadium seeting?" But I was hoping to actually, like, ride on it.

By: d13t_p3ps1

d13t_p3ps1 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:30:49 -0800

I am getting that bored waiting-in-a-4-hour-line feeling right as i type this. It does look amazing though.

By: GeekAnimator

GeekAnimator — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:37:20 -0800

I don't think we get nearly enough use from the lordhavemercy tag.

By: invitapriore

invitapriore — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:39:11 -0800

The videos are also on youtube, if anyone's interested.

By: Daddy-O

Daddy-O — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:45:39 -0800

I would loved to have ridden on this when I was younger and not so decrepit. Now I'm beat up too much already without it. And I agree with the experiences expressed above about wooden coasters. The worst (aka best) ones have the same outcome as taking a ride in a tumble dryer. I'll take the thrill, but please hold the beatdown. And motorcycles are great until you t-bone some left-turning idiot who didn't see you coming from the opposite direction. I sold mine because I couldn't relax and enjoy it, even out in the country. I'm not being preachy though; you go on ahead and enjoy it. I envy you.

By: Saxon Kane

Saxon Kane — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:48:06 -0800

Ride the world's most terrifying roller-coster! THE DEVASTATOR! A HEART-STOPPING 200 mile per hour, 15-story drop! SPINE-CRACKING 90 degree turn! And the final plunge -- TWO WHOLE MINUTES UNDER WATER! The Devastator -- It's SOUL-SHATTERING! Only at Thrill World "I ain't afraid of no rollie-coaster!"

By: Powerful Religious Baby

Powerful Religious Baby — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:51:15 -0800

Cincinnati, man. That town wants to kill you so much, with cancer rivers, cat-food chili, racism, French-pot ice cream, leukemia dust on your baseball diamonds, Catholic churches, fucking hills, pig statues, and murderous rollercoasters. What a place!

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:52:03 -0800

So, basically, it's almost as good as Millenium Force, huh? (which I only found because it's better than my local hero, Goliath.)

By: Dormant Gorilla

Dormant Gorilla — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:54:20 -0800

Ok, I'm going to get slammed for being stupid here, but I've looked at those seating pictures and for the life of me I can't figure out what holds you in. It looks like just a bar that goes between your legs down to the floor. What am I missing here?

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:57:14 -0800

Passengers are held in place by the sheer force of awesome.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:01:13 -0800

What am I missing here? Gravity and centrifugal force. The coaster appears to have neither loops nor super-sharp turns. You'll be pretty much pinned to the seat, with the lap bar all that's needed to hold you down at the top of the peaks where you get a little negative G.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:02:45 -0800

~thanks the heavens he lives within a half-day drive to both Cedar Point and KI This new coaster looks like a ton of fun. Here's hoping they don't end-up neutering it like they did Son o Beast. And, yeah, CP still has it all over KI in terms of coaster mega-tonnage. Still, a trip to KI is worth it just to keep riding The Beast all day. I never tire of that great old ride.

By: Arturus

Arturus — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:03:19 -0800

The restraint mechanism looks exactly like the one that Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamburg uses, so I'm not sure what's so new about the seating this one has. The seats themselves are a bit more spaced out? I guess that gives a bit more of an unattached feel.

By: GeekAnimator

GeekAnimator — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:04:24 -0800

cat-food chili You un-type that right this instant!

By: rtboo

rtboo — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:07:40 -0800

Road trip anyone? :-)

By: Arturus

Arturus — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:12:40 -0800

It looks like just a bar that goes between your legs down to the floor. What am I missing here? The way it's set up, it basically clamps down on your upper thighs and waist. That plus no inversions, as CPB observed, means that you're not going anywhere.

By: wanderingmind

wanderingmind — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:21:01 -0800

Any bets on how long it'll be before someone replicates it?

By: Powerful Religious Baby

Powerful Religious Baby — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:21:08 -0800

cat-food chili You un-type that right this instant! Hear my miaow; I never said I didn't eat it! Yet you cannot deny that it is aesthetically repellent. My favorite is the meat-cheese-water that's left on the plate after you finish your noodles. Mmmm, meat-cheese-water.

By: ten pounds of inedita

ten pounds of inedita — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:30:26 -0800

Watched the simulated POV video. Not just no, not just hell no, but fuck no.

By: Ugh

Ugh — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:51:56 -0800

Road trip anyone? :-)

Now that's a Mefi Meetup you'll actually get me to.

By: Mick

Mick — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:06:37 -0800

I can see the park from my front door, and hear the screams as I lay awake at night. (the screams are not coming from the park)

By: hojoki

hojoki — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:14:44 -0800

They're coming from inside the house. Get out, now!

By: krakedhalo

krakedhalo — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:22:46 -0800

Ok this looks spectacular. No worries plaidrabbit, the Vortex is still there. It can't be a new Beast though. Nothing beats the Beast, which will be 30 years old next year btw. I was down at King's Island last week with a group of kids, and we got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Beast with the guy who designed and built it. He had no experience, had never thought of being a rollercoaster designer before, and has never designed one since. He said there's no way he'd ever do so well again, so why try to top it?

By: quin

quin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:26:12 -0800

See? I warned you! Nobody ever listens until it's too late, and now we have this nightmare monstrosity to deal with. This is exactly what happens when you give people unfettered access to Roller Coaster Tycoon.

By: djeo

djeo — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:42:05 -0800

Oh hell yes. I've been meaning to do a roller-coaster vacation for some time now. I skipped Kings Island the last time I was in Ohio in favor of Cedar Point but I think the next time I'm there I'll do both parks. I guess I've got some planning to do.

By: turgid dahlia

turgid dahlia — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:40:49 -0800

5,282...80...10...10...74...215...two...3...8... THAT'S NUMBERWANG!

By: zardoz

zardoz — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:07:36 -0800

After riding the Dodonpa here in Japan, a standard coaster like this looks almost quaint. I'd love to ride this thing, it looks super smooth. The Dodonpa is one of those initial acceleration rides, and goes from 0 to 106 m.p.h. in 1.8 seconds. It's been two years or so, but part of my mind and sanity is still along that part of the track.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:20:47 -0800

Holy shit, stadium seating on a roller coaster? What a great idea. Seriously, you wonder why no one did it before.. Someone has. Basically the same coaster, but we had it first. No splash ending, though. I'm going next week yippee!

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:23:08 -0800

...oh, that Millenium Force.. fuck. Yeah. Gimme. I wanna go.

By: XMLicious

XMLicious — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:54:16 -0800

Roller coaster enthusiasts, stop your grinnin and drop your linen. Did anyone else think this was going to be a post about a nudist roller coaster? Now that would be scary.

By: Roman Graves

Roman Graves — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:58:14 -0800

Basically the same coaster, but we had it first. On the flip side though, you're Canadian.

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:51:13 -0800

Still, a trip to KI is worth it just to keep riding The Beast all day. I never tire of that great old ride. Agreed. You gotta wait for the front seat, though, right as the fireworks start. And, of course, lift your shirt over your head at the first drop where they take your picture.

By: figment of my conation

figment of my conation — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:21:45 -0800

Millennium Force stats Millennium Force PoV video Cedar Point is a roller coaster lover's wet dream.

By: mmascolino

mmascolino — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:29:06 -0800

Still, a trip to KI is worth it just to keep riding The Beast all day. I never tire of that great old ride. The ride has been neutered quite a bit through the years (trim breaks and lights for example) but the final helix in the dark in single most awesome roller coaster experience that there is in my book. Millennium Force is an awesome ride but its claims to fame is more speed and its initial height and less on overall air time (i.e. the negative G forces that lift you out of your seat) which I like. The Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point delivers on the air-time in a big way and Diamondback sure does look like it will too. I can't wait.

By: Vindaloo

Vindaloo — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:30:44 -0800

Ooh, coasters...

By: Spatch

Spatch — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:53:03 -0800

Intamin designed trains back around 2000 for their hypercoasters with the rear row of each car slightly elevated and out to the side so that both rows got a good view (Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England is an example, you can sort of see the staggered seats in this shot) but these B&M trains take that stadium seating concept and really put it out there. This looks great. What I really like is the fact that Diamondback isn't trying to be the tallest, fastest or longest of the hypercoasters. What it is trying to be, however, is fun, and that's what counts.

By: mmascolino

mmascolino — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:31:33 -0800

Here is a slightly better view of the Intamin "stadium seats" on the Millennium Force.