bonsaiisuperstar

I think getting rid of loose item bins (everywhere) is a great idea. It slows the loading and unloading of the trains. I bet Cedar Fair goes to what they are running on Banshee. If you insist to bring backpacks, purses, changes of clothes etc then you can pay an hourly storage locker fee. This way, Cedar Fair makes more money and can now cycle trains faster keeping (most) people happy. Cell phones have become a problem also because everyone wants to be Rob Alvey and shoot a POV. I've seen quite a few phones flying through the air on rides recently. When i go to parks i only take my pass, a few dollars and a car key on a lighter lease so i don't lose it. That's it. That's all you need.

@Coasterbill - While the Beast gives mediocre rides at best during the day, there is a reason it has a "Famous Night Rides" sign in the control booth. I'm happy you got to experience it! The Beast does sometimes give "religious experience" night rides, it looks like you had one of those! It really depends on the weather and time of year. Try to catch one in October in the dark in the rain. It's not the most legendary wooden coaster in the world for nothing!

Guess i need a day trip to Kentucky Kingdom. Lightning run looks sweet!

Remember that most of the rattling is from the wheel covers. You can watch them bang around while riding. The lesser chatter is wheels and track.

No trims! I guess i did just hit 40 haha. Perhaps it just hurts a bit more now.

It's weird, on the inside seats it might be the smoothest coaster ever. On the outside it can beat you up pretty bad (especially in the back). The seats seems to be spaced exactly even between the wheels so I don't understand how this happens. It definitely gives a different ride on almost every seat. I rode it 25 times yesterday and feel a bit sore this morning, but oh so worth it. I'm taking my 68 year old mom next week and was trying to find a suitable place for her to ride on it (Most certainly the inside seats) I agree that it's better than Raptor, Montu and Alpengeist. The bottom of the second drop where it "catches" and slams you in your seat is so awesome. Everyone loves the slow in line roll into the helix too, i like to listen to them go "Whoooooaaaa" as it rolls through that element. Hands down the best thing KI has ever put in that park. It's has unseated the wildness of the original BAT as my fav.

Banshee was a walk on most of the day today. It was chattering quite a bit on the outside cars but running HARD. It's amazing the difference from media day morning to today on the intensity of the ride. The Aqua train train had grease running down on all the seats getting on peoples clothes. I think the heat and those freshly packed new bearings needed a wipe so they shut it down for about 15 minutes and cleaned them all up. I saw someone vomit in the photo & gift shop. It smelled nice walking through every 4 minutes.

Waiting for fatty's who didn't bother to check themselves in the test seat. Then the same fatty's expect that they lost 40 lbs in the queue line and cannot understand why the restraint won't close around their bulbous girth. Instead of just getting out the seat and leaving they plead for the ride ops to try "one more time" all the while all the trains are stacked three deep because of said person. I do get satisfaction when everyone cheers as they do the walk of shame. It's just desserts for these people and maybe motivation for them to get in shape.

I noticed Banshee does not chatter nearly as bad in the rear as it was on media day. It still does a bit but it's smoothed out quite a bit. It certainly seems faster and a bit more intense a few weeks into it's lifespan. It was also only 33 degrees that media day morning. Sooooo cold. I'll remember that first ride forever haha.

Banshee is getting lots of love.

Leave the Beast alone. It's perfect as the classic it is. Why not just have RMC build a new coaster?

Just got to say after 40 rides i think Banshee is perfect. Pacing, speed, theme, forcefulness, length...it does everything right. It's so good that all the other rides in the park seem boring now. It has a WOW factor. Everyone seems to love it. The ops are getting better and loading also. Only saw them stack three trains once this evening when someone had to do the walk of shame.

Everytime i check the Banshee cam they have trains stacked three deep.

I was weird to ride DB last week with no belts and ride today with them. They don't seem to affect the ride. You can still leave a bit of space in your clamshell and lap belt and get wonderful floaty air.

You should seriously send this picture to Don Helbig.

The best media day report ever. Summed up the entire experience perfectly. Great photos (especially the early morning ones). For someone who couldn't go, this is easily the next best thing. Great work! My feet are represented several times in your photographs.

Yeah, they (KI Brass) said that when the Beast was finally finished, they celebrated with drinks and took their first night ride. It didn't have trim on the second hill into the helix. When they returned from that trip they were scared white and vowed to add trims the next morning thinking "What have we created?". It's on a video somewhere. Maybe the "History of King's Island? " I always imagine what it would be like untrimmed into the helix when i ride it. It bet it pushes 90 mph.

Great Beast POV Rob! Finally a worthy one after 35 years! And Steve...those pictures are the best I have seen of media day. Nice work sir! You are all a bunch of talented TPR people.

Yeah, your ride ops are going to be extra fast when you have Greg Scheid, Don Helbig and Walt from B&M standing there and watching everything all day.

Glad you got to do a Beast POV Rob! Looks like we finally get a good TPR Beast POV! Hope ya'll are having fun, i had to work all day

I'm speechless at that line. Never seen anything like it.

I was there and left. No freakin' way. Banshee lines must be 8 hrs long. They will hit full capacity today guaranteed. If you plan on going, stay home.

34! Wow! I don't think i could have done many more, too tired! I think you're the record holder!

Just finished marathoning Banshee for A Kid Again. They gave me two KI tickets just because WoW! (It was supposed to be for the top three donation receivers).As for Banshee, I noticed the rear of the train is pretty chattery / jackhammer-ish on the outside seats. The inside seats are smooth as butter. Strange because they are 5 inches apart and the wheel is right in the middle of them. Anything from the middle to the front is SUPER SMOOTH. Inside very back rear is the most intense, but also the roughest. It's a great coaster. Just as forceful as Raptor and the last slow roll into the helix is AWESOME!! 27 rides. I may be the record holder haha. I took #20 with Rob Alvey himself.