Skramp Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 And another note, for all the locker enthusiasts, you must get a locker before going on Banshee. Even today they were not allowing backpacks or anything. There is no place in the station to put them (think Diamondback bins). The lockers are right across from the Banshee entrance so not too far away. Also, it seemed that Action Zone has really been opened up. There seemed to be a lot more room to move around there. And for people who really know KI, they took out all the entrance booths up front and redid all the brick so it's all concrete from the parking lot to the front entrance. My only complaint here is this, the visible front entrance now has NO pizzazz! It's just a plain building with a Banshee banner on it. Maybe it's in the works to add some nice big lettering or something to it coming up or something, but I noticed when I walked up this morning it seemed very bland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Zo Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 A few quick comments on Banshee (I'll have more with pictures by the weekend): 1) It definitely exceeded my expectations, and it's better than Raptor. I don't know that it can knock off Montu as my top invert (hard to compare directly when I haven't been on Montu for three years) but it's very close. 2) The forces are definitely different from front to back. I agree fully with Adam about the turn out of the second vertical loop in the front -- it's sharp and the train flies into it with a lot of speed. 3) My favorite moment on the ride may be the zero-g roll and the drop that follows it. A very pleasant surprise -- the roll is a lot of fun and the drop provides some air, especially in the back. 4) Easily the best first drop on any invert I've been on. Steep and abrupt. 5) The batwing is a little too drawn out. It's very fast through that section of the ride, but the transitions are gradual. 6) Was I the only one who felt some B&M rattle in the outside seats in Row 8? 7) As I mentioned earlier, the restraints are an improvement over the "locking" wing coaster restraints, and any minor shoulder/collarbone issues with the vests are worth it for the freed-up head space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 They were only running 2 trains and stacking them, but that's to be expected. They were stacking because they had camera crews running the on-ride video in row 2. Cut them a little slack. Most media days I go to they are only running ONE train and the park doesn't invite tons of people like Kings Island did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skramp Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 They were only running 2 trains and stacking them, but that's to be expected. They were stacking because they had camera crews running the on-ride video in row 2. Cut them a little slack. Most media days I go to they are only running ONE train and the park doesn't invite tons of people like Kings Island did. I wasn't bashing them at all. I expected it be one train also, surprised they ran two, but completely understood the stacking, no issues with it at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intamin_coyote Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) Banshee absolutely blows Raptor out of the water, and then some! I got on for my first ride at about 6am and it was still dark. I rode in row 8 right side... Analysis: 1.) Station is amazing, and the que is very well-done. When it is real dark, the lighting packages are incredible! Also, I loved the memorial to SOB they had, but I'm surprised they did the considering the reputation it had...I figured they wouldn't want to risk getting any more negative PR from it... 2.) Lift is steep and very fast. 3.) The drop is especially amazing on the right side for the fact that you are quickly turned around going over the crest of the hill. 4.) Dive loop is ginormous...nuff said. 5.) Both of the vertical loops were a bit more forceful than I was expecting. 6.) My favorite part was probably the dive into the valley after the zero g-roll. B&M really did use the difference in elevation to their advantage! 7.) Batwing is solid, but not one of my favorite parts of the ride. 8.) The in-line twist was very cool and very unique, not many coasters at have them, let alone inverts... 9.) Now the ending helix is what REALLY kicked @$$, so forceful I was feeling the blood rush to my toes! Overall Rating: 9/10 Edited April 17, 2014 by Intamin_coyote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollin_n_coastin Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Sounds like it was a great media day and comments are very balanced so far. The ride really does look awesome in that space. Can't wait to ride it one day and see how it compares to the "classics" and other newer inverts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GigaG Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I loved it! Definitely not a "forceless B&M". Did anybody notice that the dive out of the zero-g roll has a magnetic (I think) trim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVA62 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I loved it! Definitely not a "forceless B&M". Did anybody notice that the dive out of the zero-g roll has a magnetic (I think) trim? I was about to say something about that, I noticed it in line. I really hope they do not use it in the future. I think the ride is fine the way it is, although I didn't believe it was very forceful, they really really really should not neuter it! I did love how you really crawled through the in-line twist, makes you nervous coming out of your seat like that but it was great. I thought it lead nicely into the pretty forceful carousel at the end. It really is a great ride, and it looks great too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Here's some photos from media day! Going to make my commentary a bit short only because I'm exhausted and I wanted to give you some photos. Here are some of my notes about Banshee and the media day: - The park staff did an AWESOME job, I mean REALLY AWESOME job on the event. Everything went perfect! - The footage the park provided was GREAT and they did a wonderful job with their POV and rider cam footage! (especially blinding us! lol) - The ride exceeded my expectations. It reminded me more of some of the older B&Ms (which is a good thing) and I'm put the intensity and pacing on par with some of B&Ms earlier rides like Kraken and After Burn (again, which is also a VERY good thing!) - Banshee is sure to be a HUGE hit and top many people's coaster lists, I have no doubt. I'm glad to see that B&M still has a spark in them! - I was surprised to see some really fun and nice looking theming for the ride (the nod to Son of Beast was hysterical!) - I don't know what they did to The Beast, but I took easily the smoothest ride I've EVER had on it today! - Was great seeing a lot of people and fun giving out all the Club TPR Buttons! On to some photos... I had to arrive early. VERY EARLY (4am) to help with some interviews and stuff. Yes, Banshee! We see you in all your fog and colorful lighting! The "eternal flame" for Son of Beast was AWESOME! What a great touch! As always, water dummies getting the very first ride! (note the lack of dropping floor on this invert!) It was dark, REALLY DARK for our first ride! When I was doing interviews for the media, the fog was so thick it looked like we were covering some sort of huge fire behind us! lol Club TPR Members taking their first ride on Banshee! More interviews! Robb hard at work! It was starting to get lighter! Check out the POV video of the ride! Our rider cam is hilarious! The story behind that is when we rode it was PITCH BLACK, but they had this FREAKIN' BRIGHT LIGHT on us for the video shoot. It was so bright we couldn't see.... ANYTHING... and combined with it being dark as hell out, it was freezing cold, and also I knew NOTHING about the layout of this coaster, all made for this surreal experience. We had NO IDEA where the ride was going and we just kept laughing the whole way around! lol Yay! Spotted in the parking lot! We made a quick run back to the hotel to go upload some video, and then we came back to get more photos! Banshee logos at the front of the park! Yes! Kings Island welcomed TPR! We are thrilled to be here! Where can I get one of these cool Banshee wraps for my car??? Some coaster porn for you... The first drop was REALLY good! Especially in the back seat. Took us by surprise. The opening ceremony got underway with a word from the parks General Manager... Got some insight on the construction of the ride... And Don Helbig, who has been awesome getting us lots of construction updates along the way officially opened the ride! Ran into Andy from Attractions Magazine! (Hi Andy!) The park allowed a few members of media up the tower to get some aerial shots of Banshee. And there she is on all her glory! And we have quite a few birds eye pics for you! Some Zero-G love! Batwing or Pretzel loop? What do you all think? I love coaster layouts with TWO vertical loops! (I don't know why, it's just my thing... don't judge me!) Oh, yeah, did we mention that Flight Deck is now The Bat and it's VERY ORANGE! I'm also a fan of coasters that "Thread the loop." Cameron is doing a VERY good job of handing the eating of ice cream and filming the ride at the same time. Congrats Cameron! You're officially a fatty now! I think this ravine is being used MUCH better now than it was when Son of Beast was here. What do you think? Oh, and speaking of Son of Beast - the station still lives on! Let's go check out the newly re-themed Bat! It's still a great fun Arrow suspended! But it's ORANGE! REALLY REALLY Orange! Yup, we see you Son of Beast! Hanging out with Sofie from B&M! The whole graveyard scene was kinda cool! SOB eternal flame in the day time! More coaster porn! And more Banshee! Here's another look at the trains. I didn't find any discomfort in them. They don't continue to get tighter like on some of the wing riders, which is good. A shot of the zero-g leading into the pretzel/bat wing thingy. If you wanted some Banshee merchandise, it's all here! Keychains, shot glasses, license plates, pretty much everything you'd expect. And for those Irish Banshee fans...there is this! I got one of these for myself! I had NO IDEA people collected this Tarvis Tumbler things...but Banshee has one, too. Some pseudo-inappropriate girly shirts! And of course there needs to be one of these shirts. Every girl coaster enthusiasts needs one of these! The front entrance of the ride! It's insanely photogenic! The park also brought a few of us over to check out the newly renovated Beast. They have done a LOT of track work over the last couple of years. This was EASILY the smoothest ride on The Beast I've had... EVER!!! I told Cameron "be prepared for a very rough ride", but it wasn't at all! And we closed our day with a ride on Diamondback! Riding with Cameron, Scott, and Marcus! (Yes, I know there is another dude there, but I didn't get your name...sorry!) Kings Island was in a void of B&Ms just a few short years ago, and now they have two GIANT B&Ms to their name! Thank you Kings Island for putting on an AWESOME media day! We look forward to our visit later this year! Inertiatic.nltrack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supertrooper Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I loved it! Definitely not a "forceless B&M". Did anybody notice that the dive out of the zero-g roll has a magnetic (I think) trim? I saw it on my last ride, but I didn't feel it. And I said last year that The Beast was smoother than I remembered. I'm glad it wasn't a fluke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GigaG Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I loved it! Definitely not a "forceless B&M". Did anybody notice that the dive out of the zero-g roll has a magnetic (I think) trim? I was about to say something about that, I noticed it in line. I really hope they do not use it in the future. I think the ride is fine the way it is, although I didn't believe it was very forceful, they really really really should not neuter it! I did love how you really crawled through the in-line twist, makes you nervous coming out of your seat like that but it was great. I thought it lead nicely into the pretty forceful carousel at the end. It really is a great ride, and it looks great too! It was probably used today, considering that I don't think you can disable a magnetic trim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Zo Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Did anybody notice that the dive out of the zero-g roll has a magnetic (I think) trim? I felt a slight hesitation there on rides in the front of the train. I'd attributed it to typical physics (the front of the train passing the crest of a hill before the train's overall center of gravity), but now that I think of it, it was a little more pronounced. I wouldn't be surprised if it was on, but it had to have been only weakly so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVA62 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 The drop was insane in the back! Loved every second of it though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarheel1231 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 - The ride exceeded my expectations. It reminded me more of some of the older B&Ms (which is a good thing) and I'm put the intensity and pacing on par with some of B&Ms earlier rides like Kraken and After Burn (again, which is also a VERY good thing!) Whoa! This coming from the man who said B&M's were just Toyotas compared to Intamin's Ferraris. This must be a good ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcjp Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 It was probably used today, considering that I don't think you can disable a magnetic trim. I believe you can. I just don't know exactly how. Does anyone know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewalk13 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) I'm no physicist, and my understanding of magnetic brakes is poor, but my understanding is that, depending on the type, running a specific current through them creates the repulsing effect (otherwise they are neutral, or whatever the term is). Edit: Also thanks Robb & Cameron for the amazing coverage (and the button!!) Edited April 17, 2014 by firewalk13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooz Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 It was probably used today, considering that I don't think you can disable a magnetic trim. I believe you can. I just don't know exactly how. Does anyone know? If you can move the magnets farther from the fins, you can weaken the braking force. If not the force cannot be adjusted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcjp Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 ^&^^ Both of your explanations are possible. I know companies like intamin just move the fins up and down and it is true that running a specific current can neutralize a magnetic field. However, I was specifically asking about B&M. Originally I thought they just moved them to the side (just like their friction brakes only further away) but now I'm not so sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster19 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Thank you everyone for updates today! Super jealous Rob that you and other media rode beast and diamondback! glad to hear that beast was smooth!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewalk13 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 ^&^^ Both of your explanations are possible. I know companies like intamin just move the fins up and down and it is true that running a specific current can neutralize a magnetic field. However, I was specifically asking about B&M. Originally I thought they just moved them to the side (just like their friction brakes only further away) but now I'm not so sure. Cool, looking more closely at that pic, I wonder if those little shafts have a bearing in them and they actually spin (the part that looks like a socket ranch stays static). A spinning electronic motor creates a magnetic field right (?) and that round shape makes me think smaller electric motor, like a mini dynamo. Interesting either way! I did not notice the trim at all but Banshee hauls ass regardless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooz Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 it is true that running a specific current can neutralize a magnetic field. Does anyone have any information on this? I've never heard of a way to neutralize the field from a permanent magnet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_current_brake http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday's_law_of_induction ^information on magnetic brakes, though understanding them needs a foundation in electromagnetism. ^&^^ Both of your explanations are possible. I know companies like intamin just move the fins up and down and it is true that running a specific current can neutralize a magnetic field. However, I was specifically asking about B&M. Originally I thought they just moved them to the side (just like their friction brakes only further away) but now I'm not so sure. Cool, looking more closely at that pic, I wonder if those little shafts have a bearing in them and they actually spin (the part that looks like a socket ranch stays static). A spinning electronic motor creates a magnetic field right (?) and that round shape makes me think smaller electric motor, like a mini dynamo. Interesting either way! I did not notice the trim at all but Banshee hauls A$$ regardless. A moving charge, such as current through a wire creates a magnetic field. Usually moving parts aren't required to make an electromagnet. Electric motors create power by spinning due to moving current in stationary wire. They use current to produce magnetic fields, which are used to power the motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcjp Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 The most simple way to switch those brakes off would be to move those magnets away from the place where the plates (attached to the train) will pass by. However, I'm not sure if that would be possible with B&M because of the lack of space under the trains. I know that, with krake (heide park), they just move he brake fins down but that one is different from every other of their rides, so.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glouthan Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Great TR, Robb. Nice to hear Beast was running very smooth - I can't wait to ride it for myself tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XYZ Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 It looks like King Cobra's footers really fits into the Banshee theme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewalk13 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Ha! I didn't notice that either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now