Ohio’s popular amusement park, Kings Island, announced it is making some upgrades to the long-running roller coaster, The Beast.
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In a Facebook post, Kings Island revealed it has teamed up with the Gravity Group to work on the project.
“This off-season’s retracking project is officially underway as we begin removing approximately 200 feet of track,” the post also reads. “Including the entire top of the second lift hill. We are committed to providing a high-quality, unforgettable ride experience for Kings Island guests on the world’s longest wooden roller coaster.”
The roller coaster first opened at the amusement park in 1979. It has a top speed of 65 mph and an elevation of 110 feet. The Beast’s intense ride duration is approximately 240 seconds.
It is also featured in the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the world’s longest wooden roller coaster at 7,361 feet.
The Beast further features a vertical drop of 137 feet (at a 53-degree angle) and 141 feet (at an 18-degree angle); a 125-foot-long underground tunnel at the bottom of the 137-foot drop; eight banked turns, some to 45 degrees; and a 540-degree helix tunnel.
The Amusement Park’s Fans React to the Roller Coaster Upgrades
Not long after the upgrades were announced, Kings Island fans took to social media to share their reactions.
“Don’t make her too smooth now,” one fan wrote. “I’ve gotta feel like I’m going to get thrown into the black of night just before entering the second helix. She’s the goat!!!”
Another fan also wrote, “To me, The Beast isn’t the best ride at Kings Island, but it is the most important one. I’m glad the park spends all that energy (and money) to keep it going. It is truly one of a kind coaster and I hope it and its legend lasts for many, many more decades.”
A fellow fan then invoked The Beast’s ill-fated sequel roller coaster, Son of Beast, in their comment. “You know what would be great, KI? Build a new “Son of Beast” in the space where Vortex was,” the fan further wrote. “And design it in such a way that it intertwines with the original Beast. Oh and by the way, no upside down loop.”
Son of Beast first opened in 2000 as the first wooden hypercoaster. It featured a vertical loop and reached a maximum speed of 78 mph. The ride closed after 2009 due to construction issues that impacted its reliability and longevity. It was then replaced by the steel coaster Banshee in 2014.