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The Beast at Kings Island Review | Coaster Geeks Podcast

January 18, 2021 by robertforto Leave a Comment

the beast roller coaster review coaster geeks podcast

The Beast at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, is one of the world’s best roller coasters.

Even after all these years, it is one heck of a ride, especially at night. On today’s show, we will talk about the Beast and why it should be on your coaster bucket list. But first, if you haven’t been here before, be sure to take a moment to hit that subscribe button. I am Robert, and I am Michele, and we are the coaster geeks! On this podcast, we tell stories about how we travel the country each summer on our quest to ride some fantastic roller coasters and hit up music festivals along the way. Well, at least before COVID. Let’s get started!

Prefer to listen? Check out the Coaster Geeks podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts 

Did you know that the beast was the first big coaster that I rode when I was a kid? I was eight or nine, and we lived in Huntington, West Virginia? While I cut my teeth on the Big Dipper at Camden Park, it wasn’t until I went to Kings Island that I became a true coaster geek. I remember that first trip in the late 1970s like it was yesterday.

In the autumn of 2018, Michele and I traveled down to the Lower 48 for the Rock n Roller tour’s fall leg to go to the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Right before we were supposed to go, they canceled the music festival because of the remnants of a hurricane, but since we already had plane tickets, a rental car, and hotels, we decided to go anyway.

It was Michele’s first time going to Kings Island and my first time back in many years and we wanted to go. While this is not a podcast, about our trip to Kings Island, we will do that another time, we wanted to tell our fans about our impression of The Beast.

Before we jump in, we had to stop at the local Skyline Chili. I HATED it! Well, that sums that up!

Now, for a review of the much hyped woodie. It’s been the longest wooden roller coaster in the world for nearly four decades. I’ve been looking forward to riding it for years. Between expensive Cincinnati airfare from Alaska and our decision to go to Cedar Point first on our inaugural rock n roller tour in 2016, it’s taken me years to make it to Kings Island and the Beast.

The Pre-Ride Experience

As we neared the section of the park where the Beast lurked, we found a pretty cool sign and a coaster landmark from the American Coaster Enthusiasts. The sign also helps people find the Beast as the station is tucked away in the park’s corner, and only parts of the ride’s track can be seen from other lift hills. Part of the Beast’s mystique is its location on 35 wooded acres in the back of Kings Island. The station was a lightly themed sawmill. We were pleased to find an exciting station with a gaggle of ride operators with the gift of gab. They kept the station abuzz with excitement as trains filled with happy riders entered and exited. We have found that a lively station is a trademark of a world-class roller coaster through our travels, and the Beast is no different. This is especially true during our trip because it was right in the middle of their Halloween spooky fest.

An Unforgettable Night Ride

After hearing, “Enjoy your 4 minute and 50-second ride,” we were off. The train took a smooth right turn out of the station, and we approached the lift hill. As always, the lift hill built the anticipation of the drop to come, but on this particular ride, there was an additional treat. A large full moon hung over the dark wilderness. It lightly illuminated the forest below. Riders were awe-stricken by the beautiful sight, and now we were about to be treated to an unforgettable night ride on the Beast, and we were in the front car!

The Beast has been the longest wooden roller coaster in the world for nearly four decades. Click To Tweet

We plunged down the opening 135-foot drop and immediately into the rocky mouth of an underground tunnel. The train flew out of the tunnel and banked to the left, and our journey through the Ohio wilderness had officially begun. The second drop was a memorable airtime hill that hugged the rolling terrain. At night the trees and the track are barely visible. This was one of the most remarkable sights we have ever experienced on a coaster. The cool air in the woods was a welcomed relief from the humid stickiness of the packed station. Remember, we are from Alaska, and even in September, it feels like we are on the equator!

Next, the train banked to the right and stormed through the long, flat covered section. After a right turn and a small dip, the train charged into the second tunnel. This tunnel was much longer than the first and, at times was pitch black, especially at night. After exiting the second tunnel, a few more turns set us up for the second lift hill. The first half of the ride’s real strength was the speed, just a touch of airtime on hill #2, and the sheer distance covered in an unusual atmosphere. For the second act, the Beast really lived up to his name.

On coasters like the Big Bad Wolf, when it was still around at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, the second lift hill really steals the momentum of the ride. Because most coasters would be over by this point, we didn’t mind the break in the action. We had already been given a satisfying ride; the rest was like a bonus. Atop the lift, the train turned to the left and began a long (141 feet) but very gradual 18-degree drop. It couldn’t look tamer in pictures, but we had heard such great things about the mighty Beast’s helix. And we weren’t disappointed.

At first, the train gradually gained speed, but before we knew it, we were barreling towards what appeared to be a black dead end in the mouth of the first helix tunnel. Somehow the train stayed on the track, and we experienced some vicious lateral g-forces. It’s complete mayhem in the helix tunnels, but for some reason, even after all these years, it’s not a rough or painful experience. After surviving the first covered helix, the train marches around the downward helix and plows through another covered helix. Then, finally, the Beast released his grip on us. We coasted for a while back to the station, where we passed over a dispatching train set to embark on the same 4 minute and 50-second adventure we had just experienced. The Beast gave us three amazing rides and it lands at number 2 on our experience of woodies in the United States, the top spot going to The Voyage at Holiday World.

What do you think, Coaster Geeks, is The Beast on your Top Five list? Let us know in the comments. And while we still have your attention, would you do us a favor and give us a review? And if you really like us, tell your friends about our show and follow us on our social channels, just search Coaster Geeks pod.

See you next time.


Filed Under: #rocknroller18, coastergeeks, coasters, Daily Post Tagged With: coaster geeks, coasters, roller coasters

Metallica in Portland Live Recording

February 25, 2019 by robertforto Leave a Comment

 

Metallica does it right. One of the coolest souvenirs from a concert is not a black shirt, a poster, hat, or picture with the band. It is a live recording from the concert. When we attending the Metallica show at the Rose Bowl during our Rock n Roller 17 tour we ordered a cd of the show and it arrived a couple months later. We did the same at our recent visit to Portland to see the band.

When you pop the cd into the player you are immediately taken right back to the show. All of the emotion, sounds, feelings come rushing back and you get to re-live the show as if it was happening all over again.

What an experience. I am surprised more bands don’t do this. Before you say anything about cd’s are dead or there is nothing like a live show. I agree with you but these cd’s special.

Here is the set list from the show:

  1. Hardwired
  2. Atlas, Rise!
  3. Seek & Destroy
  4. Holier Than Thou
  5. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
  6. Now That We’re Dead
  7. Creeping Death
  8. For Whom the Bell Tolls
  9. Fade to Black
  10. No Remorse
  11. Fuel
  12. Moth Into Flame
  13. Sad But True
  14. One
  15. Master of Puppets
  16. Spit Out the Bone
  17. Nothing Else Matters
  18. Enter Sandman

 

Filed Under: #rocknroller18, coasters, Daily Post, What Rocks

Coaster Geeks Podcast Launch

November 19, 2018 by robertforto Leave a Comment

Join Robert and Michele Forto as they launch their brand new podcast, Coaster Geeks. This fun show is about their travels across the country searching out some of the best coasters.

On each episode you will hear about their travels, their favorite coasters, food at the park, attractions, special events, and more. This project has been talked about since they took their first tour, what they call the Rock n Roller tour, each summer where they hit up rock concerts and ride coasters.

To date, they have ridden more than 350 coasters and been to more than 30 theme parks. Next year, the #rocknroller19 tour will start in August when they visit Florida.

The Coaster Geeks envisions more than just a podcast. They want to do live feeds on social media and more.

Follow the Coaster Geeks on social media

Coaster Geeks on Facebook

Coaster Geeks on Twitter: @coastergeekspod

Coaster Geeks on Instagram: @coastergeekspod

Search the hashtags on social media: #rocknroller16 #rocknroller17 #rocknroller18 #rocknroller19

Please check out the first episode here:

Filed Under: #rocknroller16, #rocknroller17, #rocknroller18, #rocknroller19, Alaska, coastergeeks, coasters, Daily Post

ACE Preservation Conference: Indiana Beach

August 4, 2018 by robertforto 2 Comments

It has been quite the summer! The Rock n Roller Coaster Tour across America has taken me from Orlando to the Northeast to middle America and I find myself at my second American Coaster Enthusiasts Preservation Conference. This year we are at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana and Michigan’s Adventure on the Great Lakes.

Michele and I parted ways in Boston. She had to fly home to attend our business and I flew to Chicago for this leg of the tour. It was a slow slog down I-65 to the middle of nowhere Indiana. I checked into my motel at the Pine View Resort that was in the middle of a corn field. I arrived a day and a half early and didn’t venture too far from the motel. I worked on my Master’s courses by the pool and enjoyed leisurely dinners at the local family restaurant. The first night I had a huge three course chicken dinner that only cost $8.95 and could have easily cost 40 bucks back home.

Friday morning was the first day of the conference at Indiana Beach. Who would have known that all of this fun was only 0.6 miles from my little motel! It changes your perspective a little bit when you don’t venture too far from where you are. Its like driving down the interstate and puling off and setting for a Big Mac when at the next exit is the most amazing burger shop in the world that you missed out on.

I checked in and grabbed my name tags and tickets and headed into the park. It is a cool little spot where a lot of it is built on piers that jut out into the lake. We had the day to ourselves with the first formal event being a walk through of one of the rides later in the day. I walked the boardwalk and grabbed a Pronto Pup. Its a corn dog for those of you who don’t know…

I jumped on a cool coaster called Steel hog first. It was fun! It sort of a mash up of a mouse and a corkscrew. It was the first time I have ever ridden one like that. The restraints were interesting. The sort of squish you in like a vise.

Next up was a couple woodies. The premier coaster in the park is the Hoosier Hurricane which is by far the longest and juts out over the lake in a few spots. It is fast but a bit rough. Next was the Cornball Express. It was a lot of fun too.

I didn’t know what to expect when I was in line for an older steel coaster called, Tiger. By the looks on the peoples faces that went ahead of me and the warning by the ride attendant to hold on and brace for the sharp right turns, I knew I was in for a treat. That first right turn caused a cracked rib on the same spot as always. It is never going to heal if I keep this crap up!

The rest of the afternoon I spent people watching along the boardwalk and riding things like the dark ride, the sky ride, the scrambler the little train, and more. I was surprised at how fun Frankenstein’s Castle was! I haven’t been in a walk through haunted house in a long time and this was a good one. It was huge!

The last coaster I rode before we met up for dinner as a group was the Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain. It was a fun one! It has this little elevator that takes you up to the top and then is a mess of twists and turns through a “mountain”. The cars are a super tight fit for four people but it was a quick coaster and everyone was laughing in our car.

Dinner was late. They forgot to make the burgers and by the sounds of it from the grumblings of my fellow coaster geeks, we were hungry! We finished off the meal with a cake commemorating the 40th anniversary of ACE and we got ready for our night runs durning ERT.

It was a fun first day of the conference. I met up with several friends that I met last year at the conference in Alabama/Georgia. It was cool to see them again.

Tomorrow we finish up here and drive north to our next stop at Michigan’s Adventure!

Up Next: Michigan’s Adventure 

Coasters to date on the tour: 24

Do you like what you are reading? Want to see more? use the hashtag #rocknroller18 on social media and you can see pics on Instagram, tweets on Twitter and our daily trials and tribulations on Facebook.

Filed Under: #rocknroller18, Alaska, coasters, Daily Post Tagged With: ace, coasters, Indiana beach, ride with ace, road trip, robert forto, roller coasters

Rock n Roller 18: Story Land

July 30, 2018 by robertforto Leave a Comment

There is a little park in the middle of New Hampshire that has been around for a very long time. It is Story Land. When we spent the week at The Christmas Farm Inn just up the road we had no idea that there was a theme park in the area.

This was a paradise for a little kid. Heck big kids for that matter. As we waited in a long line for the park to open at ten, there was a constant buzz brewing with kids hyped up on sugar, plenty of moms wearing, well, Mom Jeans, and dads with fannypacks, sleeveless shirts, sandals with socks, and bluetooth headsets in their ears. It was the middle of summer in New Hampshire and it was pretty warm but that does not give you carte blanche to dress like a dork.

Hopefully Michele and I will get a pass on our outfits since we were wearing match-y same color blue shirts. We didn’t do this intentionally. If you have ever been to a theme park you know what I am talking about. You will often see a busload of snot-nosed pre-teens wearing blaze-orange t-shirts. What do they think, its hunting season?

As we worked our way up to the front of the line we came across a grandpa that was scalping tickets to the park. His story claimed that he bought extras. Isn’t that what they all say?

We made it inside and the kids around us went wild, running in every direction. Moms and dads were screaming for little Johnny and Julie but the kids didn’t mind and paid them no attention. I guess that is why they have a little booth that issues honest-to-goodness driver’s licenses for little kids, not only gives them access to the rides but also to use–and I am speculating here–if they are pulled over by the park patrol for running at breakneck speeds.

The park is laid out in different sections like all of the fairytales. You have Mother Goose, Cinderella’s castle where you can have tea, the Three Little Pigs with three little pigs in their little brick, straw and stick houses. We also had Little Miss Muffet where you could sit on her tuffet–oh behave!

Just a side note, did you know that Disney has a racket on their characters portrayed in other theme parks? Cinderella wasn’t allowed to have blonde hair here at Story Land so the kiddos had to settle for a dark haired vixen. We were a long way from Walt’s lair up here in the Green Mountains but the Mouse still rules with an iron-fisted white glove. It’s true look it up…

There were two coasters in the park. The first one was the Polar Coaster. It is really a kiddie coaster but it has a few thrills.

The second was much more fun! It was Roar-O-Saurus. It was designed and built by the coaster company The Gravity Group for Story Land’s unique natural setting, it is the only wooden roller coaster of its kind in northern New England. Roar is the major component of Story Land’s new dinosaur themed section. What kid doesn’t love dinosaurs right?

The wood coaster takes just 12 passengers led by Story Land’s newest member, ‘Rory” the little Dino with a big roar! It was built in 2014 with a track length of 1,242 feet and a lift height of 40 feet. It does have some amazing airtime for a kiddie woodie with 12 spots. Michele loved this one and it is in her Top five woodies right now.

After the coasters and walking around the park we headed over to the log flume. We always wait until last to ride the water rides. Who in the heck wants to walk around in wet clothes? Bamboo Chutes was very well themed with some impressive asian-insprired landscaping. It was your typical up and down flume but like always I got wet!

We were out of the park by two with a thunderstorm threatening above. I am glad we found this little park and added a couple coasters to our credits that we probably would have missed if we hadn’t stayed at the Inn. I encourage all of you to check out the woodie. It is a fun one that I am sure you will enjoy!

 

Filed Under: #rocknroller18, coastergeeks, coasters

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