The Beast apparently isn’t going to rest on its laurels though. The park announced in a news release Wednesday that it’s going to extend the track by 2 feet, solidifying its grip on the record by 24 inches.
How long is The Beast exactly?
Refurbishment of The Beast started in November.
Kings Island/Cedar Fair Entertainment
The Beast had been a length of 7,359 feet (or 2,243 meters). But when it opens in May, riders will enjoy those 2 extra feet — for a new official length of 7,361 feet — because of “offseason retracking and reprofiling work,” the release said.
Obviously, those 2 extra feet (.6 meters) are going to fly by pretty darn fast. Perhaps more important and more noticeable to the thrill-seekers on the ride will be a steeper first drop.
Kings Island said it “has been reprofiled from 45 degrees to 53 degrees so that it can come into the tunnel lower and deliver a buttery-smooth transition through the first tunnel and onto the second drop.”
Crews began refurbishing 2,000 feet (610 meters) of the coaster’s track back in November.
Other features of the coaster
The Beast features two pretty serious drops of 137 feet and 141 feet.
Kings Island/Cedar Fair Entertainment
So how much time will it take to cover the new 3,761-foot track? That’s four minutes and 10 seconds of ride time. Some other hair-raising, yell-inducing Beast stats from Kings Island:
• Vertical drops of 137 feet (41.8 meters) and 141 feet. That latter drop is at an 18-degree angle.
• An underground tunnel at the bottom of that 137-foot drop is 125 feet long.
• That’s just the first tunnel — there are two more.
• Eight banked turns and a 540-degree helix tunnel near the end.
• Speeds up to 64.77 miles per hour (about 105 kmh).
Kings Island said it cost $3.5 million to build The Beast from 1977 to 1979 and that it would cost more than $20 million to recreate it today.
What it’s like riding The Beast
The Beast has earned its name according to Martin Lewison (aka Professor Roller Coaster).
Kings Island/Cedar Fair Entertainment
“I’ve ridden it many times. It’s definitely a must-ride if you go to Kings Island. It’s iconic,” Lewison said.
“For years and years, it was my No. 1 wooden coaster. It’s really an experience.”
Lewison said the design makes it a ride like no other coaster.
“It practically has chapters to it. It’s basically two giant halves,” he said. “It actually has two lift hills — for a wooden coaster, that is quite unusual.”
His favorite part is when train flies through the surrounding woods.
“It’s amazing at night. Part of the excitement is running over the terrain. You’re just sort of careening through the dark.”
He gave special mention to the 540-degree helix.
“The second lift hill goes in a giant helix. It’s just so intense. Every time I ride this, I look at my wife and say, ‘This is insane.’ “
Lewison said part of the excitement of a wooden coaster is that it is supposed to feel rickety. “When you hit that helix, you feel like the coaster wants to tear itself apart.”
The Brady Bunch did not ride this coaster
Part of the fun of The Beast is how it weaves through woodlands and uses the lay of the land to enhance the ride.
Kings Island/Cedar Fair Entertainment
Kings Island Amusement Park will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, and it now has 15 roller coasters.
Top image: This view of The Beast shows just how much territory the coaster covers. (Kings Island/Cedar Fair Entertainment)
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