2349 replies to this topic

[Hank]

In case you missed the fun and safety guides up front, The Son Of BEAST is a high speed, turbulent roller coaster ride with quick turns and sudden drops. People with exsisting back, neck, or bone problems, recent sugery or illness, pregnancy, high blood pressure, heart condition, or other medical conditions, should refrain from riding the Son Of BEAST. Please be aware of the recommendations and restrictions of this ride. And if you have any questions, Please contact the ride attendant.

And? What if I didnt know I have an exsisting condition? What if I have normal everything but just 1 weak wall in the artery in my brain. BEtween the jack hammering and constant throwing back and forth, if I hit my head wrong I could pop the artery....

Plus where does it say "Every rider should ride defensively to be safe on this ride. Please do not look to your left or right. Hold tightly to the bar and lean?

Well, you could pop a weak blood vessel riding up the Eiffel Tower. And yes, every rider should be aware of posted fun and safety signs. And, quite possibly, riders should ride defensively - but look at those who don't keep their hands inside the car, or those who smoke on the ride, or those who take video or snapshots while riding. If I were injured on any ride because the person in front of me let go of their camera and it smacked me in the face, I guess I could bring a lawsuit against the park - it would be their fault that a ride op did not see the person using the camera. BUT - in the case of SOB, the ride broke, causing injury - and with people knowing this they could very well exploit the park for faked injuries. I'm not saying that's what happened or that's what could happen, but...... Every ride can shake you up a bit - with my bad back, the Paddle Wheel Boats at CP had seats that allowed the vibration of the motor to rumble and after the 10 minute ride, I couldn't stand up nor walk for almost an hour. Did I sue? Hell no. But the emergency crews needed to be called out to help me.

So, I buy Chevys and you buy Fords because you think the Ford rides better - and I'm stuck with your decision. I am dissatisfied with the Ford's ride experience so you won't find a new Taurus sitting in my driveway, even if it's SBNO.

The general manager says no to the ride, so that's it. Become the general manager, ride the ride, make your own decision and we'll have to live with that too.

[Browntggrr]

Most of this has been mentioned in a previous life, but for those unaware, please take note.

SoB needs more than just tweeks. Given the park has publicly disclosed that they are not satisfied with the ride experience, the ride needs major work to even reopen. If the ride would be operated again with just a few "tweeks" and another incident were to happen, the lawsuits against the park would be non-stop and could very well end KI as we know it. Drastic statement? Yes. Possible? Let's just say it is not impossible.

Return on Investment (RoI) is also a major issue here. CF is in the business of entertainment, not printing money. SoB is already one of the most expensive non-themed coasters in the World. And still it sits. The ride's original price tag is in the $15- $20 million range, and with all the modifications that price tag is somewhere around $30 million. And again, still it sits. SoB is "The Money Pit". Just because you throw cash at something, does not mean it will work. The park (this includes both owners during SoB's existence) has hired numerous firms in the business over the past 12 years, and still it sits. Again, these are people in the business, and they have not been able to figure it out. At this point, even finding a firm to work on SoB will be a challenge.

SoB has had more than just problems when it actually operated. Ohio Dept. of Agriculture inspected SoB 6 times in 9 seasons. That is more than any ride in the state. http://news.cincinna...n-any-ride-Ohio

Simple retracking is not SoB's issue. Retracking, especially in the rose bowl, has been done. Retracking does not prevent "shuffling", as has always been the case with SoB.

Riders should pay attention to warning signs. That said, how do you know they didn't? If that same rider has been on 100 coasters over 10 years with the same warning, and had ZERO issues, then went on SoB and suddendly had a "pre existing condition" injury, is it truely "pre existing"? Or did the condition come to light because of one coaster?

The ride is not worth it anymore. Cut the losses and move on. IMO the park is wise to invest our money on other attractions & making our experience more enjoyable. Investing in SoB is not a wise decision.

[windshawne]

In case you missed the fun and safety guides up front, The Son Of BEAST is a high speed, turbulent roller coaster ride with quick turns and sudden drops. People with exsisting back, neck, or bone problems, recent sugery or illness, pregnancy, high blood pressure, heart condition, or other medical conditions, should refrain from riding the Son Of BEAST. Please be aware of the recommendations and restrictions of this ride. And if you have any questions, Please contact the ride attendant.

So is Beast but it didn't send numerous people to the hospital over the years. If I was an insurance rep, there is no way I would insure that hunk of junk.

[The Interpreter]

Cedar Fair is self insured. They may or may not feel the same way.

[windshawne]

If it were me, I wouldn't take the risk. Even if they reopen it at some point with major modifications, my fanny will not give it another chance, ever.

[stashua123]

Think is a wooden hypercoaster over 200 ft. gonna be smooth unless its a intamin?No! Were actually lucky that it didnt break any ribs or other parts of your body except in the accidents.And the Rose bowl is the only problem of the ride why dont just tear it down and rebuild it with better wood and have tunnels(like the beast) ther.Kings Island gave SOB only 1 chance an if they reopen the ride
it would draw big crowds

[The Interpreter]

Actually, during the discovery phase of the case that went to trial, it was discovered there were a number of reported broken bones associated with Son of Beast that were not related to the widely reported incidents.

Kings Island has given Son of Beast many, many more chances than one.

[Browntggrr]

Kings Island gave SOB only 1 chance an if they reopen the ride it would draw big crowds

This deserves to go under "Funniest Rumors" thread.

[KIfan73]

It's too bad they took the motion seats out of the Action Theater. A POV "Son of Beast Experience" could have went on there for years.

[The Interpreter]

That would depend on how realistic it was. (A statement either faction should be happy with).

Some would say it's already been there. I think it was called Smash Factory.

[CoasterGeek101]

Wow, we have gone a few pages without someone claiming they heard some employee talking about SOB and believing them.

[homestar92]

My one, and only hope with this ride is that its eventual replacement will be another unique and interesting woodie. As others have said, a traditional wooden terrain coaster kinda like the original Beast would be cool. Or a GCI with ridiculous twists and turns and all sorts of interesting elements. Or an Intamin Plug-n-Play woodie that stands just a hair over 200 feet, so we can still have a wooden hypercoaster. But definitely not a reopening of Son of Beast. I think the only hope for ANYTHING similar would be a complete tear-down and rebuild from another manufacturer (which won't happen, ever). Even if that did occur, you could at least expect the rose bowl gone.

[Shawn Meyer]

I think it would be cool if SOB was completely torn down and re-built. However I agree with the dude who said why not save the first hill part and re-do the whole entire structure with a new layout built by a new manufacturer. You have a good opinion and I like it, but we cannot rule out it never happening. We just don't know what Kings Island has in their minds of what they plan to do with SOB yet and I wish and hope they make some kind of announcement at the end of this summer. Waiting on their decision of SOB right now is like waiting for the Cleveland Indians to win a world series which hasn't been done since 1948.

[goodyellowkorn182]

Many of us here just want them to make an announcement, too... Only so that threads like these can die.

But something tells me, people would still keep them active...

[The Interpreter]

The mere fact these threads now stay and don't quietly get deleted is a sure indicator of....something.

It was not always thus.

[TheCrypt]

If this thread got deleted, someone will open a new thread just like it.

[CoasterGeek101]

hey guys, i justly heard dat 1 of them employees at the drop thing said that they are going to put a ride dats like ttd and say bye bye to sob!!!!

Woa, I just sounded like the occasional SOB fan who doesn't know english.

[TheCrypt]

u 4got 2 mispel thing n throw gramer out windo

[tycampbell07]

Maybe Cedar Fair will see how bat **** crazy people are getting about this ride and be forced to say something lol

[LongliveKingsCobra]

The mere fact these threads now stay and don't quietly get deleted is a sure indicator of....something.

It was not always thus.

Well there are two theories:
1. The mods are too busy to comb through the forums and delete said threads.
2. The decision is coming....like...a storm. Somethings brewing here in Kings Island...

[Captain Picard]

From what I have heard you are lucky this site is still here. I would guess the mods are so sick of hearing it that they don't care anymore.

How do you feel about the park telling you what you can and can't talk about?

[LongliveKingsCobra]

Yes...that would get quite annoying...especially with something of an open forum...
Down with the man!

[RingMaster]

Maybe Cedar Fair will see how bat **** crazy people are getting about this ride and be forced to say something lol

This thread has been up for two years, and numerous Save Sonny fan pages have popped up on Facebook within the same time period; Kings Island's more tenacious than even the combined efforts of Jack Black and Kyle Gass when it comes to being mum about the attraction's fate.

[McSalsa]

For anyone interested: here's how Intamin pre-fab wooden coasters did in the 2011 Mitch Hawker Wood Coaster Poll...and Son of Beast is also included near the bottom of this post, for comparison purposes.

El Toro @ SFGadv: 1st Place!!! (Win Ratio: 100%)
T-Express @ Everland (Korea): 2nd Place!!! (Win Ratio: 98.77%)
Balder @ Liseberg: 8th Place (Win Ratio: 95.4%)
Colossos @ Heide Park: 10th Place (Win Ratio: 93.87%)

All 4 of their pre-fab wooden coasters are in the world's Top 10, including #1 and #2, and won in at least 93% of their "comparison battles". Why are there not more of these...oh, a few more interesting rankings, including everything at KI, Holiday World, and Cedar Point that is wooden:

Boulder Dash @ Lake Compounce (Best CCI): 3rd, 98.77%
The Voyage @ Holiday World (Best Gravity Group): 4th, 97.85%
Prowler @ Worlds of Fun (Best GCII): 11th, 93.56%
Raven @ Holiday World: 17th, 87.12%
Legend @ Holiday World: 39th, 76.99%
The Beast @ Kings Island: 48th, 70.86%...it was beaten by a Wild Mouse, too...I call bull on that...don't blame me, I had it at #1 on my ballot...
Coney Island Cyclone @ Astroland (Is it still considered in Astroland anymore?): 49th, 69.33%
Blue Streak @ Cedar Point: 67th, 58.9%
Racer @ Kings Island: 99th, 40.80%
Woodstock Express @ Kings Island: 147th, 11.66%
Mean Streak @ Cedar Point: 156th, 5.52%
Anaconda @ Walygator Park (Worst Wooden): 164th, 1.23% (LOL that is horrible!)

And...at last...

Son of Beast (SBNO) @ Kings Island: Unranked due to SBNO, but win % is...2%!!! (barely better than Anaconda...and even worse than Mean Streak and Woodstock Express)

Just some interesting info...that has been avaliable for a while now, but I felt like sharing for those who hadn't seen this. Full List:
http://www.ushsho.co...results2011.htm

[Hank]

If this thread got deleted, someone will open a new thread just like it.

They already did - and almost every thread ends up being about SOB (in case you haven't noticed)

[dudecoasterman]

^ You can say that again. Just thought I'd play along.
.

[Maverick00]

Waiting on their decision of SOB right now is like waiting for the Cleveland Indians to win a world series which hasn't been done since 1948.

Or better yet the Cubs.

[TheCrypt]

Well if they decide to say "Hey! Let's tear this down!" I want a peice of it! My favorite ride out there!

If they didn't give goodyellowkorn182 a piece of my beloved Durga, why would Kings Island give you a piece of the worst roller coaster at Kings Island?

[dudecoasterman]

^ Maybe he's friends with some "suits" that will give him a piece.

[TheBEASTunchained]

Well if they decide to say "Hey! Let's tear this down!" I want a peice of it! My favorite ride out there!

If they didn't give goodyellowkorn182 a piece of my beloved Durga, why would Kings Island give you a piece of the worst roller coaster at Kings Island?

As silly of a question as it may seem to ask Kings Island for a peice of Son Of BEAST. It could happen, because I don't think Kings Island is in as big of a rush to get rid of SoB as they were the Crypt. When Kings Island decided to end the operating life of the Crypt, there was a Very quick removal process But with Son Of BEAST, it has taken over 2 years for an announcement to be made concerning the ride and If they were to decide to remove it, I'm sure that it wouldn't be done in a hurry. Another thing, is that asking for a large ride prop from the inside of the Crypt and asking for a peice of wood off of a roller coaster that has 2.5 million feet of timber is a big difference. A lot of things could be made with 2.5 million feet of timber.