Jump to content

Vortex Is Leaving After This Fall Season


THE_BEASTmaster

Recommended Posts

I hate to see this go.  It was my first looping coaster, and with how iconic it looks in the back of Coney Mall, its going to be hard accepting its replacement, even if its a good one.  Even better, the night I first rode Vortex I also got my first Beast night ride, and with how amazing that was, its definitely a soft spot for my life as an enthusiast.   To me, its as much apart of Kings Island as the Eiffel Tower, blue ice cream, The Beast, and all the staple attractions and structures in the park.  I also remember my early days going to the park trying to see it right after seeing the Eiffel Tower when it was still the tallest coaster in the park.  And I certainly still enjoy riding it despite its flaws. 

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, KIghostguy said:

People at my school were celebrating the news today. It’s easy for older members to get nostalgic, but I don’t think people on here understand that the general public largely has a profound hatred for Vortex.

And with all due respect, the general public are dead wrong on this one. A ride getting removed and being replaced by *nothing* is a bad, or at best, neutral thing for every guest in the park. Unless someone was literally forcing them to ride Vortex, there is no logical reason for anyone to celebrate its removal.

I despise Invertigo as much as it is possible for someone to hate an inanimate object, but I would be a little bit miffed if they announced it was being removed and nothing would be taking its place at all. There are people out there who do like it and celebrating their disappointment is a bit petty and shallow.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, homestar92 said:

And with all due respect, the general public are dead wrong on this one. A ride getting removed and being replaced by *nothing* is a bad, or at best, neutral thing for every guest in the park. Unless someone was literally forcing them to ride Vortex, there is no logical reason for anyone to celebrate its removal.

I despise Invertigo as much as it is possible for someone to hate an inanimate object, but I would be a little bit miffed if they announced it was being removed and nothing would be taking its place at all.

It's being replaced by nothing right now. I don't think anyone expects that plot of land to remain empty forever.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm prolly going to get hate for this.....mbut I'm glad. Sucks to see a coaster leave. But that thing was rough. Being a taller person didnt help either, knees would get bashed into the front of the inside of the cars. The transitions werent smooth either. But..despite all of its flaws, I did ride every time I went. One time and that was it, I dont think I couldn't handle more than just one each visit. Firehawk was uncomfortable, but not rough. And the angle before the lift lying back gave me a headache, and its capacity was terrible, but it was far more comfortable and smoother than Vortex.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, coasterbill said:

It's being replaced by nothing right now. I don't think anyone expects that plot of land to remain empty forever.

OK, sure. But if they aren't using that land for five years, then there is no land-related reason for the ride currently sitting there to be removed for at least 4.

The people who are celebrating its removal aren't getting excited over the nebulous attraction that may or may not come at some undefined point in the future. They're celebrating that a ride they didn't like and were never forced to ride is going away, despite the fact that many people loved it. That's pretty childish.

If the land was to be used in 2020 or 2021, I get being happy that Vortex is being removed to make way for the future. But we just got the most expensive announcement in park history. I can safely wager that we are not getting anything there in 2020 or 2021. If the future plan is a coaster, I'd guess not even 2022.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, coasterbill said:

It's being replaced by nothing right now. I don't think anyone expects that plot of land to remain empty forever.

True, but when a ride is removed one season without a replacement lined up, it means less capacity throughout the park as a whole to spread the people around.  Granted Orion will be a people eater, but whatever capacity Vortex was doing per hour means that capacity will now be spread amongst the queues of the remaining rides and inherently increasing wait times, whether measurable or not.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, b.k35 said:

Sorry if someone already posted this, but on the website the 2020 gold passes have Vortex on them. Is this further evidence this was a spur of the moment decision?

The actual card doesn't have a coaster on it at all and hasn't for years. They haven't changed their stock pass image in years. It's the same at every park except Knotts and Cedar Point which both are using different artwork due to their major anniversaries.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, b.k35 said:

Sorry if someone already posted this, but on the website the 2020 gold passes have Vortex on them. Is this further evidence this was a spur of the moment decision?Screen Shot 2019-09-27 at 3.44.33 PM.png

Probably not, I don’t see the removal of one of the parks most iconic rides to be a spur of the moment decision. Also note that several other parks use that imagine for their passes.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, homestar92 said:

The actual card doesn't have a coaster on it at all and hasn't for years. They haven't changed their stock pass image in years. It's the same at every park except Knotts and Cedar Point which both are using different artwork due to their major anniversaries.

My card which I got in 2018 has Banshee on it. I don't know what has been on them before, though

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, LovinMeSomeBanshee said:

Kentucky Kingdom is trash compared to Kings Island.  The fact that they even chimed in is comical.  

I know the person who runs their social. She loves KI. I’m sure it wasn’t supposed to be taken as a personal.  Whether it was appropriate or not is certainly up for debate but I don’t want you thinking that they’re down in Louisville laughing about this. They’re all coaster enthusiasts too and know that rides - especially ones that Vortex - can have sentimental value to the public.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Ben43065 said:

 I don’t see the removal of one of the parks most iconic rides to be a spur of the moment decision. 

I agree that I don't think it was necessarily a spur-of-the-moment decision, but I do wonder if their timeline was unexpectedly accelerated. 

Maybe all year the plan had been to announce at Haunt that Vortex would cease operations after the 2020 season, so prepare to come next summer and get your last rides in. But maybe some recent repairs or inspections revealed that it was going to need to come down sooner. Then again, if it was seen as becoming unsafe to ride, why keep it open for the rest of Haunt? 

I don't know. Maybe the team at KI underestimated the love for this one; it still seems unfair to announce the closing of such an iconic ride only a month in advance. They're usually pretty good about respecting park history, so I wonder if something forced their hand. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was looking at most of the promotional images for Orion and noticed Vortex is mostly absent. In some it appears to be there, but very covered up. In some it should be right there by WindSeeker, but doesn't appear to be there at all. It would be a good comparison to show Orion's height. The Orion logo to me looks to be in similar style to The Vortex logo as well. I think they knew for a while. 

I don't post here much any more, but I had to for this. I don't feel the park will ever be the same without it roaring through the inversions right by the midway. I'm sad, but will look to the future.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Rivertown Rider said:

If there is a good part, at least there is notice so that we can get last rides in.

Also if you read the blog, Gold and Platinum passholders can get 30 minutes of ERT on Saturdays and Sundays as Vortex has been added to the lineup for that alongside Mystic Timbers and Diamondback.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Beast Night Rider said:

I just hope we get a reason soon. We have no idea why they are removing it, whether it be for a new ride, maintenance costs, safety, etc. 

I, along with most people, am dying to know why???

They said in the release it had reached the end of its service life. It's likely as simple as that. No more parts available for a 33-year-old ride. There could have been inspections or maintenance that revealed it was not going to be feasible to run it another season. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Klabergian Empire said:

Here's a thought:

Kings Island has two Arrow coasters, Vortex and Adventure Express. Since Arrow closed in 2001, does the removal of Vortex in some shape or form foreshadow the demise of Adventure Express?

You forgot about The Bat. I would think AE is safe because Mine Trains have not really been getting demolished as of late, with some of them going on to be 50+ this year like Cedar Creek Mine Ride.

The Bat I have started to worry about: it is over 25- the age at which Big Bad Wolf was demolished- and it is a rarer model than the very common Mine Train coasters, with seemingly many more moving parts. I do think it'll stick around for a while, but I don't know how much longer it really has. And while they are not Arrows, I have similar thoughts about Invertigo and Flight of Fear in the upcoming decade (2020-2029).

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm curious when this starts to really affect Cedar Point. It's been a long time since they've said a real goodbye to a roller coaster (Mantis and Mean Streak just got transformed). I think Wildcat and Disaster Transport were the only two to actually close in a very long time. But I have to imagine some of them are really showing their age. Magnum is historic and my hunch is they want to keep it going as long as they can. But, like Vortex, it's an Arrow. It's also not aged particularly well; it slams you around something awful. Same with their Corkscrew and, I have to imagine, Cedar Creek Mine Ride. I'd also wonder how much life is left in Blue Streak and Gemini, although it seems that wooden coasters have a bit more of a lifespan to them. 

As we get older (and I'm 40 now; 25 years older than when I started riding these things), we're going to see a lot of favorites retired.  

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...