Vortex Is Leaving After This Fall Season

[SonofBaconator 11363]

Hear me out

or

[medford 4314]

On 10/2/2019 at 1:57 PM, fyrfyter said:

 

I doubt it. I really think Vortex is a popularity issue. Most days even when the park is busy, Vortex is almost a walk-on. The more I think about this, the more apparent it becomes. They made the queue on the pathway much shorter in previous years, because it was no longer needed.

I truly believe some part of this ride is hitting failure state. Something that is of significant enough expense that cost vs benefit is rapidly playing into it. I don’t believe the brakes story and I don’t believe the controller after hearing from those on this forum.

So what’s left? Chain, anti-rollback, lift motor, Paint job, etc. Which of these items is the true likely demise of this coaster. What about the MCBR? Could there be something going on there that is costly enough that someone has decided it isn’t worth repairing?

Made the Que shorter?  Que appears to be the same as it has been since it opened, the only thing that has changed is how much the que extends out past the end of the que.  Back when I was a kid, it was often that the Que would extend out to where the basketball games are now (past the Diner), but I always knew once you entered the Que, it was approx. 15 min to ride time.  Vortex ate people and chewed them out, so even though the lines have diminished, it still regularly sends out full trains.  If they would have changed the ride to only run 2 trains, you would have seen theline extend to near the start of the que on a regular basis.

 

How do they decide who gets the last ride on Vortex?  Is it as simple as the last person in line on closing day gets the last spot?  Or do they let employees take a few spins at the end?  Seems only appropiate that VortexBFF should get a spin in her favorite seat on the last train to leave the station.

[BeastForever 6671]

58 minutes ago, Gordon Bombay said:

@TOPGUN1993 or @TombraiderTy can correct me if I'm wrong but, I believe behind the exit path fence (where it shifts towards the photo booth), there's a concrete pad where another queue house once stood. 

I'm neither of those people, but I believe that is accurate.

[Gordon Bombay 2921]

1 hour ago, medford said:

Made the Que shorter?  Que appears to be the same as it has been since it opened...

Not sure if it existed for Vortex (or just The Bat), but there used to be another set of switchbacks beneath the station. Another thing I should double check with @TombraiderTy, @TOPGUN1993, or @Shaggy.

[TOPGUN1993 5003]

2 hours ago, BeastForever said:

I'm neither of those people, but I believe that is accurate.

Yup, you can see the old queue rail holes in the concrete from the former queue house.

[TOPGUN1993 5003]

1 hour ago, Gordon Bombay said:

Not sure if it existed for Vortex (or just The Bat), but there used to be another set of switchbacks beneath the station. Another thing I should double check with @TombraiderTy, @TOPGUN1993, or @Shaggy.

Not sure if Vortex ever utilized the under station switchbacks.

Bat Construction - Shows the under station queue house (notice how originally you were forced to go all the way to the bottom level before station level.)

Vortex Construction 1987 - Switchbacks appear to be there.

[fyrfyter 1103]

Made the Que shorter?  Que appears to be the same as it has been since it opened, the only thing that has changed is how much the que extends out past the end of the que.  Back when I was a kid, it was often that the Que would extend out to where the basketball games are now (past the Diner), but I always knew once you entered the Que, it was approx. 15 min to ride time.  Vortex ate people and chewed them out, so even though the lines have diminished, it still regularly sends out full trains.  If they would have changed the ride to only run 2 trains, you would have seen theline extend to near the start of the que on a regular basis.

 

How do they decide who gets the last ride on Vortex?  Is it as simple as the last person in line on closing day gets the last spot?  Or do they let employees take a few spins at the end?  Seems only appropiate that VortexBFF should get a spin in her favorite seat on the last train to leave the station.

 

The queue is shorter. There used to be more railing headed back towards the diner. They removed a lot of it when KMAA was installed.

 

Those station pics are interesting- there was no bridge over the track when that station was originally built.

[Joshua 2189]

I hope they leave the station up for the time being. I'd hate to see that victorian design go. Maybe it could be used as a new Haunt attraction? 

[Benjamin22 1929]

7 minutes ago, Joshua said:

I hope they leave the station up for the time being. I'd hate to see that victorian design go. Maybe it could be used as a new Haunt attraction? 

That’s what I’m betting they do, seems like a pretty good location for a haunt maze.

[Joshua 2189]

4 minutes ago, Ben43065 said:

That’s what I’m betting they do, seems like a pretty good location for a haunt maze.

It also wouldn't be such a bad venue for a park museum, just sayin'!  

[RedSummit20 153]

16 hours ago, TOPGUN1993 said:

Not sure if Vortex ever utilized the under station switchbacks.

Bat Construction - Shows the under station queue house (notice how originally you were forced to go all the way to the bottom level before station level.)

Vortex Construction 1987 - Switchbacks appear to be there.

Where did you find these photos at those are so cool! 

[Shaggy 4406]

18 hours ago, Gordon Bombay said:

Not sure if it existed for Vortex (or just The Bat), but there used to be another set of switchbacks beneath the station. Another thing I should double check with @TombraiderTy, @TOPGUN1993, or @Shaggy.

 

17 hours ago, TOPGUN1993 said:

Yup, you can see the old queue rail holes in the concrete from the former queue house.

Huh?  I'm confused - are we talking Vortex or Beast?  This picture is taken from The Beast's queue area - where there used to be another queue house when it opened. (That's the base of the first drop of Vortex - quite a ways away from The Vortex Station.)

Vortex never had another queue house, or outside queue than what it has now - TMK.  It DID, however, use the queues/switchbacks underneath the station for at least a few years - I recall waiting down there.  The line for Vortex always "started" next to the short concrete wall beside SR&R.  When it first opened, that line would would grow and extend down Coney Mall.  BTW - like Beast's paw prints, Vortex originally had it's logo painted on the blacktop leading guests down Coney Mall to it.

[TOPGUN1993 5003]

20 hours ago, Gordon Bombay said:

@TOPGUN1993 or @TombraiderTy can correct me if I'm wrong but, I believe behind the exit path fence (where it shifts towards the photo booth), there's a concrete pad where another queue house once stood. 

I must of quoted the wrong post ^^^

We were talking about Beast in this post. thx

[Gordon Bombay 2921]

@Shaggy He was talking about The Beast first in reference to an earlier question, then The Vortex queue question arose. Thanks for your insight on the queue.

[Bennett 1834]

Got my last ride in Sunday, we rode in 5-1 and 5-2.  Still a cool ride, but there is a reason that I had not ridden it in years.  I know when and how to brace myself, but just brutal with the old school restraints and cars.

Goodbye and good riddance to this incarnation.  

[SonofBaconator 11363]

18 hours ago, TOPGUN1993 said:

To be completely honest, I wouldn't mind if they turned the station into a haunted house just because of the Victorian architecture.

[Klabergian Empire 1229]

2 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

To be completely honest, I wouldn't mind if they turned the station into a haunted house just because of the Victorian architecture.

Basically do to it what they did to SoB's station.

[Maverick44 7554]

I would love it is they connect the station to a building and then did something with the Phantom returning and having it be like Haunted Mansion at Disney.

[SonofBaconator 11363]

11 minutes ago, Klabergian Empire said:

Basically do to it what they did to SoB's station.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Vortex's station looks a little bigger than SOB's

[Joshua 2189]

21 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

To be completely honest, I wouldn't mind if they turned the station into a haunted house just because of the Victorian architecture.

Is there an echo in here?

2 hours ago, Joshua said:

I hope they leave the station up for the time being. I'd hate to see that victorian design go. Maybe it could be used as a new Haunt attraction? 

 

[SonofBaconator 11363]

1 minute ago, Joshua said:

Is there an echo in here?

Great minds think a like I guess

[TombRaiderFTW 9738]

Speaking of that Bat station picture (which is awesome, by the way): how did the post-station, pre-lift transfer track work? In my head, I always imagined The Bat's transfer track being like Vortex's, but that's not what's shown there. And there's such a slope on each track that it makes me feel like that transfer track must have been at a strange angle.

[Joshua 2189]

26 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but Vortex's station looks a little bigger than SOB's

It looks like it, but having that bottom section helps out a lot. Maybe they could theme it after bats or, given the proximity, a beast of some sort? You know, really play up the park history. 

[SonofBaconator 11363]

11 minutes ago, Joshua said:

Maybe they could theme it after bats

Vampires? I think that would be a cool concept to play on with the building being initially built to a coaster called The Bat.

[TOPGUN1993 5003]

On 10/8/2019 at 12:24 PM, TombRaiderFTW said:

Speaking of that Bat station picture (which is awesome, by the way): how did the post-station, pre-lift transfer track work? In my head, I always imagined The Bat's transfer track being like Vortex's, but that's not what's shown there. And there's such a slope on each track that it makes me feel like that transfer track must have been at a strange angle.

It was different than Vortex for the fact where you would never have to back a train up to get it back on the main line. There was 2 switch tracks (similar to Firehawks switch track) at either end of the station. 

That portion of the storage track still has the big "barn doors" on your left just before Vortex photo.

 

 

[fyrfyter 1103]

That’s another great picture and explanation.

 

When someone asked this, the first thought that came to mind was TG/FD/TB transfer track and how it works.

 

I did know that to be the original station and the cutouts above the barn doors where The Bat track came through.

[CoastersRZ 5604]

Fantastic photo!  I never knew that about The Bat.

[HandsUp 394]

22 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

Hear me out

or

#2 all day

[Joshua 2189]

50 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Vampires? I think that would be a cool concept to play on with the building being initially built to a coaster called The Bat.

Good point! The queue house does somewhat remind me of Salem's Lot. 

[Number5IsAlive 69]

Thank you for all the thrill over the years Vortex. Pourin' one out for ya old buddy.