VortexBFForever

April 14 (along with the 13th) was a day for which many of us waited with great anticipation. Now, whether we believe it or not, that day has come. My first ever day of work at Kings Island was on Opening Day, April 15, 2017, and I wanted to repeat that this year by making April 14, 2018 my first day of my second season as a ride operator at WindSeeker and Vortex! After passing the growing line for the parking tolls that was almost backing up onto Kings Island Drive, I arrived at the park at 8:40. Apparently, many fellow associates had also arrived this early, as I had to wait in a long line to go through security and enter the park. But the line moved fairly quickly and I entered the park just before 9:00. As soon as I walked onto International Street, "The High and the Mighty" boomed over the speakers! I was so excited to hear instrumental music on International Street once again for the first time since last August (and WinterFest)! With a warmed up chocolate chip muffin and a Mocha Frappuccino in my hand (plus the Chicken McGriddle I got at McDonalds ) as I had not eaten breakfast prior to my long 45 minute commute, I met up with my crew and we headed back to our rides! While we were doing startups, I felt as if it had not been five and a half months since my last work day at Vortex. My experience and training had become so second nature that I could literally pick up where I left off from last year! Part of me was excited beyond belief that I was once again back at my favorite place, but the other part of me couldn't believe it had been so long, especially with how I picked up my work so easily! At 9:50, one of the most-anticipated moments of my whole winter finally came to be: my 494th ride on Vortex (a.k.a. my first morning test ride of 2018!) finally happened! And it was so much fun! It was smooth too, as the trains have all new wheels (which is typical for the beginning of the season) which always makes for a smooth(er) ride! I loved flying through those six inversions again...aboard Train #1, the same train that took me on the first test ride last year!! As the park opened at 9:58 (seriously, the park opened two minutes early! ), my drive retraining got underway. I spent the first hour reviewing everything I must know about Vortex's most responsible position, and subsequently became a recertified driver. After that came my first drive hour of the season! I don't even need to mention that I was so happy to be back at the panel, driving my favorite ride. But I'm mentioning it anyway. At approximately 11:30, it began to rain. Vortex runs fairly well in the rain as long as the ride doesn't get wet enough to impede safe operation, so I wasn't too worried. But I kept a closer eye on things just in case, as we were still running all three trains. At 11:40, we got the call to close for weather. WindSeeker closed as well. Soon after that, I went on break. One thing I love about my break happening during a weather-related closure is that I can literally eat my lunch in Vortex's station, since no guests are there. Once I got my food, I took it back to Vortex to eat. However, I noticed something strange... WindSeeker and Vortex were the only rides closed. ALL the other rides were still open. Usually when closing in anticipation of inclement weather, all the other tower rides and roller coasters close in a matter of minutes, but not this time. Diamondback, Eiffel Tower and Drop Tower (which are normally among the first to close) were still open! So why weren't we?? Once I got back to Vortex and told my crewmates, we got the matter clarified and we reopened Vortex just after noon, though WindSeeker remained closed for a little while longer. So I instead ate my lunch in the drive box, sitting on the floor out of view of the arriving guests who were eager to ride the newly reopened Vortex. Then a cool opportunity came up. As I ate, I thought it would be cool if I got to ride, since there was still no line and a nearly empty station. So I asked if I could ride, and I got the green light! I excitedly hopped aboard the back row and I was off on my 495th ride on Vortex. It had cooled down considerably since the late morning shower, which made for a fairly chilly ride. But it was no less fun, especially with that lovely ejector air on one of the best first drops at Kings Island! After that ride, I quickly returned to my lunch since my break was almost over. Now I can say I got to ride Vortex during my break, especially since it would not have happened had we NOT closed for weather!! Talk about great timing. My next hour was at Unload, more specifically Back Unload as we had four people working on the floor. It started raining again so I still watched the trains as they came into the brakes, ensuring everything was still A-OK (which it was, thankfully!). It was cool seeing how well the ride was operating in the rain with all three trains, as on many a rainy day we usually run only two. I loved getting to check restraints again, though sometimes my hand felt otherwise. After my one hour on the floor for today, I was back at Drive! It's not unusual for me to end up with more than one drive hour; apparently last year's theme of multiple drive hours even during a single Open or Close shift (as well as working only one hour at WindSeeker and the rest at Vortex) had carried over to this year, as my supervisors know how much I love Vortex. Right as this hour concluded and we had begun to rotate, I noticed @whengodsaysgo waving from the queue line, and I also saw @NoChickens, Mrs. NoChickens, @Magenta Lizard, @MDMC01, @malem, and even @jcgoble3 among others! I waved back from the drive box and even said hello over the mic, as well as told that I was now at 495 rides on Vortex. I think I also saw @PKIVortex earlier that hour, in his usual 7-1 seat, if I remember correctly. I asked my supervisor (who was taking my spot at Drive for the next hour) if I could send one more train (which had most of you aboard), and he let me send that train and its KIC passengers rolling out of the station. For the last hour of my shift I would be at Op-3 at WindSeeker. WindSeeker had just started a cycle when I left the drive box, so I had a few minutes before I absolutely had to be there. I chose to use that time to meet the KIC group at the exit, which was fun especially when I saw that @jcgoble3 had AGAIN come out of his Vortex retirement. After talking with the group for a few moments, I scooted over to WindSeeker since its ongoing cycle had concluded. There I spent the next hour assigning seats (which once again felt like it had NOT been five and a half months since I did so) and greeting the riders seated in my section while checking their lap bars. And just like that, it was time for me to clock out. Never had a six-hour shift flown by so fast. But my day wasn't done yet... ...as I had brought a change of clothes so I could be a guest and ride a few rides after work before I had to leave at 6! On my way out I noticed that Diamondback had only a station wait. A STATION WAIT on Opening Day?!?!?!! Just after 4:00, I entered the park as a guest for the first time of this season. I decided to swing by Build-A-Bear Workshop and see if they had any park-specific apparel yet that I could get for Toothless. Speaking of Toothless... ---he got to meet his display look-a-like. As for apparel, there was some Cincinnati-themed apparel but no Kings Island apparel. I walked up International Street as the beautiful tune "Circus Fantasy" from the "Water For Elephants" (2011) soundtrack played. I walked a little more slowly than usual so I could listen. Then I headed into Planet Snoopy and hopped aboard Log #17 on the Flume. Yes, I rode Flume. It may have been barely warmer than 60 degrees, but that didn't stop me. I was going to get wet anyway in the rain. Besides, Toothless had never ridden it so I took him on his first Flume ride! I (we) of course got a little wet, just how I like it on water rides. A little wet, but not drenched. Next, I headed across the way to Diamondback. As Diamond-stack was living up to its name for understandable reasons, the line had grown a little but it was still only five minutes -- which is GREAT for a day like Opening Day!! Where I was standing in this photo was how long the line was! Since Diamondback is not a no-loose-articles-in-line ride, Toothless is able to come through the line with me. However, he is not able to ride (not even while strapped to my fanny pack) due to the open seating. So he waited in the loose article bin while I rode Row 14 on the Red train for my first ride with the new seats and clamshells, which was also my 110th ride on Diamondback! It had started sprinkling again just before my ride, which made for my official first ride in the rain on Diamondback! I closed my eyes on the first several drops, feeling the rain drops hit my face as we plunged downward. It felt so cool to float in my seat but not see where I'm going! While my train waited on the brakes, I saw the line now reaching to below the lift where the train leaves the station. I decided one Diamondback ride was good for today as I did not have much time left. You know where I headed to next. I walked on to the back row for my 496th ride on Vortex in the rain, which had once again lightened. Another fairly smooth ride (and airtime!) ensued. Now, you likely saw in my earlier photos including WindSeeker that it was getting pretty windy up there. I went right to WindSeeker after riding Vortex so I could get in a 'Seeker flight in case it would later have to close for wind. What the photos show does no justice to just how windy it was 256 feet up. My first flight, in Seat 53 and to the tune of How to Train Your Dragon's "Test Drive" (quite appropriate since I had Toothless with me), was fun yet crazy because of the rain and the wind (and it was CHILLY!!). The last time I had a flight this windy was several years ago. This kind of flight is my favorite, especially since Kings Island's WindSeeker is the most reliable of its kind in the whole Cedar Fair chain, so I don't have to worry (as much) about getting stuck. I'm not even scared when the gondolas swing back and forth, even with the increased adrenaline that comes with having the gondola in front come within several feet of my gondola mid-flight, as well as feeling my seat slow down/speed up as the wind pushes it. I think it's exciting and adds to the thrill! Not to mention those additional shock absorbers that were installed in 2012 really come in handy for days like these. My 120th flight on WindSeeker I will definitely remember! After 'Seeker landed me back on the ground without fail, I headed back to Vortex and rode it again, this time in 2-1 as the front row was taken, for another nice, smooth (and chilly!) ride! Then I came back to WindSeeker for another crazy flight. This time I was in Seat 63, so I was right by Op-2 where two of my crewmates were. This cycle's soundtrack was my favorite, "Flying" from Peter Pan. I enjoyed my second windy, chilly flight of the season! I loved being back on WindSeeker and seeing the surrounding area from 256 feet in the air. ^If you look closely in this one, you can see a train on Diamondback, as well as a Vortex train hiding behind the loops! I started heading over towards The Beast to take advantage of its five-minute line, but I later decided that I should have Toothless' first ride on The Beast be at night (as it was going to be at night because I was going to ride it with Toothless at last year's Exclusive Ride Night, but that night's thunderstorm beat me to it) so I didn't go for it. Meanwhile, I discovered views of Vortex that normally coudn't be seen because the leaves would block it. So I spent fifteen minutes just photographing Vortex though the trees and enjoying those interesting views. ^I caught two trains in this photo!! It was almost 6, so I made my way back to International Street and left the park. By the next time I walk through the gates of Kings Island, I will have finished my spring semester (hopefully strongly) of my freshman year at Cedarville University, including enduring four final exams. I have a lot of work in between me and that day, but completing that work confidently will make my return to Kings Island more rewarding! Though I did not do everything I had planned today, an entire season lies ahead! There will be other days when crowds are this light. +Vortex: 4 Total: 497 (As of now I plan to take #500 in early May, hopefully May 4) +Race For Your Life Charlie Brown a.k.a. Flume: 1 Total: 11 +Diamondback: 1 Total: 110 +WindSeeker: 2 Total: 121

-The Original Bat -Screamin' Demon -King Cobra (especially since I loved Shockwave @ KD!) -Big Bad Wolf -Drachen Fire -Great American Scream Machine @ SFGadv (yes, people say it was rough, but still. Side note: its 29th anniversary would have been today!) -Shockwave @ SFGAm -XLR-8 -Afterburner @ Fun Spot in IN (especially since now the closest Arrow Launched Loop is in Oklahoma!) -Eagle Fortress @ Everland

I thought the same thing when I rode the Flume today. Even though it wasn't much warmer than 60 degrees, the water still felt pretty good! -BFF, who also enjoyed rainy/windy rides on Diamondback, Vortex, and WindSeeker.

My first Vortex ride of the season (a.k.a. my morning test ride at work on Saturday) is less than 48 hours away!!

When I had training at Vortex today (because Sunday was too cold ) and got excited at the fact that in just two days I will ride Vortex again!

When my training day is tomorrow. And Opening Day is in just one week...

I watched Vortex yesterday on the webcam! It was cycling periodically throughout the day and of course it made me all the more excited for my training day tomorrow. Wait...TOMORROW?! And today I've been watching Delirium and Slingshot run cycles, as their crew is training today.

@King Ding Dong I don't take it personally (or at least I do my best not to ) , though I do feel sorry for that family trip of yours that was unfortunately cut short due to that bad ride on Vortex. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, and I have learned to listen and accept others' different opinions, especially in this past year thanks to working at a ride that has mixed opinions! -BFF, who has a somewhat unpopular opinion about The Beast (don't worry; I like it! Just not as much as a lot of other people. )

WOW. So you're basically the opposite of me then.

^Ummmm....okay. *shrugs* I also think Mystic's shed is a bit overrated. But it's still fun. -BFF, who now is curious as to how Vortex can be overrated.

Parks I've visited (first visit date): Kings Island (September 30, 2007) Darien Lake (July 25, 2011) Cedar Point (August 4, 2011) Kings Dominion (April 10, 2012) Coney Island, OH (June 19, 2012) Busch Gardens Williamsburg (June 26, 2012) Dollywood (April 3, 2013) Stricker's Grove (July 31, 2013) Universal Studios Florida/Islands of Adventure (March 6, 2018) I have since returned to Darien Lake in 2013 and to Dollywood last year, and I'm REALLY hoping I can make it back to Busch Gardens Williamsburg this summer to celebrate Loch Ness Monster's 40th anniversary!!!!

When I read all the way through my crew's Facebook page and GroupMe chat (as well as my WinterFest crew's GroupMe chat!) out of excitement that I will get to see most of them again very soon... ...and also when I repeatedly read/study Vortex's and WindSeeker's operation manuals in preparation for my on-ride training day (9 Days!!!).

Yay!! Of course I had to be in class while that was happening... [emoji14] Also, BLSC is running right now!

If any of you see Vortex testing on the cam, let me know! When it's 13 days until my Training Day! So close and yet so far. I cannot tell you how excited I am to reunite with my crew and my favorite two rides to work!

^I saw it in person! I had just finished Orientation and was leaving when I saw it!!

I didn't ride Vortex until I was 11! And while I'm at work there, I see many 48" kids who are quite younger than 11 ride it, sometimes multiple times on end! I commend them for their bravery.

I have my Orientation bright and early at 9am tomorrow, followed by my Rides General Knowledge at 2! I'm excited, though not as excited as I'll be in two weeks when I finally return for my On-Ride Training on April 8!!

When I have my eyes riveted on my job email inbox, watching for the email about which ride crews train on which days...it should be any day now when I get it! Last year’s training day email came on March 15. [emoji4]

^I didn't appreciate the delay at all on FunPix photos at Vortex. Whenever I rode, my photo didn't show up until the amount of time taken to dispatch three more trains had passed (which is often too long for many to wait). A lot of times the photos didn't load at all. In many cases, we sent inquiring guests over to The Beast to look at their photos there. I REALLY hope this year will be different. Most Vortex riders, though they don't buy their on-ride photos, just want to see them, and I have seen many a guest walk away disappointed after they couldn't see the funny face they made specially for their photo. I wish the monitors were still at the photo booth -- they could at least cycle through the photos as they come in so people can see them!!

When I find myself practicing my different spiels for when I'm driving Vortex and it has to close for weather or other various downtimes, as well as practicing WindSeeker spiels since it's quite likely that I'll finally be drive trained at WindSeeker this season.

^For that matter I have experienced LROTNOV (no surprise) a lot of times, and I have also enjoyed LROTNOWS, LROTNOMT, LROTNOZ, LROTNOET, LROTNOGC, and LROTNOBB! FROTD (First Ride of the Day) should be a thing just as much as LROTN, if you ask me. I have had many FROTD experiences as well! -BFF, who for that matter has also gotten the LROTSOV in 2015 and 2016, LROTSOWS this past year (2017), and one of the LROTSOBB during WinterFest.

How about 360 POVs for the other rides? Banshee and Beast already have POV videos in that format and I love watching them. The more rides the better!! -BFF, who would absolutely love 360 POVs of Vortex and WindSeeker!

I probably would have broken down and started crying, or at least come close to it (as I am extremely sensitive). Honestly, the only thing that scares me when I think about possibly getting trained at Mystic and Banshee is possibly having to deal with those aforementioned instances. I shouldn't let it stop me from getting trained there, though...

I had my weekly Physics lab yesterday and it involved the ballistic pendulum (where you shoot a metal ball into an attached pendulum to see how far it swings), and I found myself yelling “Clear!” every time I pulled the string to shoot the ball. I guess I’m really excited to do the real thing at KI within just eight weeks!

^I'm thinking of getting trained on Mystic Timbers this year! I just hope that greeter isn't too stressful, especially when telling guests they must put their bags in a locker...