VortexBFForever

Someone from the Rides Department contacted me today hoping to set up an interview!!! I can barely contain my excitement!!! Interview tips, anyone?

My school's Physics class goes to Kings Island every May. It just so happened that when I was in that class last year, the trip was canceled because of expenses. -BFF, who is bummed that she never got to experience an education day, and maybe never will...

This coming season will be my 11th. I have visited every season since 2007... I had a Regular Pass in 2009, then I upgraded to Gold at the end of the 2009 season and remained so until 2013, when the jump to Platinum took place. 2017 will be my fifth season as a Platinum Passholder.

When you're driving down U.S. 42 South, descending the hill approaching the State Route 48 junction, and you see WindSeeker, Eiffel Tower and Drop Tower on the horizon which triggers a flood of memories of all the wonderful excursions you've enjoyed at the Island (which of course reveals your longing for April 15th to come around)... When you look on the Kings Island website and rejoice upon noticing "Park Opens April 15th" in the "Kings Island Hours" widget near the top of the page... When you install a countdown app on your phone and enter Opening Day as an event. 97 days to survive enjoy!

I appreciate it as well! Reading this thread makes me so excited about the possibility of working at a place that means so much to me!

I have dreamed of driving Vortex since I was 11. It may not happen this year (given that I get a job), but if/when it does it will literally be a dream come true!! Just remember you are not allowed to drive roller coasters until you are at least 18 years old. Happy Riding! I will be 18 years old in one month and 23 days, so age shouldn't be a problem!

I have dreamed of driving Vortex since I was 11. It may not happen this year (given that I get a job), but if/when it does it will literally be a dream come true!! I second that. My resume's "Experience" section is 100% volunteer work, and plenty of work at that.

I'm 17 (turning 18 in two months) and I applied two weeks ago (December 13, to be exact). Obviously I haven't heard back yet as they don't start interviews until February, but I've been checking my email almost every day in case I do get something before then. I have been wondering, though, how people hired for Rides are decided which ride to work on. I am well aware that if I get a job in Rides this season, it would be very likely that I work on a ride other than Vortex especially since I would be a newbie.

When you're watching numerous Kings Island trip vlogs on YouTube to make the (currently) four month wait seem shorter than it really is. Also when you're planning how to save $ towards eventually adding All-Season FunPix and an All-Season Dining Plan to your pass once the park opens.

I do hope I can come next year. Chances are I won't be dealing with swim meets next winter, plus my sister and I are planning to attend WinterFest. The party looks like so much fun!!

And you thought I wouldn't have a Closing Day trip report up this year. Senior year of high school has been so busy that I have not had ample time to write this until Thanksgiving weekend. I also hope to write about my October 29 Point excursion (and actually follow through on these words!) If I don't get to my other trip reports this weekend, there's hope that Christmas break will allow more time... That being said, I will now tell you about the most time-constrained Closing Day trip I've ever had (and hopefully ever will have)! And by time-constrained I mean literally leaving my house at 6, making the 50-minute drive and arriving at the park at 6:50, 10 minutes before closing! I was unable to come earlier due to church in the morning and Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (DPYO) rehearsal from 1:30-4:30. But a brief visit to the beloved Island was much better than nothing, especially if it wouldn't open again until April! Prior to arrival, my mom had renewed my Platinum Pass online, though she had not yet renewed hers because she had a regular-rate pass instead of a senior-rate pass. So when we arrived (and agreed to meet back up later), she went to Guest Services to ask if she could "upgrade" to a senior-rate pass, while I went to the Season Pass Processing Center to get my picture taken for my newly renewed 2017 Platinum Pass. I literally was in and out of the Season Pass Processing Center in 30 seconds. I walked in where one other guest was being helped, to Station 8 (the same station where my original Platinum Pass photo was taken!), told the lady I needed my picture taken for my renewed pass, and she took my picture and I was good to go. After thanking her, I headed right out the exit and toward the Front Gate, eager to scan my 2017 Platinum Pass for the first time as a 2017 pass and the last time in the 2016 season, after which I began speedwalking toward the back of the park in the hopes to catch the last ride of the season on a certain favorite ride. At this time, it was 6:55. Passing throngs of guests heading toward the exit, I skedaddled up into Coney Mall. Eventually, Vortex's open entrance came into view as I fast approached. I checked the time - then 6:58 - as I drew closer. Finally, I reached the entrance, out of breath from my brisk walk. My legs were tired and my throat was dry, but I had made it!! I kept repeating "I made it!" under my breath as I strode into the station for the last time this season. I decided to take a breather before I rode, so I stood by the side of the station first, watching trains come and go. A few minutes later, as it was now 7:00, the crew announced, "This is the last train. If you're not on this train, then you don't ride," as the gates opened. I sprung into action, joining the other ~16-18 riders as we all scrambled to different seats on the train. Since my preferred cars (first, second, sixth, and seventh) were already occupied, I collapsed into 3-1, relieved that after all that had happened today I had made the last train of the season! And yes, the ride was well worth it, including hearing "Enjoy the last ride of the season on Vortex!" and "Thank you for making Vortex your last ride of the season. See you next year!" My fellow riders on board Train #1 (yes, the same train that took me on my 300th ride last year was also the last train to carry riders this year!!) had a grand ole' time as well. It was great! As I disembarked, WindSeeker finished its last cycle of the season. Mom and I agreed via text to meet at the front gate at 8:00. On the way to Diamondback, I stood in front of Vortex, taking in the iconic view one last time before the six month wait would begin. After a few moments, I said goodbye and continued to Rivertown, as Diamondback was calling my name and I didn't want to miss the ERT! When I got to Diamondback, the line extended to below the lift hill, which only shortened as I would later have a station wait for my second and third rides. I hopped in line for Row 14, where I saw a group of four - one of whom was Brendan Carey, who has over 3,000 rides on Banshee (and a discussion topic about him here on KIC! )! I got to meet him! I congratulated him as he and his group boarded the Brown Train, to which he of course said thanks. Right before I boarded the Green Train, I received a text from Beastie1980. Voice to text (a.k.a. "diction" on iPhone) came in handy as I replied to her text and walked aboard at the exact same time! It probably goes without saying, but the ride was AWESOME, especially since the last time I rode Diamondback at night was at last year's renewal ERT on November 1, 2015! And yes, I remembered the "Diamondback Dive," as Beastie1980 taught me last year! Like last year, it got pretty cold in those back woods! If you think those two ladies in the foreground of this photo are DiamondAceExpress and Lucy (ohiocolts's sister), then you would be correct. I saw them as I queued for Row 16 for my third ride. (For my second ride, I rode near the front in Row 2.) It was nice seeing you again! I obviously did not see my fellow KICers enough this season. Hopefully that changes next season!! For my last ride of the season on Diamondback, I took in as much as I could. Going up the lift hill, I put my hands behind my head, closed my eyes, and totally relaxed, feeling the gentle upward pull and listening to the anti-rollback. Of course I also took some time to look around at the rest of the park, all (mostly) lit up, and the lift lights going by right beside the train. I looked over at the sleeping Vortex and wished it another good night before diving 215 feet into the darkness one last time. Do I even need to say that that was another amazing ride??!??! And it was cold!?!??! Since I was in the back I stuck my arm out during the splashdown and felt the cool water, and while in the brake run I stared at the gargantuan lift hill in front of me, enjoying that view for the last time until spring. In the meantime, I had been keeping Beastie1980 updated on what I was up to, though I didn't receive another text from her during the trip. I did see her mom as I met my mom back at the front gate, as it was 8:00. The line was nearly nonexistent when I exited. Maybe everyone else went to Banshee? As you can see from the photos, I made sure to get plenty of pictures of the Royal Fountains as I felt the mist, smelled the chlorine, and watched them illuminated in various vivid colors for the last time. Upon arrival at the Front Gate, my mom and Beastie1980's mom talked for a little while, while I tried to accept that it was time to end this visit and that the 2016 season was finally over. As I walked back in toward the Fountains, The Script's "Superheroes" started playing with virtually perfect timing. I listened (and sang along), gradually gaining the gusto to confidently walk out of the gate knowing that I would be walking back in next April and/or May before knowing it! Of course I said goodbye to Beastie1980's mom first, telling her to say hello to Beastie1980 for me. "Superheroes" continued to play as we made our way to our car. It was Kings Island's own goodbye as it too bid farewell to the 2016 season. I, and many others, will most certainly be looking forward to next year! (after celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. first, that is!) See you in 2017, Kings Island! As for my mom renewing her pass, she got her questions answered and she now has a 2017 senior-rate Platinum Pass, which she paid in full up front. My pass is on EasyPay, which makes for another way to count down to the next season. +Vortex: 1 YTD: 17 Total: 317 +Diamondback: 3 YTD: 9 Total: 92 (Next year I'll take my 100th ride on Diamondback!!) Notes: -Crews on both Diamondback and Vortex were nice and engaging (which is very good!) -Even with all the rushing at the beginning, I was still actively enjoying the park. -One of last year's Closing Day Vortex crew members was here this time. She and I had a nice talk after closing. Hopefully next year I can see my friends more! -Very thankful for what took place, and of course for Kings Island's willingness to keep five rides open for two more hours! That will always be appreciated! -I didn't see many KICers this year, but a seeing a few is better than seeing no one at all! -Hope to be able to meet up with many more KICers next year (and I'm planning on buying all-season FunPix so I won't miss a moment!)

I never rode Son of Beast, as my coaster phobias weren't totally cured until 2009 and 2010 with the help of Diamondback and Vortex, respectively. I did, however, ride Mean Streak (and I liked it) so I may have enjoyed SoB in the slightest had I faced a chance of riding it. Obviously at this point, I can only imagine what it would have been like. As for Vortex, I've always found it helpful to relax and lean slightly forward so if you are caught off guard (a.k.a. your head goes to a side) your head won't hit the harness. I hope I can be of some help to you who are struggling (though I'm practically "immune" to headbanging from riding it so many times ). Back to Son of Beast: While I never rode it, I do remember the sight of it. In fact, SoB was the very first part of Kings Island I ever saw in person on my very first visit back on September 30, 2007. I clearly remember exclaiming "Hey, look! I see roller coaster supports!" to my mom as we were heading down Southbound Interstate 71 toward the park. -BFF, who most sincerely thanks Rustbucket for bringing this discussion back on topic.

I just had a dream last night where I was with a group at Kings Island on a special offseason tour. We were walking on the path between Diamondback and Backlot Stunt Coaster, and I clearly remember prancing down the path with widespread arms, clearly out of the joy of once again being surrounded by rides. The sky was cloudy and it was cold, clearly giving away the time of year. I look toward Vortex and, lo and behold, it was operating WITH RIDERS! We walk behind Vortex where all the associates working the ride were gathered in a fenced area. I asked one of them why Vortex was open, and he responded saying that today they were opening the park at 6 p.m. for the community to enjoy for one day. I looked at a nearby clock, which showed a time after 6, and thought "I don't want to miss my family dinner..." (my family is actually having a big dinner tonight ) but I decided to stay to ride. I noticed Vortex's queue was mirrored, as the riders were queuing and boarding from the left side of the train instead of the right side like in real life. I think this dream had to do with a post from Six Flags Great Adventure that I saw on Instagram about their "Holiday in the Park" event, as well as seeing a post here about Dollywood's "Smoky Mountain Christmas" event. I bet going to a park in the winter would be fun! 2016-2017 Vortex Dreams: 2

I just had a dream last night. It was weird, yet I still thought it could be real. It took place at Kings Island and for some reason we had the ability to fly. We were divided into teams and we were searching for some kind of objects that we would fly up to the cloud corresponding with our team symbol and color. My team symbol was a star and it would flash yellow-orange (like dandelion). So a few times I would fly up and the more objects we collected, the brighter the team cloud would glow. Other teams had the ability to steal what my team cloud had, because sometimes I would fly back and find my cloud dark until I activated it again. Then at some point in the dream the other teams were teaming up against me and someone was holding a needle (like one used for shots) and was about to poke me with it which would take away my ability to fly. But I escaped just in time and flew toward the back of the park, which strangely enough had rides still open even though it is already the offseason! I reached Vortex, only to find that its trains looked more like Adventure Express' trains, AND the riders sat facing sideways (like on a subway)! The restraints looked like the skinnier shoulder harnesses seen on Arrow's first few looping and suspended coasters. I found an empty seat, lifted the harness, and climbed on. Even though we faced sideways, we somehow still faced forward when the train disembarked and ascended the lift hill! The ride layout was fairly accurate compared to its real life counterpart, though I don't remember much about what happened as the dream ended soon after that. I don't know what the flying and the clouds had to do with Kings Island (other than it taking place there) but the part with Vortex was especially interesting; if this was in real life, we wouldn't be able to even ride Vortex because all three of its trains are in maintenance being disassembled as we speak! But I would certainly love being able to fly!! One week into the offseason. Let the dreams begin! 2016-2017 Vortex Dreams: 1

...when swimming starts. First practice on Monday! (though for me it'll be Tuesday because I have Springfield Youth Symphony rehearsal on Monday)

Yes, Currently at 404. What is your current Vortex count? 317 as of yesterday. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got to the park at 6:50 and walked in the gate at 6:55. I had just enough time to ride Vortex and I rode Diamondback three times during ERT. Glad you had a great day! Have you reached 400 on Diamondback yet?

...when current wait times for all rides are approximately six months and the Current Wait Times thread loses relevance. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I saw him on Diamondback last night! He was on the train before mine and I congratulated him. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In line for Gemini yesterday there was one time when the op said "See you back here in 2 hours and 40 minutes" instead of the real time of 2 minutes and 40 seconds, probably to make things more interesting. That got some chuckles.

...when all who attend Closing Day rave about their "last ride of the season" experiences, some of whom also lament the impending ride withdrawal that's bound to happen sooner or later (hopefully later). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congratulations Brendan! On a side note, imagine how long it would take me to get to 3000 rides on Vortex...I'm at only 316 and I've been riding it for six and a half seasons!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not right now. But I will have a picture of the two of them by the end of the season. I am glad you all are enjoying yet another trip report! Thanks for the compliments!

^That is actually where I am picking up this part, so you will read the answer really shortly! By the time we got on, the rain had escalated to a downpour. The few people who were in front of us bailed, so now we were at the front of the line, which meant we got Seats 1 and 2. We were two of eight brave souls willing to get soaked for the sake of free-falling at 67 mph. Minutes later, Drop Tower was on its way, with eight of its forty seats filled, making the 315-foot ascent. The view from up top was so worth being soaked! Visibility was low, but it was sooooo cool seeing all the rain falling from 315 feet above ground! Then I heard the click, counted to 7, and plunged. The rain slowed down, then started going UP as we dropped faster and faster! When the magnetic brakes kicked in, the rain started falling down again as we heard "Welcome back, Soak City Waterpark riders; we hope you enjoyed that drop!" So to answer your question, King Ding Dong, one who rides Drop Tower falls faster than the rain. This is living proof that rain can fall up! Just ride Drop Tower when it's raining! Taylor's mom took a picture of us on our way up. I'm the one sitting the closest to the camera, and Taylor is sitting next to me. Once we touched down, the two attendants scrambled to help get the eight of us off so we could get to a dry shelter. We ran out the exit gate to a nearby gift shop were Taylor's parents had gone to get out of the rain. I suggested we have our picture taken together as a future reminder of just how soaked we were! And by soaked, I mean so soaked that we could literally wring water out of our shirts, like a washcloth! The only part of my clothes that was dry was where I was wearing my waist pack. It was 7:30. After staying in the gift shop for a few minutes, we wanted to ride Adventure Express next. Taylor's parents wanted to stay where it was dry, so we agreed that Taylor and I could go ahead and ride some rides and then meet up again after the rain stopped. So Taylor and I started out on our rain-filled journey to Adventure Express, speed-walking/jogging down the nearly deserted, puddle-ridden walkways and past clusters of guests huddling under roofs of buildings and queue lines. Finally, we reached the entrance and the covered queue line, where we could finally slow down without having to worry about getting more wet. We trudged up to the deserted station, where a train was just arriving. We queued for the front row. No one else had dared to join us, meaning we would have a train all to ourselves! And the two of us were off through the rainy woods. The trees blocked a lot of the rain and the tunnels were warm and dry. With the rain we still got, I enjoyed feeling it on my face, even if it meant squinting for nearly the entire time! And in the last tunnel we could clearly hear "You have disturbed the forbidden temple. Now you will pay!" As I saw the lava flashing, I said "Please dump some lava on us! We need it right now!" When we arrived back at the station, Taylor asked if we could ride again, which was answered with a sad "no." A few oncoming riders behind us reminisced about when the policy did allow rerides. And of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a picture of us and our train after the ride. We had time to ride Racer, so we did that next. The Red side was open and the front was already taken, so we rode in the second-to-last row, one of my favorite seats. While waiting for our train to arrive, we talked with Claire, one of The Racer attendants. She was very nice and we enjoyed talking with her and about our rainy rides on Drop Tower and Adventure Express! The rain had stopped by the time we and about six other riders were on, with the exception of a drizzle that I felt while going up the lift hill. I looked back and saw more rain in the distance before we crested and sped down and over the hills. I noticed that WindSeeker was down and Vortex appeared to be down as well, either due to no one showing up to ride it, a technical delay, or both. After our fun, and of course wet, Racer ride, we headed up to Vortex, since we had ten minutes and we wanted to ride it. The sparsely populated midway was a nice change to the normal crowds, as tonight was nearly as "dead" as Tuesday (August 16) was! As we were approaching, Vortex began testing! We remained by the entrance for a few minutes, waiting for one of the attendants to come and move the trash can. One eventually did a few minutes later. Even though we were cut in line by two other guests who had shown up right before the can was moved (even though we were there first), that didn't matter. What mattered was that Vortex had reopened and we were about to take my 315th Vortex ride! The two girls who got in front of us had Train #3 to themselves. We were hoping for our own train, but several others were in line behind us. We had already had our own train on Adventure Express, and we were in line for the front seat, so everything was still good! The three trains were beautifully speckled with raindrops, which would add a nice touch to this photo I took as we boarded Train #1. It was nice and cool at the bottom of the first drop (something I really enjoy when riding in the evening!) and of course the unparalleled view in the inversions was intriguing as always. During the inversions, I looked back and could see the rest of the train making the twisty maneuver. That view in itself is absolutely amazing!! It was 8:00 right as we disembarked. I took a couple more photos of the train's rain-speckled nose. While exiting, I saw that one of the crew members who was there for my 300th ride was there again tonight. He asked what my count was and I told him 315. He then said that the crew had something for me. He went into the drive box and brought out a 2016 Vortex/WindSeeker crew button and gave it to me. I told him "Thank you!" as I attached my new button to my waist pack, alongside The Vortex button I had received in 2014. As Taylor and I began our journey to the Front Gate, we took a side trip to the overlook in front of Vortex, where we found some large puddles. Since we were already wet, we jumped around in the puddles as Vortex cycled its last trains of the night. As the three of us played together (yes, I'm counting Vortex ), the rain started to fall once more. It was a simple, yet unique moment of this crazy evening where we could forget about reality and just enjoy being kids. I wouldn't have chosen to end this adventure any other way than to play with a friend in rain puddles, all at my "home playground" with my favorite ride standing by. The train in these last few pics was Train #1 - the same train that took us on our ride earlier. How much more fitting can this get?!? We continued to play in the puddles until Vortex went quiet as it went to sleep for the night. Then we resumed our walk to the Front Gate to meet up with Taylor's parents. After meeting back up with Taylor's parents, we had one more stop: Guest Services. The gentleman who helped us was more than happy to hear our compliments that we had for Nathan and Claire and how they made our trip more memorable! I would say that this trip was the best trip all summer, and probably all season as well (by far)! I will be remembering this #KIBestDay for eons to come! +Tidal Wave Bay: 2 Total: 6 +Splash River: 3 Total: 5 +Coconut Cove: 1 +Tropical Plunge: 4 (2x tube, 2x body) +Race For Your Life Charlie Brown: 1 YTD: 3 Total: 9 +Diamondback: 1 YTD: 6 Total: 89 +Banshee: 1 YTD: 5 Total: 19 +The Bat: 1 YTD: 3 Total: 77 +Drop Tower: 1 YTD: 2 Total: 29 +Adventure Express: 1 YTD: 3 Total: 45 +Red Racer: 1 YTD: 3 Total: 17 +Vortex: 1 YTD: 15 Total: 315 Notes: -Definitely not your average night - especially once it started raining! -A few slides, including Tropical Twister and Paradise Plunge, were closed as well as Breakers Bay. I am guessing it was because of staffing since it was the first week that a lot of schools were starting the year. -Yes, Tropical Plunge was fun. I recommend it. -The dry park was almost, if not, as dead as it was on Tuesday (August 16)! -We were in wet clothes for a total of three hours, including our one hour drive home plus a side trip to the Waynesville McDonald's. I'll say it again: it was well worth it! -Again, Nathan and Claire and a number of others at the rides were very nice and helpful. -Our rainy "zen ride" on Adventure Express happened to be my 45th ride! For that matter, my Diamondback count is approaching 100...

After a busy weekend, I have finally returned! Part 2: Kings Island Once our feet and the path had led us to Kings Island, the first ride we rode was Race For Your Life Charlie Brown. There was a line, but from past experience I knew it would move quickly. And I was right - less than ten minutes passed before we boarded with another group of 2. As physics would have it, a boat of 4 displaces more water and makes a bigger splash than a boat of 2, which was very evident on the final drop when we got more wet than on any of our other rides on RFLYCB! We sure had not been dry for long...and it would end up staying that way, as we would later find. The Kings Island app told me that Diamondback was a five minute wait, so we headed over there to try to dry off. The line went back to the bottom of the lift hill and it moved very quickly. Like RFYLCB, it was no more than ten minutes. As you could see in the pictures, we originally queued for Row 12, but switched to Row 14 when we saw it was a one train wait as well. Taylor's dad rode in front of us, in Row 13. The Green Train took us on our first dry ride adventure of this evening! Knowing that Banshee's line would be nearly nonexistent, we skedaddled over there immediately after we got off Diamondback. I was contemplating buying an on-ride photo, but I wanted to save my money since I was still "recovering" from my Cedar Point splurge. In the meantime, we enjoyed our walk down International Street, one of the few times when we walk down the Street for a destination other than the exit. The walk up to the station took longer than the actual wait, which was no more than one train. We picked Row 7 (my favorite number!), the farthest back we have ridden on Banshee by far. Let me tell you, Row 7 offers a wild ride, as we experienced on the Purple Train! We had not ridden The Bat since May 31, so we could not pass up the opportunity to ride it again. The Bat is also special to me, as it was the first big steel coaster I had ever ridden, with my first ride on July 4, 2008 (with the Blue Racer being my first big wooden coaster, first ridden on June 30, 2008). We waited for the front row since there was literally NO ONE else in line...at least for 40 seconds, anyway. Four others had joined us by the time our train arrived, one of whom was a young boy who was a little shorter than us (but still above 48"). One of the attendants, Nathan, walked over to him to check his height and held the stick up extra high and said, "Sorry, you're not tall enough." The boy looked around, saw that he was joking, and laughed. Since the purple marker was also very far above my head (and I'm 66"), I went along with the joke and added, "I'm not tall enough either!" as I jumped to see if my head would get high enough, then I pretended to exit the line while jokingly saying "Well, guess I can't ride either!" Then Nathan walked over to Taylor, saying he wanted to check her height, and when he did, he held the stick so that Taylor's head was just a quarter inch below the purple marker (for reference, Taylor is just over 54") and said "Oh, you're just a quarter inch short! So close!" as we all laughed. I made a note to stop by Guest Services at the end of our trip, since Nathan had made our short wait that much more fun! (taken while I was boarding, as always. Yes, I know that you trust that I don't take my camera out on a ride during a ride, but I just provide the note for the sake of clarification. ) Do I even have to tell you that the cool 51 mph breeze, coupled with swooping through the trees, is SO EXHILARATING??!?!?!? Especially on a warm August evening??!?!? I always love riding my first big "grown-up" steel coaster, as The Bat is special to me as well as Vortex. And I can't forget the Blue Racer, my first big "grown-up" woodie! Those gray rain clouds seen in these last few pictures would be responsible for an interesting turn of events that would only get wetter from here, especially since we still had not dried off from RFYLCB! As we approached the entrance for our next ride, Drop Tower, it suddenly began to rain as we joined the non-existent line. The cover offered some shelter from the rain, which was good because during the ride there would be no shelter! Thankfully, it was just rain, as the rides continued operation like nothing happened, and it was 7:20, 40 minutes before closing. The rain took the off-ride experience to the next level when the ride dropped. Not only did we get a good, cool breeze, we got a crazy awesome MIST along with it; it was a pleasant (albeit chilly) surprise for all of us in line!!