VortexBFForever

Part 1 of 2 The day is finally here! The new parking entrance looks FABULOUS...though a bit confusing with all these lanes! But it's definitely an improvement over the previous entrance. Nearly seven months after the memorable night of November 1, 2015, this view now sat before me once again! ERT had just started by the time my dad and I arrived, so I had some time for a ride or two on Diamondback before the rest of the park opened. No sooner did I pass through the Gold Pass entrance that I saw a few Canada geese playing in the fountains. As I went over to take the picture, a breeze blew the mist in my direction as I smelled (and heard) the rushing water once again. I walked through Planet Snoopy before finally reaching Diamondback. On the way, I caught a glimpse of Woodstock Gliders mid-cycle, the site of the infamous "no snapping" policy change... The back of Diamondback's line was under the track coming out of the station. For my first Kings Island ride of 2016, there was an approximately five minute wait as the line moved very quickly and before long I stood in line for Row 2 (the separator let us choose where to sit). A few moments later, the Brown train arrived to take me away on a mile and two feet of hilly red track. Let me just say that the unparalleled 80 mph wind in your face is always a great way to start the season. Need I say any more? Since I was planning to ride Race For Your Life Charlie Brown next, I decided to ride Diamondback again despite the fact that it was almost 10:00 (if you know me, I'm usually right at rope drop at 10:00). After another 5 minute wait, I picked Row 16 and ended up on the Red train. I had seriously forgotten how much I liked being in the back compared to the front! Sure, the front has a breeze and a nice view, but I absolutely LOVE being pulled over the hills (especially the first one), and the best place to experience that is in the back. This second ride literally put the "back" in Diamondback! An even more surprising ride and a wet left arm (from the splashdown ) later, I was ready to go on to the next ride when I heard my name. Apparently one of my school bus friends, Taylor, was here with her parents! The funny thing was that we had talked about going to Kings Island together this summer, and now we were at the park at the same time without even planning it. Taylor and her dad had just entered the queue while I was walking out of the exit, so I got back in line and caught up with them. A few guests separated me from them, so I followed the rules and stayed where I was in line. We ended up riding the Brown train together. I rode in Row 4, and Taylor and her dad rode in row 6 for yet another fun ride! Taylor and I ended up riding rides together for the rest of the trip. I still followed my plans to ride Race for Your Life Charlie Brown - but this time with a friend! After waiting about five minutes, we ended up on Boat 17 - the same number as my age and also the bus we rode together in the past school year! We had a nice time floating through the woods - and getting splashed on the final drop. We didn't get too wet, but thanks to the Snoopy fountain both of us were speckled with drops of water. By this time it was about 20 minutes after opening. We decided to head to Vortex, which is the favorite ride for both of us! We were very excited as we walked to Coney Mall. Just like all the other trips, we were greeted by a Vortex train passing over our heads - its way of saying "hello". As soon as the loops were in my full view, I was face-to-face with the train soaring through the first loop as it has always had for the last 29 years. What a "welcome back" that was! I no longer had to wait to see this beautiful view. It had finally become reality!! Vortex's line was still short enough where we only had to wait a few minutes for the next train to arrive. Thankfully it wasn't short enough for there to be consistently empty rows, or I would have to face the near torture of not being able to reride... We stepped into 7-1 on Train #2 for my 301st ride on Vortex. Taylor has also ridden Vortex a lot since it is also her favorite ride, but she has since lost count. The sound of the chain and anti-rollback and the smell of the grease never gets old! I'm so thankful that we have an older steel coaster with characteristics that the newer coasters (like Diamondback and Banshee) don't have (and yes, abrupt transitions are one of those characteristics, and it's part of what makes Vortex Vortex). And, of course, the ejector air on the first drop felt amazing as we once again zoomed into the same six inversions experienced many times before. And I was happy to see it was not stacking! Good job, Vortex crew! However, the atmosphere in the station still has some room for improvement. The same lack of enthusiasm that was present on most of my trips last year was here again. Sure, it was nice hearing "Enjoy your ride on the 29-year old Vortex," though it was said every single time and I didn't even hear the "go upside down six times, three different ways" spiel that I heard on almost every visit last year, but it was even to the point where we weren't even asked "How was your ride?" To put that into perspective, it was the only coaster we rode where we were not asked that. On Diamondback, Racer, Adventure Express and Banshee (plus most of the flat rides we rode), we were asked every time, but not on Vortex! Is it because almost every time they ask they receive little to no response? Either way, I enjoyed my ride, but I don't want to feel sad at the end of it...I don't know what is going on, but I hope we see more enthusiasm! The mellow station atmosphere never had a chance at stopping us from riding again. This time, for Vortex Ride #302, we were on Train #2 again but in 2-1. Watching the track in front, especially during the inversions (namely the loops), really adds to the fun! Of course we could not resist a flight on WindSeeker, especially with its short line, so we headed there next. We were assigned to seats 17 and 18. This marked the second time today that I rode a ride in a seat/vehicle marked "17", the same number as my age and the bus we rode together! The song we got for our cycle was "Ride of the Valkyries," a song I had not heard on any of my WindSeeker rides in quite a while. It was a welcome change! I remembered to pretend to be Peter Pan (from my post on here where I mentioned that idea) and think "Just think lovely, wonderful thoughts, and..." as the ride lifted, "...up you go!" Taylor's mom took a picture while we were at the top. I'm still trying to find us in the picture... Needless to say, that exhilarating flight was also long overdue. WindSeeker may not be as "thrilling" as some might expect, but it sure gives you a feeling of freedom. Or if you're afraid of heights, a chance to face those fears by flying high in the sky as the world passes by...(rhyme intended)! As you can see by this three-rides-in-one shot, Taylor and I headed to Shake, Rattle & Roll after WindSeeker landed us back on solid ground safely. That person is so lucky!! Who else gets to mow the lawn with a coaster right next to you??!??!?!? Since the cycle had just finished, we walked right on and into Car 20. The attendant who let us in was also named Taylor! We had a good, fun ride on the shiny red and white LED-laden machine. I can't wait to see it at night again! Afterward, we decided to make our way down Coney Mall toward Action Zone, riding the rides we saw on the way. End of Part 1

When I was at the park today, I waited: 5 minutes or less for Race For Your Life Charlie Brown, Vortex, WindSeeker, Dodgem, Scrambler, Monster and Zephyr (granted this was near the start of the day); 10 minutes for Diamondback (during/right after ERT), Racer and Adventure Express; and 15-20 minutes for Banshee. Not bad for the day following Memorial Day (and my first trip back this year!!). (Disclaimer: My reported wait times are not 100% accurate and are solely based off of how long I waited prior to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 A.D. The waits are most likely different by now, so take this report at your own risk. )

^I do! I saw it in their Story.

This got me excited because I am FINALLY going back to Kings Island tomorrow!! (On a different note, I have Snapchat too )

My dad and I are planning on going the day after Memorial Day. Are the holiday weekend crowds usually gone by then?

I have now put together a video from this trip, in which I believe is a good reason to bump this topic. And it is not primarily Vortex videos this time! Once again, yes, it has been three years, but better late than never, right??

New Part 2 as of May 14, 2016 when I edited this PTR to restore the photos. And the train that took me on my first Vortex ride of the year was........Train #3! I liked my 4-2 ride more than expected that time because I hadn't been in all the other rows in nearly 6 months. A fun ride it was, especially during a light sprinkle of rain. When I exited, I noticed poor WindSeeker sitting there, closed. Worse, it was the ONLY ride in the park that was not going to open today. I felt pretty sorry for it, to be honest! I went back to Shake, Rattle & Roll, since its 30-minute long technical delay had ended while my Vortex ride was finishing. I only had to wait one cycle-length this time, since the line was much shorter. I rode in Yellow Car #2, mostly because Vortex's Train #2 was traveling the ride's course at the time... I liked it; one of my favorite parts is at the beginning when the cars are rotating but have not yet lifted off. The whole ride in general is pretty fun. Afterward, I strolled further down the Mall, away from Vortex, (I promised myself I'd come back to it before close) and came across the Goblet Toss game. I had wanted to play it last year, but I didn't. Now was my chance. I first paid $5 for the 6 balls, but the first efforts were fruitless. Then I paid another $2 for 2 more balls. The last ball rolled onto a green goblet, which won me a medium prize. The two game attendants pointed out the choices, and I chose one of the black penguins as my prize. I clutched my new penguin in my hands as I headed toward my next ride, Zephyr, and its very short line. I only had to wait 1 minute since the cycle was just finishing. When I entered the ride area, I chose an outside yellow seat and settled into it once I had put my penguin and drawstring backpack to the side. The Zephyr op had some fun with us. A minute into the cycle, he said, "Do you want to go faster?" Of course all of us cheered, "Yes!" Then the op said, "Here's what you need to do to make the ride go faster: Stick your arms straight out to each side, and make airplane noises! But EVERYONE has to do it in order to make the ride go faster!" So we all stuck out our arms (well, 99% of us did) and made airplane noises. I couldn't stop laughing; this had to be my most fun Zephyr ride yet! But the op then said, "Unfortunately, the ride cannot go faster because a couple of people didn't stick their arms out. But seriously, the ride can't really go faster at all anyways!! *chuckles* " Even if it can't go faster no matter what, Zephyr is still quite fun, and [this cycle in particular] was memorable, too! I went on to Racer, which had only a station wait. On the way up the queue I saw Adventure Express, then automatically considered it would be my next ride after Racer. I got in line for row 5-2 on the Red side, which had only a one train wait. 3-5 minutes later, I was seated on Train #2, ready to embark on my second wooden coaster of the year (Thunderhead at Dollywood was the first). Going up the lift hill, I noticed that Red (the side I was riding) was a bit ahead of Blue. When we crested, I said, "Sayonara!" as Red zipped away from Blue in a daring head-start. I don't know what happened, but by the time we were coming back, Blue had gone ahead! In my mind I thought, "Is this rigged? How in the world did Blue get ahead?" But although Blue arrived at the brakes first, Red was the first into the station. I gotta admit, I was pretty baffled about who truly won. But that didn't mean the ride wasn't fun! (yes, I know, it rhymes!). I briefly headed out of Coney Mall into Oktoberfest, where I noticed Adventure Express's newly painted sign. In the queue it smelled like skunk, which I didn't mind (well, skunks ARE nocturnal animals; it's around 9:25 p.m. at this point). I noticed a green light illuminating the first part of AE's circuit. Like Racer, Express also had a station wait, except it was a little shorter than Racer's. I got in line for good ole' row 1-3 (it always seems to have a 1 train wait). A few minutes later, my penguin and my backpack were in the storage bin, and I was comfortably seated on Train #3. "All clear!" and I was off on my second-ever night ride on Adventure Express. I noticed the colored lights in the tunnels; they were a nice touch. And like always, I loved the last tunnel just because of the theming! At this time, it was about 9:35. I headed straight back to Coney Mall. On the way back to Vortex, I tried the Ring Toss game, paying $2 for 10 rings. From experience, I can tell you that it is much harder than it looks! My efforts were fruitless, but at least I already had the penguin from Goblet Toss. On to Vortex! It was just after 9:40 when I entered the queue, to find that the line had shortened so drastically that it was a walk-on in some rows! Perfect for a marathon! I got into the empty queue for row 2-1. Train #1 apparently got the honor of taking me on my first 2013 Vortex marathon, so when I was in 2-1 I was literally just two rows (or one car, in these terms) behind the exact same seat that I was in during my 100th Vortex ride! My first night ride of the year on Vortex was great, just as I liked it. After that cycle I went back to row 7-1 for a daring and intense ride. On the way up the lift, I noticed that one of The Beast's trains was stopped near the top of the lift, most likely in preparation for the fireworks since it was already 9:55. Like always, the sudden airtime on Vortex's first drop caught me off guard, and it was amazing as well as being pulled through the inversions. Back at the station, I moved up one row, to 6-2. Another great ride. While sitting on the final brake run, I overheard a person speaking on the park's PA system from in front of the Royal Fountains, where he was with two girls who had the honor of launching the fireworks spectacular. By the time the countdown was starting, Train #1 was back inside the station. I stayed in row 6-2 for my 140th Vortex ride ever. We stayed in the station for a little longer than usual, since this would be one of the last trains of the night. Some people were still getting on - I understood that the attendants wanted to get as much passengers as possible on the train before dispatch. Meanwhile a young(er) girl couldn't find an empty row to sit in so I said she could sit with me. So she did. We talked a little bit; she said that Vortex was her second favorite ride here at Kings Island, with The Beast being the first. I told her that this was my 140th ride, and she immediately replied saying that this same cycle was her 10th. During the conversation, we all started hearing loud BOOM after BOOM after BOOM - an audible reminder that the fireworks had started. Train #1 was finally dispatched, and I already knew this was going to be unforgettable. I was finally getting a true fireworks ride on Vortex! I'm sure it was memorable for my ride partner as well. We, along with the other passengers, looked back and watched the fireworks as Train #1 ascended, while the booming and popping of the fireworks mixed with the clinking and clanking of the Arrow anti-rollback. We crested, and we were off. As we sailed down the first drop, the fireworks show ended - but the fun kept on going. We were all laughing and screaming through the inversions! Before we knew it, we had already gone up the helix and had flown into the brakes. What a great way to end my first Opening Day - a quadruple ride on Vortex with the last one done during the fireworks! It was truly unforgettable. In addition, my ride partner and I were both at a milestone number of rides! (it was her 10th, and it was my 140th) I had apparently tilted the camera a little while taking this photo; that's why the train looks weird. I purchased a ride photo from the last ride. Apparently the guy who was sitting in front of me had his phone out and appeared to be taking a picture or video during the ride..... This one I didn't take until Sunday: my ride photo, Platinum Pass and my now void Gold Pass which had faithfully served as my ticket into the park for three seasons (2010, 2011, 2012) Good night, WindSeeker. Hope to ride you soon! Despite the problems with Vortex, Eiffel Tower and Shake, Rattle & Roll at the beginning of the trip, I had a great Opening Day! Vortex: 5 total: 140 SR&R: 1 total: 11 Zephyr:1 total: 10 Racer (Red): 1 total: 5 Adventure Express: 1 total: 17 Notes: -the separator in Vortex's line was assigning rows (that's how I ended up in row 4-2) -half of each side of switchbacks in Vortex's loading station were removed. I was glad, since in the days before they were removed the area by the air gates would get really congested at times -a few new wooden floorboards in Vortex's station floor -another set of storage bins were in the back half of Vortex's station - they were numberless -on Vortex, when the train was/is locked, the clicks didn't/don't sound as "sharp" as in the past (in past seasons they sounded exactly like Tennessee Tornado's harnesses when they were locked). I know there's nothing wrong with that; I just noticed it. -Firehawk was operational as early as when I was in line for Racer (or even earlier, I didn't notice until I was at Racer) -More lights (particularly the colored ones) in Adventure Express's tunnels, plus a blinking "lantern" light at the entrance of the first tunnel -Vortex's chaser lights weren't on until during/after my ride on Adventure Express -Fireworks spectacular was a little shorter than I expected; then again, it's just my opinion. -One of the evergreen trees by Vortex's train shed/station building was cut down -Zephyr's light sequence seemed different from how I remembered it in the past... -Racer was noticeably smoother. To be honest, I was (positively) expecting to get thrown around as much as I did last year when I rode in the back (which was quite fun), but it's good to see that Racer has gotten an improvement on overall ride experience.

^The photo limit per post is still 50. I know that from writing PTRs last year. 2013 was when it was changed to 50 so that's why I split the PTR in question into two parts. I turned on the BBCode editing and...it WORKED!! I had to trim the first post a little at first because I had more than 50 photos, but now it has 50, which confirms that the limit is still 50 images per post. My Opening Day 2013 PTR is officially restored! Thanks for the help, malem!!

I am now having this problem in my April 27, 2013 PTR thread. I finished restoring the photos yesterday, but both the edited post (Part 1) and the new post (Part 2) are not saving. I just tried it again 30 seconds ago and it is still doing the same thing! It is literally the ONLY thing keeping me from restoring one of my favorite PTRs to its former glory. I am SO glad I saved the restored content in a Word document...

Wow, I have still not been to Kings Island yet, and you've already been what, three times now?? Anyway, I love reading your trip reports! They always excite me (and torture me if I have not been in a long time a.k.a. me right now. )

^^^Oh, how I miss Shockwave. Those few rides I got during my one visit (so far) to Kings Dominion will definitely be treasured as I replay those wonderful experiences in my mind's eye... Pertaining to the thread's topic, yes, such a thing does not belong on the Kings Island website.

I didn't get a cell phone until this past January (January 10, to be exact) and I had no trouble with waiting that long to get one. I do plan to use it at Kings Island, but only when I need to, whether it's checking the park app or Instagram or taking a few photos (aside from the hundreds more that I take on my camera). Above all, I have promised myself that I will continue to willfully obey the rules and NEVER take my phone out on a ride while it is cycling, or at all for that matter. I'll be treating that kind of situation the same as when I'm driving - that my phone will be secured in my pocket, purse, or in this case my waist pack, for the entire duration of the ride. I still remember one particular ride on Vortex back in 2010 when a fellow rider just two rows in front of me was clutching a phone in her hand while holding on to the harness for the whole ride. I don't know what would've happened had that phone slipped out of her grip, but thankfully I did not have to find out...

Hey, be glad you got to experience that. I really wanted to but I was never able to make it before Vortex's chain broke! ... On the topic of ERT, it sure sounds like the current experience has been a far cry from the wonderful night that was November 1, 2015 post-park-closure ERT... Plus, I wish Kings Island's ERT was an hour like it was in 2010 and 2012. I absolutely LOVE Cedar Point's Early Entry not only because you can walk all around the whole park (and enjoy the good-sized ride lineup, of course) but also because it is a full hour, which has really served me well on my semi-annual trips!!

I really hope I get to meet The Interpreter!! Knowing how he appreciates rides like Vortex as much as I do, it'd be cool to enjoy a Vortex ride with him. (and let's not forget about the other Arrow rides too! ) Glad you had another fun trip, as I wait with angst for just a few more weeks...

I for one would also agree. I've had a handful of fireworks rides on Vortex, and no two have been alike. The only thing those instances have in common is the unparalleled experience of colorful explosions swirling about as you are turned upside down. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING else, can replicate that.WindSeeker rides during the fireworks, on the other hand, are entirely another experience of their own. I had the privilege of experiencing that firsthand on May 23, 2014.

Thank you! I just read the report now and my eager-to-return-soon feeling of excitement welled up inside of me. With the season starting in only a matter of weeks, I know that time to return is soon, and when I do, It'll feel soooooooooo good to return at last to one of my favorite places...

My most recent memorable visit was Closing Day, November 1, 2015. A lot of things made that evening so wonderful, including an absolutely beautiful sunset, my 300th ride on Vortex, and my first night rides on Diamondback and Banshee! Best of all, I got to celebrate it with a number of my KICentral buddies! Read the full account here: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31570-11012015-best-closing-day-ever/

You'll never guess what I got...

When I build a snowman! And also when I see a Valravn photo from Cedar Point on Instagram and I get excited...

Have you tried riding Corkscrew in the back? The last car is my most preferred spot. That sudden ejector airtime one gets while going down the first and second hills is not something experienced in the front... Also, Gemini serves up a first-drop experience that always takes me by surprise...ESPECIALLY when riding it in the back!

I still remember my dream of working on Vortex...I haven't forgotten it since 2010! In fact, now that I made some new friends there while binge-riding to 300 on Closing Day, it is making me even more excited when I think about it. But the thing that's keeping me from applying (besides the one hour commute and not having my own set of wheels) is that even though you have to be 16 for rides, the position I've wanted the most is driver, in which you have to be 18. To put that into perspective, I turn 17 on the 25th of this month. Plus, I don't know exactly what my parents would like me to do yet in terms of employment, but they probably wouldn't be the most enthusiastic about my job being an hour away. I know it will be well worth it when I get a job at Kings Island; I just don't know when the right time for me will be.

I still have never been to Kentucky Kingdom EVER, but my curiosity is growing by the month. SOMEDAY, hopefully this season, I will walk through those gates and see that park for myself! (No need to comment on the whole "turned away" thing; I am well aware of that.)