VortexBFForever

It still slows down in the middle of the lift hill. I know that from riding it 17 times yesterday...

That is a hard question....but if I end up going to the park tomorrow evening, it may make it easier (and more fair) to decide. It wouldn't be fair to decide now because I rode Banshee only about 12 hours ago and I haven't been on Vortex in over 5 months. Neither of us have yet

Love the extended twist! (The last inversion) I felt like I was (almost) going to fall out of my seat, just like when you're going through Vortex's corkscrews! It's totally AMAZING!!!

Banshee Media Day at the Island - April 17, 2014 First trip report in this thread, and it's of my very first Media Day! Mom (TurkishDelightBGW) and I woke up just after 6:20a.m., and got ready for the big day. We left just after 6:40 and arrived at the park at 7:50. We checked in at the booth labeled Coaster Crew/Other Coaster Clubs and went back to the car to put our shirts and glass blocks/paperweights away so we wouldn't have to carry them around all morning. Then we headed into the park (with our lanyards, of course) for the first time in 5.5 months! Obviously, we headed left into Action Zone, since it was the only section open! Banshee was the only ride open at the time. I hopped in line. The line was filling up a handful of switchbacks, but it wasn't that bad. Banshee had 2 of its 3 trains running the course at the time. Seconds into the wait I spotted a group of KICers: I remember seeing ohiocolts, Beastie1980, Fire-Beast-OF FEAR, malem, and Katie.Greg (later known as Princess Sparkles) along with a couple others (please forgive me if I do not know or have forgotten the name or exact place of any member I saw that day). I also saw LoraX, faeriewench, and sikkinixx99. (I finally got to meet faeriewench! Hooray! ) And what better time is there to snap pictures and videos than during a wait for a ride? There are also some TVs in the queue showing various trivia questions and facts about Banshee: I heard sounds coming from Adventure Express, so I figured it must have been testing for a little while: The still-rising sun made for a lot of gorgeous shots! The rest of the queue will be packed full tomorrow... Part 2 in next post. I may have been there for only about half of Media Day, but I ended up taking over 200 photos!

I loved Media Day! It was a nice way to end the off season.

As you can see I have decided to try the idea of having all my trip reports (except for a few) in one topic instead of one topic for each one. Clearly I am not the first member to try this, but I figured why not try it for myself this year and see how it works? Since I will be going to Media Day tomorrow, the PTR I will write for that will be in this topic; I would recommend following this topic so you will know when I post a new trip report (or a reply, for that matter). Also, I will have links to the individual reports provided in my signature for added convenience. Hope you like this as much as I will!

I'm on Spring Break this week. No, I'm not trying to brag. Yes, I still cannot believe that we are almost to Media Day and Opening Day!

I've been having two small issues lately and it is starting to bug me. They occur sometimes but I always have no idea when. When I read topics that I have not marked as read in the New Content page, there have been times when from a topic I go back to the page, only to find there were a few unread topics not on the page anymore as if I had already read them, in which I did not. The other one is when I click "Mark As Read" on a topic preview and instead of marking it as read, it takes me to the first unread post. Don't get me wrong, the "Mark As Read", when I click it, marks the topic as read 99.8% of the time, but I never know when I click it and it takes me to the topic instead. So unpredictable!

I'm looking forward to the whole thing, but I voted for the first drop.

When you're making sure you are remembering when every single one of your park visits have taken place, as well as the "anniversaries" of visits taken at least a year ago. For example, yesterday (April 3) was the one year anniversary of my first (and currently only) Dollywood trip, and next Thursday (April 10) will be the two year anniversary of my first and also only trip to Kings Dominion. I was watching all of my Dollywood videos today, and I'm kind of beginning to miss the place! Also, for that matter, April 27 (the Sunday after Easter Sunday) will be the one year anniversary of the very first Opening Day I ever went to!

That actually happened a few times during my trips last year! Some times they dispatch early enough for the two trains to pass each other (especially in the morning/evening when there are very short/almost non-existent lines), some times they stack rather frequently, and most of the time it's in the middle (not very early, not too late). It varies.

I had seen that a few times too many last year, unfortunately. One of those times was on Closing Day when I was trying to get a last minute marathon on Vortex during the last hour. When I was riding, the trains kept on stacking, which allowed enough time for the line to get a bit too long for even a short marathon. I would have been able to get another consecutive ride or two in if it weren't for the almost constant stacking that was happening a bit before and when I was on, all while having enough time to ride WindSeeker a couple times. The stacking, and my semi-poor planning (I did not ride Vortex and 'Seeker until the last half hour, literally) were what got me my all-time low for Closing Day rides on Vortex (which was only 2 rides I normally get about 7). Not trying to rant or anything, but that is the first time that stacking on Vortex presented a small but significant "issue" of mine on Closing Day... (...Now, about the main topic (DB), I don't quite know what to think about the seatbelts rumor yet. Carry on...)

Why should waist packs be "illegal"? I, for one, do not mind wearing mine, and the main reason I wear it to any amusement park is because waist packs are allowed on rides. Plus, I normally don't wear cargo shorts, although this year I may figure out a way to carry the few things I take in my pockets somehow, to allow for those few days when I feel like traveling extra-light without the pack around my waist. I understand some people don't prefer waist packs, but just remember that there are some people who do.

I had yet ANOTHER dream last night; the only ride that appeared for the duration of this dream was none other than...The Bat!! I had dreamt once again that it was Media Day (this time Media Day was during the daylight hours, unlike my previous dream ) and The Bat was open along with Banshee (which I REALLY hope that is true on the real Media Day). But the paint job was incomplete; there was still a tiny section or two of the ride that was still its previous gray color. Even the trains had not been repainted - they were still their gray, black and red colors instead of the back and orange. I got in line for the front seat. I was one of the first there, so I would be on the first train of the day. The line was short enough for marathoning (the queue's back rows had no one in them!). That is, until a whole group of other attendees got there. There was a guard at the front of the line; in order to ride, we had to show a special pass which was this yellow slip of paper that we found in the lanyards we wore (like the ones we had on September 8, except they were for Media Day, not the Birthday Bash). Mine was there, but I ended up not finding it until it was too late - the first train was all ready to go, and I wasn't on it. Worse, the dream ended before I had a chance to "ride." Even if I did, it would be nothing like the real life experience. Note to self: I'm really glad riding FD/The Bat in real life isn't nearly as complicated as in a dream. Since this dream did not have Vortex in it, the total number of Vortex dreams I've had this offseason remains at 6.5.

Had another dream on the 12th, and one last night. I'll explain last night's dream first while it is still fresh in my mind: I was at Banshee's Media Day. Instead of it being 5:30am-2pm, it was 5:30 pm to 2am! Also, instead of just Action Zone being open, it was the whole park! I ran back to Vortex. It looked normal. For now. I went inside the queue line and when I got to the station, I saw a train from The Beast in the same spot where I had seen a Vortex train just moments before, but there was also another train (not in the station) that was shaped like Vortex's train but it was a solid light gray color with glitter on it. (GLITTER!?!?!) So I got on, and "rode" this modified, strange-looking Vortex, then I get back in line to find that the line was shorter, but the queue was set up differently. Instead of a normal queue, it was this large ice slide where you had to skate (or ski) down the slide to get to the station! It was like figure skating, speed skating, downhill skiing, and bobsledding all in one. When I arrived down at the station I was starting to wonder if this was a dream or if this was actually happening. I reached out and touch the handrails. I was able to feel them, and they felt EXACTLY the same as in real life! I looked up, and now, instead of Vortex or The Beast, there was Banshee! When I got to the station again, it was midnight. Don was there saying it was midnight, but we had 2 more hours until Media Day (or Media Night, I should say) ended at 2am. By this time I had "rode" Banshee about 2-3 times, so I felt like riding something different. I went looking for Vortex, but somehow I had lots of trouble trying to find it, which wasn't good because I really wanted to ride it. Hey, at least I'll get to ride it for real in about a month! I'll tell the 3/12 dream later; I wrote it down somewhere... Total Vortex Dreams I've had This Offseason: 6.5 (there was yet another dream I had earlier this week that had Vortex in it, but only for a moment or two)

I WISH I could be there!! But I can't. Not this year.

When you have the window open while riding in your car and you stick your head out to feel the breeze the same way you would on a coaster. Note: my mom is the one driving the car when I do this; I am still too young to drive.

One of my fondest memories of the park was when I first went in 2007. We (my mom and I) were walking around Coney Mall looking at all the different rides. Then suddenly, I saw Vortex. The sight of this coaster to the 8-year-old I was at the time was really and I mean REALLY captivating...I thought it was the coolest thing ever just to see the train soar through the batwing right in front of me! I ended up spending over 10 minutes just standing there and watching it; needless to say I was hooked the moment I saw it. There was, and still is, something about this coaster that attracts me like a magnet. Even though I was still afraid of going upside down until I rode it 3 years later in 2010, I could spend all day watching Vortex! I still relive that memory when I visit the park now. Now that I take my camera with me it is now tradition to take about 5 minutes out of my day there just to watch and take pictures of Vortex.

Here's what I got: ISFJ Guardian - Taking care of other people carefully and considerately. You are quiet, friendly, responsible and serious. You can always accomplish your assigned tasks consistently and reliably. You are rigorous, careful and accurate when you are dealing with things. You are very loyal and considerate. You notice and remember all details and people which are important to you. You care about the feeling of other people from your heart. No matter whether in your life or work, you can continuously make the environment peaceful and harmonious. ISFJ Celebrity: Prince Charles, U.K. royal, married to Camilla Parker Bowles, was married to Diana, son of Elizabeth II, father of William and Harry

Had another one last night, folks! Just hours after I turned 15! I was at Kings Island, standing by Vortex like always. The trees had no leaves on them and it was cloudy. I followed a small line of people into Vortex's queue when meanwhile, I noticed the trains were parked, empty, in their normal spots, so I'm guessing the time was in early/mid March. But when we got to the station, a normal car (not a coaster car) was sitting parked where a normal Vortex train would be. I remember what the "car" looked like; it looked very similar to my mom's 2005 Toyota Highlander. Then the people and I go to the lowest level of the station (the part below the queue that's on the side facing the ride's course) and get there to see Don himself standing on the grass in front of us, telling jokes. He was a comedian! He was still wearing his normal blue shirt and khakis (like when you normally see him at the park). I could remember what he actually was saying in the dream when I woke up this morning, but now I forget. After the comedian part, the dream ended. This morning, when I woke up, I was thinking it would feel a lot like spring outside even though it was in the teens. I believe I may have caught an offseason flu. Total Vortex Dreams I've Had This Offseason: 4

I had another dream last night that I was riding Vortex; I remember seeing a sunset in the sky, so the park was about to close for the night. Of course, it was a dream, so the ride didn't feel nearly as forceful as it does in real life. I had the same dream a couple weeks ago as well. Total Vortex Dreams I've Had This Offseason: 3