VortexBFForever

Or something bright, like flourescent yellow. Then it would be REALLY easy to notice one another! As for my Sling Shot video, it is finally up. But I can't figure out how to embed it... Edit: I just posted a direct link to the video. If you click it, the video will come up in Windows Media Player. http://img211.images...ahbhjizwmih.mp4

There are favorite things about every trip I've taken...I'll just list the highlights of each trip. May 16 -First trip of mine for the season -Ending up on my favorite train on Vortex (which is Train #2) for my first Vortex ride of the season -Walking on to Drop Tower right when the announcement was made that the park was closed for the evening. May 24 -First trip of the year with a friend (a non-KICer) -Getting off of WindSeeker less than a minute before closing (7:59) -Running like the wind (no pun intended) to Vortex during the 30 seconds left before the park closed at 8 -Caught the last train of the day just in time to be declared Last Vortex Rider of Thursday, May 24. -Coincidentally, Train #2 was the last train of the day in which I was last rider of the day on... July 10 -Vortex's Train #1's screeching (it. was. earsplitting!) -First night ride on WindSeeker! -First ride on Vortex that evening was on Train #2 (again!) -Fireworks while waiting in Vortex's station--Train #1 was in the station at the moment and it was held up a little during the show -When I board, the fireworks END, RIGHT WHEN THE RIDE STARTS! I still claim that I got a fireworks ride on Vortex, though. August 4 -Not knowing that it was a KIC day (I didn't join KIC until 11 days later!) -Another trip with friends (also non-KICers) -Going to Soak City for the very first time -Being the most hyper I've ever been while around Vortex (don't ask) -Fireworks ride on Adventure Express!! -Very bumpy (and really awesome!) night ride on Racer! August 13 -An entire abundance of mediocrity plagued my first ride of the day on Vortex (in other words, it got a little "boring.") -I figure out a solution while riding Vortex's neighbor, WindSeeker. -I try riding in the back on Vortex for the first time since fall 2011. It works! September 3 (Labor Day Monday) -Dollar Days! -Hot, fresh, and truly awesome LaRosa's Pizza! -It was drizzling -One of my rides on WindSeeker was during the drizzle-it felt SOOOO GOOD to have a 30 mph mist blowing in my face! -Vortex had a 20 minute long technical delay. -My 100th ride on Vortex! Train #1 had the special honor of taking me on that 100th ride. -Scored front seat on last train of the day! -Hugged Train #1 afterwards. I couldn't resist! <3 October 14 -Scored 18 (straight!) rides on Vortex that day--a new personal record! -Hot and fresh french fries and chicken nuggets with ketchup and honey mustard. -The food cost $9! (unreal!) -From the 6th Vortex ride of the day to the 16th ride, it rained (there was actually supposed to be a thunderstorm, but all the park got was a rain shower. Not even a flash of lightning nor a rumble of thunder could be heard that day!) October 21 -First ERT visit since October 2010 -Vortex opened 10 minutes late due to slight testing issues (NOT temperature) -First rider of the day! -First ever BLSC ride! October 28 -3rd Closing Day in a row that I've been to KI -Meeting five fellow KICers: malem, ohiocolts, Beastie1980, DiamondAceExpress and jcgoble3 -riding Sling Shot with ohiocolts (really fun!!) -Double ride on Adventure Express with Beastie1980 -Second ride of the double ride: there were only KICers on the AE train! (why was I the only one having my hands up throughout the entire ride??) -Double ride on Vortex, also with Beastie1980 (it was a triple for me; I could not resist riding another time in row 2-1. I mean, Train #2 (the train we rode on) was literally beckoning me as if she were saying, "Just one more ride; then you can go to Flight of Fear!") -Riding with Beastie1980 on Flight of Fear and Diamondback -Catching what was actually Vortex's 2nd to last train of the year (Train #3 was the last, and it was carrying only TWO passengers!) At least I was on Train #2's last trainload of passengers for the season! -Hugging Train #2 after the last ride <3 Uh, Beastie1980, I think you might have forgotten someone.

Same as 2011: 9 KI Trips; 1 CP Trip.

I am totally on the same page as ALL of you! Yep, she (Vortex) definitely has the nostalgia and the Arrow elegance. Don't worry, homestar92. I have a (very) soft spot for Arrow rides too. <3 PKIVortex, I also really LOOOOVE Magnum! Vortex and Magnum are my favorite Arrows. PhantomTheater, I so totally agree with the part of your post in the quote that I underlined. I'm always excited just to step on one of Vortex's trains, let alone ANY Arrow trains!

From 71 I also can see (along with the other mentioned rides) Vortex, Delirium, Sling Shot, Xtreme Skyflyer, Congo Falls, a tiny bit of Firehawk, and maybe even Flight Deck if I look close enough. I've even seen the very top of The Beast's first lift hill all the way from there. Quite a few of the rides can be seen from 71 and Kings Island Drive, let alone the parking lot itself.

Vortex definitely has the visual nostalgia! On my first KI trip in 2007 (three years before I became an enthusiast) I was so awed by Vortex that I watched it for at least 10 minutes non-stop. In fact, on every single KI trip of mine, I take about 5-10 minutes (at LEAST!) just to watch and take pictures of Vortex. It's always a part of my trip "schedule" and it always will be. <3

I KNEW you'd say that! I hope this is just a rumor, in my opinion, and I really hope Vortex continues to operate for at least a few years to come. It is actually a big dream of mine to work on Vortex when I'm old enough (16) and right now I'm 13, so it wouldn't be until 2015 that I would first be able to apply for and possibly achieve that dream. As one of Vortex's big big big fans, I would be CRYING if we lost Vortex.

^There's always Christmas! Nice TR, IndyGuy4KI!

Why is it sleeting outside my house? (it's only November 3...)

Just had one wacky dream on Sunday night, right after I got home from my Closing Day trip to KI. (yes, it had Vortex in it.) I was walking around to Vortex's entrance. The trees were only starting to lose their leaves, so it looked more like September than October. Vortex was operating like normal, with Train #1 (yes, I saw the numbers! xD) entering the station, Suddenly, #1 just stops in its tracks (no pun intended) with half of it in the station and the other half still out, and in the meantime, Train #2 had just arrived on the first set of the brakes! #1 wasn't going anywhere, but #2 was gaining on #1, FAST. Then, suddenly, I hear this BOOM noise. #2 had just struck #1 in its back side, forming this long, horizontal, deep cut that went straight across #1's back. I shouted, "Train #2! Why would you do that?!?" and then I jumped over the tall, black fence, running to #2 and the "hurt" #1. Maintenance had just arrived to investigate, so I helped them by measuring how long and deep #1's cut was. So we took out this tape measure, and found out that the cut was 9 inches long, and 2 inches deep. Right after that, the dream ended! Weird thing is, I didn't see Train #3 anywhere. Either it wasn't in the dream at all or it just didn't have as obvious of an appearance or any significance as #1 and #2 did. Could this be an indication that I might fulfill my dream of working on Vortex someday? -BFF, being dreamy and VERY imaginative.

Nice video, ohiocolts! My mom took a video of our ride on Sling Shot- I'll upload it soon.

2012 Parks: Kings Dominion (4/10) Kings Island (5/16, 5/24, 7/10, 8/04, 8/13, 9/03, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28) Coney Island (in Cincy) (6/19, 7/03, 7/31) Busch Gardens Williamsburg (6/26) Cedar Point (9/09) 2012 Kings Island Ride Count: Vortex: 60 Diamondback: 11 The Beast: 1 Flight Deck: 11 Adventure Express: 9 WindSeeker: 10 Drop Tower: 2 Grand Carousel: 7 Delirium: 3 Shake, Rattle & Roll: 1 Firehawk: 1 Flight of Fear: 3 Invertigo: 3 Racer: 4 Scrambler: 1 KI & MV Railroad: 1 BLSC: 1 Sling Shot: 1 Zephyr: 1

I can't believe I missed a Beast tour!! And eating in the Festhaus? I missed that too? Sheesh... Any ways, my first ride on Sling Shot was great. I was easily caught off guard by the rocking back and forth (when it wasn't flipping) but it was really fun! And it was really nice to meet a few fellow KICers!

I'm gonna go with Vortex. (this is actually my first time staying till close on Closing Day, so it's pretty exciting, at least for me )

Yes. In fact, if you look to your right on the ground just before you enter the station part of the queue, you can see one next to the entrance of the shed where they park the trains at night. There's also a few of them under the helix and the first four inversions. During any given cycle of mine on Vortex, I've counted at least 6 or 7, or maybe even 8, at the most.

Every single October I hear "Monster Mash," Werewolf," and "Abracadabra," which are probably the songs I hear the most out of all the songs that I hear. Of course, it's the month of Halloween, but somehow I tend to get easily annoyed by many of those Halloween-type songs at times...except for "Thriller." I've heard that quite a few times as well but I'm seemingly not annoyed by that one.

Awww man, I don't have the Food Network (let alone cable television). Phooey. But very interesting to know that one known from appearing in a show at the park will be on a television show.

Very interesting...It hasn't happened to me. Not even close. Things like this always leave me wondering what it would be like if I were one of the people involved.

Do I have to say this myself? It's Vortex for me. But don't worry, DB is close behind. I like tall hills and floater airtime just as much as I like inversions!

Did you get them hosted? To be honest, I don't really get what "host" means in terms of uploading photos. Well, anyway, here are the pics!

No the organ does not work, its just a speaker playing a short loop tape . Awww MAN! I thought there actually was one! Gosh, it sure fooled me!

Last Sunday (10/14) I heard "The Candy Man" by Sammy Davis Jr while I was walking through Coney Mall.

Finally, it came time to cap off my annual trip to the Point by doing my tradition of riding Sky Ride back to the area near the park entrance and riding the Midway Carousel. According to the picture above (taken while I was next in line) I rode Sky Ride in a purple car--Car #32. I took a few pics of the park from above, including the one right above this sentence. After touching back down onto solid ground (hey, it kinda rhymes!) I proceeded to the last CP ride I’d ride before 2013: the Midway Carousel. If I’m not mistaken, this particular carousel has a working band organ, which is pretty nice.I thought there was a working organ, but those recorded tracks sure fooled me! When I exited the gates and walked out into the parking lot, I was surprised to see a Revolution 3 Triathlon running race still going (It was also going on in the morning!). On the way to CP this morning I saw that not only part of the course was in Sandusky, but also up and down the causeway and through Cedar Point’s parking lot. After crossing the course, I grabbed my last skyline shots, knowing I would never see Space Spiral in person ever again. As the car drove away from the Point, I looked back at the whole park, Space Spiral and all, while going down the causeway back to Sandusky, then heading south. Once the park disappeared from view, I whispered to my self, “Goodbye, Space Spiral. Hope you have fun in the big amusement park in the sky! Also, bye to Cedar Point. I’ll be back next year, in 2013, to ride Gatekeeper and of course, all my other favorites…” Raptor: 1 maXair:1 Wicked Twister: 1 Overall: 2 WindSeeker: 1 Overall: 2 Power Tower: 1 (Drop) Overall: 2 (Drop: 1; Shot: 1) Corkscrew: 3 Overall: 5 Magnum XL-200: 4 Overall: 6 Top Thrill Dragster: 2 Overall: 3 Iron Dragon: 4 Overall: 5 Mantis: 1 Overall: 2 Millennium Force: 1 Overall: 2 Wave Swinger: 1 Maverick: 1 Gemini: 4 Overall: 5 Sky Ride: 1 Overall: 2 Midway Carousel: 1 Overall: 2

I'll be at KI tomorrow (Sunday) so I'll have the Eiffel Tower on my mental list of rides to ride so I can get some pics of what's left of SoB. edit: I got some pictures! Now all I have to do is import and then upload them... edit #2: The pics are now up!