VortexBFForever

In the spring, the required temperatures are higher since they're just starting to be run more consistently after a 5.5-month offseason. In the fall, our Arrow coasters' minimum operating temperature (to at least start up) is 45 degrees; in the spring, it is 50. Today's high temperature was only 47 degrees, which justifies why Vortex, Adventure Express, and The Bat were closed all day today. If today was October 20 rather than April 20, they would have been able to open since it was at/above 45 for most of this afternoon.

I saw at least one to two people wearing shorts during Winterfest too! And, if you (and anyone else on here) remember October 20 last year (that extremely windy Saturday where the wind chill was in the 30's), I was working at Firehawk that night and a few riders were wearing shorts! I couldn't help but think, "Are your legs not FREEZING?!?" especially since I had no fewer than two layers on and still struggled to keep warm! @malem definitely isn't the only one who sometimes likes to sport shorts in cooler weather! Pertaining to the topic, the wait time for anything as of 12:24 pm is approximately 4 hours and 36 minutes for my passholder friends, and 21 hours and 36 minutes for everyone else going tomorrow!

Last night I had a dream that Vortex was being repainted to the colors of Dragon at Ocean Park in Hong Kong! https://rcdb.com/1234.htm#p=42796 I for one enjoy that color scheme, but I still would rather stick with the blue and orange.

Step Into the Past While Enjoying the Present!

Where the Old is New Again.

The Beast was one of the big coasters I tried in 2008 (when I was still rather wary of them), and only my second big wooden coaster (first was Blue Racer). I remember my first ride on July 4, 2008, and zipping through the woods at 65 mph even in the middle of the day scared me! I rode it because a ride on The Beast was regarded as a huge accomplishment among my elementary school classmates (I was in third, going into fourth grade at the time of my first ride). Two years would pass before my next Beast ride on August 17, 2010, not long after my first rides on Diamondback and Vortex eliminated my fears, and needless to say I enjoyed it a lot more. My first night ride on The Beast was on July 11, 2013, after watching the fireworks through the trees from the switchbacks. I found out for myself why The Beast is famous for its night rides. However, I still rode The Beast sporadically until last year, when it started growing on me. Not only did I find myself riding it more often when lines were short, I experienced my first rain ride on June 12, 2018, a smattering of night rides in 2017 and 2018, and my favorite ride to date (which happened on October 19, 2018) which had both night and rain! I have grown to really enjoy The Beast at night and/or when it's raining. I cannot accurately describe the feeling of speeding past trees on all sides at 65 mph under the cover of darkness and/or while being pelted with rain needles drops, and I don't think anyone can. My favorite parts of the ride are from the second tunnel to the second lift and the shallow drop into the double helix from the second lift! At night, the ride always seems to haul through these parts (and perhaps the whole ride) which adds to the already exhilarating experience. Happy 40th Anniversary to one of my first big coasters, The Beast! Though not all of my Kings Island trips include a Beast ride, I agree that it definitely deserves its recognition and fame, and I'll surely consider hopping on over for a spin after dark or during/after a rain shower!

These 2018 goals have carried over to 2019: - Reach 700 rides on Vortex #MaybeMay3 - Possibly reach 200 flights on WindSeeker? (I'm at 151 and the most I've ridden in one season is 39) - Visit Soak City more than once New for 2019 goals: - Dance to the newly refurbished Glockenspiel at least once - Reach 800 rides on Vortex - Reach 900 rides on Vortex (my goal for this season) - Ride in every seat in every train on Vortex (doesn't have to be within the same day) - Keep beating my single day ride record on Vortex (32 as of 10/21/2018) - Ride Vortex 200 times or more in the same season - Make at least one attempt to beat the overall single day ride record on Vortex (66). Call me crazy, but I really want to go for it. I'm ready for another stiff neck (my side effect from riding it 32 times ). - Marathon Diamondback on or around August 14 (which this year is the ten-year anniversary of my first ride on Diamondback on August 14, 2009). - Get trained at all four Arrow rides in the park (Vortex, Express, Bat and Flume) in the same season. Vortex is my home ride so obviously I'm trained there from the start; I got trained at Bat in 2017 (but not 2018) and Express and Flume in 2018. - Get trained to drive a coaster other than Vortex. - Pick up at least one shift in Park Services during the summer, to help out my friends there! That's all I have for now.

The stories I'm thinking about have mostly to do with guests I've encountered. I remember a lot of fun moments with guests at Vortex, but some stick out to me more than others, such as this one from early 2017: We had just opened for the day, and we had a couple of families come to the exit to have their kids' heights checked to see if they had reached 48". Since we had no one else in line yet, we were able to give that matter our full attention for the time being. One of those kids in particular I still remember fondly. I and two of my crewmates were measuring her on the height scale (the metal platform with the triangle - the bottom of the triangle is at the required height and must move the rider's head) and she was just tall enough - the triangle on the height scale moved her head just barely, but enough for me to notice. "It hit her head! She's tall enough!" I exclaimed, and as soon as we gave her the purple 48" wristband, she ran to her family who were waiting at the exit and showed them her new wristband, all while jumping up and down with excitement. She was ecstatic that she was tall enough and it made for a most wonderful start to my day! She of course rode afterward and had fun. Thanks to Vortex's fairly low height requirement, I see a lot of kids who are riding for the first time. Some are in tears because they are so nervous, and usually we talk to them and ensure that they will be okay and that they may enjoy it. I often say, "I love this ride, and maybe you'll like it too!" Most of those nervous/scared kids end up enjoying the ride after seeing that going upside down isn't as bad as they feared. I make sure to ask them afterward if they enjoyed the ride. I remember one day last year when I met a little girl who was scared, but chose to ride. When her train came back and I asked how her ride was, she answered with an awed "That was amazing!" as I helped her lift her restraint so she could get out. A few other young riders on the same train ran up to me after they got off and told me how much they enjoyed their rides. I say that I'm not that great when it comes to interacting with kids, but moments like that are proof that I may have to reconsider that thought. It always makes my day seeing a kid get off the ride with a huge smile on their face and asking their parents if they can ride again! On Build-A-Bear's "Pay Your Age" fiasco day last year, I was working when during the last hour of the day I met a young boy who had gotten his own Toothless plush from Build-A-Bear, and now he and his parents were riding Vortex. Of course I had to point out that I too was a How to Train Your Dragon fan and that I also had my own Toothless plush (which, yes, was there with me, in my backpack nearby!) and I told him that if he wanted, his Toothless plush could ride with him if he held onto it tightly (which I do too, #shamelessplug!) and I even mentioned that we could even ride together with our Toothless plushies! He loved the idea, and so after his first ride, he came back around and we were able to ride together a few times, with both of us holding on tightly to our Toothless plushies for the whole ride. Vortex is his favorite ride too, so it is needless to say that both of us had a blast that night. What a memorable few rides for both of us, on our favorite ride! There was also one day last year when I was helping someone with their Ride Admission Policy sheet, and he told me that he was the first person in line to ride Vortex on its opening day in 1987. I replied with "Wow, it's so cool that you got to be one of its first public riders!" He kept insisting (politely) that he was THE first public rider, so I took his word for it. I felt a little star-struck, as I had just met and helped the same person who was reportedly Vortex's first EVER public rider in 1987, and he was still riding it 31 years later! That is so cool!

I have some cool stories to tell from the two seasons I have worked so far (2017 and 2018), but I'm not a former employee (still working this year). Is this thread just for former employees to tell their stories, or can current employees participate too?

I have arrived to the park early enough to see the fountains turn on, which from my experience was at quarter til 9, give or take a few minutes. Though my shift wouldn't start until 9:20, I always wanted to get to the park early (usually 8:40ish) not just to get a better parking spot but also to see the fountains turn on! I found (and still find) that intriguing.

I’m so excited! I have never seen the clock and glockenspiel in their full glory...yet. Add this to the growing list of exciting improvements for this year!!

The Google Form poll worked fine for me. I'd like to answer the (complete) poll on here too to see what others think!

When I finally receive the long-awaited email about when my crew's on-ride training is...and it happens in only three weeks! In just three weeks I will be back at Vortex and WindSeeker for the first time since October!

And it still is. It's my crew's designated tornado shelter!

I counted 36 days between now and Preview Night. Either way, we're getting closer one day at a time!

BUMP! And with a month to spare. You're welcome. When I marathon my favorite movie because I can't marathon my favorite ride. Seriously. I have already seen How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World four times in the last two weeks, and I'm about to see it a fifth time with my family next Tuesday. Like with riding Vortex, I have not gotten tired of seeing this movie!

I love this article and what it covers. Being a coaster enthusiast all boils down to one simple thing: sharing a love for roller coasters. I shared the link to the article on Facebook when I first found it, complete with my detailed novel on this whole thing. I copied and pasted my thoughts that I shared so you all can see it too. ”This is a very insightful article about what the coaster enthusiast community has become and what its underlying purpose should always be. I consider myself a coaster enthusiast just because I love roller coasters and know a lot about them (and even work at one)! But I also do not care about how many credits I have, nor do I rank my coasters. I have a lot of favorites so I end up “grouping” my credits into categories based on my interest in them and how often I would ride them. I take lots of pictures/videos of coasters and I share them, but I don’t widely publicize them. I enjoy coasters in the present moment and do not care to worry about any coaster rumors (specifically rumors about an operating coaster’s possible demise), which more often than not has jeopardized my enjoyment of them in the present. I have many unconventional opinions and views, as I find the fun in coasters that are often overlooked, overshadowed, and in many cases overhated. I appreciate the under appreciated rides that the most popular, attention-showered rides often steal from them. Don’t get me wrong, the highest/fastest/smoothest coasters are AMAZING too and they definitely derserve the attention they get, but I believe other coasters in their own ways deserve just as much love or at least some appreciation for especially the more historically significant coasters. I am a big fan of Arrow coasters (and proudly say that Vortex is my favorite ride) for this very reason, as I have found them to be very fun despite the infamous reputation that many of them have. They may be “too rough” or “too jerky” or “un-reridable” for a number of enthusiasts and GP alike, but there are just as many people who love them and even believe that the Arrow coasters’ characteristic jerkiness adds to the fun (and I am one of those people!). Everyone has their uniquely different opinions and preferences on different kinds of coasters and rides, and such a diverse plethora of opinions, experiences, and preferences should be embraced in the coaster enthusiast community, regardless of ratings, rankings, or whether it’s the biggest and (supposedly) the best. All that matters is that coaster enthusiasts can and should be able to call themselves so simply because of their shared love for roller coasters! Regardless of what constitutes the best kind of coaster for your liking, GET OUT THERE AND HAVE FUN!!”

Last night, I had a dream it was Opening Day, complete with the Antique Autos being open. Of course, I was working in the dream so I was at Vortex and WindSeeker. Quite fitting that I had this dream on the night of February 20, right as our Opening Day wait entered the less-than-two-months phase. (I also have had at least 4-5 other related dreams in the past month and a half)

I am so thankful I got to experience Volcano once on my (so far) only visit to Kings Dominion in 2012. I remember saying it was one of my favorite coasters, along with I305, Anaconda, and Shockwave. It may have been seven years since I rode it, but I still remember how fun the launches and rolls were. Kings Dominion will look very different come the day I return, especially now that two of my favorite coasters there (Volcano and Shockwave) are now gone. R.I.P. Volcano: The Blast Coaster 1998-2018

I hear it more often than the “that means it’s free” joke, but I don’t hear it every day. I usually hear it once every 1-2 weeks on average.

^ And I have fulfilled several “front seat” requests in my time working at WindSeeker!

For me, it was Blue Racer when I rode it for the first time in 2008. I sat in the middle (don’t remember if it was a wheel seat) and it was very rough. I didn’t ride it again until 2011, from which I have thankfully had better rides on it since then. I still prefer Red though but I will ride Blue, especially with its retracking! Now, I don’t really have a least favorite coaster, but my first ride on the Blue Racer was definitely the worst ride I had on any coaster. Now, I look forward to having the best rides on it this season!

Fireworks show is my guess as well. I would LOVE to see The Greatest Show 2.0 with the new and improved I-Street, but something new for the fireworks would be cool too. Either way, I can't complain!

I remember the Pig Pen Burger! I wanted to try it but never got around to it. Talking about Juke Box burgers in general, I had a cheeseburger from there on Closing Day. It was good, but a little underwhelming as it didn't match up to the tastier cheeseburger I enjoyed from there back in 2010 (which was the only other time I went to Juke Box for food). Hopefully it sees some more improvements.

I may end up working during Coasterstock again, especially considering Vortex is in the ERT again. Working it last Coasterstock with my fellow slap-happy crewmates was so chill and so fun; even with how tired I was, I would definitely do it again!