VortexBFForever

...at least one ride on Vortex.

And whoever decides to remove it shall regret breaking the Eleventh Commandment

And Vortex will take up the title of loudest lift hill in the park

I totally understand! I have even seen some people guess that The Beast would be the ride leaving. I think a lot of us would say that it would be the LAST ride to be removed.

@jtro223 What I meant was, OVER TIME I thought it fit in with X-Base, and I still think it does now! I said I LOVE working Firehawk. That’s in present tense I do not know for sure what ride is leaving! At this point anything I say is as much of a guess as what we all are saying!

Dare I say it... ...but I love Invertigo! It doesn’t hurt me at all and I love how intense it is (especially going backwards!) It is one of my other favorite rides at Kings Island! I’m sorry for those to whom Invertigo isn’t as nice... -BFF, who appreciates the underappreciated.

This exactly! I can confirm this from experience. Every day I am there working, I see countless 48” kids ride Vortex, most of whom love it! It always makes my day when I see or hear a kid say “Can we go again?” especially if they just rode for the first time! Vortex still holds its own rightful place in KI’s lineup as the only 48” looping coaster, which makes it the perfect ride for the youngsters already ready to brave their first inversions. As a Vortex associate, I get to witness those special moments every work day, and it’s one of my favorite things about my #KIBestJobEver! I love working Firehawk as well, though it went down twice the last time I was there. But when it’s up, it’s one of my favorite rides besides Vortex to work as well as ride. The main difference is the 54” requirement, so I don’t see as many young thrill-seekers there. But it’s still fun. I thought Firehawk has always fit in well with the X-Base theme. Though as some of you have mentioned, I do see how it is also the odd one out among Kings Island’s coasters. Unlike Vortex, Firehawk never really found its own niche at Kings Island, even after eleven years...the only thing that’s kept it going is its unconventional design of being a flying coaster (which is a good thing, don’t get me wrong!).

^On that note... ...Can we have a 360 POV of Vortex?!? I would love to see a 360 of my favorite ride (especially during the offseason )

And big fans like me will never have enough time. I would probably need to be pried away from the train with a crowbar after taking my last ride

Realistically, my guess would be Firehawk. It's the most temperamental ride in the park and it's the ride that maintenance hates the most. Yes, Firehawk is one of my favorite rides, and I love riding (and working) it! At the same time though, I would not be surprised if it was the ride in question. WindSeeker ran without a hitch when I was working last weekend. Even after its recent hiccups, I would still say it's still the most reliable of its kind in the chain. Bottom line: As long as it's not Vortex, I'm fine with whatever is going, albeit a little sad if Firehawk is the ride leaving.

New restraints (like vest restraints seen on newer B&Ms or even those seen on Vekoma's MK-1212 trains) at the very least would help, should any such changes eventually be made to Vortex. The restraints are what's causing the headbanging/headaches. I myself as a seasoned Vortex rider often feel my head tapping the restraint every now and then. I pity those who have had to endure more that just a few taps while braving Kings Island's oldest looping coaster...and as much as I like Vortex the way it is, I would definitely be all for seeing any possible improvements!

I did not get any of the $1 food, as much as I wanted to. Not surprisingly, I focused more on the rides and appreciated how short lines were compared to what I had heard about yesterday's and Saturday's crowds. The longest I waited was 20 minutes to ride Flume around 5:00. But after that, lines became less as the most I waited for WindSeeker was the time of the ongoing cycle to complete (1-3 minutes), and for Vortex the most I had to wait was two trains (3 minutes) before I boarded.

^Not just ANY pumpkin coaster, but a GREAT Pumpkin Coaster! -BFF, who once giggled with Little Bill on that coaster at age 8.

I'm not at the park today but would LOVE to see a pic of Vortex's line! Surely it must be pretty long if the park is packed; I would not be surprised if the queue is overflowing. Same for WindSeeker if it's up. I bet it has a pretty good line too. Fellow KICers who are at the park: when you get to WindSeeker and Vortex, let me know how long their lines are, if you don't mind!

@standbyme Well, get ready for this! 1. Vortex 2. Firehawk 3. Diamondback 4. Flight of Fear 5. The Bat 6. Invertigo 7. Banshee 8. Mystic Timbers 9. Racer 10. Adventure Express I group my rides into categories rather than rank them; as you can see, anything below number 4 is rather scrambled. I am not your typical coaster enthusiast and I don't have strict rankings!

I'm not surprised by today's crowds. Seeing the reports of this crowd brings an old memory to my mind: In 2010, my mom and I came on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. It was (at the time) the most crowded I had ever seen the park. I was there for three hours and rode only three rides. I still distinctly remember waiting a full hour to ride Vortex, for which the line spilled out of the queue and extended back almost all the way to Juke Box Diner! It was fun though, but it taught me a helpful lesson: visit on only Friday and/or Monday of Labor Day weekend, as I later learned from visiting on Friday, August 29, 2014, and on every Labor Day Monday since 2012!

@PKIVortex took the words out of my mouth! Not every coaster is glass smooth, but I think that is a good thing. A lot of wooden coasters (at least if they're not Mystic Timbers) are not totally smooth but a lot of people enjoy them. The Beast makes a great example of that. A coaster does not have to be totally rattle- or roughness-free to be a good ride (though they may not be as comfortable). We all have our opinions. Vortex may not offer the smoothest ride, but it still has a solid spot in KI's lineup (and the hearts of many, including mine), has the historical significance AND a lot of people still enjoy it today (including myself). After all, it has withstood the test of time for 31 years and counting, whether you like it or not. B&Ms definitely deserve their rave reviews. However, they would not have come to be if it weren't for the technological advancements and breakthroughs through the tireless efforts of Schwartzkopf, Arrow, Vekoma and numerous other manufacturers. Nowadays, many overlook the historical significance of coasters like Vortex and how they were state-of-the-art for their time. But that does not mean no one appreciates them anymore. I love Diamondback, but Vortex has my heart. <3 -BFF, a proud Arrow fan.

I never rode Son of Beast, but I do have one special memory of it: it was the very first thing I saw as my mom drove us down 71 toward the park on our first visit ever back in 2007.

^ Retweet! I may be a huge coaster fan but I am still excited about the antique cars! Not every new addition to the park has to be a coaster, especially since Kings Island already has 15 of them. We must be patient. In the meantime, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride...on our new antique cars!

https://wtop.com/business-finance/2018/08/six-flags-america-is-closing-its-apocalypse-stand-up-roller-coaster/slide/1/ The first B&M to ever exist is closing yet again. Do you think it will receive the Floorless conversion (Mantis to Rougarou, Vortex to Patriot) or will it be scrapped or relocated? All they say is they're "planning a new thrill ride for next season" so at this point it could be anything. On a side note, this news was made on National Roller Coaster Day (yesterday)...

Even though I am a coaster enthusiast, I do enjoy antique car rides. I have ridden Cedar Point’s and Darien Lake’s antique cars, so I am glad to hear that next year I will not need to go as far to drive an old-fashioned car! It’s been a while since Vortex, WindSeeker and Shake Rattle & Roll have seen a new neighbor *cough* R.I.P. Dinos *cough* so I am excited to see (and experience) this new addition! Edited to add: One of the few rides my mom is willing to ride is antique cars, and they are a great ride that we always enjoy together. Looks like Kings Mills Antique Autos will join Scrambler and the Grand Carousel on the short list of rides my mom and I enjoy riding together!

I have no idea how much the new air compressor cost. But I think that the fact that Vortex received one, along with a number of refurbished/replaced footings, is good enough to believe that it will stay for a considerable time to come, and I personally think it will. From what I have seen, it is still generally reliable for a 31-year-old Arrow looper, not to mention its high capacity helps greatly with moving lines on busy days *cough*Haunt Saturdays*cough*. I will not worry about its future, nor should any of us worry about it. -BFF, who sees herself taking her 1,000th ride on Vortex on July 23, 2020, of course barring any unforeseen circumstances. Also #Vortex35thAnniversary2022orBust

I'm 19 too...but I don't know everything.

Now that we know the most-rides-in-a-single-day record on Vortex (66), I have another question (or two): If I manage to break that record at some point -- would I need to provide proof somehow? Is there a book or document containing ride records that would need to be updated, or would I just need to get word to the right people that I broke the record? I may or may not attempt to ride Vortex at least 67 times on one of my days off, so I'm just curious.

I got my Auto-Renewal email too, for my Platinum Pass! Apparently it now costs $190.00 to renew, compared to $189.00 last year, $185.00 a couple of years before, and $180.00 the first year or so (2013, 2014) that I had it. I have just the pass and no add-ons, and as far as I know the price I have is correct.