VortexBFF's Island Tales - May 2017

[VortexBFForever]

Let's face it: I like to talk about my days at work at my #KIBestJob, and as many have seen, I LOVE giving longer, more detailed reports. To avoid plaguing the random discussion thread or any other thread with countless entries, I have decided to have one topic for whatever the month brings me in terms of guest and associate experiences alike. And yes, I am keeping a close eye on any associate experiences that I report; in fact, my supervisor read my Opening Day report and told me that everything I said that was related to my work was completely okay to say. That being said, let's start with my narrative on May 19, my second ever day of work at Kings Island!

I had a great second day at work yesterday. I was a tad late for my shift (arrived at 9:30 instead of 9:20) but thankfully it wasn't counted against me since my crew hadn't yet started the morning testing procedures on Vortex and WindSeeker. It would have been a different story had I arrived a few minutes later, as we were starting up the rides right after I clocked in! But anyway, I'm not taking that risk again anytime soon...

I helped out on Front Load during the block testing, which gave me a chance to check restraints with my right hand instead of my left. When the time came to test ride, I volunteered (no surprise) and boarded Train #1 once again for my second test ride (and my 331st ride ever) on Vortex! Do I even have to say it was fun? After signing for my test ride, they sent me to WindSeeker as only three crew members (the minimum needed to operate the ride) were there and they needed a fourth to test ride. So my first 'Seeker flight of the season was also my first ever WindSeeker test ride! 

Right after I completed and signed for my WindSeeker ride, the park's opening announcement came. I headed back to Vortex and hung out in the air-conditioned drive box with the driver and an area supervisor while we waited for guests to arrive. In the meantime, I asked some questions about what it is like to be a driver (as it was the perfect time and place to do so) and looked more closely at Vortex's controls. After about five to ten minutes, the first guests showed up. Since two of our crew were still getting the water jug (so we would have access to water throughout the day), I got to check full side on Unload until they returned, after which I worked Front Unload. I actually really enjoyed working full side! In fact, I felt really comfortable checking the restraints and doing what Level 3 Vortex associates do, which is a very good thing.

The first hour was especially slow enough that we were sending out empty trains in between trains that had riders. A handful of Coasterstock participants showed up to ride as well as a good number of guests. As such, the number of riders began to slowly pick up as it got closer to 11:00. Before I knew it, it was time to rotate and I headed to WindSeeker to finish my training there. I was already trained on Op-3 so I went straight to Op-2. Op-2 controls the guests' access to the ride area from the queue line and also checks the restraints on literally half the hub. WindSeeker's hub is divided into four color-coded quadrants: Yellow, Green, White, and Blue. Op-3 checks Blue, Op-1 checks Yellow and Op-2 checks Green and White. For a 'Seeker-sized ride, we don't have the luxury of dispatching a cycle every minute like on Vortex, so 'Seeker takes at least three to four minutes to dispatch, including when the guests are getting into their seats. Like Op-3, Op-2 has to push the bar-check buttons and hold the dispatch button when the driver says "Ready." The main difference is that Op-2 has to push two bar-check buttons while Op-3 pushes only one. After simultaneously training and working Op-2 for an hour and a half, I headed to Op-3 where I refreshed my memory and separated a few cycles. Right before the next rotation, my training completed and I signed off as a Level 2 WindSeeker associate!

My lunch break only had one food choice: pizza. But the pizza was free. I remembered my mistake of getting lemonade to drink which worked out against me in the long run, so I got water instead, with a little Powerade mixed in. I sat by the window and enjoyed the view of Diamondback and Vortex as I downed my two slices of pizza. While heading back, I noticed a few associates lined up at the food trucks. Apparently associates are allowed to get food from the food trucks during break (at least this day), but of course I didn't know until right after I ate. Perfect timing...especially since I saved some money.

Back from break, I returned to Op-2 on WindSeeker and worked that position for two more hours. I believe one of the main reasons I worked Op-2 for that long of a time was because they saw that I was checking the restraints very well and knew I would do just as well with the task of checking half of the hub. I say they made a good decision, especially now that I had gotten into the groove of working WindSeeker. Since Op-2 does not separate, there are a few moments mid-cycle when there is basically nothing else to do other than chat with guests and watch the ride. As WindSeeker is one of my favorite rides to watch, I took great pleasure in watching and listening to whatever epic soundtrack accompanied the ongoing cycle, all while feeling extremely thankful for being blessed with a job at two of my favorite rides at Kings Island. WindSeeker and Vortex make such a great ride pair not only because of their close proximity, but also because of how different they are which makes for a more varied experience for those working these two rides. WindSeeker is a six-year-old prototype tower swing ride (and arguably the most reliable of its kind in the Cedar Fair chain) with a capacity of 64 and a complexly-designed-yet-easy-to-operate system, and Vortex is a thirty-year-old classic roller coaster that once held the world record for tallest coaster and is the first coaster that ever featured six inversions, with the ability to carry 84 riders (three trains full) at once and a simply-designed-yet-a-bit-more-complicated-to-operate system. One thing in common for sure is that Vortex and 'Seeker are both people eaters.  

For the last hour of my shift, I went back to Vortex to work the now-familiar (and also my favorite) Unload position. Like my first shift, I worked at the back of the platform for (most of) the time remaining before I had to clock out. This last hour turned out to be the most interesting. At around 3:25 p.m., WindSeeker closed (good thing I got all my training and work there done when I did!). I then remembered when I had checked the forecast before heading to the park, and there was a chance of thunderstorms for this time of day. Plus earlier I had noticed some darker clouds to the south, so I figured the weather had something to do with 'Seeker's closure. Surely enough, I was working full side Unload when I walked down by the exit gate and felt rain. At around 3:45, we were clearing and dispatching a train when the phone started ringing. It happened to be the call to have Vortex close due to the weather that I had the privilege of answering and relaying to the crew. As soon as I had spread the word to the crew, operations were suspended, and not long after that the associate replacing me on Unload had arrived and my shift was over. Right as things had started to get interesting, I clocked out, got my belongings (including my umbrella ) and headed out. When I exited the park and reached my car, I looked south toward Cincinnati and saw a huge mass of clouds and rain. I was sure a thunderstorm was in there somewhere, or at the very least a large downpour. However, I saw Vortex cycling as I headed up Kings Island Drive, so I wonder what took place after I left.

And so ends my second day of work at Kings Island. I'm already looking forward to my third, which will be my first close shift ever on May 24. Hopefully if I have the time then, I could arrive early as a guest (since I don't have to be at school that day!) and enjoy a few rides before work. But first, I need to focus on finishing senior year strong.

+Vortex: 1

YTD: 14

Total: 331

+WindSeeker: 1

Total: 81

 

[VortexBFForever]

May 24, 2017 (First Close Shift Ever!)

Today started out like any other day (other than the chance of storms) and the lines (or lack thereof) were a nice surprise! Going an hour and a half before my shift proved a great decision. I would have gone earlier but my dad had errands to run and my mom was working, so I didn't have transportation until 12:45. But getting to the park at 1:50 and having just over an hour to ride as a guest before my shift is better than having no time before my shift at all, especially since today was a great day to be a guest!

I didn't have my camera with me and my phone has very limited storage, so I have only 15 photos including four FunPix photos.

You know the park isn't crowded at all when even the lower capacity rides don't have a line! I took great advantage of Invertigo's one-cycle wait and rode it twice - once on the backwards-first end row and once in another backwards-first row closer to the "front" of the train (the end closer to Action Zone). It sure felt great to ride Invertigo again, especially since there was no long line to deter me or anyone else from enjoying it!

Next I rode Drop Tower, also twice in Seats 1 and 20 respectively. On the second time, I closed my eyes during the drop, which made it even more exciting since I didn't know as exactly when it would slow down. I HIGHLY recommend closing your eyes if you want your drop to be even more exciting!

Next came a front-row spin on Banshee. The front row was a one train wait while everything else was walk-on (no surprise for a day like this!). Flying through seven inversions at 67 mph felt great!

After Banshee it was already 2:30, so I started to Rivertown as I wanted to at least hit Diamondback and Mystic Timbers before it was time for work. On the way, I stopped by the Emporium on International Street, as I had heard of collector's pins being sold there including a Vortex 30th Anniversary pin. I searched for a few minutes before finally finding the pins, and bought a Vortex 30th Anniversary pin which I would wear on my uniform!

I reached Diamondback a few minutes before 3. Thankfully, its line was also a station wait though it was a two train wait unlike at Banshee. I chose Row 13 and rode on the Green Train for my long-awaited first Diamondback ride of the season! Hopefully it won't be too long before I fly down that 215-foot drop again!!

Now came the time for my second ride of the season on Mystic Timbers. This was the shortest I had seen Mysty's line by far and I knew it would be a while before I saw such a line again, especially with Memorial Day and summer right around the corner. The wait appeared to be ten minutes, but my wait was cut a few minutes short when a group in front invited me to go in front of them and right onto Row 7! My second ride on Mysty was definitely a lot of fun, and I think it will start to grow on me (no pun intended ) in due time.

I had just enough time to skedaddle up to Coney Mall, greeted by Vortex flying over my head as always. WindSeeker happened to be mid-cycle so it added to the already lovely greeting!

Just like my 330th ride on Easter Sunday, I had a train to myself for my 332nd ride (and technically also my 331st ride which was a test ride). While departing the station, I already knew that I would be in for a rather slow work evening. Train #3 had the privilege of careening me through my first six inversions for the 332nd time. On Easter Sunday for my 330th ride, I posed for the on ride-photo making a heart with my hands, but to my dismay I never saw it as the FunPix kiosk wasn't updating. Since I had my own train again, I tried it again on my 332nd ride. This time, the kiosk was working like it was supposed to (though it was a bit slow to update so I actually found and downloaded the photo after I came back to work), so I got it!

It was almost 3:30 and I had to return in uniform in 15 minutes, so I walked out of the Front Gate and to HR to change before heading right back into the park and back to Vortex. I fastened my new Vortex 30th Anniversary pin to the collar of my uniform shirt so I could sport my favorite ride proudly. I returned to Vortex and clocked in at 3:48.

My first hour was as separator, though I was convinced one wasn't needed because there was no line. But I didn't mind standing in the mostly empty station, especially when I could look back and watch the trains traverse the course with ease! It was actually slow (as in, not very many people) enough and there were enough of us on the platform that a few of us took turns riding (which is how I got my 333rd, 334th, and 335th rides!) which was pretty sweet! Another cool thing was that my 333rd ride was on Train #3.

For the next two hours I was supposed to work Op-3 and Op-2 on WindSeeker, but it had closed since the weather had started acting up. So I instead spent an hour telling guests that WindSeeker was closed, while during the following hour came one of the biggest highlights of the evening: I became a Level 2 Vortex Associate! My supervisor trained me on the "dual" position, which is one of two positions needed to send a train. Essentially, I was controlling part of Vortex! My very first time working Dual made the 6:00 hour very fun, especially when it came to dodging the gates as they opened as well as getting my right hand used to checking restraints.

Not long after I had signed off for my Dual training, it was time to rotate for the last hour. I was back on none other than Unload. During the last half hour, the rain started, and so did the increase in the number of empty trains we sent out. I think we saw only five riders during the last 15-20 minutes of the day, including one guest who literally had the whole ride to herself since every train except hers was empty! We did have a few riders show up for the last train of the night, after which my very first Close shift came to a close.

Overall, I had an extremely fun (and later WET!) Wednesday at Kings Island. With all the fun had tonight, here's to hoping my next Close shift this Friday will be just as fun!

It literally went from sunny to this...good job Ohio.

+Invertigo: 2

Total: 18

+Drop Tower: 2

Total: 32

+Banshee: 1

Total: 20

+Diamondback: 1

Total: 93 (Getting close to 100!!)

+Mystic Timbers: 1

YTD: 2

+Vortex: 4

YTD: 18

Total: 335

Notes:

-Vortex's FunPix kiosk was actually working properly - hopefully that persists for a long time. I'm still against Vortex being FunPix only though as I saw a number of guests disappointed that they didn't have access to their photos. But you can't please everyone, unfortunately...

-I took my 20th ride on Banshee in the front seat.

-A number of Vortex riders (especially the kids) were saying that they really enjoy Vortex. It warms my heart that a lot of people, especially the younger crowd, still love Vortex and I hope that continues for a long time!

-I can't be thankful enough for my job at Vortex. Working to help operate my favorite ride is something I had always wanted to do since I took my first ride at age 11! I'm literally living a dream! My crew is so great to work with and I love working with them!

-Again, if I'm saying too much about my work, let me know and I'll fix the post as soon as possible!

[IndyGuy4KI]

Great PTR BFF! Always enjoy your posts.

[Daisy1380#]

As always, you did a great job with detail and photos on your trip reports! I also always enjoy your posts! Keep up the good work!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VortexBFForever]

May 26, 2017 (First 10pm Close Shift)

I do not have any pictures from May 26 or 27 since I only worked, so do your best to paint word pictures as you read.

First off, I did not plan to face hoards of traffic on Kings Island Drive, which caused me to arrive at Vortex at 3:58 (right before the next rotation) instead of 3:45. But I still made it! May 26 is by far the most crowded day yet that I've worked; Vortex had a 30-minute line when I arrived. WindSeeker's line was the longest I had seen in quite a while (a two-cycle wait at least!) - one can tell it's crowded when even the high capacity rides have long lines!

Once I clocked in I started as separator, as my supervisors wanted to make sure I felt more comfortable dealing directly with guests (height measurement, answering questions, etc.). And that strategy was working as I started to feel more and more comfortable interacting with the guests (and it would pay off greatly the next day!). That hour went pretty smoothly for the most part. My second hour happened to be my break - although I had arrived only an hour prior, I was apparently on the first break of the evening. As this day was none other than a Food Truck Friday, I decided to get food from one of the food trucks. Interested in the "Southern Sisters" food truck, I headed there to buy some fried Oreos and a corn dog. What I liked was that the food is made to order; what I didn't like was the wait. I waited twenty minutes which was almost half of my break time. Thankfully, I had a 55-minute break so no rush!

I decided to take my food back to Vortex and eat there. Since associates are not allowed to eat in view of the guests, the walk back gave my hot and fresh food some time to cool before I went to the "backstage" area of the station (where train storage is and also a place off-limits to the public and therefore out of the guests' view) to eat there. At 5:45 I ended my break and headed to WindSeeker, where I worked Op-3 (if I remember correctly) for the 6:00 hour and Op-2 for 7:00. At Op-3 I saw I felt more comfortable height checking, even when I had to break the sad news to a guest who was just a quarter inch shy of 52" - I saw her sitting outside of the ride crying while I checked the bars, and I felt sad for her. But I knew I had to do what I did out of safety.

At 8:00 I returned to Vortex to work Unload, which was fun as usual. During that time, I met a few younger guests who made the evening more memorable not just to me but also to them. While I checked restraints a younger guest told me she was excited to ride and that it was going to be a lot of fun, to which I replied in agreement that she was going to have a great time. After I scanned and cleared, I made a mental note to give her a high five when her train returned. When her train returned, I opened the gate before walking back to where she and her father were getting off. I asked her how her ride was and she said it was great and she wanted to ride again. I replied "Excellent choice!" and gave her a high five which she really enjoyed.

I met another younger guest who rode with her parents via Parent Swap. She also liked Vortex very much and was just as excited to ride. I offered her a high five after she rode, which she reciprocated with a huge smile on her face. It made me so happy that I was able to contribute to her #KIBestDay and make her evening even more memorable!

At 9:00 I rotated back to separator. Not long after, the other guest and her father came back and we high-fived again as they picked where to ride next. This would happen multiple times more. Finally, on their last ride, the guest's father took a picture of her and me together to remember the night by. Meeting the young guests I met tonight was definitely the highlight as well as an encouragement. In the few days I have worked so far, I have encountered numerous guests (especially kids) who ride Vortex and come off saying "That was fun! Let's go again!" This is living proof that even though there are people who would care less about Vortex, there are still a large number who love Vortex and count it as one of their favorite rides. I wouldn't be surprised if Vortex remained a part of Kings Island's world class lineup for numerous seasons to come. And please don't judge my optimism, especially since I have evidence and know from experience that Vortex is still very much loved by many.

Finally, at 9:45, the need for a separator was no more, so I returned to Unload once more. At 9:58 I had the duty of moving the trash can in front of the entrance to show that we had closed for the night. As I headed to do just that, the countdown to the fireworks was concluding and the sky started to illuminate with colors. After I had moved the can and walked the queue, I returned to the station just in time to see off the last train of the night. As soon as the fireworks ended and the last riders were off, we went through the closing procedure and "put Vortex to bed." Last but not least we had to sweep around the station and queue line. I spent a solid half hour sweeping the entire queue, whistling merrily as I went all while my favorite ride "slept." I even made sure to keep quiet. I know, I'm weird.

Right after we clocked out, the park's severe weather alarms sounded. I thought I had seen some lightning while I was sweeping Vortex's queue, though I wasn't sure. Now I knew it was lightning! As we made our way to the front of the park a security guard alerted us that heavy rain would come in ten minutes. I skedaddled and managed to make it to my car before the rain escalated to more than just a sprinkle. Wednesday night I drove home through a Tornado Warning; tonight I got to drive home through a lightning storm. Weather can be so unpredictable, but at least these weather instances occurred after closing!

I arrived home and got as much sleep as I could in preparation for my very first all day shift the next day...

[VortexBFForever]

May 27, 2017 (First All-Day Shift!)

Unlike my previous shifts where I arrived barely on time, I arrived just after 9:00 a.m. (now you're talking!), clocked in at 9:15 and met up with my crew before we headed back to Vortex and WindSeeker to begin the day. Like my previous open shift, I helped on Front Load during the block testing, and as always I was the first to test ride. Train #2 got a turn for my test ride this time and subsequently took me on my 336th ride.

Once the first guests came, I took full side Unload and worked there for the first hour. It may have been early in the day, but within the first twenty minutes a few younger guests came to have their height checked. There was one who barely missed the mark; he came so close but not quite. Needless to say, he was not happy and was holding back tears on the way out, and of course I felt sorry for him. Not long after, another family came for a height check. I measured her on the height scale and she happened to be just tall enough! Her mother and she were pleasantly surprised, and she ran to the exit and excitedly told her siblings that she was tall enough! I felt very happy for her and this was definitely a highlight of the morning!

Next hour I was separator, and I got to see for myself that there is no constant flow of guests - the crowd level consistently fluctuates. Sometimes no guests come for a whole minute; other times a huge group comes and I actually have to block off the line. I had another good hour interacting with the guests. All the guests I asked concerning lines said that they had not had to wait long at all! I could see that WindSeeker's and Shake Rattle & Roll's queues had nonexistent lines as well. On a Saturday on a holiday weekend, seeing this happen was indeed surprising!

The noon rotation sent me to Op-3. I noticed that I was not only becoming more comfortable separating the groups of guests (plus checking Fast Lane and measuring height when necessary) but I spoke at a louder volume -- louder than I normally talk, which isn't loud at all -- when I told guests which seats I assigned them. Is this a sign that my people skills are improving? I think so...and this is only my fifth shift!

At 1:00, the op at Op-2 and I switched positions, so I was now at Op-2 -- my favorite WindSeeker position as of now (because Op-1 training is farther down the road from here). I do enjoy getting to check half of WindSeeker's entire hub. And I didn't care that I was hungry; I knew my break would come when it would and until then I worked ever so dutifully!

Speaking of break, that's where I headed for the 2:00 hour along with my supervisor and two other crew members. The associate cafeteria had pasta as their special, so I decided to try it. Along with that I had some chicken tenders and a small salad. The pasta was good, even with the generous amount of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. I was able to finish only half of it, though, even after I finished my tenders and salad. As much as I wanted to finish it, I decided it was best not to as the last thing I wanted to do was feel queasy/nauseous while working. As for my salad, I had put a little bit of buffalo sauce on it along with my ranch, making for the most savory/flavorful salad I've had to date.

We returned to Vortex at 2:45, where I joined another associate on Unload. Since I had worked Front Unload (well, full side most of the time) in the morning, I decided to work Back Unload this hour. This gave me a little less to do, which made for a more gradual ease back into work from break as I took guests' bags to put in the bins and occasionally checked full side if my Unload partner was busy. Needless to say, that hour was great in terms of getting right back to work, as well as fun. It's Unload, for crying out loud; when would I not enjoy it?!?

At 4:00 I went back over to Op-2. The sun had begun to descend and it was low enough that the shade covers didn't give me any shade. I was so thankful I had applied sunscreen earlier as the sun beat down on me the whole time. Thankfully, my numerous cups of water and the cool breezes that blew through frequently were enough to keep me from having to go to First Aid to cool off!

Throughout the day I had hoped to get an hour at Dual, now that I was trained. I had not worked it the previous night (May 26) and I was off until June 4 after this day, so I was thrilled to learn I would work Dual at the next rotation! This was my first time working Dual since the night I was trained (May 24) and my second time ever working this position! Since I was unable to put guests' items in the bins (as the bins are on Unload) I focused instead on opening restraints of empty seats for guests boarding in those seats, as well as helping riders lift their restraints so they could exit. In addition, I also had full side, so my right hand got plenty of practice in checking restraints!

Of course, my hour at Dual went by too quickly and my 6:00 replacement had arrived before I knew it. I went on my way back to Separator one more time. At first there were a small enough number of guests that I didn't have to do much separating, but as the hour went on and more guests finished dinner, the number of prospective riders increased to the point where I would have to block off the line every so often and the line would sometimes extend as far as the bridge. It was during this time that I saw @malem and a few others (I don't know if they are KICers are not) who happened to be near to the front of the line when I stopped it. I had the idea of him taking a photo with me -- so he would have photographic proof that he visited me, VortexBFForever, at work at her favorite ride -- so he got a picture of him and his group with me!

7:00 came and my second break came with it. I went with and ate with the same people I went with on my earlier break. I was not as hungry because of my big lunch, so I had only one slice of pizza and a small salad. There was no ranch dressing so I settled for Italian...in the same salad where I put a bit of buffalo sauce AND a few banana peppers. The result? FLAVOR OVERLOAD, lol. A little too much flavor/kick for my liking (which is a lot to say for someone who likes very flavorful food), but I still ate it and liked it, sort of. I'm sorry if I have irked you slightly, but like I said earlier, I'm weird, okay?

I returned to Op-3 upon returning from break, where I did more seat assigning and height measuring. As the sun set, clouds rolled in and I even felt a few sprinkles but nothing more. There was one cycle that was taking us particularly long to dispatch during that time and the riders were getting uneasy, but we eventually dispatched the cycle and the riders cheered as their 'Seeker flight began, which really relieved the tension that had built up moments before, and I was happy that the guests were happy that their ride had finally begun! What an interesting hour that turned out to be...

Though the last hour was slower in terms of lines, it happened to be very fast-paced duty-wise. I started out on Front Load and worked there for fifteen minutes before my supervisor asked me to work Unload alongside the one associate there already. Then at around 9:30, the associate working Dual had a phone call to answer so she and I traded positions and I got to work Dual for a few more trains until we traded back. And that, my friends, is how one can work three different positions in less than an hour. On top of that we had a few more little things going on, but I was loving all the things we were doing! At a time where we would be tired, I loved the work I did during the last hour and it was actually one of my favorite hours I worked this day. But one highlight was still yet to come:

I was working Back Unload when the fireworks started, so I heard them before I saw them. As I am very sensitive to sudden loud noises, the first few BOOMs I heard gave me a little adrenaline rush. The line had been closed off and the last riders had boarded, and since no one was waiting I asked if it was possible to hop aboard for a ride, since four of us were here working in the station. In fact, one other associate wanted to ride as well! The two of us got to hop aboard the train (Train #1, by the way) with the ten riders and enjoy the last ride of the night with them. I do not even remember off the top of my head the last time I had a fireworks ride on Vortex (it wasn't in 2016, that's for sure) but oh man, I'm so glad I got to ride! I missed twirling through the inversions as momentary bursts of colored light lit the way, accompanied by the characteristic boom. And I later learned this ride was my 20th Vortex ride of the season! What an absolutely amazing way to finish (most of) my first all-day shift!

The reason why I said "most of" was because we still had the closing procedures and cleaning to do after that last ride. This night proved to be even more exciting than the previous night; after I swept the station, I got to help clean in the outside area adjacent to the queue right outside the station. That is all I will say about that, other than the fact that my inner coaster geek had a complete field day (or night, I should say!) and that if I told all the details, at least half the thrill of being an associate would be spoiled (and I may not have a job anymore, which is not good at all). So I'm leaving my post-closing experience at this, because this is a public forum after all and I only say what can be publicly known and what's known to only associates remains known to only associates!

So that concludes my fifth ever day of work at Kings Island, and the final entry to the May edition of my Island Tales. I as of now am working every day June 4-10, so when the June edition comes a lot of information will come with it on a daily basis during that week!

+Vortex: 2

YTD: 20

Total: 337

Notes:

-So much for my hope that Vortex's FunPix kiosk would keep working properly like it did (mostly) on Wednesday...that thing was working properly only 5% or less of the time when I was there Friday and Saturday combined. I'm sure numerous more guests were disappointed about their photos they would never see...

-I'm not liking this FunPix only thing. Not a bit! Way too many guests are unhappy about this because most of them don't have FunPix and whatever cool pose they did for the picture has gone down the drain because they can't even SEE their photo! Also I miss the keychains and photo slips/covers (and the waterglobes offered in the 2012 season -- remember those? I have one!) and now that Vortex is FunPix only, those options aren't there anymore either! [/rant] I really hope something is done to remedy this -- props to those who are trying. For the sake of our dear guests who so desire a #KIBestDay, there must be a long-term fix in the works, I hope!

-Now for the positives. Though I had my stressful moments, I still felt a bit sad when all our work was finished and it was time to clock out. I do need a break at times, yes, but otherwise I've found myself enjoying the moments where I have more to do (especially in a position like Unload where you're rarely standing still, other than clearing!).

-I have said this before and I will say it again: I LOVE my job (and the opportunities, privileges and responsibilities that come with it!) and I'm so thankful I get to work Vortex and WindSeeker in my very first season at the park!!

-I also love my crew. Sure, I have worked for only five days but my crew is already starting to feel like a family -- or at the very least, a unique group of cool friends who share an interest in my favorite coaster and are fun/interesting to hang out and work with!

[Saerenzea]

Thanks for another great post! Vortex is my favorite and I am loving your perspective and work experience. I'm jealous that I can't work there.