Closing Day, October 28: Flexibility is Hard, but It's Worth It!

[VortexBFForever]

Closing Day, October 28, 2018, may very well be the weirdest/abnormal Closing Day I have experienced. Don't worry, as this makes for quite a memorable day at that!

Having attended every Closing Day since the 2010 season, I had my routines and traditions well established and adapted them to whatever new things I implemented each season, such as last year when it was my first time working on Closing Day. Weeks in advance, I had planned to work part of Closing Day (but had not yet committed to it) and then use the remaining time to binge-ride Vortex and Firehawk as a guest. However, I ended up changing those plans just two days before the 28th so two friends of mine (who had never ridden Firehawk) could get their first/last flights. Sunday was their only chance. As much as I wanted to go through with my original plans (as my inner Aspie enjoys plans and routines), I did not want to look back on this day and realize that my two friends never got to ride Firehawk due to my depriving them of their only remaining chance.

So on Sunday, instead of committing to my original plans to pick up one last shift with my Windex fam before the 5.5 month offseason would begin, I headed to Kings Island as a guest with Macy, one of my friends from school. We arrived at the park around noon, where we met @Daisy1380#, the other of my aforementioned two friends, at the front gate.

Left to right: Drew (Daisy1380#), me, and Macy.

Like many others who visited on this chilly, windy day, our main priority was to ride Firehawk together at least once. Macy and I had already tried before, on Friday the 12th, but that night's three attempts had failed. For Drew, it was his first time ever at Kings Island, so this day was his first and only chance to ride Firehawk.

We knew from looking (and feeling the wind) that Drop Tower, Eiffel Tower and WindSeeker barely stood a chance (if any) of opening today, so those choices were out. Xtreme Skyflyer and SlingShot, two of the rides we wanted to ride most, were also down due to high winds by the time we arrived. The upside of this was that the wind narrowed down our options.

We headed straight to Firehawk...to find it closed. Now before you tell me, I did not look at the displays at the front gate, which had apparently told that Firehawk would (most likely) not open. In fact, I did not find out until AFTER the trip that it was first assumed that Firehawk would not open for the last day. And since I tend to not check social media much if at all during trips, that also contributed to my not knowing until after the day was done.

With Skyflyer and SlingShot down for high winds, and with Firehawk closed at the moment, we had one more ride we wanted to make absolutely sure we rode...and if you guessed Vortex, then ding ding ding!

An empty station awaited us (as the train in the station had just loaded) and we made our way to the front. Drew and I got in the first row while Macy got in the second after Train #1 arrived. But right after we boarded, Vortex went down due to inclement weather in the area! So we got off the train and back into the queue behind the gates. The other guests who had joined us in line left almost immediately, but I elected that the three of us stay, so we could talk with my crewmates as well as stay dry from the impending rain, which arrived just moments after we had to get off. I pulled out my phone to check the radar, which showed a rather large storm cell just north of us, with some rain where we were. The tail end of the storm was straight north of us, so I knew it wouldn't be too long before Vortex would go back up. I guessed it would go up in 15 minutes, if not 30 minutes at most.

Surely enough, about 10-15 minutes later, the phone rang telling my crew that Vortex had the green light to reopen! After cycling each train twice, we finally got to board...again. This time, we were on Train 3 instead of 1. We had our own train for Drew's first ride on Vortex. I told him what he needed to know during the 56-second ascent up the lift hill before we plummeted down what was the world's tallest drop in 1987. The ride was fairly smooth (especially since it had just rained) and we all enjoyed it! Drew enjoyed his first ride on Vortex.

While riding Vortex, we saw Firehawk cycling. It was still closed when we went back there, but it would continue to cycle for the next hour. I had already began renting a locker, so here's to hoping we would ride it in the next two hours. In the meantime, we got a picture by the Firehawk sign, Macy and I rode Flight of Fear (as Drew doesn't do dark rides), and we met a group of fellow Koaster Kids fans, including Logan and his dad! That was pretty cool. I also saw Josh and a few other FYE Coasters people.

I am definitely looking forward to riding Flight of Fear during Winterfest!

Since we already had a locker, we decided to ride Banshee next. I saw another one of my school friends, Emma, who was working! There was no line and no separator, so we got to pick our own row! We chose Row 2 since Row 1 actually had a line. We enjoyed Banshee! Smooth and fun as always, complete with the slight difficulty breathing with the vest restraints. They are comfortable though.

The Bat was right next door, so we decided to ride it. Macy sat out on this one because she rode it two weeks ago when she and I were here last, so just Drew and I rode. And like the other rides, The Bat was fun for both of us!

We wanted to ride Invertigo, but it too was closed for wind. So we enjoyed a fun ride on Delirium instead!

By this time it was almost 3, which meant my locker rental would expire soon. We headed back to Firehawk, which had finally opened!

We saw the line, and I wanted to extend the rental on my locker, but I was unable to because it had not yet expired. I would later learn that it would cost me $9 to extend the rental. Now I know for the future that ending the rental on the current locker and paying another $2 to rent a different one would end up costing less than what I had to pay to extend the rental on an expired locker.

We joined Firehawk's line, determined to ride it. I knew it would be worth it, especially for Macy and Drew since it would be their first flight. Even though the FunTV said Firehawk had a two hour wait, we waited only 35 minutes, during which I took the liberty of snapping many pictures (I won't post all of them; just the better ones )!

My bee and Vortex beanie were able to ride, since they fit in my rain jacket's zippered pockets!

Finally, we reached the separator, who sent us to Station 1 (the side closest to the rest of the ride, where the Red train loads/unloads). The 35-minute wait reminded me of my #FirehawkFirstFlight on August 17, 2010, when I had to wait a similar length of time to fly...it gave me plenty of time to watch the ride that would join Vortex, Diamondback, and Flight of Fear in my group of favorites!

At last, we stepped aboard the Red train. Our flight went with no problems; it was only thrills as we sped down the first drop at 51 mph facedown and soared through each element. Drew and Macy had finally ridden Firehawk, and both of them loved it (and I did too of course!)! Drew would later declare it his favorite ride. Mission accomplished.

We checked SlingShot again since Drew really wanted to ride it, but it was still closed. So we rode Adventure Express and Red Racer instead (it was actually just Macy and me, since Drew is iffy about wooden/hybrid coasters) and then all three of us rode Dodgems. During that time, we also ran into the KIC group by the Coke Freestyle station (which was open ) between Express and Racer. We got a group picture with them and enjoyed talking about Kings Island stuff before we continued on our merry way. 

We started to head toward Diamondback since Macy and I really wanted to ride it, but Drew realized he had to leave soon. When given choices, he said he would rather ride Vortex again, so we headed back there. When we did get back there though, Drew had to leave. Macy wanted a little break from the rides, so I rode Vortex again by myself.

Closing Day: the only day of the season where one can capture an operational Vortex and an Eiffel Tower Christmas tree in the same picture.

I chose to ride in the back this time, as I was in the mood for airtime! And boy was it fun! The cold definitely adds to the experience, as did the wind. I believe my Vortex rides on this particular day were my windiest yet!

It was roughly 5:00 at this point. Macy wanted to ride The Beast, Diamondback, and maybe Firehawk again, and I had just started to crave a small Vortex binge. I concluded that we would have enough time to hit those three rides and then use the remaining time to ride Vortex as many times as I could before 7pm.

We decided to hit The Beast first, since it was on the way from Vortex to Diamondback.

We rode in Row 17, my new favorite row on The Beast. Even though I don't ride The Beast very often, I have noticed my appreciation for it has been growing, especially this year when I got to ride it in the rain, as well as during Haunt. Even though I vastly prefer inversions and large hills, I really do enjoy The Beast for what it is. I enjoy every coaster how it is, because each is thrilling in its own unique way. I will try to make sure I ride The Beast more often in future seasons, namely when it rains or there's enough time after dark to ride it as well as Vortex and WindSeeker and my other favorite night rides. I definitely kept that in mind during our cold, raging ride through the woods and over the hills!

We started to head toward Diamondback, but I noticed that it was cycling off and had just closed. We went to Firehawk and were just about to rent another locker when I noticed the people who had just boarded the train in the station were now being told to get off. Firehawk was closing for wind/weather as well! I saw Vortex doing the same as we walked back toward it. Fortunately, it made for the perfect time to eat, since both of us were hungry. We went to Juke Box Diner (just before a rush too, so we ended up at the front of a line that would form in the otherwise empty place) and we each got a bacon cheeseburger. We sat over by Vortex's entrance and ate. I enjoyed my first Juke Box Diner food since 2010, but not as much as I enjoy Coney Bar-B-Que. Not long later, Vortex began showing signs of life again, starting with Train 2 going into the train storage shed. I got to watch maintenance do their thing, which was pretty cool! And of course I enjoyed talking with a few of my crewmates who were within earshot.

I peeked through the fence at the Antique Autos site, as well as where the holders for Vortex's cars were waiting for the next day, where the cars would be removed from the track and taken to the shop for winter maintenance.

Vortex kept cycling its remaining two trains, 1 and 3, before reopening not too long later. Needless to say, I was as excited as a kid in a candy store. Macy was still eating and was willing to wait while I rode Vortex to my heart's content. It was around 6:15-6:20 at this point.

I managed to get three more rides on Vortex, all in the cold and sprinkling rain with 30-40 mph wind! The third ride happened to be with a fellow KICer @Hampshire24 and we had fun together!

The third of those three rides also happened to be my last ride of the season on Vortex. It was 6:45 and I had just gotten off when the ride went down again due to the other train stopping on the lift hill. When the ride restarted minutes later, the train on the lift happened to be Vortex's second to last train of the season. One of my fellow Vortex fan friends was on that train and he said ot was quite cold up there. In the meantime, I was wanting to be up there, even though I had been up there before, back in June!

Vortex eventually began cycling again, and then the guests still in line got to ride. They got to be Vortex's last riders of the 2018 season. Since I was not in that line and the queue was never reopened, I would be unable to ride on that last train. Needless to say, it upset me and #shamelessplug, I cried. Since I have Asperger's syndrome, it's very difficult for me to deal with sudden changes and disrupted plans, and the sudden rush of emotion that comes with such changes overwhelms me greatly, especially if a change determines that your last ride of the season on your favorite ride happened fifteen minutes ago. My crewmates apologized since there was nothing more they could do, and I told them not to worry since I had already got to ride five times, including on what happened to be the third-to-last train of the season. Even though I was upset, I could not and did not complain. There was simply no reason to do so. My plans may have had to change on a whim, but that in no way meant my day was ruined. Not even close.

I came around to the exit to say goodbye to Vortex until next spring. The fun of peeking through the closed storage bay doors at the train in there cheered me up a little.

And of course I had to get one last picture with my crew (at least those who were present) before we all would go our separate ways until next spring...

BUT, my night did not end there. I still had one more thing to do...

...I took my two final flights on Firehawk (one on each train ). Now THAT cheered me up getting to be among the last people to say goodbye to one of my other favorite rides! I will miss Firehawk. I loved facing the ground half the time and going through a vertical loop on my back. It's definitely an unconventional experience, and one which I don't know if or when I will experience again, since I currently don't have any plans to go to Carowinds or Six Flags America anytime soon...

And in case you're wondering why I have wings, it's because for this whole day I was wearing a Toothless costume which I had bought off of Etsy, and I enjoyed wearing it to the park thanks to the new rule allowing adults to wear costumes (provided they meet the specified guidelines) on Sundays during The Great Pumpkin Fest! This also meant that I got to literally spread my wings on my last three Firehawk flights ever.

For a Closing Day that was definitely abnormal for me, it was still one of the best! I got to see our 'hawk fly for the final time, got one of the last trains on Vortex, and best of all spent the day with two great friends! Speaking of Macy and Drew, they had a lot of fun as well. Drew loved his first trip ever to Kings Island, and Macy loved that she finally got to ride Firehawk after our failed attempts back on the 12th. I loved that they got to ride Firehawk for their first (and last) time! Giving up the opportunity to work (as well as my shot at getting to 700 rides on Vortex by the end of this season) on Closing Day was worth it solely for this reason!

Overall this fall I had brought a total of four friends to the park, just so they could experience Firehawk at least one last time. That reminds me, I still gotta write a report about the 19th...another fun night with two other friends!

Farewell, Firehawk. It was fun flying with you for eight years out of the eleven you were here at Kings Island:

First Flight on August 17, 2010

Final Flight on October 28, 2018

As for Vortex, WindSeeker and the other rides not open for Winterfest: see you next spring in just over 20 weeks!

+Vortex: 5

YTD: 192 1/3

Total: 685 1/3

+Flight of Fear: 1

YTD: 11

Total: 27

+Banshee: 1

YTD: 5

Total: 30

+The Bat: 1

YTD: 8

Total: 108

+Delirium: 1

YTD: 4

Total: 36

+Firehawk: 3

YTD: 10

Total: 27

+Adventure Express: 1

YTD: 8

Total: 63

+Red Racer: 1

YTD: 5

Total: 26

+Dodgem: 1

YTD: 3

Total: 12

+The Beast: 1

YTD: 4

Total: 20

[Fye Coasters]

Great read! I had fun on closing day! Can't wait until WinterFest! 

[IndyGuy4KI]

Looks like you had a great day! I am glad you were able to get @Daisy1380# onto FH.

[Daisy1380#]

I can’t even begin to thank y’all enough, where I loved all the rides I rode that day, but Firehawk has now become my favorite ride of all time. I know Firehawk is leaving, but thanks to my friend VortexBFForever, I was able to ride Firehawk and many other rides that day! I will be coming back next season, where I plan to come during the middle of the summer, and I can’t wait to see y’all again!

When I told my parents what I rode, they were extremely proud of me, as last time I was at Disney world I didn’t want to ride most of the rides. I am happy to come back to Kings Island, where it was a pleasure to come, and I can’t wait to see y’all again!

For those who answered many questions for me, I am thankful for y’all, as I was able to know what to do before coming. I normally don’t use the pound sign, but this is my first, and it is: #KIBestDayEver!

I can’t even begin to thank all of y’all so much!

If anyone wants to know more about what I thought of my amazing day at Kings Island, please either send me a PM.

To quote some Roger Waters (former Pink Floyd band member) at the end of the wall tour of 2011-2013 (saw it in 2012): “Thank you!” This quote is from outside the wall from his album Roger Water’s the Wall.

Thanks for the amazing time!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hampshire24]

10 hours ago, VortexBFForever said:

I managed to get three more rides on Vortex, all in the cold and sprinkling rain with 30-40 mph wind! The third ride happened to be with a fellow KICer (I don't remember offhand what his username is though! Arrgh) and we had fun together!

 

It was me!

Thanks for riding with me.

That was probably one of my smoothest rides on Vortex. I think the rain really helped out.