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Vortex Is Leaving After This Fall Season


THE_BEASTmaster

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  On 9/27/2019 at 12:00 PM, Maverick44 said:


Yeah something had to of happened to it recently. Maybe they cannot gets the parts it need any longer idk. Why wait so long into the season to say it’s leaving. This should of had a longer time to say goodbyes. Mean Streak has a longer time this just sucks I can’t make it make to ride one last time. I may be in the minority but I for 1 do not want a dive coaster at least night right now. Anything but another B&M right now. Don’t hate I just want something aggressive and intense.


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I can't bite on the "they can't get the parts arrow isn't around anymore" if a part breaks any decent sized CNC manufacturing milling firm will produce a part for them, they don't even need the drawings, the seriously only need the part itself to measure from. Not to mention chance does arrow re-tracking, if they wanted to keep Vortex going they very well could. Something else is up, when we'll actually find that out is yet to be seen

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My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

Have fun on Orion next year guys. I think I'm gonna sit 2020 out. I'm not going to be dramatic and act like KI has lost me forever (they haven't; I'll be back) but it's going to be very difficult emotionally for me to go to Coney Mall for a while and I'm not ready to put myself through that right away.

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  On 9/27/2019 at 12:11 PM, Maverick44 said:


I don’t get that decision though. Maybe to make crowds big during Haunt?


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Yeah it doesn't make sense. Isn't Haunt busy anyway?

My wife is crushed. This has always been her favorite coaster anywhere. We're gonna go on the 5th and hope that the line to ride it isn't insane.

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  On 9/27/2019 at 12:19 PM, flightoffear1996 said:

Doesn’t say the park will be removing the ride. It just says retiring. Might be SBNO for  little while. 

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It will be demolished.  But likely not until assembly of Orion is done.

Sad, but it had a great run.  I remember fondly when it opened.

But as far as folks getting angry about losing a coaster, I invite you to look for the forest, not the trees.

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  On 9/27/2019 at 12:00 PM, Maverick44 said:

This should of had a longer time to say goodbyes.

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Yes, this coaster deserved a 1 season  curtain call.  CF had a real good idea that this coaster would be leaving at the end of the year so why not announce that there is a good chance that this ride will be closing at the end of the season that way it gave people a chance to get to KI and ride it one last time.  (15 days just isnt long enough)

Don't expect anything new to be in that area for a few years. Maybe something big for KIs 50th but we know it wont be record breaking ie Orion

Volcano had issues for years and it sat dormant for over a year before they tore that iconic mountain down but it too was not given any warning that it would  no longer be running again

 

I am glad I was able to ride this one last time on announcement day and as I've said before, the ride was smoother that it had been in years

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This is bittersweet for me! Vortex was my first big coaster as a kid that made me fall in love with coasters. It was a landmark of the park, located in the hub of activity in Coney Mall. However, we can all agree it was getting a little rusty. I have no doubt KI has something in mind for that space, they never cease to surprise us! I just wish they announced this in the beginning of the season, so there’d be more times for final rides— even though they seem to like to announce retirements this time of year. Speaking of which, anyone have any theories on the fact that this was the same day the announced Firehawks closing last year? Could just be coincidence, or not.... also, they made Firehawks retirement quite the ordeal last year with the foreshadowing of the gravestone bearing its name for haunt ... why the sudden punch to the gut for Vortex ? Somethings up.. 

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  On 9/27/2019 at 10:44 AM, flightoffear1996 said:

I wonder if they will sell bolts or something for The Vortex. I would love to get my hands on something 

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If they would think outside the box, they could auction some for charity.  Ive seen other parks auction off trains, station memorabilia,etc. 

Wish I would have picked up a Vortex shirt when I was last there 

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I think it's a great move by the park.  Totally thought this would happen 3 years ago after the 30th year!    However, at that time I thought they'd get a new coaster out of it...    Kings Island has always said when a ride stops being an "enjoyable experience" for the riders it's time for it to go.  Vortex has turned into a horrible slam machine that bashes your head and throws you all over.  Like someone else said though, I WILL hate for it to not "be there" and SEE it all the time (still neat looking with all its loops), but I sure won't miss riding it.   Does seem weird how they are so abruptly doing it though.  Did they count Vortex in the "xxx" miles of track that they were boasting KI would have after Orion??? 

GREAT memories of this ride.  I remember the "robot hand" commercial on TV the year it was coming to the park and being so excited.  (And then so shocked/dumbfounded a few years ago when I went to Carrowinds the first time and saw a ride with the SAME EXACT LOGO!   And then same AGAIN at Canadas Wonderland the next year!)   I can totally remember my first ride on it in early 1987 with my dad, and thinking the drop was SO tall and SO STEEP!   Also remember countless rides on it in subsequent years (89-92) when in high school going to the park with friends and thinking it was such an AMAZING coaster and riding it again and again!  All the more reason I HATE what it has become.  Took my son on it for his first time in 2012 (front seat) and couldn't believe how horrible it was.  He's only ridden it once since then and hates it.  I've ridden it maybe 4 times since then trying different places in the cars and they are all terrible.  Sorry to say it, but DEFINITELY time to GO.  Just thought we'd get something NEW in exchange...  Guess we are, sort of...    Turns out Firehawk was just collateral damage I suppose because of its location.

 

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  On 9/27/2019 at 11:44 AM, LovinMeSomeBanshee said:

If they put something comparable to Maverick or Copperhead Strike in there, I’d welcome a return of Intamin if they could get their stuff together. 

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I would LOVE a Maverick style ride there!  But I don't think it's enough room...  

The spot/terrain/location just screams dive coaster to me.

 

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  On 9/27/2019 at 12:41 PM, Klabergian Empire said:

I wonder if they will tear down the station as well. They didn't tear it down when the original Bat was demolished....

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It's such a beautiful structure, id be hard pressed to see them actually remove it, I mean it can always be retrofitted to whatever they want to put there 

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I wish they would have announced this sooner!

 

The best way I describe The Vortex is this...it is like being married to an attractive yet abusive spouse.  Looks amazing, but she beats the crap out of you.  But you still love her and keep coming back.

Vortex?  Looks AMAZING...but every time I ride it I get beat up so bad.  But she's great...  I forgive her.  :)

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  On 9/27/2019 at 12:19 PM, flightoffear1996 said:

Doesn’t say the park will be removing the ride. It just says retiring. Might be SBNO for  little while. 

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I dont think it will SBNO   If they were gonna do that then the smartest thing that CF could do is give it the season curtain call due to the fact that it is still operational and mechanically sound.  That would also take a small about of wait time for Orion if it was still running

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  On 9/27/2019 at 12:35 PM, Kingshaven said:

If they would think outside the box, they could auction some for charity.  Ive seen other parks auction off trains, station memorabilia,etc. 

Wish I would have picked up a Vortex shirt when I was last there 

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Wonder if I could convince my wife to let me buy a car. Maybe use it as a planter for the garden. Lol

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Oof. After Firehawk was removed last year, I was expecting the other coasters at the park would all last at least a few more years and co-exist with Orion. Sadly I woke up to find this.

I'm one of the people who actually liked Vortex, to the point when it does go, it is gonna be my new favorite defunct coaster or ride, surpassing Pilgrims Plunge/Giraffica for that title (and fairly easily). Unlike Firehawk- which I only ever rode 4 times- I have been on Vortex 23 times so far and on almost every visit (will likely being adding to that total as was planning to go for Haunt this year). It's one of my go-to rides on days like Haunt Saturdays, when the park gets very crowded. Which makes this much more of a gut-punch than Firehawk was. Plus Orion is replacing Firehawk, and looks to be a big upgrade, but I fear we are waiting a while before something replaces Vortex, at least until 2023. I think a B&M Dive is pretty likely- they are GP Pleasers, High Capacity, and comparatively cheap versus B&M's other big looping models. KI is gonna want to replace Vortex's capacity eventually, and Vortex had really good capacity so that will be tricky to do. A RMC wooden coaster could also be a option, but Steel Vengeance is still CP's newest coaster and will likely still be very popular in 2023 even if CP adds a new coaster soon, so I don't know if they would add a similar-ish RMC to Kings Island so soon. Most of the other ride types I can think of in this spot are more expensive, such as a B&M Floorless (would be a pretty much direct replacement for Vortex) or a Mack Multi-Launch like Copperhead Strike (but CH cost $30m so if this is the model they wanna replace Vortex with it may be a few years, possibly as late as 2024 or 2025).

I also fear for Invertigo (which I thought might go before Vortex but it could live a few more years from Stinger parts), The Bat, and maybe even Flight of Fear in coming years. They are all also aging models and parts I imagine must be getting harder to come by. (Adventure Express is older but Mine Trains seem to last crazy long, and by their standards AE is still young) And of course for all the other Arrow Loopers in the chain (Corkscrew, Anaconda, Carolina Cyclone, etc): if Vortex is going, I don't see the other ones outliving it by that much.

 

 

 

 

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I know a lot of people are waiting for my take on this...I'm so shocked.

I knew I would have to say goodbye to Vortex at some point, yet this is still sooner than I expected.

Vortex has a special place in my heart for more reasons than one, most notably it being my first job and my first looping coaster. Because of Vortex, inversions are my favorite element on any coaster.

At this point, I don't care for Orion. I'm still glad we're getting it, but I'm purely devoting these next five weekends to enjoying Vortex while I still can, both as an associate and as a guest.

-BFF, who will now start bringing a handful of tissues with her to Kings Island...

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