Vortex Is Leaving After This Fall Season

[cdubbs727]

2 minutes ago, Bennett said:

This quick sendoff makes me think that the ride isn't going to me dismantled, but refurbished with modern cars and modern restraints, and perhaps retracked in a few key areas, and probably renamed.

 

 

I'm not sure of what they could do to it or what the options are (just because I'm in no way an expert) but that's an interesting thought. I can't say I agree, but it would be interesting. 

And there is precedent for it in Cedar Fair history. Cedar Point announced the closure of Mantis only to overhaul it and bring it back as Rougarou the next season and then they did the same thing with Mean Streak and spent two years transforming it into Steel Vengeance. 

I don't know what the options are for a steel coaster; you can't exactly RCM it. But I feel like it's such a unique structure on such a great footprint that I feel like Kings Island has to know something has to go there soon. Otherwise, you just have a large, empty field (or, worse, a decaying, non-operating roller coaster). 

[Bennett]

2 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

I don't think they would give a last rides event if they weren't going to take it down. 

CP did similar with the Mantis-Rougarou conversion.  

[IndyGuy4KI]

1 hour ago, King Ding Dong said:

A minimum it could be a Coke Freestyle station!

But, but, that station is not in Action Zone!

[937dytboi]

2 hours ago, Maverick44 said:

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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was thinking this same thing, to pull a bigger crowd for Haunt

[flightoffear1996]

It would be nice if and when something replaces it they at least keep the same kind of support style for the lift. 

[malem]

37 minutes ago, Outdoor Man said:

also, isn't there a certain 50-year anniversary coming up in 2022?  May have to put up with an empty lot for a couple seasons but if I were a betting person, I'd guess that they knew exactly what's going there and may use Summer 2020 as a "tease" season + 2021 as a development period to tweak a lot of interest. 

I wouldn't expect another major installation in 2021 or 2022 as Kings Island continues its focus on Orion and then the 50th anniversary.

Sometimes, a ride reaches the end of its service life sooner than everyone would have liked. Today is a sad day, but the future for the park is bright.

[flightoffear1996]

6 minutes ago, 937dytboi said:

I was thinking this same thing, to pull a bigger crowd for Haunt

Park doesn’t need any bigger crowds for haunt. 

[cdubbs727]

1 hour ago, King Ding Dong said:

A minimum it could be a Coke Freestyle station!

Aren't most Coke Freestyle Stations's also SBNO? 

[TheBEASTunchained]

Someone should check out Kings Island’s tweet from a year ago today....Interesting to say the least....

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

1 minute ago, cdubbs727 said:

Aren't most Coke Freestyle Stations's also SBNO? 

The one next to The Beast usually is!

[SonofBaconator]

4 hours ago, Klabergian Empire said:

Here is something to consider:

Kings Island has now lost 2 major roller coasters in 2 years.....what does this mean?

Possibly something else on the horizon?

I know its not the right response everyone wants but this decision seems kinda sudden. Vortex is one of those coasters that should be replaced with something else when it's removed.

Sad day indeed.

[King Ding Dong]

Actually have heard good news about the Rivertown Freestyle this year.  Haven’t been much to KI much this season though because the kids prefer CP after the loss of Firehawk.  The situation will likely balance out next year with the addition of Orion. 

Both boys are meh about Vortex. They are tall enough now that their heads song bang but prefer other coasters.   That thing sure beat the hell out of them a few years ago and ruined a whole day for us.  I seriously thought Kiefer had a concussion for a while. 

12 minutes ago, flightoffear1996 said:

Park doesn’t need any bigger crowds for haunt. 

Management would likely disagree with that statement  

[Haru-Kun]

10 minutes ago, TheBEASTunchained said:

Someone should check out Kings Island’s tweet from a year ago today....Interesting to say the least....

 

I forgot all about this. Interesting indeed.

 

[Outdoor Man]

10 minutes ago, malem said:

I wouldn't expect another major installation in 2021 or 2022 as Kings Island continues its focus on Orion and then the 50th anniversary.

Sometimes, a ride reaches the end of its service life sooner than everyone would have liked. Today is a sad day, but the future for the park is bright.

 

Isn't 2022 the 50th Anniversary?

The "plot" is too large, visible, and "prime" to leave empty long term.  When the (original) Bat was built, it spent 18-months in design, 2 years constructing.  It closed after the 1983 operating season but did not come down until after the 1985 season.  Empty lot for 1986- Vortex for 1987.  

My guess is new attraction for 2022 to book-end a remodeled Coney Mall in time for the 50th anniversary.

 

[SonofBaconator]

What if Orion was purposely a smaller giga? What if we see construction in 2020 for something to come in 2021? It just seems weird that they are choosing to remove it without putting much attention to it as for Firehawk. Granted they still had a funeral for it. Vortex, to me, is one of those rides that is so popular that it should be replaced.

I don't know. I just think that this was always the endgame now that I think about it. Orion might have purposly been underhyped because there was something else coming down the line to follow it.

[bengals fan]

I am saddened by this news. I will miss seeing that beautiful ride. You can not take a bad picture of Vortex.

 

[WoodVengeance]

I'm not surprised that Kings Island is demolishing Vortex given its rough reputation. The thing that surprises me is how early they're doing it. Normally Kings Island won't remove a coaster unless they're going to start construction on a new project the following season (King Cobra/Delirium, Son of Beast/Banshee, Firehawk/Orion). Since we're just getting Orion next year, I don't think we're going to be seeing a new coaster in the park for another 4-5 years,

[JonahWilliamson]

5 minutes ago, Outdoor Man said:

 

Isn't 2022 the 50th Anniversary?

The "plot" is too large, visible, and "prime" to leave empty long term.  When the (original) Bat was built, it spent 18-months in design, 2 years constructing.  It closed after the 1983 operating season but did not come down until after the 1985 season.  Empty lot for 1986- Vortex for 1987.  

My guess is new attraction for 2022 to book-end a remodeled Coney Mall in time for the 50th anniversary.

 

So could we see Vortex sit for a few years?

[SonofBaconator]

3 minutes ago, JonahWilliamson said:

So could we see Vortex sit for a few years?

Probably just gonna let it sink

In all seriousness though, its in a good location of the park so I feel like removing it means that something else is to come. 

[Phantom Theater]

I wonder why they chose to make this such a small announcement? Firehawks was so highly publicized with the funeral, hashtags, media buildup. Why did they announce this so non-chalantly?

[OLFOF96]

2 minutes ago, Phantom Theater said:

I wonder why they chose to make this such a small announcement? Firehawks was so highly publicized with the funeral, hashtags, media buildup. Why did they announce this so non-chalantly?

Because they don't have anything replacing it right away. They did that with Firehawk to get people to ask what is next. But with Vortex they don't want any speculation by the GP just yet. That's my guess.

[pkiknex25]

Just now, Phantom Theater said:

I wonder why they chose to make this such a small announcement? Firehawks was so highly publicized with the funeral, hashtags, media buildup. Why did they announce this so non-chalantly?

Either this was a short notice decision with something coming up in the downtime since daily operations ended, or they want to keep the focus on Orion, or they don't want the focus on it since there's no short term replacement.

[SonofBaconator]

3 minutes ago, Phantom Theater said:

I wonder why they chose to make this such a small announcement? Firehawks was so highly publicized with the funeral, hashtags, media buildup. Why did they announce this so non-chalantly?

Because Firehawk had something immediately replacing it the following year.

[Pedro Cerrano]

14 minutes ago, Outdoor Man said:

The "plot" is too large, visible, and "prime" to leave empty long term.  

 

This.  

And what is the earliest that something goes in that spot? 2023?  So you are looking at 3 full seasons with a big empty hole in a prime location.

While I am sure there is a plan - it does seem odd to announce a removal with nothing imminent to take its place.  When Firehawk left - everyone assumed it was for the 2020 project.

[SonofBaconator]

 

[JonahWilliamson]

Hear me out..... 

Here's the story

Maverick is ****ed about Steel Vengeance and Digger, and that crew showing up. SOOOOO

He hops on his horse goes south. (This is where they could do a promo video of someone walking past the "HELL IS REAL SIGN" i think it would be hilarious)

Maverick shows up at Kings Island, Maverick takes grinder or some sort of tool to the supports of Vortex.

Vortex comes down. Maverick 2.0 takes the area. Call it Mustang to keep maverick esk theme or do weather related to keep Vortex Esk theme whatever they prefer. 

Well that was fun but three or four years has gone by.....

Steel Vengeance crew is BIG mad about Maverick taking new land SOOOOOOOO

The crew heads south (video passing same sign three years later would be hilarious)

Steel vengeance and Chess and all those people (dont know the names) Stumble upon a big cage....

They "Unleash The Beast"

And its RMC Beast 

Beast Unleashed and Mustang 

RMC and Intamin Launch.

Thanks for taking a look at my biggest dream. That will not happen

@Maverick44They read my theory from last week and loved it so much they decided to get started.

[pkiknex25]

Just now, Pedro Cerrano said:

This.  

And what is the earliest that something goes in that spot? 2023?  So you are looking at 3 full seasons with a big empty hole in a prime location.

While I am sure there is a plan - it does seem odd to announce a removal with nothing imminent to take its place.  When Firehawk left - everyone assumed it was for the 2020 project.

And this is why I think that losing Firehawk and Vortex in back to back years wasn't planned by KI and CF. Firehawk clearly was, but something had to have come up on Vortex recently.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Something to keep in mind:

Thunder Road was removed in 2015 and Copperhead Strike didn't open until 2019.

Skyrider closed in 2014 and Yukon Striker didn't open until 2019. 

I do hope that something fills The Vortex plot of land sooner rather than later, but I wouldn't get your hopes up since we are getting Orion next year. Also, some people on other forum sites brought up the idea of something like Forbidden Frontier at Cedar Point.

[Maverick44]

3 minutes ago, JonahWilliamson said:

Hear me out..... 

Here's the story

Maverick is ****ed about Steel Vengeance and Digger, and that crew showing up. SOOOOO

He hops on his horse goes south. (This is where they could do a promo video of someone walking past the "HELL IS REAL SIGN" i think it would be hilarious)

Maverick shows up at Kings Island, Maverick takes grinder or some sort of tool to the supports of Vortex.

Vortex comes down. Maverick 2.0 takes the area. Call it Mustang to keep maverick esk theme or do weather related to keep Vortex Esk theme whatever they prefer. 

Well that was fun but three or four years has gone by.....

Steel Vengeance crew is BIG mad about Maverick taking new land SOOOOOOOO

The crew heads south (video passing same sign three years later would be hilarious)

Steel vengeance and Chess and all those people (dont know the names) Stumble upon a big cage....

They "Unleash The Beast"

And its RMC Beast 

Beast Unleashed and Mustang 

RMC and Intamin Launch.

Thanks for taking a look at my biggest dream. That will not happen

@Maverick44They read my theory from last week and loved it so much they decided to get started.

I could only wish!!!!!

[warriordog10]

WOW what shocking news. ill sure miss this. guess gonna have to go for haunt this year to ride it one last time