especially when Adventure Express is rated a 5.... seems ridiculous!

I dunno..maybe its a type-o? good question....

Vortex is def. rated a "5" as of 2007

AE is a "5" as of 2007

Vortex was a "4" as of 2006

AE was a "3" as of 2006

Sounds pretty funny to me. Anyone going to KI tomorrow ?

AE should be still a 3 in my opinion. The end is such a disappointment when you go up that hill slowly, expecting a drop, and then you're done.

Tea cups are more fun than AE, IMHO

AE has had such staying power, its amazing. What just a little theming can do. (Cough, SOB, Cough).

The ratings have to do with intensity and are to be used by guests who wonder if they are physically up to the ride. Thrills and intensity can be two entirely different things. TTD is very intense for anybody...whether or not it is thrilling is a matter for each to decide...

Well, a little birdie told me that the changes to some of the intensity ratings for this year, were also based on the fact whether or not a ride had tunnels. If it has tunnels, that bumps up the intensity rating some, which is part of the reason why Adventure Express`s rating went up.

What would a tunnel have to do with how intense a ride is?

The ratings have to do with intensity and are to be used by guests who wonder if they are physically up to the ride. Thrills and intensity can be two entirely different things. TTD is very intense for anybody...whether or not it is thrilling is a matter for each to decide...

That should be a different scale. If I had never been to the park before and I had little kids, and I saw AE was a 5. I would have passed on the ride. Then when I see almost EVERYTHING in the park is a 5, I probably wouldn't come back. AE being a 5 is just besides me.

What would a tunnel have to do with how intense a ride is?

My guess would be that with a tunnel, it is more difficult to tell where the ride will go next when you are inside said tunnel - thus bumping up intensity.

Excuse my ignorance, but what ride is TTD? I have run through the whole park in my brain and can't figure out which ride TTD is!

I'm sorry...we DO need that glossary! TTD is Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point!

Thank you for the explanation. I have never been to Cedar Point, so no wonder I had no clue! I have been to KI hundreds of times since I was a child given that I live about 10 minutes from the park and I love it, but I hear that Cedar Point blows it away. It's just so hard for me to justify driving up there, getting a hotel, and having to spend all that money for a day.

I am so spoiled by the KI gold pass and I am used to going for about 2 hours each time I go to the park, spending no money on food or drinks, riding about 3 to 5 rides, never standing it line and then going home.... Such a fun way to enjoy Kings Island!

Please tell me... I love roller coasters, is Cedar Point worth the hassle?

Please tell me... I love roller coasters, is Cedar Point worth the hassle?

Well if that is what you are looking for, absolutely.

AE is prob a 5 due to the banging you get riding it... and the fact that I still hear ppl screaming in fear while they are on it. It's a great coaster... one of my favs for a lazy, non intense visit when you go just to hang out with your riding partner, like I had a few days ago. And it's good to get you hyped up for the good stuff.

Personally, I HATE Vortex. I rode it once, and my hubby wants me to ride it with him, so I'll ride it one more time with him. It was so rough I felt like I had fallen onto a reject from the 70s. (no offense to those who love it) I think I was expecting too much when I rode it, I though steel would be a smooth ride, and Vortex isn't. It was my first steel coaster with inversions. Face/Off beats me to death, but I like it better because it's smoother.

deb

I hope that you do try The Vortex again because I have always found it to be a fairly smooth ride. It's one of my favorite rides in the park! It's amazing how the feel of the rides can vary from day to day or operator to operator.

And from seat to seat...the smoothest ride on Vortex is in the front seat of the fifth car...which is the seat Mr. Toomer designed the ride around. . .

Vortex is real smooth. Ride last car and make sure to keep you head forward.

With all due respect, the fifth car is FAR smoother than the last. I should know, I've ridden every seat on Vortex many, many, many times; and am old enough and brittle enough to know the difference between smooth and not so smooth. The front seats of cars are also both smoother and roomier than the back seats of cars.

Well it might be smoother but doesn't give you the extreme airtime the last car does. I would take the best drop/airtime over just being alittle smoother.

Sure, but deb was looking for smooth. And that front seat of the fifth car is not only smooth, but it has looooong, sustained floating airtime. The back car is more intense, which is NOT what deb is looking for.

I find last seat to have more air than second car to last.

Lets take a vote

Ae is a 5 and Drop Zone and Vortex are 4's a little weird I think Cedar Fair is trying to get more scared riders to ride Drop Zone and Vortex and more riders who think Ae is lame to ride it because it is a 5

Adventure Express is rated a 5...

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Vortex is also a 5, along with IJST.

My girlfriend was wondering why the intensity system is so weird at Cedar Point. I'm assuming that it translated down here as well. For example, the antique cars are a 3! I don't understand that at all. Vortex should definitely be a 5 though, as for AE, I could see a 4, just because it's a bit rough.

P.S. 6-1 is the best seat on Vortex :-D

Why does it really matter what the rankings are?

Why does it really matter what the rankings are?

uh huh.

But I think the ratings are there so that parents can help judge what rides their kids can ride when they are tall enough. And if you check the map, it gives an explanation for all the ride ratings... plus, if you check out the disability PDF on pki.com you can see all the reasoning for the ratings, even the waterpark, and specifics.

deb

7-1 all the way when it comes to Vortex.