Kings Island removing Vortex

Llama Drama said:

What were peoples' reactions when these rides first opened? To those who were around back then.

as for Magnum? the rider coming back into the station with a bloody nose at the first Magnum Mania event is all that need be said.

As for Vortex, it was a head banger from the beginning. All we knew then was Screamin' Demon and King Cobra. Demon had no turns, so no issue there, and well, Cobra was a Togo so if that's your baseline, Vortex didn't seem all that unusual.

Compared to today's world of engineered B&M smoothness, re-profiled Racer, and trimmed Beast, it looks more and more like an outlier to today's customer expectations and requirements.

Yeah like I said, floorlesses are good rides. I like them. But there are just so many better options to built nowadays.

After all, the last new floorless built in the States was 2005! (Hydra). Last one in the world 2013. The last sitting being Led Zeppelin in 2008.

Yes these are still in the catalog and B&M would build these rides if asked, but so are standups! (technically) but we know those arent going to be built anytime soon if ever again.

CreditWh0re said:

Coasterhound36 said:
You raise a good point Walt because I was curious about the fate of Viper at SFMM? Arguably my favorite standard looping coaster anywhere in the world and its only 3 years younger than Vortex. Does this mean SFMM is gonna get a wild hair up their backside and take it out too ?!?!?

What a world....We have to keep an idiot like Donald Trump in office, but a classic ride like Vortex gets the axe. Seems like a gross injustice! *SMH*

SFMM just did a VERY long rehab of Viper in late 2018. While I still won't ride it, they did just invest some serious maintenance time and money on it, so expect it to stay for a while. However, it's the last of the giant Arrow Multi-loopers, so let's be honest about its fate.

You know, being right on the Coney midway and having that classic design feel to it, I think the station would be a nice venue to be converted into an in-park history museum. They could even leave that small fixed part of Vortex track that leads into the "shed" part in place alongside the old Bat footer right next to it. It would fit right in with how they've paid homage to past rides in the Antique Autos theming.

Too bad that DH Morgan still isn't around. From what I remember the lift hill was OK on Vortex, and they did a pretty good job at Kennywood with Phantom's Revenge... A nice, steel, non-looper with the old lift hill, going down, back under, and out by Beat could be real nice. Alas, I'm 99% confident that's not what will happen there.

I’d trust Chance Morgan to do it, but that’s not going to happen.

I could definitely see the station building reused for something in the future.

Another uniquely visual coaster bites the dust. Been a few years since I rode it but it didn’t seem to age horribly for an arrow. Certainly a different color scheme than most and quite a narrow queue at the top of the house. Almost like an old fun house.

Randall302 said:

The racer was rough the last time I rode it. Tear it down.

Nope

Randall302 said:

Adventure Express tosses you around pretty hard on the turns. Maybe it needs to go too.

Nah

Randall302 said:

The Beast sure bounces you around in that helix. Maybe...

Nein

I took my adult nephew to KI last spring. It was his first time there, and when he saw Vortex, he just had to ride it. I told him that it was old and rough, and I usually skip it. As a matter of fact,, I hadn't rode it for many, many years.

As we headed back home to WV, I asked him what his favorite ride at the park was. Vortex was his answer.

"Vortex? Really? Not Diamondback?"

"Diamondback made me feel unsafe. Those lap bars were too open."

"What about Banshee? You said you liked that one a lot."

"It was okay."

"We laughed really hard on Mystic Timbers. Why not that one?"

"That one was fun. It was kinda bouncy though."

"Beast? What about Beast?"

"Beast... The big wooden one in the woods? It was too rough."

"..."

I went to KI just yesterday. My summer got screwed up so it was my first visit of the season, maybe my last, so there were some things I wanted to do. Namely, take what was likely to be my last ride on Vortex.
I don’t care for haunts, so Sunday (especially morning) is ideal- crowds are usually low. And that was the case yesterday, most rides were walk-on with empty seats or a one train wait.
After a spin on Mystic Timbers I walked back toward Vortex. There was practically no one in the queue so I thought I’d take “my” seat in row 13 then maybe I’d see about a front seat ride after that.
Well, I could only manage one ride because it was THAT AWFUL! Seriously, really uncomfortable and painful. Heading up the lift I waxed nostalgic but after that, even on the first drop, I felt like I’d been let loose down a rocky road in a shopping cart. So it was one and done for me.
On my way to the exit I stopped a ride op to mention it was my last ride and to make a pouty face. He said he’s worked on the ride for years, and yes it was sad. Then he mouthed *not really* and we both laughed. He said he might get a ride on it once a week, but less if he can help it, because it’s gotten so bad.
I spoke with several park employees throughout the morning and they all echoed the same sentiment. Sad to see it go, but agreeing that it’s way past time. And everyone feels confident that something new and nice will take its place.

Speaking of, the predictions are already running amok, aren’t they? I think likely candidates are a dive coaster (what a spot that would be for one) or something from Mack. Carowinds has such great success with Copperhead Strike that I wouldn’t be surprised if KI looked at something like that. In fact, I’d encourage it. The terrain is perfect and a multi-launch looper would be a wonderful addition and would be a great billboard for that corner.

I’m in agreement that the Bat/Vortex station, in all it’s quaintness, should remain. Someone said it might find a re-purpose as a museum. I looked pretty hard at it yesterday and it’s not really all that big. That end of the midway has gotten a little cramped though with Windseeker jammed in there and the new antique cars that have encroached upon that half of the midway. So razing the coaster station would open up the area to be wider. Also the old Action Theater is still way back there looking quite derelict so there’s plenty of space behind the scenes and down the hill where a new coaster might go.
I also heard another suggestion that the land might be used for a Forbidden Frontier type of attraction. I guess that would be ok, but Vortex sits in Coney, not Rivertown. So no. But it’s all two or three years down the road.
Anyway, that was my day. I took it easy and rode what I wanted, toured the park and got out of there. I didn’t get the meal plan this year (good thing) so I drove across the freeway to the Skyline Chili that, being outside the park, didn’t cost 4 bucks more.

I just hope they never remove The Racer. I know I probably shouldn't worry as it most likely won't in any timeframe worth mentioning, but I'd be lying to say the removal of Thunder Road doesn't give me goosebumps.

Its like that horrible thing you hear about in the news that happens to someone, and you think it'll never happen to you, until....

But on that note, was there any reason to remove Thunder Road other than to make room for the waterpark expansion. Low ridership? Not designed as well as the Allen-designed counterparts of KI and KD perhaps?

I remember lots of work being done on Thunder Road a few years before it closed. Even after all that, the ride still rode pretty rough. If you look at where the ride sat in relation to the new water park expansion, it made a ton of sense to remove the ride that needed lots of work. From what I understand, the water park was already pretty popular and there isn't any other direction to grow the water park other than the direction of Thunder Road.

From what I remember of TR, it really wasn't anything special and it felt hidden from the rest of the park. As nice as it was to be able to walk onto it without much of a wait, the ride itself wasn't worth being in that part of the park.

No ride is ever safe, but I think Racer is pretty safe. It feels like its part of the park and can still fetch some decent lines when the park is busier.

And I guess you could throw Rolling Thunder into that same realm as well. Historic? Yes. Rideable? Eh, not so much....to put it kindly..

I rode that once in 2011, and my goodness, I was honestly scared of the way that thing looked and felt. I know its a really GP thing to be concerned with how rickety the old wooden coaster looks, but really the way it looked and the way it RODE. - "War-torn" it seemed. Felt like it was gonna derail at any moment haha.

HeyIsntThatRob? said:

I remember lots of work being done on Thunder Road a few years before it closed. Even after all that, the ride still rode pretty rough. If you look at where the ride sat in relation to the new water park expansion, it made a ton of sense to remove the ride that needed lots of work. From what I understand, the water park was already pretty popular and there isn't any other direction to grow the water park other than the direction of Thunder Road.

From what I remember of TR, it really wasn't anything special and it felt hidden from the rest of the park. As nice as it was to be able to walk onto it without much of a wait, the ride itself wasn't worth being in that part of the park.

No ride is ever safe, but I think Racer is pretty safe. It feels like its part of the park and can still fetch some decent lines when the park is busier.

Thunder Roads footprint was narrow. They could have expanded the water park on the other side like Racer 75 and Mighty Canadian Minebuster.

Thunder Road (and Racer 75) was/is far superior to Kings Island Racer. KI Racer has that awful split after the third hill where the trains don’t interact, while the other two were designed to run side by side to the turn around.

The two also had a great floater hill as the third hill instead of the higher hill like KI The two were given a tunnel finale where KIs had the last hill removed

Plus now Racer 75 has that amazing synchronized lift hill

I think there’s plenty of space to make it a park museum. Remember there’s a two-track storage/maintenance area between the midway and actual station platform, so knock out the dividing wall and remove the queue rails and gates, and you’ve got some decent floorspace available. With that half of it already closed in on the midway side, it wouldn’t take much material to close in the other side and ends.

Remove the photo booth for clearance and have the doors there at the ride exit, and the stairs and “bridge” of the ride entrance could be a viewing platform. Good field of view from up there.

Racer 75) was/is far superior to Kings Island Racer. KI Racer has that awful split after the third hill where the trains dont interact.

But see thats what I like about it. To each their own but I think its cool to break off into different directions, and then reunite afterwards.As for the airtime, etc. can't speak on that as I've not ridden either TR or R75, but Racer still has good airtime from my experience.

Hopefully my sarcasm was detectable. If KI ever even thinks about removing the Beast I'll chain myself to the lift hill. No really I will.

As far as the real estate Vortex covers, I'm hoping for a RMC coaster. After riding Lightning Rod I'm sold. A terrain RMC at KI would be epic. Dive coasters just don't compare.

super7* said:

Plus now Racer 75 has that amazing synchronized lift hill

Yeah, that lift hill program is pretty awesome. I can't believe in the years that there have been dueling/racing coasters that this hadn't been tried before.

For those that don't know, Racer 75 had a control system upgrade that included a 'tug of war' type of ascent up the lift hills. Each train takes turns taking the lead, back and forth until they are synchronized at the top. It makes for a really nice touch and takes an older ride and makes it more exciting. Here's a good video of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx583hI4yHk

Anyways, back to the Vortex removal...

This will be the 6th large adult-oriented coaster that Kings Island has taken out. The Bat, Screamin Demon (which wasn't long but went 45 mph), King Cobra, Son of Beast, Firehawk, and Vortex.

Has any other park taken out so many major coasters?

I don't mean re-themed like Cedar Point did with Mantis, I mean actually removed the ride.