Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread

[Haymaker]

Using the "Arrow trick" of keeping your head in front of the restraint to avoid headbanging helps.

 

Thats what I did

[DavidB]

Front row of the back car usually yields decent results on Arrow loopers, and gives an good ride on the first drop on Vortex.

[DILinator]

Ride experiences are so subjective, it's strange... We of course have all the people coming out saying this is their "favorite coaster EvAh!!!" (sorry, I'm not buying that), and then the obligatory "I rode it and it's not rough at all" comments. However, I've been riding the same coaster, and finding it progressively worse every year, and all my kids have now ridden it, and none would call it smooth, nor do any of them want to ride it again. I probably wouldn't have ever ridden it again, except with it closing, I am thinking I'll probably go down this Friday, and pay my last respects. I saw it compared to Corkscrew at CP earlier, and I'd agree, it's not as bad as that. I am not sure I'd even ride Corkscrew again if it was getting removed, it's so awful! But again, this all goes back to how subjective, and individual ride experiences are, and how one man's trash, can literally be another man's treasure. There is no right or wrong opinion, and everybody's body responds to coasters differently. I will say though, and I've had to acknowledge this fact about one of my favorite removed coasters, Drachen Fire, if the park has deemed it bad enough, by whatever metric they've used, then there must be a lot more people experiencing the bad side of Vortex, than the good side!

[Pedrinho]

Ride experiences are so subjective, it's strange... We of course have all the people coming out saying this is their "favorite coaster EvAh!!!" (sorry, I'm not buying that), and then the obligatory "I rode it and it's not rough at all" comments. However, I've been riding the same coaster, and finding it progressively worse every year, and all my kids have now ridden it, and none would call it smooth, nor do any of them want to ride it again. I probably wouldn't have ever ridden it again, except with it closing, I am thinking I'll probably go down this Friday, and pay my last respects. I saw it compared to Corkscrew at CP earlier, and I'd agree, it's not as bad as that. I am not sure I'd even ride Corkscrew again if it was getting removed, it's so awful! But again, this all goes back to how subjective, and individual ride experiences are, and how one man's trash, can literally be another man's treasure. There is no right or wrong opinion, and everybody's body responds to coasters differently. I will say though, and I've had to acknowledge this fact about one of my favorite removed coasters, Drachen Fire, if the park has deemed it bad enough, by whatever metric they've used, then there must be a lot more people experiencing the bad side of Vortex, than the good side!

[coasterbill]

Everything is subjective but aggressive rides with over the shoulder restraints are even more subjective because depending on height and body type your experience with the restraint and where, if and how you slam into it can mean that you and the person sitting right next to you have completely different experiences.

[Pedrinho]

Everything is subjective but aggressive rides with over the shoulder restraints are even more subjective because depending on height and body type your experience with the restraint and where, if and how you slam into it can mean that you and the person sitting right next to you have completely different experiences.

Gotcha. I'm a bit more skinny than my wife and so I have more room to move with the typical Vekoma/Arrow OSTRs. Typically, if a ride is jerky (Corkscrew @ CP, Double Loop @ Heide Park), I'm easier affected than her, especially shoulderwise.

I'm pretty sure if you'd compare the complaints to the different body types, you'd see similarities.

 

I'm still sad to see Vortex go, even if I didn't like it. I, for one, hope they don't replace it with something generic (for CF parks) like another Dive Coaster. But that's just me, as I will visit KI and CP always in one trip due to our big travel we have to take to get there and more uniqueness would do me a favour. But I'm pretty sure they'll just replace it with something that fits their budget and the increase of their local customer counts and give a $hit what the other parks of the chain have built, which is perfectly okay from a business standpoint.

[thrillseeker4552]

When I was younger and smaller, I absolutely hated every Arrow looper I had ridden. Now that I'm fully grown, the restraints fit me much better and eliminate all headbanging. I can appreciate their intensity more now.

 

With that being said, I'm not disappointed that Vortex is closing. It's just outdated and too uncomfortable for too many people. The only Arrow looper that I will actually be sad to see go is Viper since it's not only my favorite but also for sentimental reasons. I imagine some people feel that way about Vortex what I feel with Viper. But Viper's removal is just a matter of time now too.

 

On to bigger and better things! We still have an awesome giga coaster to look forward to next year, and probably another awesome new coaster just a year or two after that since I can't imagine Cedar Fair leaving Vortex's land vacant for too long. Anyone who lives near KI should be pumped for the future!

[WolfBobs]

Using the "Arrow trick" of keeping your head in front of the restraint to avoid headbanging helps.

 

Thats what I did

 

I don't know. I'm just of the opinion that a ride shouldn't need any sort of "trick" to be enjoyable. I don't want to have to get on thinking.. "okay, as long as I'm riding between 6-615pm, it's August, the sun is at a 45 degree angle above the left support and I press my back into the seat while I shove my face in against the right restraint, I cross my legs and wear a mouth guard I'll have a good ride." /s

 

I just want to get on and ride. Hands up and care-free!

 

Also, while a dive coaster would look great there, I would love to see a Mack or maybe a Gerstlauer dive like Hangtime.

 

I also wouldn't mind seeing a family coaster like FireChaser Express make it's way into the park. But.. let's build Orion before we worry about what probably won't even happen till 2023 at the earliest.

[DoinItForTheFame]

I don't know. I'm just of the opinion that a ride shouldn't need any sort of "trick" to be enjoyable. I don't want to have to get on thinking.. "okay, as long as I'm riding between 6-615pm, it's August, the sun is at a 45 degree angle above the left support and I press my back into the seat while I shove my face in against the right restraint, I cross my legs and wear a mouth guard I'll have a good ride."

 

[southpuddle]

Conversely, if a ride can be made enjoyable by doing a couple simple tricks, I don’t see why someone would actively choose to have a worse ride than they potentially could. I hear it all the time with Magnum - people say they won’t tighten their seatbelt or sit in the middle row of a car “because they shouldn’t have to”. Ok, enjoy your bruised thighs.

[WolfBobs]

^It's simple, I just won't ride a ride I don't enjoy and I have no problem skipping rides. I'm not in this hobby to credit whore. So if i'm at a park with a ride I know I dislike, don't enjoy, find uncomfortable I'll just move onto something I do like.

 

Which is why I haven't ridden Vortex in probably 5 or so years even tho I go to KI probably 3-5 times a season. Which is why I haven't ridden Corkscrew in about 10 years or Mean Streak for about 5 before it closed. Or I skip over every SLC besides Morey's.

 

Again, I prefer a care free experience. I don't want to have to overthink my body posture and position to have a some what less uncomfortable ride. Just how I feel about rides.

[DavidB]

^Maybe there is some confusion because you're named after a beatdown machine.

[fraroc]

Part of me still hopes that KI will pull a SFGAM 2002 and decide to get rid of Invertigo instead. Sadly though, it does seem like most of the coaster community has accepted Vortex's fate....

 

You know, Arrow may not have the same legendary status as Schwarzkopf, but it would really sting if the Arrow custom looper goes extinct...I've always been of the volition that coaster history should be preserved, not demolished.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Part of me still hopes that KI will pull a SFGAM 2002 and decide to get rid of Invertigo instead.

 

Oh dear god, no!! On all of our previous visits Invertigo was about 80 million times better than Vortex.

[thrillseeker4552]

I think Invertigo is "fine." It's definitely better than your average boomerang, and oddly enough it is smoother than any SLC I've ridden, but I can't see Invertigo lasting too many more years given Stinger's fate.

 

But then again, this one has apparently always been more reliable than others and it also received some parts from Stinger so who really knows. I kind of just want to see Kings Island remove a third coaster in a row and see enthusiasts completely lose their minds.

[WolfBobs]

^Maybe there is some confusion because you're named after a beatdown machine.

 

My love affair of the Raging Wolf Bobs has more to do with operating the ride for 4 seasons at GL not riding it! lol But.. oddly, I never found RWB rough and I didn't think it needed a trick to ride it to enjoy it. Which does prove that all opinions vary! Which is okay!

[DILinator]

^It's simple, I just won't ride a ride I don't enjoy and I have no problem skipping rides. I'm not in this hobby to credit whore. So if i'm at a park with a ride I know I dislike, don't enjoy, find uncomfortable I'll just move onto something I do like.

 

Which is why I haven't ridden Vortex in probably 5 or so years even tho I go to KI probably 3-5 times a season. Which is why I haven't ridden Corkscrew in about 10 years or Mean Streak for about 5 before it closed. Or I skip over every SLC besides Morey's.

 

Again, I prefer a care free experience. I don't want to have to overthink my body posture and position to have a some what less uncomfortable ride. Just how I feel about rides.

 

This is me too, 100%! I go to amusement parks, and ride coasters to have fun! If a coaster isn't fun, or provides any measure of discomfort or pain, that's not a coaster I'm likely to ride again, or very often, as that's not why I get on a coaster in the first place. There isn't any magic in coaster credits, or laps on a coaster, as far as I'm concerned, and whether you've ridden 100, or 1,000, your experience is simply your own, and doesn't really matter much as far as anybody else is concerned. As I mentioned previously, coaster experiences are so subjective, and as others have mentioned, many different variables such as height, weight, age, and body configuration can contribute so much to each person's unique experience. So yeah, it's all about fun for me, and if the fun factor is outweighed by the discomfort factor, or needing to ride it a certain way to get a good ride factor, it's not going to be a popular coaster for me to get on.

 

Case in point, Raging Wolf Bobs is one of my most hated wooden coaster experiences, and the coaster I'm least sad to see go with GL. But you enjoyed it, and didn't find it rough. Yet you agree about Vortex. Again, as I said before, it's fascinating to see all the different nuances in how different people feel about different coasters, and how they affect them!

 

I think Invertigo is "fine." It's definitely better than your average boomerang, and oddly enough it is smoother than any SLC I've ridden, but I can't see Invertigo lasting too many more years given Stinger's fate. But then again, this one has apparently always been more reliable than others and it also received some parts from Stinger so who really knows.

 

I rode Invertigo for the first time in many, many years earlier this year, so my sons could check it out, and I found that it was a lot better than I remembered! I actually found it really fun, especially being able to look across and see the faces and responses of the people across from you! I definitely would rather see Vortex go, than Inverti-go!

 

I kind of just want to see Kings Island remove a third coaster in a row and see enthusiasts completely lose their minds.

 

Honestly, I feel that this isn't predominantly an enthusiast issue. If anything, enthusiasts, and people more involved in the hobby will understand the rationale of removing an aged coaster, and the natural circle of life of most coasters, and parks. The people who I see most riled by things like the removal of coasters, especially older, classic coasters like Vortex, are the non-enthusiasts, and the everyday park goer. Just go on any social media site for a park removing a coasters, and the comments are not predominantly from enthusiasts, or people that have ever darkened the door of an enthusiast site like this, or are a part of a "Coaster Club", or visit enthusiast events. They're just your everyday park fans, and attendees, who don't understand the ins and outs of why a coaster is getting removed, and are more prone to be be upset by it. So I contend, that if KI were indeed to remove a coaster a third year in a row, it would be the GP, or regular park attender, who would start to protest and grumble most vocally to KI about it, not enthusiasts.

 

I'm not saying there's not a segment of enthusiasts that can be vocal, obnoxious, and reflect poorly on the community. But I also feel like there's often more people complaining about enthusiasts in a generally negative and dismissive way, than I see people actually acting that way. There's a certain bit of self-cannibalizing that I see often in the community which I find unfortunate, because I tend to think that most people in it are really great and cool people. Or maybe I've just been blessed by all the great people I've gotten to know personally in the hobby over the years. Every fandom has its pros and cons, and I find that focusing on the positive over the negative has led to a lot more enjoyment in it for me personally over the years. Just my 2 cents...

[prozach626]

I just want to get on and ride. Hands up and care-free!

 

And that's exactly why B&M is so successful.

[DILinator]

I just want to get on and ride. Hands up and care-free!

 

And that's exactly why B&M is so successful.

 

 

And that's why I generally love B&M coasters so much!

[Pedrinho]

They are preparing hard to continue on the lift at the moment. New supports are being prepared in the background as well as between liftbase and the bottom of the drop and there are new straight lift sections on the ground, seemingly ready for assembly. Looks like a bigger crane is all that's missing.

[Superbatboy]

Damn, Six Flags almost had a shiny new giga. Whomp whomp

[RollerManic]

They are preparing hard to continue on the lift at the moment. New supports are being prepared in the background as well as between liftbase and the bottom of the drop and there are new straight lift sections on the ground, seemingly ready for assembly. Looks like a bigger crane is all that's missing.

A bigger crane is one site but needs assembled still. Last I saw it’s in the parking lot.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

Using the "Arrow trick" of keeping your head in front of the restraint to avoid headbanging helps.

 

Thats what I did

 

I don't know. I'm just of the opinion that a ride shouldn't need any sort of "trick" to be enjoyable. I don't want to have to get on thinking.. "okay, as long as I'm riding between 6-615pm, it's August, the sun is at a 45 degree angle above the left support and I press my back into the seat while I shove my face in against the right restraint, I cross my legs and wear a mouth guard I'll have a good ride." /s

 

We had that issue on T3 recently. When there are too many "tricks" to remember, it's easy for me to forget what they are and have a bad experience. I couldn't remember which row was supposedly better, so we rode in the front, which I think was the worst choice we could have made. However, T3 is just horrible overall so maybe it wouldn't have mattered all that much.

 

I'm wondering if KI will immediately dismantle/destroy Vortex or leave it SBNO for a while. They wasted no time on Firehawk but they were also prepping the land for something new.

[prozach626]

That's hard to say, but considering Vortex is so visible I would imagine they're going to try to take it down sooner rather than later. I wonder if it's already in the budget right along with Orion's construction. Otherwise, that would have been one hell of a knee jerk decision.

 

Damn, Six Flags almost had a shiny new giga. Whomp whomp

[Pedrinho]

Brace youself, enthusiasts - the giga is vanished!