Vortex • Kings Island

RIP. i got a really good last ride on it (fireworks started as i was riding the last train of the day one night in its last operating season), and ill always treasure that... even though it also gave ...

RIP. i got a really good last ride on it (fireworks started as i was riding the last train of the day one night in its last operating season), and ill always treasure that... even though it also gave me a massive headache.

Vortex was my first big coaster when it was built it was the tallest full circuit coaster in the world at 148 feet. Also was the first coaster to feature 6 inversions. The 138 foot drop was madness to...

Vortex was my first big coaster when it was built it was the tallest full circuit coaster in the world at 148 feet. Also was the first coaster to feature 6 inversions. The 138 foot drop was madness to me at 11 years old. 55mph over 2 minutes 30 seconds of ride time, max vertical angle of 55 degrees? 3 trains running at all times, you would be in the 6th inversion with the train behind you finishing up its first all while the third train was making its way up the lift hill. From 1996-1999 this was true I stopped paying attention after that so I can’t be sure if things stayed that way. All I know is a long line at Vortex wasn’t a big deal operations were amazing. In it's old age Vortex got so rough that I wouldn't even think about riding it again, but it used to be a great ride.

I loved the first drop, and how cool the ride looked (I wish that was a "pro" you could choose, but I picked layout), but the drop from the MCBR into the corkscrews is the single most jarring jolt I e...

I loved the first drop, and how cool the ride looked (I wish that was a "pro" you could choose, but I picked layout), but the drop from the MCBR into the corkscrews is the single most jarring jolt I ever experienced on a coaster. For that, good riddance.

Solid arrow looper overall. The straight first drop was pretty good and the inversions were fun however ride really didn’t give that many forces and it had a lot of dead spots. The ride also had some ...

Solid arrow looper overall. The straight first drop was pretty good and the inversions were fun however ride really didn’t give that many forces and it had a lot of dead spots. The ride also had some bad transitions and the seat mold is terrible which is a weird complaint I have but the pain was manageable. Overall it’s just a solid mid tier arrow looper for me and I’m just glad I got to ride it before it went defunct.

I first rode this in 1989 when it was the "tallest full-circuit coaster in the world." It was pretty intimidating back then, and I was the only one of my group of six college friends who was brave en...

I first rode this in 1989 when it was the "tallest full-circuit coaster in the world." It was pretty intimidating back then, and I was the only one of my group of six college friends who was brave enough to go on it. I remember being pretty scared going up the lift hill, and the first drop took my breath away. It was a smooth and thrilling ride. 30 years later in 2019, I rode it again in its last season. It had gotten pretty shaky, but it brought back a lot of good memories of a fun day at KI with my college buddies.

If you were to look up 80's looper in the dictionary, this ride should come up. This was the quintessential and ultimately the culmination of this type of coaster. It has the most of everything. It...

If you were to look up 80's looper in the dictionary, this ride should come up. This was the quintessential and ultimately the culmination of this type of coaster. It has the most of everything. It was one if not the longest, tallest, fastest and most inversions of this type all in one ride. Most from this era were 1 or 2 trick acts, but not Vortex. It had many up its sleeve. This one seemed to age better than the vast majority as well. Even in its final years it very re-ridable. I wouldn't go quite as far as to say it was liquid smooth by today's standards, but you could somewhat comfortably ride this several times in a day without getting beat up too much. Again this was probably the best genre. Sorry to see it go.

I was sad when this ride closed. I got some rides in 2019 and I really liked this ride. The first drop gave great airtime and the inverisons were suprisingly very good. Those corkscrews gave great han...

I was sad when this ride closed. I got some rides in 2019 and I really liked this ride. The first drop gave great airtime and the inverisons were suprisingly very good. Those corkscrews gave great hangtime and the vertical loops were pretty forceful. Overall a very solid looping coaster. RIP Vortex

This is definitely one of my least favorite Arrow loopers out there but even so I didn’t find this ride to be as bad as people say. It’s in a great location and is a very picturesque coaster and has a...

This is definitely one of my least favorite Arrow loopers out there but even so I didn’t find this ride to be as bad as people say. It’s in a great location and is a very picturesque coaster and has a fantastic long layout. There is definitely headbanging throughout however I didn’t think it was too severe and I wasn’t expecting there to be more painful moments. A pleasant surprise but still not a coaster I would ride all day.

The layout would be great if it wasn't built by a pre-CAD Arrow. As such, the transitions are horrendous - the observation area on the pathway gives a few great views of riders getting their necks sna...

The layout would be great if it wasn't built by a pre-CAD Arrow. As such, the transitions are horrendous - the observation area on the pathway gives a few great views of riders getting their necks snapped by the unsmoothed banking changes. The park needs a good, intense sit-down looper, but this one ain't it. I wouldn't be disappointed if this was the next ride to leave the park, especially if it was to make way for a ground-up RMC, Mack launcher, or Intamin blitz.