Minor correction, the ride opened in 1987 instead of 1984. My apologies!

Kings Island: Removes Son of Beast Kings Island: Removes Firehawk Kings Island: Removes Vortex Invertigo: *Sweats nervously*

The ride that was on all of my physics textbooks.

I don't think it has much to do with the brakes. I have worked Gemini all summer, in June we were stacking a lot and we have not had to replace any of our brakes and we have only had problems with them twice. I think the problem is in the controls system. All the late 80s arrows got a controls system to run the ride that has proven to be extremely difficult to maintain ever since Arrow went bankrupt. Both Magnum and Iron Dragon had this system and both have been modernized with newer systems. The price of modernizing a coaster on the scale of Vortex is quite expensive and I can see KI not seeing the value in pouring that kind of money into a older ride. Thats just my theory.

I was in high school when vortex was first opened. My high school friend and I bought our own passes and rode it as much as possible we where both 17 and thats what you did in the old days. He died years ago RIP Todd. So today was the last day of the 2019 season. My daughter came home from collage last night just to ride vortex one last time. So this morning we got up early and opened the park on vortex and got the ride picture plus a lot of other pictures. The park was more busy then normal for the last day and vortex was lined up like I have not seen in years. I will miss vortex after all it was there for 32 years. I know it has to happen sooner or later. Like mean streak at cedar point, but dam steel Vengence is my favorite ride. So I hope its replacement is worth it. Thanks.

IM gonna miss getting concussions😭

Kings Island is my home park, Vortex was the first ride I had ever ridden with an inversion. This is the ride that made me love coasters. I understand park development and I am sad to see it go. I will be making sure to take my final rides this month.

Another grave for Banshee's queue 😂

If you're a local that grew up riding Vortex on a regular basis, i'd guess 90% of us are happy that Vortex is leaving. It hurts after riding these days.

I would love to see a replacement coaster that follows the same color scheme; That deep blue / orange track design is beautiful.

Loch Ness monster is 41 years old and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, they just updated the ride and got it two new trains.

I have a solution to the quarterly earnings issue: Sell Michigan's Adventure

Vortex will forever be missed... 😞 I rode it for the last time yesterday.

It's OBVIOUSLY where they're building the midcourse for Falcon's Flight.

Kings Dominion has been weeding out roller coasters over the last decade: Shockwave, Hurler (although replaced in the same process), and Volcano. I fully expect Anaconda to be next.

I remember Vortex was down for almost 2 weeks in 2017 because the chain lift snapped and it took forever to get a part to fix it apparently.

The Vortex is such a beautiful coaster aesthetically. It is a rough ride, but I'll be sad to see it go. That area of the park where you can sit and enjoy watching the "batwing" inversions up close is my favorite area of the park. I remember sitting there as a kid in the 90's and having one of my first existential moments; there was something almost meditative about that area of the park. Now they have a bunch of music and games creeping into that area so it isn't as tranquil, but at one time that little stretch before you make your way to the Beast was beautiful and calming.

Here’s a solution: install magnetic brakes so the friction brakes don’t have to brake as hard. Magnetic brakes are also more comfortable and more reliable.

It's been sad to see all of the Arrow custom loopers being taken down. Although they may not be the greatest, they still provide a fairly unique ride experience.

As someone who has worked on the vortex as a ride op I definitely think your speculation is very plausible.

"The tweet was greatly exaggerated about how our rumors were greatly exaggerated" lmbo

It's really sad that Arrow is slowly dying off. I'm mean, they're already dead. But their work is dying off. I get that SFMM would be better served by removing Viper at some point but I'm getting to the point where I want them to keep it anyway. If BGW ever replaces Lochness Monster then the coaster community will go into morning. At least Tennessee Tornado will be around for a while and there are other Arrows besides the loopers that will hopefully remain. I hope that there will always been a fan base that will prevent the closure of historic rides like Matterhorn, Runaway Mine Train, Magnum XL 200 and of course X2.

I’m really late to the party here but I just found your channel. I’m from Cincinnati and worked at Kings Island on Vortex for a summer in 1992. It was such a great time. I moved to south west Florida in 2000 but each time I went back to visit family I’d always go to Kings Island and ride Vortex. Such great memories!!!!!

You want to see stress on brakes and ride operators? I can’t think of anything more stressful than two train operation on the original Corkscrew at Knott’s Berry Farm. They tried to avoid stacking trains whenever possible as that led to not only the guest comfort and wear and tear problem you mentioned, but also because they would have to run out and physically push the train into the station or else the other train that they just dispatched would set up on the lift. And back then, the lift would overheat and didn’t always restart. That wasn’t the only stressful part though. It was stressful just unlocking the OTSRs as it was done by pedal on each car and one ride op would have their foot stuck out pushing them as the train went by. It was still going pretty fast! Always seemed pretty scary and risky to me.

I literally cried this Saturday. I'M SO SAD!!!

Earlier this year the trains got stuck and on opening night of Halloween haunt, vortex broke down. Idk why but I was on the first train,out of the station lol. I'll miss vortex

I took my daughter to kings island for the first time this year. She loved the diamondback and mystic timbers but only rode the vortex once. I have ridden the vortex nearly as much as the beast due to their locations, and I am glad I took her to see it but I will not miss the bumpy ride.

We would go to Kings Island every year and Vortex was very painful, someone was always a victim every year, to which they couldn't ride anything else the rest of the day. So we all just stopped riding it. This was 20 years ago, when it wasn't that old. I don't know what the numbers were, but since then, it never seemed to have much of a line.

I loved this ride. It was my first upside down roller coaster. I was so nervous, but my dad went on it with me and he told me I would have a lot of fun - and I did! It was such a great ride. There was always a long line for it back in the day. But then it just got to be too rough. The last time I rode it was in 2015 and it was just too painful for me, I knew that would be the last time I went on it. I might have changed my mind and gone on it one last time before it was taken down if I had known this was its last year, but unfortunately I can't make it back to Kings Island this year. So goodbye old friend, I'll always have wonderful memories of you.

kings island is my home park so i am devastated to see it go :( but i do hope something brilliant replaces it. Something great should replace it as vortex was great in itself. I hear people talk about how this is one of the most painful rides they've ever ridden but i've rode Vortex 10 plus times and have never been hurt by it. I find the racers and Invertigo much more painful than Vortex. I would love to see a big wing coaster go in it's place and interacts with the woods. But, for some reason my gut says we will end up seeing a dive coaster because it's literally the perfect viewing area/gp attraction spot to view a coaster that does something dramatic. I plan on going to Kings Island to get a few more rides on Vortex before I have to say farewell for good. Vortex was my first looping coaster so it does really pain me to see it go. Kings Island will never be the same without it.

Great video. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day.

As a local who has gone to KI all my life,, I personally am way more sad that firehawk is gone than the headache causing vortex. It used to be better but as the years went on it just got so shaky, hitting your head against the over shoulder restraints made me get the worst headaches and I know I'm not alone on this opinion at all

Vortex was my first "big" looping coaster. I rode it immediately after King Cobra (my first looper), and it got me hooked on coasters way back in 1997. It will be missed.

Who else thinks we *NEED* to get arrow back in business somehow.

I think one of the reasons is the ride is so rough, it is one of the most painful coasters I have ridden. The tracks could be needing maintenance that would not be cost effective.

Vortex was my first major coaster so a little sad, but tbh the ride gives me a concussion

I get the nostalgia component, but the thing had become nothing but painful inversions.

Canada's Wonderland be like " you can take away few our coasters.....please!"

I lived in Cincy when this opened and rode it hundreds of times, you’re absolutely correct about the brakes. The minor left turn after the first big drop could snap you violently, and the position you’d be in before the 2 corkscrews could be uncomfortable, but overall it was a great ride. But that first brake station after the helix was tough, if it brought you to a complete stop it was guaranteed to bring your head off of the headrest

As someone who lives in KC, The Orient Express was the first ride I ever rode. And i miss the hell out of it. The loading building is still standing and the land it was on is still empty. World's of Fun hasn't had a new coaster in 10 years. They keep adding little kid rides. Since 2000 they've only added 3 coasters. The Patriot, The Boomerang, and Prowler.

I can say that a week ago I got to ride my last ride on the Vortex! So sad😥😢I had so many good memories on the ride! 😭😭😭 I’m literally tearing up

First time i rode it: 1989, last time i rode it: 2019. It will be missed.

I'm loving how people are commenting that they were there earlier this summer and Vortex kept breaking down. OF COURSE it magically started "breaking down" this season and then BOOM, near the end of the season they announce that they are removing it. The statement *wag the dog* comes to mind.

Wow, this coaster is such eye candy!! I wish I could have ridden it before they closed it down.

I know it had a pretty substantial break down three or four weeks ago leaving a train full of people on the lift hill for roughly an hour. This may have played a part in this decision. Parts are getting hard to come by.

A Mack Xtreme Spinning Coaster would be awesome

Kings island worker here. Vortex is being taken down because all of the parts had been used. Arrow isn’t a manufacturer anymore so they have no more parts to fix it. Vortex is very shaky and people often complain about getting hurt on it

You mentioned the stress that the breaks have on the riders, let’s also not forget that the turns bank sharply and cause riders to bang their heads on the restraints. This is also due to the fact that the restraint padding had stiffened over the years due to its age. I’m still going to miss this ride. It was one of the first actual coasters I rode as a kid. It will always have a place in my heart!

I’m so bummed out. Vortex was down opening day due to weather and I didn’t get the chance to ride it one last time smh

My feedback as a season pass holder was that the ride sucked and either needed maintenance or to be removed. And I recommended Invertigo and The Bat as well.

Awesome coaster ride!!!😄❤👍

I waited on line the year Vortex opened, and actually rode it 8 times on one day. It was a fun ride in the day, but theses days, things are so much bigger and faster.

RMC Son of The Beast

Though I know they haven’t worked with them AT ALL recently, I hope Cedar Fair replaces Vortex with a large-scale next-gen Vekoma looper. That could make for a truly worthy sequel.

in the final few years of vortex i went to kings island frequently and remember that vortex ran 2 trains pretty often because service was slow and many people didn’t fill up the lines to ride it. some of the footage used in this video show that only the first 2 or 3 cars of the train are full of people. i remember getting in line for vortex and always choosing whatever seat i wanted because nobody was in line for it

Another Arrow Dynamics coaster worth mentioning that was left out of your video was Viper at Six Flags Darien Lake. That coaster is 38 years old and is going on 39 years of operation whenever the park opens back up. Back in the early days of the coaster there were three trains running at the same time, which is tough to envision in the present day considering the layout isn't as big but I have seen a video proving otherwise. That coaster held the record the most inversions of any coaster in the world when it opened up until the time Vortex was introduced. With the park adding more coasters over time there was no longer a need to run three trains at the same time, but they still kept up with two train operations for a while longer. Ever since 2016, Viper has only ran one train during the season even though there is another train that is kept in storage, although that has more to do with the theme park and less with the popularity of the ride. However, by running one train at a time I feel like the park may be helping reduce stress on the coaster and allow it to run for several more years. When discussing Vortex, you have to take into account that Kings Island has a better history when it comes to installing and operating coasters. Cedar Fair standards would never allow them to run less than two trains at a time and they probably wanted to maintain all the trains no matter what. Even though Vortex is sentimental to many guests at Kings Island, the park can afford to lose that coaster. Darien Lake only has seven major roller coasters, and some guests rank Viper over Ride of Steel because of all the history that is attached with that coaster. I'd like to believe that if Vortex was at Darien Lake, it would not be closing down. I'm not too disappointed that I never got to ride Vortex since I've been on several Arrow coasters in my life, but I'm sure Kings Island will install a decent attraction in that area. Let's not forget that Vortex stood on the same plot of land as The Bat so whatever gets added in that spot is likely to be memorable.

Dear Kings Island, Whatever you do there, PLEASE restore The Beast's lagoon.

Speaking of Vortex, I absolutely loved that ride. It was never that rough and always very intense. I was sad when Dragon Challenge and Volcano closed, but Vortex is hitting me harder, mainly because I've only ridden Volcano once and Dragon Challenge once on each side. Since I live in Ohio, I've ridden Vortex multiple times, and it's never failed to disappoint me. R.I.P. to one of the greatest Arrow coasters to ever be built. You will be missed by many.

I’ll miss it. Had a trip in like 2016 where the park was almost empty and we rode it 3 times in a row without getting off. It wasn’t the smoothest but definitely a favorite of mine

As coasters get old they require more welding and it becomes harder to get parts. I remember Shockwave at SFGAm (I used to work at SFGAm) that thing was ripping itself apart from the moment it started operating. Combined with the fact that they are rough and unpopular I 100% agree with taking Vortex out, I am amazed they kept it around as long as they did.

Dragon fire at Canada’s wonderland is 38 years old

“Everyone would rather have a giga.” Me: *UH*

I pray something amazing takes it place. Maybe wasnt the greatest coaster but it was so iconic and so beautiful to look at and take pictures in front of.

I rode Vortex the first year it arrived at Kings Island, I thought it was great!

This is a classic that I feel everyone loves to hate. Not great and fairly painful, but still a great credit in my opinion

Vortex looks huge 💪🏻

Vortex was one of my most anticipated arrow loopers. It setting is without a doubt one of the best to take pictures at, and I’m very sad to see it go. Arrow please give us pieces to fix this thing. #savevortex

Rode that with my older brother in the early 90’s after he talked me into it. I was about 11, i would guess. It terrified me because of how high off the ground the whole thing is, it just looks scary, also it was unfamiliar because we lived near cedar point and were used to those rides only. It was fun but rough as hell- teeth rattling, head banging rough. I can’t imagine riding it 30 years later as an adult!

You know what I say, bring in Son of Beast: the Iron Revival (RMC Son of Beast). They've teased in one of their fliers that they are trying to bring it back into operation, maybe this is how they decided to do it.

Take a shot every time he says I suspect

Vortex was my first real coaster when I was 13. It was practically new at that time. One time, it started raining pretty bad and most people ran for cover. My sister and I rode Vortex in the rain and there was only a handful of people in line. They let us keep getting on it, ride after ride. We had to have ridden it 10 times or more that day. I'm gonna miss her! 😭😭😭😭😭

Im glad they are taking it down, that whole ride is pretty rough.

I literally wanted to ride this so bad because it’s an icon but now I never will and I’m literally devastated

Carolina Cyclone is still open at Carowinds, it's been open since 1980.

I agree. And as it being my home park, I will miss it from a sentimental point of view. It was my first "big coaster" and I do remember it opening. But the last few years, it's been a once a season thing: and I have to take 3 excedrin before I ride. I think they need to get a ride like Maverick in that spot in a couple of years.

I had such a love/hate relationship with this coaster. First looping coaster I ever rode growing up. I would always ride it multiple times during a visit... then I hit a growth spurt and once I broke the 6 foot mark, it became the most uncomfortable ride in the park.

They should fix Vortex, new brakes, repaired track, I like the carts but they should add a headrest and better strap things to hold your head in place better, and a fresh new coat of paint. Then it will be all good!!!

I really want to imagine that retrofitting with magnetic brakes would be a much simpler and easier alternative.

I rode it a lot, in fact Vortex was my first ride and a teenager that i went upside down on. In the past few years it has gotten really rough. Rough to the point to where it makes the Beast seem smooth. I hate to see it go, but i think its time. Kings Island is my home park so i here a lot of rumors. The latest one is they were removing Vortex so they can make an expansion for Orion in the future. Not sure how much i believe it but its whats going around. Great video!

Can we just imagine if Arrow we’re still around? As reliable as they were, they would be killing it with current technology.

Unpopular opinion: Viper at SFMM is a decent ride!

Bring back arrow dynamics. That way you’ll have more parts for Vortex and rebuild Great American Scream Machine

I was at Kings Island in 2018 and Vortex was rattling like crazy when the train came by several areas. I decide not to ride it but my nephew did and said it was pretty rough. I am not surprised.

I agree, most likely this was a maintenance issue. Six Flags Great America had a mega looper named Shockwave from 1988-2002. It was only 14 years old when they closed it, which is very short for an arrow looper. They were set on removing whizzer in 2002 but because the public demanded them not to, and Shockwaves wheels were already maintenance nightmares and very expensive. They removed Shockwave instead despite it being so young. They were probably spending too much money or tired of replacing Vortex’s brakes for so long. It’s very unfortunate, but I completely understand why they’d remove it.

Haven’t watched yet but my guess is the lack of attendance

Does anyone else think a new generation Vekoma like Lech Coaster would fit as Vortex's replacement?

i’m so glad i got to ride it before it shut down. My first and last time riding it.

Sad to see it go but excited to see what takes its place!!! Im guessing dive, multi launch or RMC!

I was never a fan of it, but I definitely will miss seeing it in the park! Coney Mall will be so different without it! But we do have a giga coming so that is definitely exciting! KI is my home park! I can't wait to see what will replace it eventually!

To my other home park KI... may we bid farewell to The Vortex. I remember when I first rode you almost 30 years ago, and Yes, my moms nails are still lodged in my arms. Goodbye old buddy... AND GOOD RIDDANCE!

I'm a coaster enthusiast from Ohio and moved to Florida. It's interesting to hear about the behind the scene facts about coasters. I loved Cedar Pointe but regret I won't be able to ride Orion as I live permanently in Florida. Hopefully Busch Gardens will get a giga coaster soon!!! Orlando does have the coaster tower coming which should top all coaster thrills.

Vortex is one of the most beautiful coasters in the world, I won't miss riding it, but I will miss looking at it.

I rode it 3 times today...

I'm really sad!

Vortex was my favorite ride and I had no idea it was gone.

THE BEAST was an awesome ride back in the day. I moved from Southern Indiana to the very top of Northern Indiana back in April 1984 and never went to Kings Island again. GOOD TIMES! -Diana.

Should have gotten a Hopkins

they could make a new area with compact coasters

I worked at Kings Island back in the mid-1990s as a tram driver. Part of my morning spiel was to direct guest attention to the rides visible from the parking lot. "... and if you look just off to the right of the Eiffel Tower you will see The Vortex, an amazing roller coaster that takes you through all sorts of twists and turns. It also takes you upside down a grand total of six, yes six times! As we continue to work our way to the right we see the first lift hill of the world famous Beast peeking up from just above the tree line... Vortex, you beat the hell out of us, but we'll still miss you.

Thanks! Very interesting!