As with many Kings Island attractions, I have an extensive history with this ride. I remember when the Vortex was the tallest ride (other than the Eiffel Tower) in the park, and it towered over the Beast next to it. Apart from my nostalgia with the whimsical sentiments of my youth, my formerly grand opinion of the Vortex has shrunk over the years. It suffers from that 1980s steel coaster design limitation of stacking inversion after inversion, and doing nothing else. Bolliger and Mabillard perfected this design philosophy in 1993 with Kumba, and the rougher, less refined Arrow loopers havent looked so great since. Although they briefly resurged quite effectively with Tennessee Tornado in 1999, this was a short lived victory.
With proper seat selection and a careful riding technique, the Vortex can actually be fun. The second to last row is my favorite, because it is forceful yet relatively smooth. The first drop in particular is excellent in that row.
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