Theme Park Insider

Vortex reviews

Theme Park Insider readers offer their ratings and reviews for Vortex, a roller coaster at Kings Island. (The minimum height to ride is 48 inches.)

Written by
Posted: April 8, 2009

This Arrow megalooper was built in 1987 and was the first coaster with six inversions. The ride has aged well, better than most of it's kind, and still delivers a relatively smooth ride that continues to be lots of fun. It features a 148 ft lift hill with a speed of 55 mph, 2 vertical loops, 2 corkscrews, and a batwing...along with a helix finale.

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Readers' rating:

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41 votes, so far

What do you get when you combine Loch Ness and Viper? Vortex. A great coaster with elements off both coasters and placed into a small footprint. It's aging, but I would ride this again and again. - M. Ryan Traylor

Vortex is possibly the best Arrow Megalooper out there today for a variety of reasons: It's big, but not too big, the ride has a smooth transition from one element to another, and the lines are never longer than a half hour. Vortex is generally smooth, but the smoothest seat is the front of car five. - Matthew Riczko

I like finding The Bat remains around this coaster, but the corkscrews are rough!I'd be really happy to see it gone, to be honest. Another thing about it that I've always dreamed of: a train refurb like on the Carolina Cobra... to refurb a boomerang seems pointless. They are not popular anyway. A big arrow looper would be way better to refurb. Like when it first opened, it would instantly become a hit again. - Bradley Keith

This is a classic 80s coaster with mixes of speed, height, lentgh and inversions. Great Ride. - Michael Hurley

This is a classic 80s coaster with mixes of speed, height, lentgh and inversions. Great Ride. - Michael Hurley

While this ride may not be as good as it once was, it still packs a great punch full of intensity. I like the way the ride is paced, and how it doesn't jump into the loops right away. The Batwing at the end is easily the best part of the ride. Vortex may not be the best ride in the park (it never was) but it is still worth a 20-30 minute wait. Don't listen to the rumors of roughness. It's actually quite smooth for an Arow Looper. - Chris Gottschalk

This old ride is climbing towards 20, yet it remains one of Kings Island's most popular. It was the first coaster in the world to send riders upside down six times, and still does that today, and does it well. It's a good ride...However, it is quite rough at points, so I cannot call it great. - Jon Williams

A great old standby, Vortex almost never has a long line and is a pretty smooth, fast, and fun coaster. 6 inversions total and a very fun first drop. Keep you neck firm and steady or your head will be like a pinball between the restraints. - Byron Smith

A real head-banger, but 6 inversions can't be beat. They should offer bike helmets to the back two rows. - Larry Zimmerman

Although a jewel in its earlier years, Vortex has became a rougher attraction that offers several moments of blacking-out. Put these two things aside, however, and you have a very enjoyable attraction. The corkscrews are very nice, suspending you high above the ground below. - Ty Mullins

This coaster was the king of the park at one time. At 22 years old, it's aged about as well as an Arrow looper can. Still a fun ride, although sitting in the back is not recommended. Front seat has the best and smoothest view. - Derek Potter

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