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Vortex was a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, United States. Designed and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics at a cost of $4 million, the ride officially opened to the public on April 11, 1987. Vortex debuted as the tallest full-circuit roller coaster in the world with a height of . It was also the first coaster to feature six inversions.
Vortex occupied the same location in the park once held by The Bat, the world's first suspended roller coaster. Tied to the coaster's debut, attendance at Kings Island exceeded 3 million in 1987 for the first time. It accommodated more than 46 million guests throughout its lifespan, making Vortex one of the most frequently-ridden attractions in park history. The ride permanently closed on October 27, 2019.
Construction began in early June 1986 when The Bat's area was cleared. The following month, Kings Island announced that they would be naming the new coaster Vortex. The park invested over $4 million in the ride, which required 750 tons of steel to construct. It opened to the public on April 11, 1987, and helped the park exceed 3 million visitors for the first time in its history. At its inauguration, Vortex briefly set two world records among full-circuit roller coasters. It was the tallest at and featured the most inversions with six. Both were surpassed the following year with the debut of Shockwave at Six Flags Great America.
On September 27, 2019, the park announced plans to close Vortex permanently on October 27, 2019. Area Manager Don Helbig stated that the coaster had reached the end of its service life. Following its demolition, the trains were sent to sister park Carowinds for use on Carolina Cyclone. The bodies of the trains were sanded, repainted, and then combined with the chassis of Carolina Cyclone's old trains.
Kings Island later sold remnant souvenirs of Vortex that were sold in 1.5-inch slices, capped with metal plates and mounted in a display stand. During its lifespan, Vortex accommodated over 46 million riders, ranking it seventh in Kings Island's history .
| Vertical Loop |
| Vertical Loop |
| Corkscrew |
| Corkscrew |
| Part 1 of Batwing element |
| Part 2 of Batwing element |
Upon exiting the second loop, the train made a 180-degree ascending turn to the right into a mid-course brake run that nearly slowed the train to a complete stop. The train then dropped slightly into a pair of consecutive corkscrews, the second of which threaded through a gap between the previously-encountered vertical loops. This was followed by a downward right-hand turn into a boomerang element, inverting riders two additional times. An on-ride camera was located in the dip of the boomerang. The train then entered its final maneuver – a 450-degree ascending clockwise helix – which generated positive g forces. The final brake run immediately followed, and the train made a final right-hand turn as it returned to the station.
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