October 3, 201311 yr comment_169798 Haha. Don't worry about it! Vortex has smooth transitions, its not suddenly up and then smacking back down, it really does feel like your weightless. I must admit the spinning gets a bit tedious towards the end and a bit sickly but it makes a fun ride and is tame compared to the likes of slammer and zodiac (in my eyes) Gah well I haven't done Slammer or Zodiac (too much of a wimp). Am not a fan of spinny things but I love Samurai (even though it is much slower than compared to when it was at CWOA) - and I don't mind spinning in a tea cup *too* much. Although I went on a tea cup style ride a few months ago and the person I was with span it so much that I'm surprise the damned thing didn't fly off! I think the only reason I didn't vom is because I was focusing on one thing - although I felt a bit drunk afterwards
October 3, 201311 yr comment_169833 To THORPELAW: Yes, ever since Vortex opened this year, the ride seems to stutter/shake a little on the 1st couple of swings. This isn't supposed to happen and might be due to an issue with either the pendulum or motor. It isn't really noticeable unless you're used to how Vortex has run in the past.
October 5, 201311 yr comment_169993 See, I'm gonna be an odd one out here, but say that I can barely stand riding Vortex - it feels too much like a pirate ship to me, if not worse (the G force it pulls as it's swinging is horrible, particularly on an overcast day). Always come off that ride with a headache feeling sick, much like if I rode a pirate ship any longer than a couple of minutes.
October 8, 201311 yr comment_170148 To THORPELAW: Yes, ever since Vortex opened this year, the ride seems to stutter/shake a little on the 1st couple of swings. This isn't supposed to happen and might be due to an issue with either the pendulum or motor. It isn't really noticeable unless you're used to how Vortex has run in the past. I thought it meant shutters like this
October 30, 201311 yr comment_171454 after my initial criticism... on my visit almost 2 weeks ago, and my visit yesterday vortex has been running really well, and getting over 90degrees without the juddering which is nice to see... I have noticed that you spend a while spinning around while not swinging (which is what I remember it doing on my first visit this year, and others in past years), not sure if this has anything to do with it?
October 31, 201311 yr comment_171461 Vortex is not that exciting but a ride operator can certainly change that. That's why I'm saying thanks to Steve for a great ride this evening Music, atmosphere and your interaction with me and the guests was brilliant. I was really happy to be there Just re found this and I would like to just say that I was that Steve and thank you it's allways extra nice to here positive feedback for a change.
October 31, 201311 yr comment_171465 Just re found this and I would like to just say that I was that Steve and thank you it's allways extra nice to here positive feedback for a change. I saw you working on loggers leap the other day . You're a really good operator
October 31, 201311 yr comment_171503 I saw you working on loggers leap the other day . You're a really good operator That was me alight there are only 4 loggers opp left so I live there at the moment but thanks it means a lot as I love my job
October 31, 201311 yr comment_171504 That was me alight there are only 4 loggers opp left so I live there at the moment but thanks it means a lot as I love my job Were you operating it when it broke down on Sunday?
October 31, 201311 yr comment_171507 Haha I was stuck on that, when a ride breaks and doesn't re open, do the staff get to go home or what?
October 31, 201311 yr comment_171508 Haha I was stuck on that, when a ride breaks and doesn't re open, do the staff get to go home or what? Lol no we are then moved on to other rides to help out
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174143 What improvement will we see on Vortex in 2014? It's my favourite flat ride at Thorpe Park!
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174145 From what I could tell when I've passed the park recently, Vortex has been fully dismantled. I don't recall any other closed season where it's been fully dismantled (though someone feel free to correct me there if I'm wrong ), so it could mean there's some substantial work going on off-site on it.
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174146 Ah ok! I know a lot of people said it had been juttering a lot so that could be why
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174147 Or it's probably just have a full on maintenance that is usually required of every ride in the world...
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174148 Full on maintenance is pretty substantial though, wouldn't you say? Sure, most rides will have, but it doesn't happen every single year for every single ride.
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174150 To be honest I think a new model is needed, as Vortex is knackered. Unless they give it a huge amount of maintenance over closed season, which it sounds like they are.
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174151 Full on maintenance is pretty substantial though, wouldn't you say? Sure, most rides will have, but it doesn't happen every single year for every single ride. I think vortex does need the 'full maintenance' in a sense though; I think after slammer it is probably the ride which needs fixing/doing up the most. Vortex has not had a great season and has been broken on a lot of my trips and when I have ridden it, it has had problems... The vibrating at the start for one thing; I mean it's not the end of the world that it shudders however sometimes the start is pretty violent. It is has been closed a lot this season for various reasons which I don't know of however I know one time it failed to stop swinging and they had to spend ages trying to get it to stop and closed the ride. I mean, it's about 13 isn't it? That's not too old in the age of rides however the performance of vortex is absolutely awful, the spinning is slow and the fact that you only get the top/bottom side means that if you have queued for ages and get the bottom, you are feeling like it has been an utter waste of your time. Also my other problem with vortex is the cycle and the general operation. I tend to think the ride team are making the queue going as fast as possible however although they are doing this, the ride still takes ages to start up. The bar check, although making people feel secure, is unecessary I think as it takes about a minute or two and the bars can be seen as locked with the green lights on top of the seats; I am not sure if this is necessary though. The ride called also start spinning as the platform was lowering or just start swinging and spinning straight away once the platform is lowered. The ride takes a while to load and unload and on sunscream the queue was 90 minutes for the shortest cycle I have ever seen and the queue length was the same as samurai. I would love to see vortex improved, both cycle and operations for next year. Also, I would maybe like to see the queueline done up a bit as it is a bit scruffy. Although vortex is hopefully being improved and should be improved, I think there are things which need doing up in the park aswell so I hope these get done up over the closed season(rumba, Colossus etc...)
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174157 I think Vortex was fully taken down (and actually sent to KMG) around 7/8 years ago now so maybe its getting the same kind of attention this closed season too.
January 5, 201411 yr comment_174159 Operation side of the ride there is no control in how long or short the ride is it's all computer programmed that is to two setting it will run until the highest swing is reach or for 2 minutes if it can not reach the highest swing for whatever reason it's also programmed to spin once the floor is fully lowers as a safty fracture as the opp can start the swing it once it's rotated once and checking of the bars we all know that they are safe and lock but it's the uk culture of checking bars and it's in the training like all the others
January 6, 201411 yr comment_174212 I think Vortex was fully taken down (and actually sent to KMG) around 7/8 years ago now so maybe its getting the same kind of attention this closed season too. 2006 fact fans.
January 6, 201411 yr comment_174226 I'd like to see some work done on Vortex, because I think it's a good little ride and has a lot of potential. It should really be marked quite high in priority. It has dropped down a quite a lot my view, which is why they need to put a lot of attention over it in closed season.
January 6, 201411 yr comment_174227 The only thing that has ruined Vortex is the shorter ride cycle which presumably is to improve the throughput. If Thorpe/KMG shortened it, then there's no going back.Thing is, they never used to check the safety bars which is more time consuming then it should be and then the floor which is slower then the old floor.
January 27, 201411 yr comment_175547 Just noticed this on the hight requirements for vortex on the THORPE PARK app So apparently anyone under 140cm can now ride it
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.