Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point "Closing"

[Coasterjoe]

 

I never got there in time  who here was lucky enough to ride top thrill dragster? 
 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Slick
You don't need to put thread titles in all capitals. 🍻

[Naazon]

To me it reads like they are keeping the structure and changing elements of the ride. Potentially track extension and or ride systems upgrade.

[Coasterjoe]

5 minutes ago, Naazon said:

To me it reads like they are keeping the structure and changing elements of the ride. Potentially track extension and or ride systems upgrade.

Yes it does seem that way from the way they have written it. Hopefully it ends on a high note with an equally thrilling, but more reliable ride. 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Coasterjoe

[Smol bean]

The wording of this definitely seems like it will re open but with an upgraded launch, moving the queue away from under the ride or adding roofing across the whole queue and possibly track extension and new theming.

Edited September 6, 2022 by Smol bean

[Ogre]

That's a shame. It was high up on my bucket list. Hopefully Top Thrill Dragster: Next Generation hits the right spot!

[Coasterjoe]

47 minutes ago, Smol bean said:

The wording of this definitely seems like it will re open but with an upgraded launch, moving the queue away from under the ride or adding roofing across the whole queue and possibly track extension and new theming.

Hmm, if they were simply rebranding and upgrading the ride they wouldn’t have used the word ‘retiring’ 

The way it reads to me is that the ride experience is going to be quite different. This does not read to me like a renovations post. It is quite cryptic in suggesting elements of top thrill dragster will remain but that could mean a number of things. 
 

 

[Gazza]

7 minutes ago, Ogre said:

That's a shame. It was high up on my bucket list. Hopefully Top Thrill Dragster: Next Generation hits the right spot!

You can always ride Kingda Ka

[Coasterjoe]

5 minutes ago, Gazza said:

You can always ride Kingda Ka

If its open when you visit lol

[Smol bean]

13 minutes ago, Coasterjoe said:

Hmm, if they were simply rebranding and upgrading the ride they wouldn’t have used the word ‘retiring’ 

The way it reads to me is that the ride experience is going to be quite different. This does not read to me like a renovations post. It is quite cryptic in suggesting elements of top thrill dragster will remain but that could mean a number of things. 
 

 

ya you could also be right their wording is just super vague and can be interpreted in so many ways 

[joz]

Must be an RMC conversion 

[DJKostya]

1 hour ago, Coasterjoe said:

 

 

I never got there in time  who here was lucky enough to ride top thrill dragster? 
 

I've ridden it a number of times, the first time was not long after it opened on 4th July weekend (Hot tip, don't visit on that weekend 🤣 ). We waited on average 2 hours to get on anything that weekend, but TTD was 3-4 hours wait, for something that lasted 20 seconds. This was before they removed the back wheels and ran with all 6 trains. 

When I last visited in 2018 I was also lucky enough to get not 1 but 2 roll backs with the second almost being a full stall at the top.

It was well worth the ride and it will be missed by a lot of people. I wonder if they are potentially looking into new technologies for the launch, or perhaps they are taking a page out of the Aussie parks playbooks and adding a backwards/spinning seat.

[franky]

My money is on them converting it to a LIM/LSM launch. Curious to know however:

• Will they need to reduce the height of the ride?
• Will it still be a shuttle launch (Like Rock'n'Roller Coaster at DLHS)?
• Surely they'd also need new (lighter) trains

Bummed I didn't get there to experience it before hand, apparently although shorter it was still the better ride when compared to Kingda Ka due to lap bars and not OTSR's

[Dean Barnett]

I reckon they’re converting it to a magnetic launch of some kind. 
 

Really disappointing because Red Force was a super letdown. Also very rough. 

[New display name]

I believe TTD hasn't been open since the accident, so a new upgraded launch makes sense.

[franky]

1 hour ago, Dean Barnett said:

Really disappointing because Red Force was a super letdown. Also very rough. 

Is the roughness a result of the launch or just the ride/track itself though?

Has the tech changed between Red Force and their newer launches such as Velocicoaster/Pantheon, perhaps there's improvements that have been made in speed/forces etc.

[Coasterjoe]

I wondered a change to LSM launch too but that would be a pretty disappointing outcome tbh. It would inevitably mean a less forceful launch and probably a lower height. I would love to see Cedar Fair really push the boundaries on this one and do something thats never been done before. TTD is a special ride for many enthusiasts and to see it essentially ‘downgraded’ to be honest would really suck. I would prefer if it they just scrapped it. 

[Gazza]

^Not necessarily.

From another site:

Red Force (3 car trains, 180 km/h) has a launch track of ~155m.

TTD has an overall launch track of 175m (I measured after the transfer track until the track passes over the building with the launch technic.).

TTD launched to 193 km/h. So actually, updating TTDs trains to the new ones and using all of that track for an LSM launch, could actually do the trick.

[Coasterjoe]

Here is a thought, Gemini sits right behind TDD. Maybe Cedar Point plans to remove gemini and use the space to extend TTD to either create a steel launch coaster with a similar layout to Velocicoaster using the current top hat, or maybe the first stratacoaster with a lifthill? I still dont believe an LSM launch will provide the same quality launch you get from the current system but if there was a track extension for more ride then that would be a great compensation. 

[Rivals]

24 minutes ago, Coasterjoe said:

Here is a thought, Gemini sits right behind TDD. Maybe Cedar Point plans to remove gemini and use the space to extend TTD to either create a steel launch coaster with a similar layout to Velocicoaster using the current top hat, or maybe the first stratacoaster with a lifthill? I still dont believe an LSM launch will provide the same quality launch you get from the current system but if there was a track extension for more ride then that would be a great compensation. 

for a park that’s landlocked, i don’t think they’ll remove Gemini to extend the layout of an already unreliable ride, instead of removing Gemini to replace with a whole new coaster.

[Gazza]

If anything was going to go, it would be Iron Dragon?

That all said, if you wanted to do extra elements on TTD, could you make it a long skinny layout in the middle of the current footprint, sort of like this.

Obviously you would need some trim brakes after the main top hat, and then the remaining elements quite a bit slower!

[Naazon]

Nah just flat out. 

[Baconjack]

My money's on a refit of the launch system to LSMs + a retheme. Perhaps a switch track and backwards spike for a swing LSM launch would be an out-there guess but unlikely.

Logistically this is possible, Red Force's track is much shorter and launches to a similar speed to dragster, plus LSM's can be put on angled track. It's more less a question if Cedar Fair has the money to do the refit - but they build at Cedar Point as if money isn't an object.

If this is what's done, then it's a slam dunk for MW to do the same to Superman to keep it going as parts for these hydraulic coasters get harder to come by in the next 10 years.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Baconjack

[joz]

I don't think you'd want to put a backwards spike on Superman though? The concept of Superman saving you by pushing the train is one of the more genius elements of the ride. If the launch needed to get replaced and new trains, LSMs, and curl them up the base of the top hat as needed.

[Dean Barnett]

3 hours ago, franky said:

Is the roughness a result of the launch or just the ride/track itself though?

Has the tech changed between Red Force and their newer launches such as Velocicoaster/Pantheon, perhaps there's improvements that have been made in speed/forces etc.

Roughness is probably the train aging, but the launch is just so slow - whereas TTD really took your breath away.  I'd actually prefer to go on Superman than Red Force.

 

Just look at where the LSM's finish on Red Force 

 

Compared to where the cable launch on TTD ended

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by Dean Barnett

[Coasterjoe]

Ok so maybe my last suggestion is a little far fetched but surely the plan isn't just simply to replace the launch with LSM and retheme, that would be really disappointing. This is Cedar Point we are talking about regarding one of their signature attractions. There needs to be something that makes people feel that they are getting a ‘better ride experience’ for me simply upgrading the launch is not enough, especially to announce the ride as we know it is retiring and for an inferior launch system imo. Heres some more realistic upgrades
 

LSM+ add an extra 40 or so feet to reclaim tallest coaster.

Add a roll back and backwards launch spike prior to main launch. 

Reverse the track so it launches backwards

add a camel back to the post drop run similar to Kingda Ka.