5.04.2003

Ten bucks wingnut. Richard Zellner, I didn't get any airtime at all. The ops were stapeling like you wouldn't believe. I also realized pretty quickly that this ride IMO is not about airtime at all. At least that was my first impression.
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Millennium Force Laps-103
**Vertigo Launches-21**

Thanks macho nachos. Thought for sure it was going to be more.
*** This post was edited by wingnut 5/5/2003 1:04:02 AM ***

The pics are $12 and to me it was well worth it. This is the first coaster pic I've EVER had where I actually looked scared. I was mid-scream when the first picture was taken, and I had a huge smile on my face and my hands in the air on the second photo. As for the line, we entered @ the marina gate at 9 because we figured everyone would go to the resort gate. By the time we walked to TTD the line was approx. 4 hours. I had friends with me that had never been to the park and I didn't want to occupy most of their day with one ride. We got lucky, and rode without waiting at all though, so it turned into a spectacular day!

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ONE freeway stamp a day... ONE

They must have a "buy 2 for 20" special going on.
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Millennium Force Laps-103
**Vertigo Launches-21**

To villageidiot: real nice Pics thks. Couldn't make to CP yet it will have to be later in the season.
i did notice somthing in your pics tho. The grandstand was full it would seem watching it go can be as invigerating as rideing it I know I've been playing my PVR videos of media day over and over. Cant wait to ride ,but dont like the idea of squishing my legs to a pulp by a ride attendant.
Retired at 62, gonna ride her:)

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I'm not an old fogey, I'm just an old coaster rider..

About the "Arms down!" recording: believe it or not, a CP employee told me the trains have sensors in the seats that can detect when anybody puts their hands up before the launch; the system won't launch the train if anybody has their hands up. About the only way I've noticed to get around it is to put them up immediately before the launch (after the brake fins have dropped).

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Top Thrill Dragster - the best 30 seconds of my life! (my GTTP sig)
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I would rather hear synthesizers sing than hear rappers talk. (my universal sig)

Wingnut, believe me. You won't be worried about airtime on your first ride. You won't have time. You'll be busi trying to catch your breath. I guarantee that if they weren't stomping on the lap bars, you'd get more airtime than you'd want.

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If I win the lottery, I promise not to quit my job. Although, it may not take very long for me to be fired.
In the immortal words of Socrates, "I drank what?!"

Thanks for the info Dougster, but I didn't ask about airtime. :)

Me and a group of friends waited at the Marina entrance and I had to wait about 2 hours to ride TTD. I should mention that I can't run at all. If I could have run faster, I might have shaved off anywhere between fifteen minutes and an hour. It gets hectic though. The marina entrance is the closest because it is halfway down the midway and therefore closer than the main entrance, but closer than the back entrance because the back entrance has lots of weaving.

I was disappointed in our pics..I'd planned to buy one except I could not be seen!! In both pics my face was completely covered by the second shot, and the second shot was too dark to see me.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

To the person who asked about the leg room, there is no room in those cars. You are crammed in them. It sucks too when the ride up doesn't warn you she is going to staple you in with the lap bar. The sharp, shooting pain from the lap bar hitting my full bladder was not fun. A warning would have been nice, which my friend riding next to me did get from his ride op.

My friend and I waited 4 1/2 hours. The line when we got there at 9:45am was supposed to be about 6 hours. The queues were full and the line stretched all the way past the station toward Power Tower. We attempted to get a second ride (the line was at 3 1/2 hours about 6pm) but the ride was not launching much. The line was so short because people kept leaving the line. We weren't sure why the ride was down, but decided to spend our time riding other stuff instead.

The ride was incredible. I kind of liked not knowing exactly when the launch would happen. I felt like we were strapped in tight, but didn't get enough time to be aware of how much airtime we got over the top hat. You're up and over way too fast to think or even take a quick look around. As you come up out of the twist on the launch side, you see a bit of red track and then sky for a half a second and then all you see is twisted red and then the ground.

I cannot wait to get back up there. Millie always makes me nervous (although I'm getting used to the height) and Dragster doesn't give you enough time to think about the height and it almost doesn't see like it's 420 feet tall. All in all, I give the ride a 15 out of 10. So amazing and sweet!

Laura

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My need for speed is second only to my need to be inverted! No wonder Raptor is my favorite!

OldCPer, that's a shame about your pictures. I guess I got really lucky. There were 4 of us, 2 in the front seat, two in the second. We had a picture come out that had all 4 of our faces in both shots. It was perfect enough that I, a poor college student, forked over $12! I guess it is a luck of the draw kind of thing if your pictures turn out or not.

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ONE freeway stamp a day... ONE

The ride was incredible, I've never felt like that on a coaster before (it made my face feel like Jell-o). One thing I can agree with about your my first ride-it was over so fast I can barely remember anything but the launch. This is definatley a ride that must be riden several times in order to explain each of its elements. I can't wait to go back this Friday.

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Honest truth told to me by marina gate readmissions host:

Host: Hand stamped, two cents.

Me: That's cool, I think I have two cents.

Host: I better not take it, by the time you leave here its all you'll have.

About the "Arms Down" recording... I highly doubt there are any of these sensors that won't allow the train to launch if arms are up, because I watched at least two launches where some idiot would keep his arms up the whole time, even after hearing "Arms Down" like ten times. But it's not like they can force people to put their arms down in situations like that, and I hate that they sacrifice capacity. I suppose it will get better when the Christmas Tree is operational with the "Arms Down" sign. I have that darn recording stuck in my head after hearing it so many times yesterday, I want to download it or something! Haha ;)

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Dragster "Top Thrills": 2
World's first strata-coaster!

I was mad that I couldn't buy my on-ride photo. The camera cut me off halfway and everyone else blocked me on the 2nd picture lol. Aw well, I'll buy one when I go next Monday.

I think that the arms down recording is more of a "drop button" that you might hear on a radio show. There were a couple of times where it said, "Arms D-Arms Down!" as if someone in the station hit it twice. I also saw the guy who had his hands up and they still launched. His arms flung back and hit his head rest too.

It seems to me that if you want to be able to buy the picture, you're going to have to either sacrifice some ride intensity by sitting on the right side, or just happen to get a ride up front.

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...and the most anticipated event of summer 2003 is...

The Matrix: Reloaded!

Majin Heero, I agree with you about the "Arms Down" recording. I heard it so much that I think I love it now. Can't you hear it in a booming techno song? "Head Back"....."Arms Down"..."Arms Down"....;)

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Millennium Force Laps-104
**Vertigo Launches-21**
Dragster Launches-1

I could definitely hear that! It would be like that Matrix "Take the Pill" song, and it could easily be created in Acid. Plus you could have the revving noise!

Yeah CP_bound that's what I was thinking... there are probably two buttons for the ride op that can be pushed whenever - revving and "arms down!" Hearing the same thing so many times reminded me of an arcade game.

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Dragster "Top Thrills": 2
World's first strata-coaster!

What a day yesterday was. We left Taylor Michigan at like 6:30am,We got to the park at 9:00am , 9:30am comes along, they let us all in. We go straight for Dragster, 6 HOURS! So we went and rode every other coaster in the park exept for DT, CCMR. 6:00pm comes along, we goto Dragster. What a wait, the whole line got the wave going! It was fun. We got interviewed by Fox 8 toledo news while standing in line(called mom and had her tape it). All the other rides just slowly start stopping for the day, we were still in line:( . 10:30pm comes along, still hitting on the girls in front of us(got phone#'s);). We get to the station,then it happens, it breaks down. So everyone starts waking up again yelling and such. They get it back up and running! Total relieve. It looked as if the wheels that push the train into the station weren't gripping on the train. The mechanics were pushing and pulling, you could hear the motor winding. They load up a train,(crowd is yelling and clapping) they launch come back. Two of my friends got on the next train(Red). They launch. They load us onto the awsome looking blue train. I wanted front but she made me get second to last row:(. We pull up to the launch, I make a joke ass the train stops, everyone laughs, then we saw the brakes drop down. Whoosh, we were out and up in notime. The hill was great because it was dark and the whole structure was lit up. We come back down(still trying to remember what just happened). All i could rember on the way up was the track dissapering and then the Millenium Force looking so far down. My reciept for the picture said 10:58pm. The park was sooo quiet, kind of erie. Nobody but us and like three others walking out. I cannot wait to ride during the day next weekend. It was well worth the wait! Sorry i wrote soo much, and Freeways are great( as close to vip treatment il ever getlol)

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Don't you hate it when you try to say something funny but only YOU laugh?