5.04.2003

Gigaman: I think the kicker wheels had trouble advancing the train because from my place in line, I noticed the retractable brake fins were up with the train going over them, so they probably impeded its progress.

Regarding my trip:
I got in at 9:30 like most everybody else and waited about 5:30 hours - I came by myself and they were looking for a single rider with about a 1/2 hour wait left. I couldn't wait any longer so I took the early opportunity and got the second-to-last row. But the 5:30 hours I did have to wait was completely worth it! The launch seemed to last an eternity, and the only other things I remembered was the head chopper and looking down on Millie at the top. Surreal! This ride is the closest experience to what it might feel like if you could fly like Neo in The Matrix (Yes, I'm waiting for Reloaded)! After Dragster I went on most of the other rides (all were either walk-ons or 15 minutes, except Millie which was 45 minutes. 5 minutes before closing time, after seeing the first "maze" empty, I got back in line to get a ride at night. When the ride kept breaking down I considered leaving and just going home, but thought: absolutely not! I have nothing to do tomorrow so I'm gonna wait it out! Thankfully I had my Pocket PC (those things are the best!) loaded with games to keep me busy in line especially during the down time. Again, with about a 1/2 hour wait left they needed a single rider, so I took the bait again and this time got second-to-front row. We were put in the launch position, the reving noises went on, the "Arms down, head back, hold on" spiel sounded, the reving continued...then silence! After about a minute, the reving was back, then another minute of silence! Third time proved to be the charm, and the experience at night was different! I watched the brightly lit tower quickly approach and flew up into the black sky. I didn't notice the air time not just because I was stapled in so tight, but mostly because my mind was still recovering from the launch! You may as well have been strapped to a rocket! Coming back down all I could see were the bright lights shining up at the tower, and I put my hands up going into the brakes. All in all, this ride will definitely have me making the three hour trip to the point once or twice a month!

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Top Thrill Dragster - the best 20 seconds of my life!!! (my GTTP sig)
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I would rather hear synthesizers sing than hear rappers talk. (my universal sig)

*** This post was edited by Kevin Lehman 5/6/2003 11:05:05 AM ***