Answers to some of your questions and trip report
I arrived at Cedar Point on Sunday at 4:00 pm after a 6 hour drive from Chicago. I was hoping that I would be able to ride TTD considering the good news from Saturday. As we drived down the causeway I stared at Dragster for maybe 10 minutes hoping to see a launch. I got my hopes up. Dragster (as you probally already know) was shut down for the rest of the day. I was hoping to get some info. on TTD's breakdown from calling "information" at the Breakers but they knew less than I did. Their explanation was "they are giving Dragster a break".
That night I hoped to still ride Dragster, thinking that it might open that night but I didnt even get to see a test run.
The next morning I got up at 8:00 and called the front desk to see if TTD was going to open when the park opened. She said that they had no idea when it was going to open but it wasnt going to open with the park. I raced to MF instead. The whole day there was not even a sign of life in Dragster. I was starting to think that it would never open.
Tuesday morning went the same as Monday's, I called the front desk in the morning, and ran to MF. That day at around 12:00 I saw the first testing. It tested maybe 20-25 times and then stopped at around 1:30. I stayed around the Dragster Midway hoping to get a good spot in line but when it stopped test my high hopes did too. Dragster didnt test the rest of the day(Well, I'm pretty sure, dont really remember though.).
Wednesday started out very promising. At 10:30am there were more ride ops, mechanics, guys with suits on,and guys from Intamin I had ever seen.(Oh, there was also Monty Jasper) There was testing by about noon. We went back to the hotel about 4 or 5 to take a nap and then got our bating suits on to go and ride Snake river Falls. As we were by iron Dragon on our way to SRF I saw a unusual amount of people in the photo finish building. I also saw what I thought were hands up on the "what I thought was testing" trains launching. I went to see what was going on until I saw the beginign of the line for Dragster just to the Corkscrew. We got in line at about 6:45. At 7:30 we were all of the way up in the center of the first queue line section when.......I heard an announcement that "dragster is down to mechanical errors......."(You know the routine) Soon the line was moving again due to people getting out of line. I was going to wait forever if I had to, to ride TTD. At about 8 a train was launched. everyone got cheerful until the train went up about 30 feet, stopped and rolled back slowly to the launch position. it was not until 10:00pm was another train launched. When, FINALLY, another test train was launced there were only about 200 people left in the line. Though I was behind the stupid queue wall i heard cheering from inside the station as a train crept out of the station into a launch position. When the train was launced everyone held their breath. It didnt look like it was going to make it over the top but somehow it did. Another 5 trains were launched and there was cheering everytime the train cleared the top. There was even more cheering when the first riders were allowed into the train. It only took about 10 minutes until we were launched. It is truly an amazing ride. At 10:30, to my surprise, they were still letting people on the ride. We raced back into queue and got in just as they closed it. It took only 10 minutes to get back to the station. We were the last ones to wait for the front car when a ride op. cut us off. They announced they would be sending only 5 more trains. We then found ourselves in line for the back of the train and what should have been the last train of the night. There was only 2 people in front of us when we heard a erie silence. that could mean only one thing- ANOTHER BREAKDOWN! they rolled the cars back to the station and unloaded the passengers. For the 2 mor ehours I waited in the station I talked to a ride op. who was off duty and waiting for a ride with me. i was able to ask him some questiosn about Dragster. first I asked him why it was constantly breaking down. He explained to me that there was almost 2,000 little green censors all over the track and that if even one censor saw something it didnt like than the ride would not operate. The censor could see something as little as a coin or anything metallic that someone ahd dropped on the track than the ride would be shut down. He also siad that the ride ops never know what it wrong with TTD, they just tell the maintenance crew the error ID # and the mechanics translate that into the problem. I also asked him why the wheels were taken off the back od the trains. He said that the extra wait on back caused excessive rattling on the back of the train and that was a reason for things gettin loose such as bolts and was the reason for the Tire falling off a while ago. he also said that the extra room on the trains are goign to be an extra row on seats that will be added this off season. The only question that he could not answer was why the gold train was sent back to Europe. All he knew was that the train was tested with prior to the beging off this season.
Well......back to the story. We waited until midnight until the phone rang in the station. The ride ops. then handed us "front of the line" passes and told us to exit the was we entered.
The next day, Thursday(today), was our last day. We were going to use our passes! At about noon Fragster started testing( As I noticed while on Magnum). We hurried up and saw that the queue line was already filled. We handed the ride op. at the entrance of TTD our passes and was able to get the first ride of the day on TTD. First train of the day, first row. The front is a ride like no other. My eyes were watering as I we hit the brakes. The back of the train feels like 200 mph and the front feels like 300mph!
I hope the q&a section answered some of your questions and tell me what you think!
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NEW SIGNATURE***
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Are your ready for some speed? We've got 120 miles per hour! Are you ready to get vertical? We've got 420 feet. Are you ready for the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world?!? Are you ready fro TOP THRILL DRAGSTER!?!?!
*** This post was edited by Topthrill420 6/20/2003 2:03:25 AM ***
*** This post was edited by Topthrill420 6/20/2003 12:40:44 PM ***
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The B E S T SEVENTEEN s-e-c-o-n-d-s of SHEER >>InSaNitY<< I've E V E R experienced!
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Ed Markey is my anti-drug.
Rollercoasters have proven to cause brain damage in stupid politicians. DAR-HOOT
trips to CP:6 Dragster:2 MFer:6 Magnum: 13 Running with the bulls for a 15 minutes dragster wait, Must be June!
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Wanna Get High? Ride Top Thrill Dragster
I hope they fix the bugs in this ride soon, cause I'm coming very soon!
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Cedar Point, The Roller Coast!!
"The next day, Friday(today), was our last day. We were going to use our passes! At about noon Fragster started testing( As I noticed while on Magnum)."
Now either I have not had enough coffee or I am dumber then shat. Today's date is Friday 6-20-03. The current time is 10:40am. You stated this topic at 2 in the morning. How did you get to ride in the future before CP opened on Friday??? It's not even noon yet. I'm going to get more coffee now.
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"This second hill is my favorite part of the ride. It is so Cool!"
TTD Status: "Contaminates in the system" S.K.
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I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.
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TTD Launches: 0 :( MF Plunges: 10 Wicked Twists: 9 Magnum Bullets: 24 Raptor Strikes: 17 Mantis Rolls: 6 Days at CP 03': 2 3/4
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- Dennis
When I die, They'll read this And say a genius wrote it.
http://drinkduff.com/
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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.
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- Dennis
When I die, They'll read this And say a genius wrote it.
http://drinkduff.com/
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Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Are your ready for some speed? We've got 120 miles per hour! Are you ready to get vertical? We've got 420 feet. Are you ready for the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world?! ARE YOU READY FOR TOP THRILL DRAGSTER?!?
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm
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"This second hill is my favorite part of the ride. It is so Cool!"
TTD Status: "Contaminates in the system" S.K.
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