CP letting Dragster deterioate?

Ok, so I know the title is unlikely... but I noticed a lot of things that are way in dissaray today from when it first opened. Today was the first time I rode it this year, although I've been to CP many times this year (my girlfriend and I have season passes, but this summer she decided she dosen't like coasters, cept iron dragon)

1. Paint Fading- WOW I haden't noticed how bad it was untill today, the red is pink, the bright yellow is now a drab light yellow, and the entire launch section is covered in all kinds of nasty (as is one support on iron dragon in the helix, just one)

2 OBIVOUS Themeing gone bye bye. Engine, Tires, Spoilers, Front Wing, At least some kind of an attempt to make this thing look like a dragster could have been made after the tire incident.

3. REALLY rough ride: Wow man my ride today was rough, not just on launch but the whole way when I compare it to the smooth as glassness of my earlier rides. I was on purple train row 3

4. Spedo not working: I don't know if I'm bad luck or what but almost everytime i go to cp its not working.

1. Unlike a number of other rides, there is literally nothing protecting the ride from the sun. It's just standing there in the middle of nowhere. I think the color it is doesn't help.

2. Just like virtually every other ride that ever had themeing.

3. Don't know. It was fine the last time I rode it.

4. It was working fine yesterday.

I'll give my opinion for each one:

1. Paint fades over time, especially when its on a structure that is so tall and open to sunlight all the time.

2. The theming hasn't been there since the ride's first month of operation. Nothing new here.

3. I've heard a couple reports about the three Intamin giants being somewhat rough this week. I for one had a bad experience on WT a year ago with the same thing. Wheel replacement plays a big factor. A possibility could be that their waiting for the week of no operation to tweak the rides.

4. CP and theming just don't go together, never have.

While I do think the maintenance could be stepped up a notch (putting the covers back on the Christmas tree lights, fixing the lights so they all work) I don't think they are letting it deteriorate. Even if they repainted the ride, as said above, it will look like it does now in a year due to the sun. My ride was also somewhat rough, but I'm sure that can be fixed with some maintenance on the trains now that they are in weekend operation.

liebevision said:
my girlfriend and I have season passes, but this summer she decided she dosen't like coasters, cept iron dragon

Time for a new girlfriend.

bholcomb said:

liebevision said:
my girlfriend and I have season passes, but this summer she decided she dosen't like coasters, cept iron dragon

Time for a new girlfriend.

My wife will only consistently ride CCMR, Iron Dragon, and Disaster Transport. Occasionally I can get her on Raptor and Wildcat. She's been on Blue Streak, MF, and Magnum once (probably never again). That's it. I still won't trade her in though, I can always go with my brother to ride the big stuff. :)

I don't see TTD as being neglected. Paint fade is normal, and it's expensive to repaint something that big. Some of the theming, as has been said, has been gone for a while. It takes away from some of the oomph of the ride, but it doesn't ruin it IMHO.

But heck, I don't think I've ever personally ranked TTD ahead of MF or Raptor. Those rides are just plain old fun.

Has the ride been open almost all the time this year? what are we complaining about here!

As has already been stated, paint fades. No big deal. I don't think think they're neglecting the ride.

Does the theming really take away from the actual ride experience? I think not. Sure it was nice to look at, but we've got added capacity now with the engine/tires gone from the back of the trains.

As far as the roughness, I haven't noticed it. I rode it 5 times today (every train except for purple). I also didn't notice the speedometor not working. It was working every time I noticed it today.

Jeremy Sell said:
My wife will only consistently ride CCMR, Iron Dragon, and Disaster Transport.

Time for a mistress and/or new wife. ;)

One thing I noticed (and I don't know if it's been mentioned before) was that the track and mechanical parts associated with the launch and breaking are covered with alot of cobwebs. That was a bit scary before riding. Maybe the park puts fake ones to scare people lol.

No, the spiders build those each and every night. It's a nightmare cleaning all the cobwebs up each morning.

My ride wasn't all that bad back in May but I do agree that it could use a good touch up at least on the tower. It would be more eye appealing to new comers. Myself being there for the first time, I almost ran into a gropu of people getting my things together to book in at the Hotel Breakers. I couldn't take my eyes off of how big the ride is when you see if for the first time. Later on when I went in the park the next day, it seemed even bigger but agreed it could use a nice touching up :)

I know about other people but Dragster seemed just fine today. I didnt notice any real roughness to it. As for how it ran today, it went down to transfer a train as well as other guest related distubances, and it did close for the night at around 8:45. They announced it was going to be closed for the night and everyone was bummed.....untill they said they were taking us to Millennium!!:) So it turned out cool.

BTW, it was the catchcar that caused it to go down for the night.

Good God! This ride is awesome with or without theming----Have you people not caught on to this??? Cedar Point did along time ago. Its all about thrill at CP not imagination. They show us how it could be in a drag car all though it doesnt do 350 in 4 seconds. Really where else can you do 120 in 4 seconds??? This ride with or without the theming is the same for me. Quit being so damn anal about it!

Adam_loves_the_roller_coast said:
Really where else can you do 120 in 4 seconds?

New Jersey.

I'm one of the big TTD fans on this forum so I do agree, but that comment isn't going to get you any points.

Yeah, I have to agree as well. Even though it(Ka) technically doesnt go 120 in "4" seconds......but I dont want to get into that now.:)

*** Edited 9/5/2006 7:28:43 PM UTC by TTD 120mph***

Mark Small said:
Does the theming really take away from the actual ride experience? I think not. Sure it was nice to look at, but we've got added capacity now with the engine/tires gone from the back of the trains.

Adds alot to a ride. IMO it can make or break a ride.

Lets look at Hulk, without the themeing that ride would be nothing. In fact almost all the rides at US:IOA totally rely on the themeing.

Please excuse the spelling.

Look dragster is my favorite ride and I have over 100 laps, I'm not saying that CP is letting it die, and I'm really impressed with its operation record this year, but I just REALLY had a bad experiance yesterday, and it's the first time the ride ever disappointed me. And the paint thing, it just seems that its aged much faster than some of the other rides like MF and that its a big difference from last year.

It just seems like CP isn't really careing about any of the details of the ride. Maybe I just got one bad launch that was rough. I don't know, maybe it is just because when I first rode it I fell in love with all the little details of dragster, and most of those are gone or in neglect now. Like the little facts going down the queue line, most of them have some kind of stain on them. I remember my first time on dragster, waiting by sky ride to ride it watching trains go over, finally getting up near the station, still on the midway, and noticeing all the little details like the flags on the top of the station, the themeing on the trains, the little fin on the nose of the train, the draster sitting out in front on the midway, the grandstands, then finally getting in the queues and all the little factoids about dragster being up on the wall, and being so impressed with all the little things they had thought of. Alright... the christmas tree wasen't there yet but that kinda kills the mood of my ramble.

It seems odd that the last little thing they put in is one of the only things that are still left. *** Edited 9/6/2006 1:01:18 AM UTC by liebevision***

I do think they should at least replace those signs, and the tower lights in general. Plus those big flood lights next to each major tower support looked really awesome at night.

Wouldn't it be cool if they did bring back the themeing, but added it as another car to the train so they still had the capacity they do now?

I kinda miss the auto spiels too. :P

3. REALLY rough ride: Wow man my ride today was rough, not just on launch but the whole way when I compare it to the smooth as glassness of my earlier rides. I was on purple train row 3

I was on Green, front and that baby was smooth as glass on Labor Day. You musta caught the bad ride my friend.

I was noticing that as we walked by... the black track.. faded yellow.. non-existant theming.. but that doesn't really bother me. With or without theming, i'd still love it.
*** Edited 9/6/2006 1:58:58 AM UTC by TTD4Life***