Surreal

Hmmmm..
 
I have had the pleasure of riding Top Thrill Dragster 
once, back in May (just after they filmed a few commericals 
on it).  Does anyone else remember very little about their experience?  
 
All I can honestly remember is being thrown back into my seat, and then 
staring at the sun on the way up.  I have this permanent image etched in 
my mind of a bit of red/white track, and the sun.  Very surreal.
 
Just wanted to see how much everyone else remembers.  I'm guessing the 
lucky few who have ridden the ride more than two or three times have more 
memories from it.  I will never forget the experience, albeit it's still 
just a snapshot in my head.  Amazing ride.
 
Let's hope Cedar Point and Intamin are able to work out the tweaks so as 
long as other people can enjoy the ride as well.  Let's try and remember 
that Cedar Point gains *nothing* from having the ride closed; they lose business, 
trust, and just end up pissing people off.  They know it, Intamin knows it - 
they're not *trying* to be malicious.
 
I'm still in awe that such a ride even exists - to me that's a feat 
on it's own.  The fact that I had the chance to ride it in the midst 
of working out the technology is icing on the cake.
 
-- Paul L.
[korkasrye@hotmail.com]

*** This post was edited by Korkas 6/23/2003 9:25:51 AM ***

My experience is similar to yours. All I remember is the launch and the top.

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That's Ridiculous™

The parts I can remember the most are the launch and looking down on MF. It sure looks small from the top!

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TTD: 2

I rode it only once (in May after the commerical shoot like you).

All I can remember is being pushed back into my seat, then shooting streight up into the sky then looking down as we twisted around.

This is a VERY different type of ride.

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"I can't make a movie or write a song either, but that doesn't mean I'm not entitled to think they suck."
-Jeff

Dragster: 1 Force: 5 Twister: 7 Raptor: 6 Magnum: 12

After a couple of rides, it's a bit easier to remember to look around for a second as you coast over the tophat. I've been able to take quick peeks at Snake River Falls, Mean Streak, Millie, Gemini, and the paddle boats in my most recent two trips over the tophat. But I'll never remember the first trip over, I saw clouds, red and white track, and a quick flash of silver (the steps and railing at the top of the top hat) as we went over the top hat the first time.

Dragster is firmly entrenched in the #2 spot in my alltime coaster list (only thwarted for #1 by Raptor) because it is such an amazing ride. I see something new everytime I can manage to ride it.

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Awww, bad day? Take a different perspective on things. Try upside down, a barrel roll, a cobra roll or a corkscrew. Life can't be all that bad when your feet are over your head!
*** This post was edited by raptorgrl 6/23/2003 12:12:37 PM ***
*** This post was edited by raptorgrl 6/23/2003 12:13:20 PM ***

I remember the launch being a lot smoother than I expected. I was expecting to get totally thrown back with my neck in pain afterwards. Once I sat in the front and watched the cable pull us down the track right after all the brakes went down. I remember being in awe over the wind noise and the sudden rush upwards, then just when you get used to the upward motion you rotate... that is a little disorienting at least for a moment.. At the top i remember flying out of my seat and having my legs push upward on that lap bar with FULL FORCE... feels like any more force would allow it to open. That lasts a long time in air-time timeframe.

I remember on the way down... For a second it looks like the track just spirals forever, and there isn't enough clearance for you to fit thru... but of course you do fit thru. Then finish line and it's all over. It definately is a RUSH!

Well, after 6 rides on it, 2 in the front seat, I can say I still haven't taken it all in. The first ride was a blur. All I remember in increadible intesity on the launch, not being able to breathe. Then I remember looking down on MF, what a wonderful feeling. Heading right at the yellow support, then swinging sideways like you're going to hit the side of the tower. I was too excited to remember the brakes or unloading station.

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-Chris Woodard
"We got pop and Gatorade over here for $100 a bottle, so have your credit card ready. Seriously, the food here is so expensive, I just eat the condiments because I can't afford a meal." - MF que DJ 6/16/03

heh, i know EXACTLY what your talking about. i call TTD my 17 second high. i have 5 launches now on TTD and it wasnt till the 3rd launch till i remembered to look around and see things. i've heard a couple of you mention looking down on MF but i havent done that. the first 2 launches were at night. the only thing i remember from those is looking down into all those lights on the drop side. i might as well have been blindfolded. i remember saying to my girlfriend after the first ride "what the hell just happened to me" and she answered, "i dont know but i loved it". i dont even remember the 2nd launch at all, its like it never happened. the 3rd launch was during the day, and i actually remembered to look around on the tophat, i looked down and saw the queue lines and remember sawing to myself that the people look like ants. the 4th trip was almost a heaven. i dont think you could be any closer to a rollback without actually having one. it seemed like it took an hour to get over the tophat. the only thing i remember was looking at my buddy and he looked at me and we started yelling "ROLLBACK!!!!" but... didnt happen. then the 5th launch i looked down at the queue lines again.. dont know why. best seat is the very front (launch 2) the only thing i remeber was the sled coming back to get the train, the break fins dropping and then everything else is fuzzy. i have 4 of my 5 rides pics (camera was broke on one of them) but it looks like i was having a damn good time. i cant wait to go back. i'd like to get 10 launches in this summer :)

~matt

After my first launch I couldnt remember anything except for the top. I remembered a bit of the launch but on the way up I was so disoriented because of the speed and my head being pushed down. After my second launch I started to piece together the experience. I know what you are talking about MHz ^^! I forgot to look around and enjoy the view, but it seems impossible to pick your head up with all of the force pushing it down. I wish I would get to go rrrreeeeaaaalllllllyyyyy slow over the top hat like you did!
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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?!?

June 14th I rode it, I remember pre-launch really well (how many "Hands Down" does a person need in order to get the hint). As soon as the train inched back a little I knew the ride was going so I put my hands up and just remember speeding horizontal to the ground and then all of a sudden all I saw was blue sky. Then a small jerk to the right as the train twisted 90 degrees. At the top I don't remember much, I was more amazed that my body wasn't moving at all (with the lapbar squeezed down, and the force pushing me back in the seat) and how secure I felt at 420' high. Then I remember see the ground spinning as we got closer and then the speeding past the people in line. It was just amazing! Next time I'll definately try to get a quick view while at the top...that has to be an awesome view. Definately my #2 ride of all time (Magnum will always be #1 to me).

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Metallica, Magnum and Mountain Dew, and finally turning 21...what could be better?

From my first ride, I only remember the launch and going up, and over.

My second ride, I remember the whole thing. Crazy!

Is it hard to see during the launch because the wind is so strong at those speeds? It seems like it would be hard to because even when you are in the back seat of a convertible or any drop top the wind is really strong and I usually skwint me eyes.

I remember thinking "keep your eyes and mouth SHUT" as the bugs smashed against my face! However, the 2nd ride I did remember to open my eyes going over and seeing the lights reflect off the water.

I have no problem seeing when I ride Dragster. I wear my glasses (or sunglasses) with the required strap. My eyes never water wearing them. I know a friend always had trouble with watering eyes on coasters. Three bucks should solve the problem ($1 for cheap sunglasses, $2 for CP's glasses strap).

:-)

*edited to correct a typo.

I was cheering for a roll back too! It would be like getting 2 cool rides and waiting for only one!

If I think about it, I can remember every thing that happened my second, but my first time, all I remember was seeing the lights go so slow before take off, just the pure acceleration, the feeling of just speeding up, than all I could remmber was this big curve, I couldn't even feel going up, and than I was just snapped to the side very hard, than looking down from the top, I didn't recognize anything, seeing everything. I didn't even notice the 270, I just wanted to know what that was on the ground, which turned out to be the que tentsand than I closed my eyes and opened it to see the people staring at me.

The second time, I didn't notice the acceleration, I didn't notice the first hill, I just tried to look down from the top and see everything again, but this time, I noticed the 270. The yellow steel support structure was just so massive, that feeling of weightlessness, how smooth you are being twisted and you can't even feel it, how smoothly it stopped, how I posed for the last picture, two thumbs up.

But like the first time, when I got off, I still thought "did I even just ride it", it just seems like it never happened, like I never been on that ride, like I need to go on it again still. there is something missing, it's just hilarious that it took me twice to experience this ride, unless I am really forgetting something.

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Life has it's ups and downs, might as well make it on a coaster!

Yeah, I was like that too. After the ride, I said to myself: "Did I just go on Dragster, or am i still waiting to launch?" The only thing i don't like about this ride is that it is over so fast!

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Dear Valued Guest, I regret to inform you that Cedar Point’s newest roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, is not currently in operation because of mechanical problems.

TTD is my favorite coaster.. I got the front seat of the second train so I got to see the train in front of me pull away. It was awesome to see the train pull away. It just kept going and going until I could barely see it and then it turned up to the sky. Then it was my turn. Then I heard the voice that says "Keep your head back, arms down, and hold on." When it says that the first 2 rows of the countdown lights turn on. I was sitting there waiting and waiting for those 40 or so seconds, which seemed like forever, for the brake fins to drop. All of a sudden I heard a hissing noise and my heart stopped because I thought it was the brake fins dropping (when the fins drop it makes a hissing noise). But I looked and the brake fins were still up and I realized the hissing was probably from Power Tower. Because of that I was looking right at the brake fins when they dropped. So now I looked at the countdown lights and I saw the third row light up. When you watch the countdown lights from off the ride the 3rd row of yellow to the green very quickly like in about 2 seconds (I think). But from on the ride the anticipation is so great that it seems like it takes like 3 seconds to just go from the 3rd to 4th row of lights. Then finally it turned green. We launched so fast I didn't see the grandstand. We just kept accelerating more and more and more. The force of the launch was so incredible. I tried to keep my hands out in front of me but it was so forceful it pulled my arms back and pinned them against the headrest. Then before I knew it I was heading strait up into the sky and we just kept going higher and higher. Finally we started the crest at the top and what amazing airtime at the top of this thing. So high with nothing around you. And then you start to head strait back down. Looking down the drop is soooooooo far and it looks so cool how the track almost forms a circle on the twist when you look at it from the beginning of the twist. So then we dropped. The twist was awesome. When I rode it was pretty dark and they had the lights that shine on the tower on. So when we dropped through the twist all we could see was the lights because they were so bright it made everything else too dark to see. But it was still awesome to see the lights spin around us. Then we flattened out and crossed the finish line. There I realized the speed this ride has. The wind pulls back your face and it feels like it's gonna rip off (if your in the front seat). And all the close objects make you feel like you're going so much faster. Then the brakes finally start to slow you down very smoothly.

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"What's life if you never pull your shorts down and slide on the ice?"
*** This post was edited by Ryan Adams 6/25/2003 10:56:23 PM ***

I really can't understand this ride being so many people's favorite. Yes. Its fun. However, it is way too short and (for lack of a better word) one-dimensional. Granted I have only gotten one ride (and I'm lucky I did because it hasn't run since the day I rode it and it wasn't working well then), but I am not overwhelmed by it. It's like saying Power Tower is your favorite ride....there's just not enough to it. Every ride has it's strong point. For MF its the drop, TTD its the launch, ID its the finale over the lake. TTD has its claim to fame and thats all. MF is a far better experience if you ask me. I even enjoyed the 3rd Raptor ride of the day (10 minute waits! YEA!) more than I enjoyed my first experience on TTD. This ride does just as much for me as Superman: The Escape. That's just me.

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TTD's oVeRrAtEd...
*** This post was edited by RockDown2G 6/27/2003 4:00:37 PM ***

I agree.

I LOVE this ride, and its definitely one of my fav's, but id still choose raptor or MF over it.

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