Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

TY!

Plague on Wheels:

In the end, this whole incident caused the city of Sandusky to take over Policing on the peninsula, becuase, you know, the way Cedar Point was handling this is illegal.

Per Sandusky's City Manager, the idea of Sandusky Police "taking over" had been talked about for the past few years. It wasn't the result of this incident, or that incident, or that one over there....it's been in the pipeline.

I would also point you to review the posting guidelines here, specifically guidelines 3 and 7. More specifically, 1) the whole idea of just being belligerent for the sake of being belligerent is a form of flaming (seeking objectionable retaliation), and also 2) the noise maker idea (guideline 7).

You can disagree until the cows come home (actually longer, since that is around sunset) about any decision the park makes. Many of us have. You can even make bad jokes.

When longer tenured members of a well-respected forum start openly asking for a rookie to be kicked off the site, it begs the question...

And no, Cedar Point doesn't owe any of us anything. Except an explanation for why they still can't deliver good Lake Erie perch. That's simply unforgiveable.

Why are we still entertaining the troll? Sometimes if you ignore it, it’ll go away. Or even better…the mods can remove them.

Firstly, I really want Dick Kinzle-shaped glasses. Please let me know where I can get my pair asap.

I love that the webcam is pointed at Dragster (or the coaster formerly known as dragster.) Hopefully, they will keep it there the whole off-season.

Plague on Wheels:

Take off your rose colored, Dick Kinzel simpin', Cedar Point glasses.

Perhaps if you were to hang out and read the room around here before launching into pugnacious, ill-informed arguments, you'd see that many around here are often critical of the park we love. And I am no fan of Kinzel, for what it's worth.

Plague on Wheels:
This isn't just a "personal curiosity" for me.

Yeah, no kidding, it's a bizarre, troubling obsession. I honestly have no idea what more you could possibly want to know about the incident that isn't contained in the massive, comprehensive report.

Shades:

Does the average park guest care that Blue Streak is the only wooden coaster? I would guess as long as a coaster gives a good ride most people don't care if it is steel, wood, or plastic.

I agree for the most part, but variety is obviously important. If they just kept installing Maverick clones in different colors instead of GK, Valravn, and SV, do you think the park would be as successful?

No, but it would help with that darn Maverick line that's always at that 45-60 minute mark even on the slowest days.

I love a good wooden coaster, but the never ending maintenance to maintain a smooth-as-new ride experience is costly. On a small scale, sure, build a woody. If it’s a large coaster, may it be metal.

If a small park in the middle of nowhere can maintain three of the most aggressive wood coasters in the world, I'm pretty sure other parks can handle it.

The Koch family is a rarity compared to the corporate world.

Holiday World, and the Koch Family truly are a different breed when it comes to showcasing and maintaining their wooden assets. That being said, how much does a park's attendance along with the attraction's annual workload become a factor in a wooden coaster's longevity? Size, length, design, desired capacity, etc all have to be a factor when making these decisions? Is Cedar Point too big to take on a maintenance challenge going forward? Even a coaster like Goldstriker at CGA, which I've ridden only once (2nd year of operation) and loved, yet we hear how rough it is currently? Seems out-and-back layouts are the woodies that make the cut, long-term?

I see more of a nostalgia factor with woodies going forward. Being built more tame, specifically for longevity, family oriented, such as InvadR and Zambezi Zinger? Both offer unique thrills for all guests, and ultimately may result in less headaches, maintenance costs, better overall guest experiences to their respected Companies? Look back at all of the smaller and great woodies some of us had the privilege to enjoy in our younger years... Big Dipper & Raging Wolf Bobs at GL, Thunderbolt & Jack Rabbit at KW, and of course, The Beast. If built today, other than Beast, all would more than likely be classified as family or mid-range attractions. They'll never be valued this current day as they were to some of us then.

Going forward, this may be an opportunity for parks to implement more theming, unique elements (spiral lift-hill) that visually appeal and offer that COOL and/or WOW factor? Take The Beast for example, a night ride is a must, and offers a completely different experience because of the theming achieved. Size cannot matter in 2022 when planning & constructing a wooden coaster. Wood will never perform and do what steel can in this Industry. The Big Woodies, other than Voyage, never last.

On another note, anyone notice the TTD tower blinking yesterday on the video cam? Today, Nothing? Love the placement and views from the cams right now, so fitting.

If Cedar Point can handle maintaining an Intamin, they can handle maintaining a wooden coaster.

And with KI having experience with both a GCI and TGG's new track, pairing whatever works best with a steel structure could be a winning combination.

CaptCruzeBlueStrain83:

Going forward, this may be an opportunity for parks to implement more theming, unique elements (spiral lift-hill) that visually appeal and offer that COOL and/or WOW factor? Take The Beast for example, a night ride is a must, and offers a completely different experience because of the theming achieved. Size cannot matter in 2022 when planning & constructing a wooden coaster. Wood will never perform and do what steel can in this Industry.

This is obviously more on my Kings Island wish list since Cedar Point has no 'terrain' to speak of, but I do wish KI would built a modern woodie that took advantage of the ravines and elevation changes just to see what we could get. I know they've got Mystic Timbers, but all things considered that's on a comparatively flat part of the property.

I don't see the need for "COOL and/or WOW factor" elements. Give me a TGG woodie with Timberliners trains and plenty of bunny hop hills and tight turns and I am good, but I've never been one of the ones enthralled with the biggest, fastest, tallest phenomenon.

djDaemon:

If Cedar Point can handle maintaining an Intamin, they can handle maintaining a wooden coaster.

I would guess that the maintenance on an Intamin would be heavy on the instrument/controls/electrical side (and welders if Wicked Twister is considered) while maintenance on a wooden coaster would fall into the laps of carptenters. Seems to be two very different skill sets.

I was joking - shoulda included a winky - but yes, different skill set.

I wonder if the reported/rumored higher-than-expected amount of maintenance SV requires has or will influences any plans for a woodie at CP.

I've gotta imagine the hybrid structure on Voyage is maybe a little less maintenance intensive than a purely wood structure. Maybe they could go that route if they were truly concerned.

TL;DW: speculation that Zamperla could be behind the reimagining

Those of you who think that wood coasters are inherently crappy and a cash sink seem only to think of Mean Streak or Son of Beast. The rest of the planet has gotten along just fine operating and maintaining wood coasters.

djDaemon:

If Cedar Point can handle maintaining an Intamin, they can handle maintaining a wooden coaster.

But will they keep it open in the rain?