Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

Interesting to hear everybody talking about the giant hole behind Iron Dragon…hasn’t anybody noticed that there isn’t actually a hole there? Not yet, anyway.

I don’t know what’s going on.

I do know that Dragster pumps a non trivial amount of lagoon water through the hydraulic system as a cooling loop, dumping heat into the lagoon. I wonder what effect removing that system will have on the water circulation in the lagoon, and what kind of mitigation, if any, might be required to make up for that.

—Dave Althoff, Jr.

SpeedDemon:

So curious what y’all think the chances are that this really is just lagoon/drainage maintenance of some kind and not related to TTD?

Seeing how much of the cofferdam is actually in or near the water of the lagoon, It seems likely (or to me at least) that this is for Dragster. If they were reinforcing the shoreline or drained the lagoon to work in it, then I would say that it was not directly related. I want to hold off my judgments until I see footers starting to go in. But this is looking more and more likely that there will be some kind of layout change.

What if they're going to re-profile ID to make room for whatever's going on with dragster and this hole is new footers for ID (if they do wind up digging it out)! /s

I didn't know that dragster pumped lagoon water through the cooling system. What would that involve? What kind temperature/circulation are we talking about there?

Interesting point about the lack of excavation in the hole Dave. Question for anyone with experience here, if they were doing core/soil samples for that area, would it need drained prior to sampling or can that be done before cofferdams are in and water is pumped out?

If this is lagoon maintenance what would that entail? Why would they need this setup to work on the lagoon in that area?

Weird thought I had. What if a theoretical spike is an “air brake” instead of a swing launch? Reverse ride lay out where you go out of the station toward the gift shop. Swing around to face the top hat and launch down the previous brake run. Out of the top hat into bunny hill and then up a new spike. Reverse down the spike and switch track into the unload area while the next train preps for launch.

I will remain the lone dissenter as for this triangle having to do with TTD re-do. The tip of the triangle that is actually in the lagoon is where the lagoon maintenance that Tony spoke of is taking place. Perhaps a drainage culvert or something.

In the project planning meeting the Black-Shirt Higher-ups asked the contractor to create a triangular work area that would be in the vicinity of the TTD track in order to send peoples imaginations into a frenzy.

Yup, Cedar Point decided to spend X More dollars on boring regular maintenance so that Point buzz would have something to talk about. Great argument.

Reminds me of the people who say they go out in September with spray paint and paint dots everywhere just to mess with us.

To be fair I think people are looking far more I into this without any other context. As they tend to do when said spray paint markings show up every fall.

I see most social media platforms pushing the “500 foot spike” story so hard that it’s nearly become a real news headline. Again, with nearly zero evidence to support this theory. Anyone can speculate but it’s gotten to a point where certain social accounts are pointing to this hole and going “see!!!! See!!! I told you so! 559 foot spike confirmed!!”

And I’m over here going, no, not really. Whatever this project is for I’m sure will either become very obvious (if it’s for TTD) or it’ll simply go away and be covered up by opening day (the more realistic lagoon maintenance)

I hear you, but seeing how much of the steel walls are actually touching or near the lagoon makes me question whether that's its primary function. I certainly also think that the "500-foot spike" crowd is wrong, to me that makes no sense, and a spike is not near enough confirmed.

It's too early to tell, but I would say is pointing in the direction that this is for dragster.

I've been skeptical that major changes are coming, but on the other hand the extent of the work going on there seems like a lot to simply be related to drainage, etc. But I am also completely unqualified to make that judgement.

I think the triangle area is for the relocated playground from Forbidden Frontier.

yeah... no lie... that would be pretty cool.

kylepark:

I think the triangle area is for the relocated playground from Forbidden Frontier.

But the kiddos ( :: rolleyes :: ) would be under

"Iron, Draggin'" and in danger of falling pieces

and parts being flung far and wide. Aging Arrow,

you know. Everything is all about the chil'lin. Our

future and soft skulls. Never happening.

That is an astute casual observation.

vwhoward:

That is an astute casual observation.

And it's the same reason it's not a slab to

be used as a new "QUEUE LINE". The next

person to say or type "queue line" is gettng

a virtual bitch-slap.

How about pin number?

ATM Machine.

What if they put the forbidden frontier playground where the old queue line/station was for STR? That would still be accessible while the close the island down for refurbishment.

Or they could replace the queue line for power tower, I don't think I've ever seen those stockades fill up.

Any other que liens that need modified in the park?

Edit: What if Dragster 2.0s queue line is physically shortened and moved to a virtual queue?

Or what if Dragster's queue is indoors with space theming:

^Don't be silly; that would be too much shade. We all know everyone at Cedar Point wants to stand in the hot sun while they wait hours for attractions.

Also: "I was trying to get to the load platform for new Dragster coaster, but I ended up in Alaska??? What the...."