Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

I am sure they are doing some sort of maintenance along with this effort but all the site prep they've done so far (and this close to the season) has to be for more than just that. I've tried to be a skeptic but there is so much there. There almost isn't even a lagoon at this point

I personally hate the back spike idea. It just seems like even more of capacity nightmare. I can already see the 4 hour wait time for that.

Amusement parks in general, and from what people have said, Cedar Point in particular, harp on capacity.

Dragster with a ride time somehwere around 20 seconds, if im not mistaken had the worst capacity in the park.

Turning it into a swing launch? That sounds even worse. They'd get like 500 riders per hour maybe.

Which is why ive been a huge supporter of the extended layout idea, with 1 or 2 additional block sections so capacity can be ramped up.

Why does, or did, the Iron Dragon have to shut down during the stage show?

Lights from the attraction interfere with the show.

Hudson said:

"Sure does look like they're filling it all in."

Yeah bud, read my comments (along with the photo of the park map) on the top of page 134. I've been saying this is going to happen. Still say they are going to cut off the lagoon behind the current ID dragon station and install a new cofferdam.

That Crazy Dan said:

".... I'm surprised I actually don't seem to ever recall anybody proposing to completely fill in the lagoons for more Record Breaking Coasters™.

That's because CP has been slowly altering/ doing this for years. The lagoons used to cover alot larger area than they do now. Check out a park map from the early 1970s. I've been watching parts of these lagoons get filled/ altered for the last 47 years. White Water Landing, Snake River Falls, Maverick, Iron Dragon have all changed the lagoons (the re-routing of Western Cruise, remember the boats used to go fully around TWO islands in the middle of the lagoon?) TTD removed about 20% of the old lagoons (land was filled in) for it's construction. More (another 5%) will most likely be taken away for the new 2024 construction. My 2c.

All they have to do is replace the wetlands and it doesn’t have to be anywhere near.

Like say... just off the causeway, or maybe Sawmill creek?

Or the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Center in Oak Harbor.

I can't imagine thinking that it would be ok to just fill them in and replace the wetlands somewhere else. I understand the legality of it. But do you just want a 364 acre concrete pad with rides on top? Getting rid of lagoons and tress makes the park more like a parking lot than ever.

I just Googled "wetland mitigation Ohio" and there's loads of information. Hudson mentioned the area off the west side of the Causeway. It seems as though the primary function or purpose, at least initially of that is to deposit the dredgings from the Sandusky Bay shipping channels in order for the large freighters to maintain passage. Eventually areas like these reach capacity and may be suitable for other usage. That was/is the case at the airport I worked at for 30 years in downtown CLE.

RCMAC mentioned Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Center in Oak Harbor. As I looked on Google maps I saw how vast that area is with ponds, canals, etc.... . And, just to the west of that it displayed a "Cedar Point Wildlife Refuge". Wondering if Cedar Fair/Point has land interests or ownership of that area.

I know people don't want to hear this but.... I'll be shocked if we haven't seen the last of Iron Dragon. I think back to the beginning of the 2012 season (when Wildcat was supposed to return after getting a recent updated paint job) and DIDN'T return due to a last second decision by the park to demo it due to the new Luminosity stage that was erected across that midway.

I'm getting a sense of dejavu with this current project that's going on by the lagoon area now. I'm crossing my fingers that ID does return for this season but if it does..... I do think it's days are numbered IMO.

Happy Easter everyone.

If that was the case they wouldn’t have surgically removed a few sections of track and supports and kept them on site to do this work. I think it’s a safe bet Iron Dragon will return. For how long, I don’t know.

Iron Dragon will return in The Living Daylights.

jimmyburke:

Wondering if Cedar Fair/Point has land interests or ownership of that area

Nope. It’s actually a marsh and was the home to Cedar Point Hunt Club founded in 1882. They donated the land to the National Wildlife Refuge in 1964.
It’s true that Cedar Point park has an interest in supporting the wetlands/grasslands at the refuge there and has in the past replaced wetlands when disturbing their own wetlands has been deemed necessary.
The refuge is a huge birding area and enthusiasts from all over the world come there to observe and record the various species that are native.

I can't believe we're still talking about this. If we're choosing teams, I'm on #TeamKeeptheNature. If you want concrete, wander around the parking lot.

CP has built rides up, over and above the lagoons multiple times. Why would they need to be filled in to use that space?

While they do utilize the lagoons and ponds when building some attractions, they have equally removed large chunks of nature to build these rides. Take a look at this photo. Crazy to think this is what the park looked like 74 years ago and what it will look like 74 years from now. Hopefully some of the character and charm remains. https://pointbuzz-i.azurewebsites.net/aerial/cedar-point-1949-03-05.jpg

I really enjoy old aerial photos to see how things have changed. I think I've seen parts of that before but not in full.

Thank you for sharing that and I agree I hope the park keeps some of that old charm over the years.

Ah, yes. I just love taking my family to Cedar Point Botanical Gardens. Oh, wait. That's not what it's called? Silly me.

Look, I do actually like visiting a local botanical gardens when I take my family to a new city (we just got back from Atlanta and they have a fantastic botanical garden).

Cedar Point is an amusement park. It's not a theme park and it's not a garden. Their sole purpose is to entertain through attractions. Those attractions are usually placed on concrete (and my guess is that they do that because the park was built on a swamp).

Do I want all of the natural beauty of the park to disappear? Of course not. But getting hung up on a tiny part of the lagoon as it relates to this project is borderline silly.

I love when people declare what CP is or isn't, or believe that it can't be many things.