Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

Shades:

The painter got distracted by the smell of the fresh chicken tenders.

I think you mean the smell of wildfire and plastic from Canada.

Glorymaker:

What are the chances that CP Racing has nothing to do with TTD Reimagined and is actually for something completely different?

*Wild speculation warning*
With RMC hinting around to a new 2024 coaster using two O's(Ohio), maybe they're hiding the RMC Gemini project underneath everyone's laser focus on TTD 2.0. Ya know, the only coaster there that actually races. I also remember a dueling coaster on one of the parade floats a couple years back. Perhaps these project overlapped cause of the delays due to 2020. Gemini needed big Finish signs anyway.

How sick would DUELING RMC Raptors be for a Gemini replacement :o

It would make me pretty sick. Doubtful you could high five the other train or pass dollar bills for a "dollar train" on anything RMC could produce. Gemini is pretty sweet as-is.

Mean Streak was a terrible coaster in need of either 1) a replacement, or 2) RMC.

There is nothing wrong with Gemini.

Kevinj:

It would make me pretty sick. Doubtful you could high five the other train or pass dollar bills for a "dollar train" on anything RMC could produce. Gemini is pretty sweet as-is.

Mean Streak was a terrible coaster in need of either 1) a replacement, or 2) RMC.

There is nothing wrong with Gemini.

Although I agree there is nothing wrong with Gemini.. I guess my mindset is constantly on keeping Cedar Points status as the "Rollercoaster Capital of the World"

In that I see a very large plot of land taken up by Gemini, a coaster that although is great, its 45 years old and doesnt make the top coaster lists and isnt a huge "draw" anymore.

I agree corkscrew should and probably will go first, but its cork-screw elements over the midway are iconic.

I feel like Gemini occupying such a large space, and being able to make a huge "draw" dueling experience, taller, faster, smoother, new theming would be a huge opportunity.

Also, Im just jumping on-cosigning thay thought because Im buying the rumors of a new futuristic themed midway with replacements coming for Corkscrew/Gemini and removing the office buildings over there.

Agreed on there nothing being wrong with Gemini as a ride. It's a lot of fun for most people.

But who is it actually for now?

It's not quite a family ride, and it most likely hasn't moved the needle for the general public for a long time now.

I know the thought is a little silly and just speculation like I forewarned. The Fury325 red herring is what got me thinking.

But, if they really wanted to hide a big project like this, trojan-horsing it with TTD 2.0 is a heck of a way to do it. There's drones flying and Youtube videos being made from all around the midway. Not up near Gem.

If they announce Gemini taking it's last rides in September then the speculation becomes very un-silly!

Also I'm just trying to make sense of the new colors and how it has anything to do with racing. Let alone a big spike.

I know, TTD didn't do anything as far as racing elements, but the theming will just be even more strange if we're being thrown around backwards.

Beanie :

They've been bringing up Polaris for YEARS

In the book Kings Island: A Ride Through Time, current Kings Island GM Mike Koontz is quoted as saying Orion and Polaris were his name ideas for the giga at Kings Island. It also gives details on conversations he had with Rob Decker about the name and many other details about the ride.

It is a great book and available on Amazon.

https://a.co/d/cw56ZqA

There is nothing wrong with Gemini. It's a great coaster at a mild thrill level. Not everything at cedar point needs to be from the opening scene of spy kids two.

I don’t think this has been pointed out anywhere, but on the teasers in the park, the center of the letter R is the same shape as the “flags” that used to be on top of the Dragster station.

^ I thought it was just the Cedar Point/Cedar Fair flag motif:

NextGen89:

Although I agree there is nothing wrong with Gemini.. I guess my mindset is constantly on keeping Cedar Points status as the "Rollercoaster Capital of the World"

The park itself hasn't worried about that status since Kinzel left, which has been more than 10 years now.

Let's get the park to figure out how to operate what they do have efficiently again before we worry about reclaiming some meaningless title.

Gemini is for plenty of people including kids who aren't quite ready to take the step up to some of the biggest rides (of which there are PLENTY).

My kid is 5 and could barely get through one lap of Wilderness Run before we had to be done. I'm hopeful that he starts to gain confidence enough to ride more though.

Gemini is a perfect coaster to introduce the idea that coasters can be fun instead of just being intense thrill machines.

In fact, I had some of my best rides ever on it when we went in June. It was smooth and I got some good airtime too.

Leave it alone.

Glorymaker:

I know, TTD didn't do anything as far as racing elements

It had full-on dragster trains with mock engines and tires when it opened, a replica christmas tree of staging lights on the ground, even bigger staging lights on the tower, a speedometer clock on the launch building, super loud motor revving noises at the launch site, a finish line to pass under, spectator grandstands, 10 signs in the queue comparing the ride to a real top fuel dragster, and a physical dragster at the exit. Outside of embedding the track in asphalt and making you put on a firesuit and helmet, that thing was pretty racey.

Cartwright:

The park itself hasn't worried about that status since Kinzel left, which has been more than 10 years now.

Let's get the park to figure out how to operate what they do have efficiently again before we worry about reclaiming some meaningless title.

Not exactly true. While I agree they don't make any plans specifically to keep that title it is still a part of their brand. They do still use it all the time, plus, they have built Gatekeeper, Valravn and SteVe since Kinzel left and all of them were record breakers.

I meant ride elements on the coaster itself that hinted towards racing. It was a solo drag car that launched straight up into the sky, twisting and hurling over a hill. I'm not saying it had to full on resemble a top fuel dragster race, but the ride itself didn't do anything in the form of racing outside of the theming and launch.

Sort of like how a spike on the original ride would have been odd since you're already launching past a Christmas tree.

For a park that generally doesn't have well-themed attractions, people sure seem to care about the small amounts of theme.

Just because the park doesn't seem to care long after the debut of a new ride doesn't mean that aesthetics (like theming) isn't an important contribution to the overall atmosphere of the park for guests.

"Hey! Let's turn a hybrid into a hybrid!" Come on. Jeff...when are we getting that laugh react? 🤣

Glorymaker:

I meant ride elements on the coaster itself that hinted towards racing. It was a solo drag car that launched straight up into the sky, twisting and hurling over a hill. I'm not saying it had to full on resemble a top fuel dragster race, but the ride itself didn't do anything in the form of racing outside of the theming and launch.

A dragster very aggressively accelerates in a straight line and then stops. That's what we got...plus a bonus hill. I'm not trying to argue, but I don't think we need to take theming any more literal than that.

vwhoward:

"Hey! Let's turn a hybrid into a hybrid!" Come on. Jeff...when are we getting that laugh react? 🤣

converting a steel hybrid from 1978 =/= remodeling a ride with elements that RMC puts on these coasters. If anything, the fact it was an old hybrid with steel track might require less tear down since they're not ripping out old wooden track.

And why are you calling on another man to laugh at a comment on the internet? Is that your dad? Lmao