Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

So you think when they built the thing, they were trying to hide it? Seems unlikely, since you know, height. But ok. It's not like they're pouring footers like they were with Maverick pre announcement and hiding the construction from the public. This is a much different scenario. And any fence will only be there for a month a half. Do you think people would go sit in the grandstand and watch them grind off parts all day? Ok. Maybe some here would. But that is definitely the exception, not the rule. Meh. I guess if people need to believe there is something to hide, even if it is Disaster Transport callback, then they will believe there is something to hide.

And the only thing I find troublesome with the fantastical idea of a reboot of DT is the fact that the theme was based on an accident and crash of the transport. I would think they wouldn't want to call attention to such a theme considering the real life accident(s). But hey, who knows. Maybe they don't have that kind of foresight.

Well, as long as we're on space themes, what about theming the ride to Spaceballs? Now, hear me out on this. When you get into the station, there's a big flashing sign reading "BUCKLE UP!" to inform you to fasten your restraint. Then you pull out into the launch portion where you sit for a moment. Then Rick Moranis, as Dark Helmet, proclaims "LUDICROUS SPEED ... GO!!!!" and whoosh you're off. At the end of the break run, you see a man's legs sticking out of the control panel.

I actually liked the Top Fuel Dragster theme. The sounds, the music, the burnout, the commotion, the speed, the insanity. With Summit Motorsports park and Dragway 42 just down the road, it also seemed an acceptable fit. It’s a tough act to follow, really.

@RideMan, your imagination is incredible!

@Jeff, the track shimmy between the motor building and the tower has never seemed right to me and I could actually feel the train shimmy when riding back seat.

Space theme, well kinda anyway.

(Brochure credit: http://www.rollercoasterfreak.com/Brochures.html)

RideMan:

If they do this, remember you heard it from me first.

Not exactly, but cool idea ;)

Then again, you're taking the idea seriously, where I saw it as a easy attempt at a laugh.

Your ability to turn it into a somewhat reasoned idea of a theme is commendable, but I hope and pray Cedar Point's connection to that ****-show is 6-feet under from now to eternity.

RideMan:

Right. That's why when they built the thing they put up portable queue rails and plastic snow fencing to keep the onlookers separated from the parked cranes.

I didn't follow construction closely at the time, but it's been my understanding or assumption that visibility-obscuring fencing is a relatively new thing they do, that wasn't the norm at the time TTD was under construction. I mean, they put up visibility-obscuring fencing for the restaurant they're building, so I don't think they're "hiding" anything other than the unsightly mess inherent to construction of any kind.

It is a small (and also major) detail, but I would love to be in the room when they had the conversation about what color the "revamped" tower will be. Any conversation regarding any coaster's paint may be interesting, but with the significant exposure the tower receives, they may have put further thought into this. Or not. But interesting to think about either way when it anchors your skyline.

It'll surely play into the theme, but I'd love to see orange structure with gray track. Given what DJ said above, I do tend to think we will see paint sooner rather than later.

Hey Chuck Wagon, I have that Midway Banner from a Meijer promotion in my house!!!

RideMan:

After all, the tower is taller than either Aretemis I...

I mean, no re-theme necessary there. It already never launches.

I just had a Eureka moment in my internal uneducated speculation.

In regards to extending the ride...

A few have noted LSMs needing more track to get up to speed and not having the same acceleration properties (which isnt neccesarily true, you can certainly design an LSM system with the same launch properties as dragsters hydraulics, you just need to manage the heat generated somehow).

Some suggested having a spike in the back to help launch (which would be horrible for capacity tbh).

Another person mentioned how many trims would need to be added if they extended the ride after the launch..

What if the launch was the finale?

What if they created a smalle condensed layout with inversions, twists and turns... And ended the experience with an LSM launch up the tower?

Kinda like how Maverick has the mid layout launch.

It actually makes a TON of sense to do tbh.

My pipe dream would be to enclose the whole first half Disaster Transport style and have the final launch be outside.

Make it space themed.

It actually makes 0 sense to do, but OK.

Steel is expensive these days, very expensive. They aren't going to plunk a Copperhead Strike or whatever down in the infield, let alone tie it in to the old launch and tower - and even if something like that were to happen, it would need a lot more than just a few months to a year to even start to happen.

Jeff, that might be funnier than my entire post!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

@NextGen I really love your idea as a blue sky concept. It would be awesome to have more on the front end of the attraction. But I do agree with exit English that I think this add-on might be unlikely. More than just the cost I think there are issues with the needed space to see this idea come to fruition.

I'll be adding your idea to my "Gosh it would be awesome if this happens" list!

NextGen89:

It actually makes a TON of sense to do tbh.

I think it actually makes less sense than grafting on track between the LTH and brake run, since the latter wouldn't require a new station, which I would imagine is one of the most expensive "parts" of most coasters.

The #1 thing on my "Gosh it would be awesome if this happens" list is a 300' airtime hill. Like the speed hill Kinda Ka has, except 300'. Yes, I realize this is a pipe dream, as it would be extremely expensive, and I doubt that could fit in the existing space without exerting g-forces that are at best very uncomfortable for the average rider.

Doubtful, that idiot will probably have had his fill of the inside of a courtroom once Twitter gets done with him.

I know it's fantastical, but a giant airtime hill is one modification I could definitely get behind.

Why not both?

I'm probably way off base, but to me it seems like combining a loop and airtime hill is gimmicky, since it's a compromise between optimizing the geometry for a loop vs. for an airtime hill. Then again, I have no idea what I'm talking about, so it could be possible to optimize for both simultaneously.

Regardless if it's optimized for one or both, it's absolutely gimmicky. I'm just being silly since we're talking pipe dreams here, haha.

It's a gimmick that requires less support structure, so there's that.