Top Thrill Dragster -- Fired Up And Ready To Go

Cedar Point, the land of gold for any roller coaster enthusiast had already rose itself above all other amusement parks. It all started with the addition of Magnum XL200 in 1989. It was followed by a numerous amount of ground-breaking rides built throughout 90s, all of which were topped off with Millennium Force at the turn of the century. Millennium Force was designed by Intamin AG, a Swiss roller coaster company. In 2002, Cedar Point became home to Wicked Twister, an LIM launched coaster. Wicked Twister was also built by Intamin.

Of course, Intamin would build two more roller coasters at the park. The other two are of course Top Thrill Dragster and Maverick. Top Thrill Dragster was built one year after Wicked Twister, but developed about three times as much hype. When Top Thrill Dragster was first built, it was seen as not only the tallest and fastest roller coaster, but also the first roller coaster to top the 400 foot mark. For people taking notes, Cedar Point is home to the first roller coaster to break the 200, 300, AND 400 foot barriers. The three coasters that did also held the speed record at the time of original operation.

Top Thrill Dragster is a ride which consist of two simple things, a launch and a hill. Simple enough right? Well, the ride starts with the launch. Keep in mind, the ride uses a hydraulic launch system. This sends riders up to the maximum speed at unbelievable acceleration (120 mph in 3.8 seconds to be exact.) After the launch, riders travel up the 420 foot hill then come down the other side, twisting on the way down. The bottom of the hill is where the train hits 120 mph again, just as it is slowed down and stopped. What a ride!

Top Thrill Dragster sparked a new level of competition between Cedar Fair LP and Six Flags. Of course I couldn't do this video without speaking of Kingda Ka, right? In 2005, Six Flags Great Adventure opened Kingda Ka, which broke Top Thrill Dragster's height and speed record. The other differences in the ride include themeing, a second (much smaller) hill after the main tophat, and a different restraint system. "Restraints" is a fancy way of saying "roller coaster safety bars/belts/harnesses". The difference between Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka is that when riding Top Thrill Dragster, you have no shoulder harness. The only restraints that hold you back on the Dragster is a lap bar and a seat belt, all while being perfectly safe. While riding Kingda Ka, you'll be strapped in by a full shoulder harness. This is what Dragster's fans have argued since Kingda Ka's original opening, but Kingda Ka's fans insist that Kingda Ka is better due to high speed and height.

Top Thrill Dragster has faced difficult maintenance issues in the past. Many Intamin rides are experimental and new, which result in rather poor reliability. For this reason, be sure to get a ride on Top Thrill Dragster whenever you can throughout your day, as it's the ride that's most likely to suffer a break down at Cedar Point. One thing to hope for when riding is what Cedar Point fans refer to as a "roll back". This is when the launch isn't strong enough to send the train over the tophat. This is safe and expected, and the train will be launched again when it fails to go over the top. This isn't common, but it surely isn't bad or unsafe.

Top Thrill Dragster will remain Cedar Points "main" attraction for a number of years. It has gained the park international attention as well as a new roller coaster in their line-up of 17.

This video was made for Educational purposes only and doesn't infringe on any copyright laws. The fair use act allows me to use copyrighted material for educational purposes.

Song: Ready To Go - Republica

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Top
• Thrill
• Dragster
• Cedar
• Point
• Education

[samosuband]

I wish the decals were still on the trains. The ride fits the theme that much more with them on

[MJTCCZL]

Tears came to my eyes as soon as I heard Ready To Go start..I WANT TO GO BACK NOW!

[JoeMakesCoasters]

Screw Kingda Ka, this ride is amazing and it's the FIRST Stratacoaster. Hopefully there will be much more coming.

[krisp8888]

Heh, this is the song that plays the whole time you are in line for the Dragster. Also, in addition to the "Rollbacks" that happen occasionally, the Dragster has gotten stuck at the top numerous times(3 or 4, I believe).

[TomenGage1]

Except now this isn't the tallest and fastest coaster in the world... Kingda Ka is:)

[soccerstarz44]

this looks so much fun at least im going to cedar point tomarrow

[a7xfanboylolololol]

@RuthlessJim1 dude its safe enough lol. i prefre this over a harness for some reason.

[krisp8888]

@SailorStar156 King Da Ka is actually taller than the Top Thrill Dragster(I would assume faster, though not certain)

[krisp8888]

@bulldog4580

No, it isn't. This one was made First, and broke numerous world records. It was, at the time, the largest coaster in the world. The same creator then made the Kingda Ka, and one upped himself by increasing the height(slightly) and adding a hill.

[bulldog4580]

this is the same rollar coaster as king de ka in six flags NE