Ever ride the "Top Thrill Dragster" at Cedar Point? You gotta check it out

The Coffee Shop
1

Girl and I went to Cedar Point.

Now, I am the first guy to say that I’m not too into amusement parks. However, the numbers of the “Top Thrill Dragster” ride were interesting: 0-120 m.p.h. in under 5 seconds. Time to climb, 453 feet, less than 5 seconds. Total ride duration, 0-120-0 M.P.H. in under 19 seconds.

So I waited in line for this thing. I was having thoughts of aircraft carrier take-offs (0-140 M.P.H. in about 1/3rd of the length of a carrier’s flight deck) or shuttle take-offs.

After ridig this thing, I have to tell you, it was f#@^ing amazing. The acceleratio is like one of those rocket sleds they used to test ejector seats with in the '50’s. God forbid a bug is flying across the track when you get launched- you would be seriously injured. The acceleration was so powerful and violent I had an instant splitting headache. The 'G’s were up there too, I bet my arm weighed 40 pounds. You cannot move on the ride, you are pinned to the seat by the acceleration.

Realistically, I don;t even remember the first 7 seconds. It hits you like a ton of bricks and suddenly you are about 500 feet above the lake. Awesome.

This thing was cool. It is like being shot out of a cannon. If you have a chance to ride it, do it. It is worth the wait. Unbelievable.

2

That thing is simply nuts, no way in hell you’ll see me on it.

http://themeparks.about.com/library/graphics/cpdragster7.jpg

http://themeparks.about.com/library/graphics/cpdragster3.jpg

3

Sounds awesome until somene dies on that thing.

4

Sounds awesome until somene dies on that thing.
You must be a lawyer

5

It’s pretty sweet. It should have been named “The Shuttle Disaster”.

6

Nope, but didnt someone just die at Disney World?

7

Tom - I think that is a very cool ride. A little far for me to travel to, but I will make it out there one day.

Although I have not done that particular ride, I have done others with similar accellerations. The Six Flags parks in Houston, Arlington, and San Antonio each have rides that travel 0 - 60 (or more) in around 3 to 4 seconds.

Arlington does have “The Titan”. A 255’ drop which goes through a 120’ tunnel at the bottom at roughly 85mph. The part that got me was the 6 seconds at 4.5g’s. Which I suspect is more (and longer) than “Top Thrill Dragster”. This is during an inverted helix after the second drop.

Did I think it could “kill” me? No. Do I think thrill rides in general can scare / thrill / be intense enough …. to kill someone, of course. I believe this is called a thrill ride for a reason. Then again, I would not be surprised to find out that someone died on “It’s a Small World” either.

I amazes me (in my non-policially correct viewpoint) the people who get on these rides. Before I offend someone however, I will stop with the descriptions.

Overheard in Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio… “….don’t worry honey, they wouldn’t build these things if they would kill you….”

OK, yes in Epcot, Walt Disney World in Orlando did have someone die on a ride this spring. The ride is called Mission Space. The best way I think to describe the ride is a g-force simulator. On the ride you sit in a compartment with three others. The ride starts and when the countdown ends, the g-forces are applied. Then when you leave the atmosphere the g-forces go negative. Same trick during re-entry. Totally unique as you can’t figure out how they do it since yuo cannot see any mechanisms.

HOWEVER…while waiting for this ride the recorded voices never stop repeating a warning statement unlike anything I’ve heard before. Just the message repeating like that will scare you. In front of each seat there is a sickness bag. BUT and it is a very big BUT… the ride seemed actually tame (realative to say Test Track (also in Epcot), and no where near the range of forces on Rock-n-Roll Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror (MGM Studio’s Walt Disney World as well). Also most any wooden roller coaster that I’ve been on is just plain brutal.

tooslow - but enjoys the thrill of roller coaster

and looking forward to doing the new one at the Six Flags a few feet taller and a few mph faster (similar ride to Top Thrill

8

I don’t think the “It’s a Small World” ride has killed anyone unless you include the poor sods who have committed suicide to escape the incessant tune running over and over through their heads.

9

http://www.improb.com/airchives/paperair/volume9/v9i5/murphy/murphy2.gif
.

10

I’m sorry, but I wasn’t trying to imply that someone actually died on “It’s a Small World”. Just that, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that someone did. I mean, the last few deaths (other than the Mission Space one) at amusmement parks were the result (IMHO) of stupidity - not the ride itself. I could envision that someone would get out of their boat and get trapped under the next and drowning. Then someone would jump up and say that all of these “boat” rides should be banned.

Disney claimed that like 8,000,000 people had ridden Mission Space prior to that death. I bet that there have been way more deaths than 1 in 8,000,000 in most other activities that we all do.

11

I didn’t think you had, I was just joking about the song on that ride. It has been known to drive men mad.

12

The spousal unit and I did that ride all day last year. I did the Great Buckeye half-IM, and then we drove up to Cedar Point and spent a couple of days. She’s a coaster freak, so we ended up riding it about 20 times (it was on a weekday, so the crowds were non-existent). We’d do the Top Thrill, go over to the Magnum, and then back to the Top-Thrill and so on.

Closest feeling you can get to jumping out of a perfectly good airplane…without having to jump out of a perfectly good airplane! :wink: That one, and that Power Tower ride.

T.

13

I’m taking the kids to Knott’s Berry Farm in So. Calif. on Monday.

Similar ride: XCELERATOR (click it)

But what I like better: Perilous Plunge (again click)

14

"Sounds awesome until somene dies on that thing. "

It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

15

Yeah, and that’s the way I’d like to go out. Come up over the top, right at apogee, and then bug splat at the very bottom. Makes for a very colorful mess, too.

T.