Top Thrill Dragster marketing focus for 2004 season

See, some people just feel the need to find some way or another to lighten the fact that Dragster did have a lot of down-time and is/was problematic.

And reaching new heights is not a prototype achievement. It's just height. Now, it even isn't the first of it's kind period. Though it's drum is larger than Xcelerator's, they both operate on the same parts and system - TTD's just elongated in some parts.

Hardly ran? I was at the park a total of nine days spaced throughout the season and it ran five out of those nine days. My first trip in May, it was down because of high winds, so I can't complain about that one.

It was down most of the day closing Saturday because of the rain. They tried to get it up and running, but I think that it was just too cold and they could not get the trains warmed up. 124 mph launches were rolling back. So I really can't complain about that one either.

So I would have to say that it ran five days out of seven. Not great, but not too awful bad. I am guilty of slamming the ride and the park over the down time, but it really wasn't all that bad. I was able to get in 6 rides, 4 in the front seat. I know not everyone was able to visit that many times and did not get a ride, and I can understand your frustration, but I think that it did better than a lot of people give it credit for. Hopefully they can get the bugs worked out for next year. And replace some of the theaming in the trains also.*** This post was edited by CP ismyhome 12/2/2003 4:43:03 PM ***

Slow day when the bickering over TTD takes hold again. The ride didn't work the way the manufacturer, park or guest wanted.

They are saying it should be better this year.

Enough said, really. Move along.

I'm still bitter that the Sky Ride was down more than half the time I was at the park. My kids really like that ride. ;)

I think wahoo skipper said it all, but in less words.

To those of you who will defend CP and everything it does... you need to face the fact that TTD had problems and many people were dissappointed in its performance.

To those of you who cannot wait for CP to fall on its face... TTD did give plenty of guests the thrill of a lifetime in 2003, and should be considered a success.

Me, I'm in the middle, especially since I didn't even set foot in Ohio in 2003. I just rode Xcelerator and pretended it was bigger ;).

Anyone would have to be pretty sad and silly to think that CP would be doomed or succeed above all with one single ride anyways. It takes a lot more than that. I was perfectly amused and had a blast without even thinking I may or may not get a chance to ride it this season. Magnum, Raptor, Gemini, Cedar Downs, Snoopy on Ice,... There's more than enough to do and you're letting yourself down if you're expecting something that may or may not be there. I didn't raise hell when Batman The Chiller was down this year at Great Adventure, a coaster I've been waiting 5 years to ride! ;)

-Danny

Taer down Dragster! ;)

It seems that CP may be making the same mistake it made last year! By already advertising that this thing is going to run more reliably than last years fiasco they have raised the expectations! Now if they don't deliver, they've got another PR nightmare on their hands. They must be quite confident that they have this thing fixed. I find this rather hard to believe as this thing was still running intermittanly on good days in October and not at all on the bad days! I've always accepted and expected that a ride of this nature could, and most likly would, have all sorts of problems. What I did not expect was CP to ruthlessly advertise as if this thing was running consistently. Apparently, the marketing wing of CP has learned nothing from last year. Or maybe they just do not care!

They have had many years of good and reliable rides that has lead to their deserved reputation. I would hate to see flawed optimism lead to another year and another negative for such a fine park!

I'll have to assume that they know better and they are quite sure they can run this thing without the well known downtimes. Maybe I'll actually get on this thing next year. I'm not holding my breath though!

I went about a dozen times, and it was only closed at Coastermania and one Friday night when it was raining. On most days it ran/went down/ran again, and on a few days it ran with little or no downtime at all.

Interesting article! At least it dismisses all the rumors.

-Tina

*** This post was edited by coasterqueenTRN 12/2/2003 9:32:42 PM ***

I went 5 times this season, and even thought twice when I got there, the signs all said it would be closed the entire day, I rode it each time I was there. Even October 14th, the busiest day of the season, I got 2 rides in. Here's hoping in 2004 that everyone can say they got to ride TTD!!!

I went there 2 days in August and it was broken the first day but the second day i waited line for 8 hours and got a front seat ride. It was the best thing i have ever done in my life. I think the ride ran well for its nature. Maybe Cedar Point found a flaw and fixed it so it will run more consistantly now.

---

Danny says: How do you know the uptime percentage for CP was higher than most parks when it's likely you don't know this for most parks yet alone many (or maybe even any other) parks?

---

Sadly, you don't know a thing about what I "likely" know, so I'm not really interested in your opinion. You don't know the first thing about what I know or who I know, other than the fact that I know when to keep my hole shut.

But if I need to spell it out, I know that CP's park-wide uptime this year was still better than its competition. Whether or not you believe me matters not.

Considering CP's competition, that's quite an accomplishment! ;)

Ha! Not really. ;) Who needs inside info to believe that anyway?

It looks like the competition is simply SFWOA then and I'll blindly believe that CP's park-wide uptime was better than that. Needing to spell that out would border idiocy IMO. I don't want the numbers nor do I need the numbers, but you're claiming things you don't know for fact. I have absolutely no idea what you want, but I believe you've told me and others before that if you make a claim, you better be able to stick my it, right? Your double standards are always amusing. Keep it up (waits for "crybaby" respone)!

As a matter of fact, I personally don't know you know when to keep your mouth shut. Wrong again. Maybe you've said too much at one point and a person or park has even called you on it (maybe even it). Who knows? Practice what you preach. Not to be rude, but you can go from being a decent guy to almost inhuman sometimes on here. Just my opinion... which doesn't matter. :-\

Can't we just talk about coasters and parks without someone being high and mighty and cruel? It's just fun like I've always said (and thought it was supposed to be). We're all down here on Earth... Well, most of us. ;)

-Danny, loves Coldplay, Peppermint Stick Ice Cream, and Friends (the show and the people :))

Btw, the Campus Fish logo and the idea is pretty cool. I can't wait for Christmas!*** This post was edited by Koaster King 12/3/2003 3:35:53 AM ***

well, what ever , it makes good talk!!!!! Coaster King said it all, if any one thinks that Cedar Point will fall, They so got another thing comin,there IS so much to do there, not only coasters, way more things to do and if you just come for the coasters, you are so missin out on a great themer,with a tradional (kinda amusement park feel) that has sooooooooooooooo much to offer,,,like the beach.........................The best beach....

I can't complain as I was able to get on TTD 13 times this past season. Out of the number of visits I made this year, about 10, the ride did open even if it was much later than the rest of the park. So I find it rather incorrect to say it "hardly ran". At least the park tried to keep it open when it did.

I believe CP will finally get it working the way it should next year. If not, we could call it Deja Vu Dragster.

X Factor

Keep crying Danny... my point was that I do know certain things for fact. Go do your homework or something.

Cedar has had so many past rides open on time and running capacity before the main season started that when I saw the early downtime with this one, I didn't feel too bad.

I knew that first, they would eventually correct the problems, second, all their other rides were up and running well, and third, they knew how to troubleshoot basic problems with their other Rocket coaster in California which would lead to less downtime with Dragster. (thats kinda redundant to my first reason)

Granted, I only got 2 rides on the thing this year, but hey, I got a heck of a lot more on Magnum, which is the main reason why I go up there anyway.

"Keep it up (waits for "crybaby" respone)!"

Too predictible Jeff. How about another excuse for not responding to your issues. No crying here, you should see the smirk. :)

Of course you do know certain things for facts. Don't we all? But what's your excuse to being "allowed" to know things without being questioned over random person #3? Who says they don't know things too? Haven't you questioned them before?

You always say this site isn't about you, and it's not. But when I go out to eat at a restaurant that isn't about the manager and he acts like a complete arse, I don't think a lot of people would want to come back. Similar situation here, no? Many people out there aren't big fans of being talked down to. And luckily a lot of people are also secure enough to admit they're wrong sometimes.

-Danny*** This post was edited by Koaster King 12/3/2003 12:41:17 PM ***