Top Thrill Dragster Rocks
Hermione is Hot said:
Today dragster was running three trains and I waited for 3 hours by getting in at 9 am with Joe Cool Club. But later the line had gotten longer and the queue had filled so I don't know how long the wait was later.
I got in the Challenge Park / Soak City gate at 9 and waited less than 2 hours. And kinda laughed at all the people running to TTD like it was going to leave. :)
*** This post was edited by JulieSFO 5/5/2003 5:29:00 PM ***
What I wanted to say about the trains though, since it was already brought up in this thread.... I noticed on the last car of the green train there was a pretty huge gash in the paint on the left side. I don't know if this was from putting it on the track, while testing or what. I also noticed on the front of the one of the three trains running (don't remember which) that there were some smaller gashes in the body. From waiting for a horrendous amount of time to ride I thought, did that sixth train (which is missing right now) also get these gashes, maybe so bad that it tore apart the body and they removed it to fix it so no one would see?
With the brakes, I also notices every so many removed. If you also notice, where the box track from the pull out transitions to flat track, all of those brake fins have been removed as well. That was like 8 or 10 at the begining of the brake run.
------------------
Chris Tyson
Photographer
www.pkiunlimited.com
Like I said earlier in the thread.. the break fins now slow an empty train to a crawl before the retractables...(probably less then 1 mile an hour for about 10 feet or so) I'm guessing that the break run was so strong ... that in testing they found that trains couldn't make it past the *fixed* fins in any reasonable ammount of time...(so that effects Launch intervals since they can't Launch a new train till the last one clears the safteys. (but that is me guessing.. I could be totally wrong..
as far as being too strong and renching you forward from a riders "feeling" standpoint ... no it is a very gradual slowdown and very comfortable. so they are not too *strong* on the body.
Hope this answers your question.
Donny
------------------
"Rock over London..Rock On Chicago..Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions"! -Wesley Willis
Let me state that they liked TTD. They said that they would ride it again; however, they would not wait wait three hours in line to ride it. One of their complaints was the length of time they had to wait for a mere 17 seconds. I argued that the anticipation and fear experienced in the few minutes leading up to the launch are part of the experience of the ride. They disagreed but did not state their reasons for doing so. I asked them if it was the most intense 17 seconds they had ever experienced on a rollercoaster. They said it was but it was not worth another long wait.
Another complaint was that the drop's intensity was not proportion to its size. For example, they thought that the drop would be at least twice as intense as the drop on S:RoS being that it is twice as high. I can agree with them on this point. The drop wasn't nearly as intense as I expected. For example, the drop on Magnum, which we rode right after, seemed to produce more of an effect on my gut than Dragster. Maybe it was because I rode Magnum in the back and rode Dragster first seat of second car. Whatever the reason, the intensity was not proportional to the height. Of course the drop on Dragster was more fun because of the twist and the 90 degree angle, but it was just surprising how little of an effect it had on us.
Another complaint was that the launch was uncomfortable. I thought this was part of the rides charm. They thought that it felt a little like torture.
It should be stated that when asked what their favorite ride in the park was at the end of the day (May 4th) they eventually decided on Raptor. This was after riding TTD, Magnum, Mantis, Wildcat, WT, Disaster Transport, Raptor, MF, Gemini, and Mean Streak all once in that order. There a few reasons why I think they picked Raptor as their favorites: we waited 15 min. in line, the ride time is over 2 min., and the ride is packed with more fun than fear.
While Dragster was my favorite ride at the park there is an important reason why it may not have been so memorable. It all happens so fast. In fact, the only part of the ride that one of my friends remembers is the "crap" that flew out of my pocket and over his head on the top hat. It turned out that that "crap" was my tin full of cigarettes.
------------------
Love,
The Mole
------------------
- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson
The Mole said:
I think TTD plays more on the psycological aspects of riding a coaster like Hypersonic than having a huge intense ride.------------------
You are right that part of TTD's charm is that it is so intimidating; however it had an extremely intense ride as well. TTD may in fact be a little too much to digest in just one ride. I believe that is why my friends did not consider the ride as memorable some of the other CP coasters-- because they had very little memory of the ride.
There are rides where you look at them and they look big and bad and scary, but when you go down the first drop, you think "Hey this isn't so bad, I can handle this."
Not with Dragster. Dragster looks big and bad and scary, and the millisecond you launch, it just gets WORSE. Now I'm not saying I'm afraid of it or anything, but for someone who is dreading going on the ride, for those fifteen seconds they will be screaming bloody murder, because Dragster is unbelievable intimidating even while on it.
As soon as it's over though you are on the biggest high ever! That's one thing I can't get over about this ride -- the reactions to it *well* after you're done riding it! It's like a movie you just can't stop talking/thinking about.
Way to hit one outta the park, CP!
------------------
Top Thrill Dragster -- The most intense, unbelievable, and spectacular fifteen seconds on any coaster, anywhere, ever.
TTD doesnt really give you air time in my opinion- the people at the station push that bar so hard on you that you feel your bladder is going to explode! 120 mph in 4 sec. is a rush! It was worth it for the first time to go on it but I wouldnt wait that long again. I cant wait for them to get the Highway working on that ride. They were only running three cars for TTD and they were a subcar short...so instead of 16 people per car it had 12 people per car. The ride was not working for about an hour it seemed....dont know why. I was stuck in about 1/2 way through the line so I wasnt getting out. I got in line (which was wrapped outside the real line) at 11:20 am and got off the ride at about 5:30 pm.
I have renamed it Top Thrill Swirly: Ultimate Flush.
------------------
Brad Sherman
The Headless Horseman awaits thee in 2003!
Arrowed!
------------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM
Dragster is a completely different sensation in riding. The intensity, floater air and vertical spiraling drop are great. But my husband and I agreed that because the ride IS over so quickly, yet the effects remain, leaving you to wonder what actually happened--that is what makes Dragster such a distinctive ride.
Legendary, I don't know how ANYONE could scream...that launch literally took my breath away.
It's not my number one coaster, and I will not likely wait more than an hour to ride it again, but with JCC and freeway, I doubt I'll have to once they've got all the trains running. I WILL ride it again, gladly. And maybe I'll get my wits together faster the second time so I can actually appreciate the height.
------------------
I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm
------------------
God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts!
I agree with Legendary. TTD may be short but the "rush" does stick with you even after you've exited the ride. My friends and I couldn't stop talking about it.
X Factor
------------------
-Sean Newman
------------------
-DJ
You must be logged in to post
