Cedar Point announces new 'Top Thrill' ride

Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter. SANDUSKY — The roller coaster formerly known as Top Thrill Dragster is back. Cedar Point announced the reimagined roller coaster — which now goes by the name Top Thrill 2 — has been completely reengineered by Italy-based manufacturer Zamperla. The company has a long history of amusement park attractions and recently opened the Wild Mouse at Cedar Point, Zamperla's biggest coaster project in a Cedar Fair park. As guests know who have visited the park, all of the track from the station up to the bottom of the "top hat" (i.e., the ride's 420-foot tower) were removed and sent out for retrofit. Now in its place will be newly constructed track featuring an all-new linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch system that replaces the old hydraulic launch. The LSM launch is more reliable than the hydraulic system which was a mechanical issue for the park to maintain, and thus why the ride was down frequently. The new LSM system will also allow for the ride vehicles to be launched three separate times. As part of the modification, a new 420-foot tall vertical spike is being constructed on the infield of the Iron Dragon roller coaster beyond the station. The ride is set to open next year. New ride vehicles The new roller coaster will operate with three trains, each with five vehicles capable of carrying four passengers for a total of 20 passengers per train. The new ride vehicles are called "Lightning trains". What makes these new ride vehicles special is their composition. The entire chassis is made from milled aluminum, cutting down on welds, which greatly reduces the cost of annual maintenance, as well as cuts down on the weight of the vehicle. The ride vehicle further reduces the overall weight by using carbon-fiber bodywork. The vehicle wheels will be comprised of polyurethane compound that can stand up to the heat created from a high-speed acceleration. All of these changes result in a much lighter ride vehicle and more reliable launch system that should, theoretically, help keep the ride up and in operation longer. Improved capacity To help get the most number of guests onto the ride, the track layout will feature a unique fast-switch. After a train is loaded with guests, it will move forward out of the station and onto a platform. A second train will then move into the station for loading. The first train will then slide over to another section of track for the ride and prepare for launch (or a triple launch, to be specific). A third train would be at the tail end of the station unloading guests from the previous ride and able to roll into the station once the second train moves up to the transfer track. Ride experience Fans of the former Top Thrill Dragster praised its lightning-fast launch, soaring guests 420 feet into the sky and then free-falling back to earth. However, what guests often loved was a rare experience called a rollback. Often times the launch would not quite get the ride vehicle over the top hat, and as a result the ride vehicle would roll backwards and into the emergency brake at the launch point. Playing into that experience, Cedar Point and Zamperla have opted to design a rollback into the ride. Guests will experience a forward launch at 74 mph, not quite getting them up the top hat. They will then roll back towards the station. However, instead of experiencing a brake run, the LSM units will accelerate the launch in reverse to 101 mph, this time climbing a 90-degree angle and up a 420-foot spike. Looking straight down at the ground, the vehicle will then be dropped and back into the LSM launch where it will accelerate again to 120 mph, forcing it up the 420-foot top hat, and once it is over down a 270-degree spiral back towards the station. Once completed, the total track length will be 3,422 feet long. Top Thrill 2 will open in the spring of 2024.