Problematic Roller Coasters - Top Thrill Dragster Review & Technical Analysis - Cedar Point
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- Top Thrill Dragster opened in 2003 as the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster. The ride stands 420 ft tall, features a 400 ft vertical drop, and accelerates to a speed of 120 mph in just 3.8 seconds. While the ride is no longer the world's tallest or fastest roller coaster, it is certainly still an extremely impressive and complex coaster! In this video, I give my full review of the ride and go over many misunderstood concepts with the ride, including empty train operations verse full train operations and 5 vs 6 train operations. I hope you enjoy!
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Video Credit:
Top Thrill Dragster Commercial - • Cedar Point Commercial...
Cedar Point Top Thrill Dragster 2003 - • Cedar Point Top Thrill...
Top Thrill Dragster Media Day - • Video
Top Fuel DRAGSTER - • Top Fuel DRAGSTER - 4 ...
World's Fastest Top Fuel Dragster - • Top Fuel Dragster Drag...
Top Thrill Dragster Mounted POV - • Video
Top Thrill Dragster Back Row POV - • Top Thrill Dragster 4K...
Top Thrill Dragster Front Row POV - • Top Thrill Dragster PO...
Top Thrill Dragster Front Row POV 2 - • Cedar Point: Top Thril...
Top Thrill Dragster Front Row POV 3 - • Cedar Point: Top Thril...
Red Force Off-Ride - • Red Force - Ferrari La...
Red Force Mounted POV - • Red Force | POV | Ferr...
#CedarPoint #TopThrillDragster #RollerCoaster
*"For those of you who are unfamiliar, a block-zone is a segment of track that only one train may occupy"*
That needs to be a phrase on a t-shirt :D
It is!
Jokes on you, even on railways that rule counts. Railroads are seperated in blockzones, with a block signal and only one train per direction is allowed to occupy that block.
Do you know what a frame rule is? Imagine a bus...
@@BeigeAlertHamburg That is not relevant for rollercoasters 😉
Mario speedruns on the other hand
Well, this is awkward.
I came to say something similar
Magnets would work if you use something like the navy EMALS system. It is used to launch 100,000lb aircraft 150mpg in just 300ft.
My favorite coaster of all time!!
10000000% agree
IMO TTD is one of the coolest, ground breaking, intimidating, revolutionary, and amazing coasters I've ever seen. Yeah Kingda Ka is a few mph faster and slightly taller, but Dragster is the OG. It was the first to try something like this. Kingda ka will always be 2nd
this video was recommended to me at a baaad time...
I’ve riden this ride and if your looking to ride it I recommend it. Probably the best thing I’ve ever ride .
Rock n Roller Coaster would be a cool one to add to this series.
This intro music sounds so nostalgic, like daytona or something..
no matter how many problems there are with this ride, I still love it lol. The theme song while you wait, the chance of a roll back, the way the cart goes a foot backwards before you launch which makes it so much scarier. It’s just iconic to Ohio people
I was one of the unlucky that got stuck at the top then fell backward lol
RIP
Why were the rear tires and spoiler removed? Less energy needed to get the car up the hill and less wear and tear on the hydraulics?
CAUTION: If you ride in the front at night, KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED. You'll get pelted with bugs which sting already
How do you keep your mouth closed on THAT 😂
@@blair7001 duct tape
Haha.... he's speaking from experience lol
bruh the bugs are there no matter day or night in my experience, its a lake there are bugs everywhere. Mainly mayflies.
Protien.
Man I would love to be yeeted over the top with a launch that is “too fast”
Yeet me daddy.
I prefer apples
ooh such airtime....btw what da heck is yeeted?...LMAO
Mike Tisone it means you throw something or someone and say yeet
Jackie Aponte good def.
"This will annoy the ride operator and make them staple your restraint closed" actually lol'd
@Sylvia isgod gonna ask when I go this year. Maybe an Unpopular opinion but I actually like my restraints to always be as tight as possible.
Stapled all to many mouthy ‘Karen’s’ into rides before, be nice and fucking listen!
I asked a ride operator to make the rollercoaster go faster (I was like 6 or 7 years old) and he got very very annoyed and said that I would die or crash to the ground if he did that...
I personally think that that's not what you say to a small child. I am glad that I didn't get scared of rollercoasters because of that.
(edit to clear something up: I don't ask those kind of things anymore. That was the only time that I asked something like that)
@@fo-ef8qo once you do that make sure to tell us what happened
@@ellawhite5167 oh I will totally let you all know
The never ending loop of “baby I’m ready to go” is a nice touch.
definitely felt exactly like it does waiting for that dang front row as a single rider lol
That song gets stuck in your head so fast and easily
Republica, is it?? Instantly picturing a 90's singer w/ a pink or purple streak in her short black hair 🤔
I found that song this morning and have heard it on 3 separate videos today
😂
Can you not break down...
FOR 5 MINUTES!!!
... *pop*
Fine. It will instead break down for an hour instead of 5 minutes.
It was down the entire weekend we were there! Fucking wind man
Loved the immersive operator experience of hearing the station music on loop.
Tbh its hyping up big time. Lol I wanna ride it so bad.
I got a front row roll back once. It was epic! I'll never forget it.
Do they let you go again, or are they just like “eh they may or may not be better so there you go!”?
@@haleywilson5761 It took a while to reset but they did relaunch the train with us on it. We were strapped in for about 15 minutes.
@@matthewbuttery8529 hopefully worth it, thank you!
@@haleywilson5761 this comment is funny imagine the ride rolls back and they’re like alright great ride and tell you to get off
This is actually the main reason I'm scared of roller coasters, I would probably die in my seat if that happened to me
Damn this ride is confusing, props to all the ride crew
Luke Williams i think Intamin confused themselves when they built this one lol.
@@gplez91 They 100000% did!
@@gplez91 well it was a protype at the time but kingda ka has had the same issues
@@gplez91 Cedar Point: Adding Top Thril Dragster in 2003
Intamin: So uh..... we just put this all together, and we think it works. All set :)
@@NickyD wasnt accelerator the prototype
19:57 I love reducing stuff from 3 to 5.
whoops 😂
@@ElToroRyan Quick Mafs
Lmao I love that you respond to your fans
I came to the comments just too see if anyone else noticed this 😅😅
IKR!!
GREAT video Ryan! I learned a lot- well done!
Thanks Taylor!!
The collaboration we need
@@Curly_Frs true true
You should do a collaboration together for a coaster parody or something
@Rocco Cafagna true true true true
I've got to give the CP operators a lot of credit. They run this, the other rides. And have to work through the hoards of insects
Sylvia isgod probably meant hoards of insects
Yeah those mayflies are ridiculous in the summer! We went with my family about 2 years ago and they weren't there in the evening but all of a sudden the next morning the rides, walls, supports, everything was covered with them. And then they just drop dead the next day, leaving bug corpses squished on the pavement....
Seriously. My sister and I went together and were fine through most of the day, but made the mistake of riding the Magnum at night. It was a SWARM of fishflies. Just solid bugs. Absolute nightmare.
Just say Cedar Point, please, for the love of god
what do they operate?
Everybody's gangsta until the train starts moving backwards
I caught 6 consecutive launches once because of rain. For an adrenaline junkie like me, it was like the holy grail.
Baby Fark McGee-Zax That sounds like heaven
I have gotten a rollback before and feels so weird
@@efeaz8157 yeah me too.
So I just rode it for the first time and the car after us rolled back
Republica "ready to go", Can't listen to this without thinking about Cedar Point.
It used to be who can build the tallest and fastest, now it’s who can build the best RMC
What's next? Yhe whole RMc thing is already getting a tad stale I think. Great rides for sure, but not much separates the best and the worst. Nothing they build now is unique to the last..... not saying it's not good. They are very good. Just isnt as amazing as it was 5yrs ago
Quinto Creations Imagine if RMC broke the inversion record!
What is rmc?
Rocky Mountain Construction
Next will be who can build the tallest and fastest RMC lol
TTD broke down 7 times from the time I started this video.
You've made me appreciate the unload stations at CP. I always thought they were dumb and prevented people from stashing their bags or bottles, now I know their practical use
Lol, we're you waiting in line while watching?
That means the ride breaks down every 197 seconds XD
Would love to hear in depth about why "X" was such a disaster!
Y
Thisssssss
It's simple
Time, funds, & resources
Arrow was not selling enough coasters during that time
and Vegas also had a big part screwing them. The fish hook ride went up in flames putting the nail in the coffin.
The ACE documentary, The Legacy of Arrow Development touches on X. I think it is still worth watching.
@@horseshoe_nc I love that documentary! Unfortunately it only touches on the financial aspect of the ride, but not WHY it was always down.
"...really appreciate what it's doing to your body."
G I G I T Y
I get that higher capacity is needed, but dang the trains looked even cooler with those dragster wheels and spoiler on the back.
First time I wasn’t scared to ride the dragster it shut down after an hour of waiting in the line it was such a bruh moment
Must have started to sprinkle 🤣 that thing shuts down if they can smell rain
Same dude
Yep. I waited two hours once and it rained and we had to leave. Was so pissed.
It doesn't matter how short the ride is. It's still one of my top favorites over other longer and more popular rides. The launch is just stunning!
In 2003 when I rode it, there was nothing like it at the time. It blew my mind when I first saw it & rode it.
Last time I was this early, Logan could say one train ops
It’s 420 ft tall. Getting high on a coaster sounds fun.
was looking for this comment so i wouldn't have to make it
it really is a shame that nobody was able to get the chance to ride the 420 ft tall coaster while high on 4/20/20
@@instancy_ This comment just gave me severe depression.
ImTrash it’s ok someone will ride an even taller roller coaster on April 20th 2069
I've brought one of those little capped bullet hitters to a park before... The ascent Hill is a decent place to take a hit. I've gotten an angry "HEY!!" From behind me once or twice lol. This was like 15 years ago.
Your 5 train vs 6 trains was hands down the most thorough explanation I have ever heard on TH-cam. Well done.
Love dragster! For a whole year my son was too afraid to go in it. Finally, last summer, I got him on. It’s now his favorite ride at the park!
Jessie B great story!!
Anyone watching this after the Top Thrill 2 announcement?
Hi! Engineering grad student here; currently working on a capstone project on how more complex roller coasters seem to break down more often. Loving your videos!
That sounds awesome, almost certainly the complex ride safety controls and rarely mechanical. So any ideas how to fix the debugging process without running empty test runs?
how did it go?
Yea I'm curious too
20:00 "the cars would have to be shortened from three cars to five cars".....thats not how math works :p
My bad 😂
Sure it would! (3x) tells us how long the original 3 cars would be, with x representing length, while (5x) could prove to be shorter depending on what nomination 'x' is. If the variable 'x' represents feet, 3 cars can absolutley be 'reduced' in length to 5 in this example using those variants. If you're wondering, yes a 3 car train may be 'longer' than other 5 car trains, it would depend on the length of the train and its cars. Obviously here that's not the case, as so stated in context, however mathematically it could be true if 'x' refers to a cars length multiplied by how many there are. Simple stuff really. (I.e.), 3 cars of 20 feet is longer than 5 cars of 10 feet. But I digress, all algebra aside.
simple note: strata coasters have to be a FULL circuit
This, Steel Vengeance, Maverick and millennium force are easily my top 4 coasters!
Weird those are all my dad’s favorites
When I worked at Cedar Point back when this was the newest coaster in the park, I couldn't even tell you how many times it broke down in just one day. I worked in the back of the park at camp snoopy as a character/escort, so I was always walking past that coaster on my way back to my dorm at the end of my shift. I rarely saw it going. It was always under maintenance for whatever reason.
I know right.. I also worked at cp from 2002-2006 I worked in all over the park and the dragster was always down no matter what part of the day..
Worked at Cedar Point from 2004-2008 and I can affirm how often it had problems staying in operation. It was just too far ahead of its time, and all the kinks in the hydraulic systems had yet to be worked out. Haven't visited Cedar Point in many years, I need to go back!
Weird to think that Intamin has made three record breaking coasters. They built the biggest Kingda Ka, the second biggest Top Thrill Dragster and they built the fastest Formula Rossa. Hell, that line -up also includes the three fastest in the world as well going TTD, Kingda Ka and then Formula Rossa. The only major record holding rollercoaster I can think of that they haven't built would be the world's longest Steel Dragon 2000 which Morgan made. Weird world.
in the three times ive been to the park it has barely been open while i was there all three times it wasnt taking passengers till nearly 1pm
5:52 "If you're lucky, the ride will not make it over the top and will come flying back down the tower"
We have very different concepts of lucky. That terrifies me.
I've had nightmares about rolling back on Dragster or Kingda Ka
ive been part of the lucky group and rolled back, its such a terrifying and awesome experience at the same time. my sister completely freaked out and started crying from fear and i was just ready to launch again which they do haha. I understand the fear though!
People who ride "superman- escape from krypton" are getting what top thrill gets when it malfunctions..
I’d be cool with a rollback since I know they can potentially happen. But if I had no idea they could happen and then it rolled back, I’d be scared!
Greg Sloan what’s your home park ?
this is where it all started, the longest running joke for this channel. 11:00
"Overshoots the final brake run and could cause a computer failure, shutting the ride down" My home park is Darien Lake and that happens to ROS at LEAST 3 times a day (cuz it hauled in 2019)
I bet! That brake run of yours on ROS seems WAY TOO SHORT. I hear the ride opened without the trim brake on the bunny hill either so that must have been crazy to deal with.
@@ElToroRyan yeah it opened without the trim and without seatbelts for ONE day until a 365lb man was ejected from the last hill on the second day the ride was open to the public
Millennium Force Man I go to Darien every single year and it hauled ass in 2019. I remember it overshooting the break run and some guy in the last row just started smoking and they couldn’t do anything to stop him
@@MillenniumForceMan ejected? I call BS
@@quintocreations5091 No look it up, he was to big for the lapbar and luckily survived. Check out this video on it th-cam.com/video/2oCxO6swfgA/w-d-xo.html
Also gonna add that hydraulic launches are awesome and absolutely smoke the weak magnetic shit. If anything, hydraulic launch systems should be innovated to become more reliable and accessible to manufacturers; honestly magnetic launches are boring as shit once you've been on an Intamin beast.
How about those aircraft carrier steam pistions? Curious how the energy consumption compares to hydraulic launches .
Have you seen the footage of them testing the capabilities of Xcelerator's launch motor pre-dragster? That thing was flying
Yup! Absolutely insane
i t j u s t f l i e s o v e r t h e t o p
Where can I see them?
Cracc the tracc
Gave a like at "Let's dig into another topic, I can make this video as long as I want, and I think you guys have time to watch right now."
Here after it was just announced to permanently retire :(
Love this series! Do Vekoma Flying Dutchman's next! :D
I really appreciate using the song "Ready to Go" in this video as I remember it playing on endless loop in the queue line.
I loved when I was an operator at Canada's Wonderland. I was in the Kidzville section, but I learned a lot when I worked the Larson Flying Scooters. I learned a lot as well :) One of the most interesting things is how the ride runs with the control panels. Larson designed the ride where there has to be an exit attendant and the main ride operator of course. So of course, there are two control panels. The exit attendant has the panel with the e-stop and start function, while the operator has the e-stop, e-stop reset, the start function, and a button to hold while the ride is running to ensure the ride runs for the full 60 seconds. After the exit attendant gives the "clear", the ride operator must scan a second time and give the "all clear." For the ride to run, both the operator and the exit attendant must simultaneously press the start function, but the operator can let go of the start function, once the timer on the panel starts going, but must hold the button to keep the ride running, whereas the exit attendant can let go of the start function as soon as the ride starts moving and places their thumb near the e-stop if necessary. Also, when the ride runs on a cold and windy day, the speed can be reduced to make it a bit slower, so the cars don't go flying every which direction, which could lead to more stress on the cables, but I think people know that part already :)
Overall, as a ride op, you get to learn so much about how manufacturers engineer their rides, and to see the more technical side of how it works.
With Dragster being closed this year, some of Cedar Point's magic is lost, while yes it's not the best coaster at the park, just hearing that REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!!!! while walking beside it is a big part of Cedar Point, as well as riding it itself. Let's hope that the ride being closed will bring some much needed rehabilitation to the ride, they can't shut it down, it's always popular, it draws in guests, and is just a spectacle
Agreed, it is my favorite.
They BETTER, or IMMA BE PISSED
I think the flawed masterpiece that is Lightning Rod deserves to be next in this list. Could also go into problems in general with RMCs topper track on these extreme rides. Love how informative this series is and how much detail you go into keep it up.
Rip 😢
CF closed it today. Or should I say declared it is retired.
Your background music gave me PTSD from hot summer days waiting in line for the dragster
Pretty cool info (imho):
A real "Top Fuel Dragster" accelerates from a dead stop to OVER 100mph in LESS than ONE second! ... and to OVER 300mph in LESS than FOUR seconds! Imagine that :D
Thanks for the vid, Ryan, btw. Looks like a fun coaster!
why did they get rid of the signature part the wing and the slicks in the back I don't understand that's what makes a top fuel dragster a top fuel dragster now it's just a glorified launch coaster
Simple answer, one of the tires that was a part of that theme element legit fell off a train back in 2004 I believe? The park immediately removed the theming element after that and added a 9th row of seats to the trains
The tire flew off one of the trains in late May of 2003. The last row of seats used to have a fake engine in that spot. The spoilers and wheels were attached to the metal box part you can see on the back of the trains.
I think the tyres used were real dragster tyres. They had a problem even before one of them flew off, where they would rotate even though they weren't supposed to.
Yes they were real tires and did spin from time to time
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalgorthim
great video, looking forward to more of this series, still one of the best launches in the world
fun fact, I slept in TTD's station during a 5 hour rainstorm
Man, I rode this ride front seat when I was 14, and still remember wiping actual BUGS off my face cause I was going so fast. Gross, but this coaster is nothing like I’ve ever experienced before.
DoingReviewsBecuaseOfCoronaVirusRyan
No complaints tho, love the reviews
best feeling ever in the front seat...hands down!...hands down!..they wouldnt launch the train if your arms were up. but when you puttem up..you had marks on your shoulders from the force of the ride..amazing
it's weird watching this knowing it's closed for who knows how long
About a year now. It’s not the same….
Cedar point just announced they’re retiring Top Thrill 😳
whose watching this after the 2021 closure?
Hello there. Do you hope that cedar point keeps TTD?
went on this twice the 2 days we were there. omg i love this ride. sad to hear what happened, hope they dont take it down. such a beautiful view at the top
:(
Well, they aren’t taking it down!
Watching this after the incident is a very different feeling.
It is. I’m practically crying because it’s fate is unknown.
@@coasterfurby6815 It will re-open in Spring 2023
I remember when Kingda Ka opened up it took years for me to finally get a ride on it as it was always broken down when I visited the park. I’m pretty sure those problem were worked out as I always get to ride it every visit now. I always thought of T T D as a lesser version of Kingda Ka but you have shown me that is not the case. I was going to make the trip out to Cedar point from Jersey last Summer but my plans fell through. Hopefully I will get to go there someday. Very informative video Ryan and also interesting. Keep on putting up that great content, you’ll have a million + subs someday! Peace Mang!
I’ve been binging Coaster Idiot videos!
Baby i'm ready to go!
Superman : The Escape is a bit of a fraud. It may have been the first "coaster" over 400ft, but although the "tower" is 400+ft, the cars/trains never reach the peak of the tower. What is the actual height of the tower vs on average how high up the tower do cars/trains actually go?
I love the video and the ride! The only problem I have, which is pretty small, is I enter through the handicap entrance which is at the unload station so once I’m locked in, I move to the load station. Then there are the angry people who have been waiting in line for hours who can not get on the ride. I’ve been screamed at before which yeah, is not a huge problem, but it still sucks.
Time for that Magnum analysis to drop explaining three trains ops!
Will do!!
my boyfriend worked on magnum last summer and there’s a lot of “inside information” the public doesn’t know about it....it’s a lot harder of a job than you think!!
Rachel B who was that? I might know them
3:16 Shuttle coasters don't count because they don't go all the way to the top, and not all riders reach the same height because the train rolls backwards after it gets to a certain height. I was confused of that too before.
I remember my mother leaning over to me and muttering “make sure to keep your mouth shut-“ and then ZOOM
Oh yeah! 😎😎 My home state and park! 🤘🙌
4 years later, pretty much everything he says about the launch has been contradicted by TT2- It would take considerably longer, you need different modes for launches, etc.
So sad this amazing coaster got retired. Glad I was able to enjoy it!
they arent scrapping it lmao they are changing the launch system
Last time I was at Cedar Point was in 2003 or 2004 and I couldn't get on this due to the line. I finally made plans to go again in September (2021), and was hyped to finally ride this, and then that accident happened. I hope that woman is ok, but man, I sure hope they get this thing opened again. Going to be so bummed if it's down, but I suspect it still will be.
Dude I am so sorry
This aged well....
0:03 the coaster that breaks every (minute)
This didn’t age well 💀19:05
I remember being pretty young and getting the courage to ride this thing. Front row and all, and the fucker rolled back. One of those scary as fuck but do it again experienced for sure
So I stumbled across your channel, then this video, so hey lets talk about my experience with The Dragster! (I’ve never rode it, mind you. Hell, even my brother, who rode all of the other rides in the park, looked at this one and went nOPE nhgtfrg)
This ride is absolutely notorious at my school. I live in Michigan, more specifically toward the Ohio border. So, they usually send the Choir and Band kids down to Cedar Point and stuff. In fact, most visitors to Cedar Point are Michiganders. If you want to be a cool kid in my school, you go to Cedar Point and ride one of the Big Boi Rollercoasters TM, then tell everyone about it. I remember one time, I was talking to a kid who rode Dragster as, get this, *his first rollercoaster ever*. And on that fateful ride, he got a rollback. Ow.
I would talk about this thing more, but I think if you just go there you can already see everything.
Hope you have a great day, lovely reader :3
I wish it wasn’t broken/the accident didn’t happen cause I wanted to ride it so bad when I went last weekend :[
@@CherrieCheeze same
This aged well lol
“Shorten from 3 to 5 cars” 🤣
This coaster is absolutely *amazing* ... it's too bad that it seems to always be down for maintenance when I'm at cedar point lol... nonetheless I've rode it numerous times and each experience was awesome. I've found I like the rear seat best because you basically get pulled around the top the fastest :) front seat is cool though too because you get a nice pause to enjoy the view for a second or 2 :)
Still can’t believe it’s gone 😭
for now
Now that Top Thrill 2 is now open, time for a sequel for this vid.
It's funny to think about how this only has about 100 feet more in length than Iron Dragon.
-Gary
Hoping this ride will open again someday. It's been closed for two seasons. Would love to ride it one more time.
I want it to reopen as well.
Don’t we all?
I hadn't been to Cedar Point in about 6 years, and this ride was about 3 years old. My last big ride was Millennium Force, and this ride was absolutely insane. I've been to plenty different parks in my life, but this ride made me question my future on thrill rides.
This aged well 🤧
Well there go’s 20% of my phone power 👌🏻😂
What if they added a launch to corkscrew xD. Can you imagine the pain.
I've always wondered how they decided the force for the launch. I'd assumed that it was a weight calculation since it wouldn't be too difficult to do. Just curious how the engineers that decided on the trial and error method rather than a calculation from weight. Obviously you'd need some adjustments due to friction fluctuation day to day, but it seems like it would be more reliable.
Another sensor to fail, perhaps?
Suh, dude. Sadly this video is about to get a lot more views due to the incident today. Ride on! ✌
Incident today??
@@enbykeith a piece fell during ( the break run? Forgot but it fell ) and hit a girl waiting in line, apparently her head was cut open and witnesses saw her brain exposed. Really scary stuff.
0:15
Narrator: *ITS THE TALLEST*
KingDa Ka: *_alright_*