Talk:Top Thrill 2/Archive 1

Archive 1

Untitled comment

OK - we all know the controversy over Superman: The Escape! Should the article on Dragster be altered to indicate that S:TE is not universally recognised as a roller coaster, and record-holders prior to Dragster were Steel Dragon and Millennium Force? The Wiki entry on "Roller Coaster" does mention that not all thrill rides that run on a track are roller coasters.

Well, I personally don't know anything about this controversy. But if you feel the article should be changed, go ahead! We encourage you to be bold in editing. Also, why not create an account? It would make editing easier for you. Best wishes, [[User:Meelar|Meelar (talk)]] 14:07, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)

OK, I'll edit it (I'll try to find words that are non-controversial) and see what happens! The background is that there is a huge coaster enthusiast fraternity and this particular machine (Superman: The Escape) is ambiguous in that about half of the enthusiasts don't consider it a roller coaster. It's also not a roller coaster according to any standard dictionary definition. Therefore the description on this page that says that it's a roller coaster is a personal opinion. Also, the stated height of S:TE is misleading - the tower is something like 415ft but the train never gets anywhere near that height, maybe only about 300-350ft. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 147.143.2.102 (talk) 08:42, 23 June 2004 (UTC)

Sorry, the web cam is wrong. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 157.88.64.191 (talk) 11:54, 10 June 2005 (UTC)

Introduction needs some work

It's pretty long and I imagine the lay reader wouldn't venture beyond the first paragraph. If someone could take a look and, perhaps, write a more concise intro and add the rest of the information into a body with appropriate headers, that'd be fantastic. I tagged this today and I'll take a look in a few days, myself, if no one else is able to polish it up. Stratosphere 01:26, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

Error in my edit description

On my "I agree with you, VexedTechie" edit, I said in the edit description that "it is pure fact, not opinion, that Superman and Tower of Terror are continuous-circuit coasters". Of course, they aren't. That was an error. I meant to say that TTD and Kingda Ka are continuous-circuit coasters. Rather than start an edit war on whether Superman and Tower of Terror are coasters, I just said "continuous-circuit". Superman and Tower of Terror (arguably) are coasters, but it's unanimous that TTD and Kingda Ka were the first 400-foot continuous-circuit coasters. SupaStarGirl 13:09, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

Height requirement?

What is the height requireement. I didnt see it anywhere.

According to offical Top Thrill Dragster page on Cedar Point's website, The height requirement is 52 inches. I have added the the height requirement to the Infobox. --Coaster1983 18:49, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Guests of Exceptional Size

I've ridden on Top Thrill Dragster a number of times and this is the first I've heard of such a policy. This depsite being 6'4" and (*blush*) over 225 pounds; I've never been prevented from riding or even been confronted by the ride staff on this or any other coaster (although they might take issue with me trying to get on the Junior Gemini...). The CP website says such rides may not be accommodated on some rides, but to state (as the article does) that they are categorically barred from TTD is patently false. Pimlottc 21:10, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

Yeah just went in may 06 i am 6-5 about 238 and i fit fine.....i would imagine someone 6-8 could find a way to fit also

When I first visited the park I saw this height restriction on the website and got in touch with park staff, they ended up basically sending me testimonials from various NBA players who have visited the park and enjoyed themselves. I fit quite comfortably in Dragster at 6'5" and 230lbs. Part of the email explained to me that they set it at such a low height because of body shape, etc. Someone with a small torso and long legs at this height would more than likle feel uncomortable at the very least, but so long as your lap bar sets down and seatbelt latches, you've got all of about 20 seconds in the seat. Thrill seekers are generally willing to suffer the brief discomfort.--69.196.132.186 13:26, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

I, personally, am 6'1" and 260 lbs...a good deal of weight lies in my legs (5 years of marching band = leg muscle), and I've never had a problem fitting into TTD. Millennium Force is a bit of a squeeze, but as for Top Thrill, their set "exceptional sizes" are not always applicable to the park-goers VexedTechie 13:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

There is no defined maximum size for any ride at CP, just the side note in the park welcome guide. The main thing is you must be able to secure all ride restraints on your own. This is why they offer the test seats. If the person working the front of the queue is being attentive, they will ask you to get in the test seat if you appear too large, presumably to A) avoid you wasting an hour of your own time in line and B) wasting several minutes of everyone else's time by unsuccessfully trying to wedge into the actual train, thus holding up the entire ride. If you cannot fasten yourself in, they have no problem directing you to the nearest exit, but they definitely will not let the train go with you in it. Six Flags, maybe, but not Cedar Point.

This is what I ran into on MF this year. I am a pretty large guy -- 6'5", 350, well distributed, but with pretty big legs and buttocks, and about a 50" waist. (Note that this is a design flaw I intend to remedy by the 2007 season.) The lap bar was no issue, but I had no chance of fastening the belt. I probably needed another 4" on the belt to even reach the latch, and since they require a certain amount of slack, I probably needed another 6".

The test seats are there for good reason -- if you doubt for any reason that you can get into the ride, test yourself before you wait in line. Chairman Kaga 05:16, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

A woman submitted a complaint to Ripoff Report (http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff97243.htm ) stating that her son, who is 6'9" and 270 pounds, was denied admission to both Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force because of his size. She only states that he was "too large" and does not specify whether his height or weight was the problem, although the use of the word "large" suggests that his girth was the issue. 69.121.226.35 02:59, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

Weather

I've made an edit to the weather section, after repeated changing. It is standard operating procedure for TTD to launch 12 trains before it reopens after a shower. The park doesn't want the trains rolling back with people on it, so they send these up to clear the track. The trains are able to crest the hill empty, and have done so thousands of times since it's opening. Operators from many different seasons have confirmed these facts. Cedarpointfan 18:26, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I thought it was six. Timetrial3141592 01:35, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Its usually not the weight of people in it that deals with cresting the hill, it has something more to do with how many engines are running. They have about 27 or so engines on it, and they shutoff a lot. when they shut off they just cool off and work the next run. It can get a train over with only 19 engines going. The Engines shutting down is completely normal, and is nothing to be afraid of.

The weather section is wrong, there is no set amount of trains that have to make it over before, you are allowed to re-open the ride to Guests. You just watch the Train Over Tower time and Speed Reduction. E-stops aren't caused by wind A-stops are caused by wind, but holding an enable for too long can A-stop the ride. Almost everything is a judgment call by Supervision and Management, so you can't really say you have to send 12 or 6 trains over, in order to re-open after rain. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.241.121.114 (talk) 19:17, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

Gallery

Would someone who frequents this article like to look into culling down or eliminating the gallery? Or better yet - put a couple of the pictures in the article itself. As it stands right now, six of the seven pictures in the gallery are the exact same thing taken from superficially different camera angles. Trusilver 22:36, 10 December 2008 (UTC)

Ride Breakdowns

Can someone comment on the frequent breakdowns and closures of the ride the first couple of years it was open? I went in 2003 or 04 and they had to stop and do repairs on the ride two or three times while I was in line. I went again in 2005 and it was completely closed for no apparent reason (weather was fine, etc). Gueneverey 02:29, 26 October 2007 (UTC)

This ride is very tempamentmentle. It may work some days and not work other days. But what do you want from a prototype??? -Dev

She is not as temperamental as she used to be, but with so many moving parts, catch-car brakes will stick, or not un-retract, (hehe), the trains will drift to hook, and the accumulators will have too low pressure, but yes it is to be expected from a complex ride, however the "prototype" stuff all went away after they built 3-4 more rocket coasters. RTHonVDS (talk) 05:53, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Hands

"Due to the unsafe nature of raising one's hands on such a roller coaster, the ride host will not launch the train if any riders are holding their hands up."

On my last few trips I've seen many people with hands in the air on this ride, which I personally find impressive. I wonder if the park no longer strictly enforces this policy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kwelker (talk • contribs) 04:41, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

When I went on the ride, there was a guy that had his hands up and the staff played the "hands down" clip untill he did put them down. I think it is only neccesary to put your arms down at the begining, not during the ride itself. Probably because the force at the take-off will mess up your shoulders or something.-Dani

Actully the ride host has no say when the train is launched, the computer does it for them. I've seen a male with his arms up when the train launched and separted his shoulder. -Dev

In 2006/2007, I noticed they would play the "Arms Down" until everyone on the car put them down. I just came back from the park 6/09 and witnessed someone in the 2nd row leave their arms up. The operator never replayed the message and the coaster launched. The rider must have have ridden before because his arms held tight and did not snap back. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mrgregb (talk • contribs) 00:03, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Rollbacks and Stalls

Has anyone else noticed this season that the cars seem to get a small boost as they reach the top of the hill? I watched this thing run for 3 days and noticed every car slow down right before the bend at the top and then miraculously seem to maintain the same speed as it approached and went over the hill. In prior seasons the cars seemed absent of this boost and went over the hill slower. When I rode it I noticed also that the great view at the top didn't last as long since the car was traveling faster.

I was there in 2007, if any trains stopped they were empty. I do know about the 2008 time I still have the photo in my phone, I was on break and walking back to work at Dragster when we saw it. If you look at www.cedarpoint.com on the OnPoint Blog, they have the official total's for when it's been loaded and gets stuck at the top. Also, it's not doing anything different at the top, but they were having a little trouble with the hydraulic accumulators early in the season, and it may be launching it a big quicker now, since they had to add more nitrogen gas. I don't work there this year, so I haven't been in the control booth, but if they were going that much faster over the top the Time Over Tower reading on the computer would be shorter. Maybe an employee can give us details. 72.241.169.149 (talk) 02:50, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Canada?

I don't think you can see Canada from TTD. But don't you see an island about 20 miles away that you'd think is Canada but only a part of it?

We've discussed this on Talk:Cedar_Point as well. On a clear day, it's possible to see Pelee Island, which is Canadian territory. And if anyone thinks they're seeing the CN Tower in Toronto, it's really Perry's Monument at Put-in-Bay. :) --Birdhombre 16:47, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

You can supposedly, under perfect conditions, see the southern tip of Point Pelee on the Canadian mainland, 31 miles NNE. But nothing that involves Canadian civilization (Point Pelee is a national park). Chairman Kaga 04:33, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

TTD faces the wrong way for one to see Canada. From the top of the hill, you are facing Sandusky Bay. You could only see Pelee Island if you looked behind you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.252.242.233 (talk) 21:36, 16 October 2010 (UTC)

Strobes

Is it necessary to mention strobe lights in the introduction of the article? That seems less important, maybe fitting better under "The Ride" section? Secundus Zephyrus (talk) 02:35, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Top Thrill Dragster/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Dom497 (talk · contribs) 19:46, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

GA review – see WP:WIAGA for criteria

1. Is it reasonably well written?

   A. Prose quality:

   B. MoS compliance for lead, layout, words to watch, fiction, and lists:

2. Is it factually accurate and verifiable?

   A. References to sources:

   B. Citation of reliable sources where necessary:

   C. No original research:

3. Is it broad in its coverage?

   A. Major aspects:

   B. Focused:

4. Is it neutral?

   Fair representation without bias:

5. Is it stable?

   No edit wars, etc:

6. Does it contain images to illustrate the topic?

   A. Images are copyright tagged, and non-free images have fair use rationales:

   B. Images are provided where possible and appropriate, with suitable captions:

   Please see comment section even though this section has passed.

7. Overall:

   Pass or Fail:

   Pass!--Dom497 (talk) 12:31, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Comments

• "By October 2002, the roller coaster had already reached 200 feet (61 m).[6]", from that picture, there is no way to confirm that it is 200 feet tall as you can't see the entire structure. The way the word "already" is used in the sentence is representing some bias.

The caption of the picture states it had reached nearly 200 feet.--Astros4477 (talk) 00:16, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

I will let it go this time.--Dom497 (talk) 12:30, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• "The structure was completed in early January and it was announced on February 26, 2003. The event revealed the park's goal to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 420 feet (130 m) and accelerating up to 120 miles per hour (193 km/h) in 4 seconds.[7]", reference number 5 says that it was announced January 9, 2003. Huh???

Fixed.--Astros4477 (talk) 00:16, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• Ref number 5 contains some info that I think could be used in the article (like how they covered the footers during the summer so no one could see). Watch the video so you can add some more info (if you want).

Ya I watched the video earlier, I meant to put more of its info in the article.--Astros4477 (talk) 00:16, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• "Top Thrill Dragster was also closed in 2003 for the annual event, CoasterMania.[10]", ref 10 doesn't say that the event is annual.

Yes it does, in this sentence, "A week later, on June 6, a faulty valve on the hydraulic system that launches the Top Thrill Dragster out of its station forced the ride to close during Cedar Point's annual CoasterMania event for coaster enthusiasts."

Sorry, I missed that!--Dom497 (talk) 12:30, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• "In the station, two trains are loaded simultaneously before both are dispatched to a separate track to wait for the launch. Each one is launched individually while two more enter the station to be loaded. The ride's theme song, Ready to Go by Republica, is played while in the station.[11]", ref 11 doesn't support anything about the station and the title of the song and that it was created by Republica.

Couldn't find a ref for the first part so I deleted it.--Astros4477 (talk) 01:03, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• "A real Top Fuel dragster weighs approximately one ton, while each train on the coaster weighs 5 tons", references used in that paragraph do not support this.

Fixed.--Astros4477 (talk) 01:01, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• Add a ref to the RCDB pictures of TTD as some show what the train looked like before and after the changes. Done

• I don't think ref 13 is reliable.

I can't find anything else more reliable.--Astros4477 (talk) 01:06, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

I thought about it and I will let it go this time.--Dom497 (talk) 12:30, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

• "When this happens, a mechanic takes the elevator to the top and pushes the train down the hill. This has happened several times...", refs used in this paragraph support everything but the info about the elevator and that that this has happened several times.

Fixed.--Astros4477 (talk) 01:01, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

The article will be on hold for 7 days.--Dom497 (talk) 20:42, 7 July 2012 (UTC)

I have fixed everything.--Astros4477 (talk) 01:07, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

I have passed the article.--Dom497 (talk) 12:30, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Speed required to make it over

I tagged the statement in the Ride Trivia for the minimum speed required to go over as needing a citation. I've personally seen the sign read 117 with the train still making it over and I've seen it read 122 and rollback. There's obviously a multitude of variables involved in whether or not the train crests the hill including temperature, humidity, wind, load, amount of time the train has been running. So, either this citation needs to be verified by Intamin or Cedar Point or it needs to be reworded, it's too authoritative as it is. Stratosphere (talk - Contrib) 20:57, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Supposedly, 120 is the official required speed to crest the top hat. Unfortunately, I'll never be able to cite a source for that. I imagine I heard it from the Lemon Chill guy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to calculating how fast Magnum is sinking. Chairman Kaga 05:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Chairman Kaga, Magnum isn't sinking. That was just an April Fool's joke! Roller Coaster Rider (Jonathan) (talk) 15:09, 29 March 2013 (UTC)