SANDUSKY, Ohio — Cedar Point is giving us a new look at the Top Thrill 2 roller coaster with fresh video of the ongoing ride testing for the updated attraction at the Sandusky amusement park ahead of the 2024 season.
"Engineers from the ride’s manufacturer, Zamperla, are programming the strata coaster’s fully automated ride sequence, fine tuning the linear synchronous motor launch system, testing rider safety systems and running the metallic silver train through its paces," according to Cedar Point.
All three of the ride's 20-passenger trains will be programmed to operate together, which Cedar Point says will be followed bya dditional ride commissioning, safety testing and state licensing.
Want to ride? You can climb aboard Top Thrill 2 when Cedar Point opens for the 2024 season on Saturday, May 4.
Top Thrill 2, which is the tallest coaster at Cedar Point, is an overhaul of the original Top Thrill Dragster. The enhanced attraction features three high-speed launches between two 420-foot tall towers.
TOP THRILL 2 EXPLAINED: NEW RIDE EXPERIENCE
So what makes Top Thrill 2 different? Here’s how Cedar Point describes it...
Riders will immerse themselves as they join the CP Racing Team and climb into one of three, sleek high-performance racing vehicles. Each of Top Thrill 2’s trains will feature open-air seating, providing heart-pounding views on the world’s first and only dual-tower vertical speedway.
On the start, using an all-new linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch system, riders will peel out down the straightaway reaching speeds of 74 mph, racing toward the sky on Top Thrill 2’s original 420-foot-tall “top hat” tower. After experiencing weightlessness during the “rollback” – the coveted fan-favorite moment when the train’s momentum isn’t great enough to make it up and over the tower – the train shifts into reverse and into its second launch, reaching speeds of 101 mph.
Riders will then see Cedar Point unlike ever before as they speed into a backward climb at a 90-degree angle on a new, 420-foot-tall track tower. After a second moment of weightlessness, the train shifts into drive and races forward into its third launch, clocking in at the ride’s top speed of 120 mph.
Crossing over the top hat tower, the train decelerates momentarily before diving into a 270-degree spiral and crossing the finish line.
TOP THRILL 2 RIDE STATS
- Top height: 420 feet
- Top speed: 120 mph
- Ride duration: Two minutes
- First launch (going forward): 74 mph
- Second launch (going backward): 101 mph
- Third launch (going forward): 120 mph
BRINGING TOP THRILL 2 TO LIFE
Cedar Point has partnered with Zamperla Rides and its Roller Coaster Business Unit to create the Top Thrill 2 ride experience.
"Top Thrill 2 is one of the first roller coasters in the world to utilize Zamperla’s 'Lightning' trains, capable of high-speed aerodynamics, performance and rider comfort," Cedar Point explains. "The ride’s new high-tech LSM launch system delivers smooth and quiet acceleration while giving riders the chance to feel the rush of motorsport racing."
THE END OF THE ORIGINAL TOP THRILL DRAGSTER
The original Top Thrill Dragster has been closed since August 2021 after an incident in which a bracket came off the ride and struck a 44-year-old woman in the back of the head. She later filed a lawsuit in connection with the incident.
A 620-page report released in February 2022 by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees the state’s amusement parks, declared there was “insufficient evidence to find the action or inactions of Cedar Point violated any of the laws.” You can review that report HERE.
“Cedar Point has cooperated fully with ODA throughout its investigation into the incident and we will closely review the substance of ODA’s report," park officials said in a statement after the ODA report was released.
When it first opened in 2003, Top Thrill Dragster became the first roller coaster in the world to top 400 feet. Here's how the attraction was initially described:
Put the pedal to the metal because no speeding tickets are cited to Top Thrill Dragster. Three point eight….that’s 3.8… seconds. That is all it takes to go from a complete standstill to 120 miles per hour. You’ve never experienced speed like this. Even with a true drag strip “Christmas tree” light counting down the launch, you’ll never be ready for the pure adrenaline rush packed into a 17 second race. Riders are launched in the blink of an eye before sprinting straight up at a 90-degree incline. If you dare to open your eyes at the top you will see spectacular views only viewed by the bravest 420 feet in the air. But look quick, before you know it, you’re hurtling back to the ground in a 270- degree twist before crossing the finish line. We aren’t kidding when we say that this high-octane sprint to the checkered flag knows a thing or twenty about horsepower.
NOT RETURNING TO CEDAR POINT
As 3News first reported last month, the Snake River Expedition boat ride is not returning to Cedar Point for the 2024 season.
Cedar Point spokesperson Tony Clark provided the following statement about the ride's closure:
"Snake River Expedition will not return in 2024. Every year, we evaluate guest ridership, feedback and usage of our attractions and make decisions accordingly as we plan for the future. At this time, there are no additional plans or announcements for the ride."
Snake River Expedition, which was initially announced for the 2020 season, ultimately opened in 2021 after being postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The attraction featured live actors and animatronics within various scenes along the waterway.