Talk:Top Thrill Dragster
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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.
Sorry, the web cam is wrong.
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[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)
