So, Cedar Point raises the bar YET again with a new breed of roller coasters, a rocket roller coaster. Instead of using the traditional "lift" hill, whether if it's the original chain lift or the new state-of-the-art cable lift, Cedar Point's 16th roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, uses hydraulics to launch from 0 to 120mph in less than 4 seconds! You heard me right, 0 to 120mph in LESS than 4 seconds, faster than any roller coaster in existance! This coaster will help Cedar Point reclaim tallest in the world from Japan's Steel Dragon 2000, which is 318ft. Termed a "strata-coaster" by Cedar Point, this coaster's goliath hill reaches 420ft into the sky, making it the 1st to ever break the 400ft barrier, making the Giga-coaster rule no more.
So did I ride this new, speed demon? You bet! I went to Cedar Point for the 1st time on the coaster's opening year, 2003, and was able to ride this beast twice! One during the day, and one at night! The very first thing I saw when I arrived at the park was this unfamiliar hill that rises above everything, including the almighty Millennium Force! I was in deep shock to see this new structure that I knew that I HAD to ride it. However as got closer to the station of the Dragster, we discovered that the ride was not running. Now this was a HUGE downer for me. Right then, I began to worry whether the ride will ever open at all. So we decided to ride the Magnum XL-200 first, and then the Millennium Force second. However as we were nearing the station for Millennium Force, I glimpsed at the great hill of the Dragster and saw a TRAIN go straight up, crest the hill, and go straight down! Dragster was back in operation! Soon, more trains followed at a steady interval. I knew it! Dragster has re-opened! So after the speedy ride on Millennium Force, which is STILL a great coaster, we dashed for the Dragster station again and discovered that indeed it was back in operation when we saw people in the queue lines. We immediately jump into line and for the first time ever did I see a train launch out of the station. My heart SUNK when I saw the train just blast off in a blink of an eye. After 2 hours watching train by train take off like a jet on an aircraft carrier, we were next. The empty train ever so gently creeps up, awaiting it's passengers. We stepped in, strapped ourselves in, and I look out and see what appeared to be a finger sticking straight up into the sky. I actually wanted to scream for someone to let me out but too late....... our train inched forward towards the catapult launching system. We can do nothing but wait as we heard the sound of a dragster revving it's engine.. I hear a voice say "arms down" then suddenly I see lights light up, resembling a drag race, both on a pole and the TOWER itself! Woooooooooooooooooooossssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! At an instant, my breath was taken away as we went faster, faster, FASTER, FASTER! It kept accelerating with SUCH FORCE that I've never experienced before! It felt like the train would never STOP accelerating! After a good 8 seconds of accelerating forever, we took a sharp curve straight up, up, up, up, up into the sky on the 420ft hill. I saw nothing but a blue sky. Soon, our speed went to a gentle 5mph as we crested the hill and to my surprise, I had the greatest view ever from a roller coaster. I found myself looking 11 stories DOWN on Millennium Force! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! But not for long. Next was the 400ft drop at 90 degrees with a 270 degree spiral. The drop was extremely fast, LONG, and full of rush as we approached 120mph for the second time! Back to the station 20 seconds after the launch, I had the biggest rush of my life! Looking at the pic that I've bought, my face looks like I was on the shuttle in Armageddon when they were careening around the moon at high speeds! Two thumbs up to Cedar Point!
Later that night, we managed to repeat the ride except in pitch darkness and up in the front row seats. The second time was much better than the first. For some reason it even felt faster. Going up the hill again, instead of staring up into a blue sky, I was staring up into a black sky. This moment felt like I was being blasted into space. We get to the top and blackness surrounds me in every direction! We then head down the 400ft drop once again, falling into blackness and then returning to the safety of the station. What a freaking rush! Another friend of mine was on the ground and managed to take a video of us getting blasted into space, I mean riding Top Thrill Dragster! THANK YOU CEDAR POINT! My #1 amusement park! |
