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Attraction Type
Roller Coaster
Attraction Status
Existing
Attraction Manufacturer
Zamperla
Attraction Model
Lightning
Yeah, so dumb they named the second version of a similar idea "2" like a sequel. Can you imagine if there was like a Back to the Future 2, or a Krusty Krab 2, or God forbid a Led Zeppelin 2.
 
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In the video the fist launch doesn’t make it to the vertical twist. Anyone know the height of that?
 
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I just thought of something.

Taron goes from near standstill to 50 in about 200 feet.
Velocicoaster does near standstill to 50 in about 200 feet.

And this needs over 550 feet to get going to 72. I don't know the math on everything be this all seems....weak? Especially when it needs all near 600 feet to get to 100 then 120 using a total of 1700 feet of track. Am I wrong in thinking that's not super impressive for the track length they have to work with?
 
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I just thought of something.

Taron goes from near standstill to 50 in about 200 feet.
Velocicoaster does near standstill to 50 in about 200 feet.

And this needs over 550 feet to get going to 72. I don't know the math on everything be this all seems....weak? Especially when it needs all near 600 feet to get to 100 then 120 using a total of 1700 feet of track. Am I wrong in thinking that's not super impressive for the track length they have to work with?
No, you're not wrong. ElToroRyan estimated that, with modern LSMS, you could clear the top hat in one pass, no spike required.
 
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I'm completely nonplussed by the coaster part of this announcement and absolutely flabbergasted by the branding choice here.

In my assessment, they picked the bare minimum, most conservative route for the coaster hardware. To be clear, from a practical standpoint, I get it. That said, sanity feels antithetical to the legacy of the Top Thrill Dragster brand—a coaster that was the very embodiment of excess.

That dramatic tonal change for the coaster paired with the dark cloud of the Top Thrill Dragster brand now makes this choice difficult for me to comprehend. Cedar Point was offered a golden opportunity to shed the name of a coaster that nearly killed someone—the name of a coaster that will likely be headline news over the coming months/years due to the high-profile lawsuit they're currently involved in. Instead of taking that incredible opportunity to start fresh and create a new icon for the next 20 years, they picked the laziest possible solution.

Oh and even if they wanted to make a sequel to Dragster, "Top Thrill 2?" Just embarrassing.
 
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I'm completely nonplussed by the coaster part of this announcement and absolutely flabbergasted by the branding choice here.

They picked the bare minimum, most conservative route for the coaster hardware here. To be clear, from a practical standpoint, I get it. That said, sanity feels antithetical to the legacy of the Top Thrill Dragster brand—a coaster that was the very embodiment of extravagance.

That tonal change for the coaster paired with the dark cloud of the Top Thrill Dragster brand now and in the coming years makes the choice to name the coaster something involving the original name deeply confusing to me. They had a chance handed to them on a golden platter to rebrand the coaster that nearly killed someone and that they're actively engaged in a high profile lawsuit over and they just threw it out the window. Oh and even if they wanted to make a sequel to Dragster, "Top Thrill 2?" Just embarrassing.
I find doing the whole CP racing thing when nothing else in the park carries the moniker very strange too. For a company that gets all the praise for Jungle-X, Aeronautical Landing at Caro, I've seen some praise for spots of CW redo to come up with this is just dumbfoundedly bad. I'm just trying to wrap my head around how bad/disappointing this all is.

~Launches that could be faster and/or more intense. Even if you wanted to do a triple launch that first one should get you at least 300 feet IMO.
~Name that's laughably bad and still has those ties you pointed out (this seems lazy way of not having to redo all merch and the paint job of the coaster).
~Not tying in changes to anything else in the area around it.
~I'm even going to go to not maintaining the OG version in the first place.
~Swing launch being the only significant layout change where they could have done a ton to make a new experience.

This is such a good vision of why I have hard times feeling confident CF has turned the corner. They still make just enough moves like this what leave you flabbergasted.
 
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Press release here https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog/media-center/get-revvved-up-in-2024

Get revvved up in 2024! Cedar Point announces Top Thrill 2, the world's tallest and fastest triple-launch coaster
August 1, 2023
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 1, 2023) – Cedar Point, The Roller Coaster Capital of the World®, will once again redefine roller coaster innovation in 2024 with the debut of Top Thrill 2, the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata roller coaster. The strata coaster, known as any roller coaster eclipsing a height of 400 feet, was first pioneered by Cedar Point in 2003. The park will build on that legacy with not one, but two, 420-foot-tall track towers, putting riders in the driver’s seat for one of the greatest races of all time.
A New Formula for Thrills
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 will be the boldest and most advanced roller coaster Cedar Point has ever introduced. It’s another one-of-a-kind that could only be built at Cedar Point,” said Carrie Boldman, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “Our stamp on the industry is in roller coaster innovation, and today, that’s solidified as we redefine the strata coaster into a mega-thrill that our guests will come from far and wide to experience.”
Delivering High-Tech Racing Performance
Partnering with Cedar Point and utilizing the ride’s original and iconic top hat tower, Zamperla Rides and its Roller Coaster Business Unit engineered and designed a completely new 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. 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.
“My sincere congratulations to Cedar Point on the announcement of this incredible project. Today, with pride and excitement, we embark on this collaborative journey together,” added Antonio Zamperla, president and CEO of Zamperla. “It is an honor for Zamperla to add our signature on The Roller Coaster Capital of the World®. I cannot wait until next year when we see this record-breaking scream machine come to life.”
The Legacy of Roller Coasters
Cedar Point is the industry leader in roller coaster innovation, having introduced some of the tallest and fastest rides on the planet. In addition to being the home of the world’s first roller coasters over 200 feet tall (the Magnum XL-200 hyper coaster), over 300 feet tall (the Millennium Force giga coaster) and over 400 feet tall (the former Top Thrill Dragster strata coaster), Cedar Point is now home to the world’s first and only reimagined strata coaster. With its three distinct launches, increased ride time of nearly two minutes and its second vertical tower, Top Thrill 2 will make its mark on roller coaster history and redefine the famous Cedar Point skyline.
 
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I just thought of something.

Taron goes from near standstill to 50 in about 200 feet.
Velocicoaster does near standstill to 50 in about 200 feet.

And this needs over 550 feet to get going to 72. I don't know the math on everything be this all seems....weak? Especially when it needs all near 600 feet to get to 100 then 120 using a total of 1700 feet of track. Am I wrong in thinking that's not super impressive for the track length they have to work with?
You're correct that it's not that impressive of a first launch. They probably could have done 90-105-120mph passes, but obviously didn't do that for whatever reason. I just hope the first launch starts with a good 'kick'; it appears that way from the b-roll, but we'll see.

The trains; I like 'em. The name; woof. The alternating red & white highpoints; interesting... gross that they don't start at the same height.

Pretty crazy that we're at announcement day now. I remember hearing rumblings about "TTD Spike" back in like 2018, never thought they'd actually do the thing. Excited to see how Zamperla does with this.
 
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Disappointing that the name, branding, and logo designed in 2002 are of higher quality than the name, branding, and logo designed in 2023. The new name is so bad that it's overshadowing the actual ride in social media comments and posts. I like the color palette though and think it'll age much better. I still don't understand why parks are installing brightly colored lap bars on trains rather than black, when all they do is get gross looking.

The ride itself should still be a blast. It definitely won't be as aggressive, but on the positive it won't just be 15 seconds then "wow it's already over" after waiting hours in line. I understand why enthusiasts are disappointed, but if the ride doesn't have much downtime it will be definitely be an instant success with the general public.

Anyone hear what the price tag is on this project? Curious as to what this means for the rest of the Cedar Fair chain in 2024 and you have to think that Dorney Park's new coaster will be at least $20M+.
 
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Nothing I can add about the name, so I won't, but I do look forward to riding this some day. I think it will be fun. I hope that Zamperla does a good job with it, it's reliable, and they become a major player in coasters as a result.
 
Honestly, I don't really understand what the name means.

"Top Thrill" described the type of dragster the coaster represented, while also making a clever allusion to the fact that it is top hat. This is just "Top Thrill 2." Top Thrill what? The second top hat in the park? Your number two top thrill? The top is still thrilling? This coaster is still nothing more than a top hat, but you should be thrilled, because it has a spike, too/two?

What I am saying is that beyond being completely dialed in, the name simply makes no sense if you think about it for more than a millisecond.
 
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The "Top Thrill 2" name is coming from the same company that named their record breaking giga coaster "Fury 325".

While Cedar Fair has had some great theming elements with park additions and improvements over the last couple years, they've been known for horrible names (Drop Tower: Scream Zone, Backlot Stunt Coaster, etc.).
 
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