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Attraction Type
Roller Coaster
Attraction Status
Existing
Attraction Manufacturer
Zamperla
Attraction Model
Lightning
Going memorial day weekend... Isn't looking good.

I have horrible luck with dragster. 2021 I went in May and it was closed the whole weekend (may have ran for an hour or two but I wasn't around for it), 2022 I went twice and obviously it was already closed by that point. Really hoping they get tt2 open in the next two weeks but not expecting much here.
 
Given this was a huge leap forward for Zamperla using new designs for trains, I'm not surprised they have to have tweaks in the first season. It's hard to find examples of any major ride with similar circumstances where this kind of thing didn't happen.

My guess is this is a routine 'get the jitters out' kind of thing and not an indicator of anything more serious.

(I say that now...)
 
I heard Cedar Fair & BGW are pairing up to fix TT2 and get a swing launch model of their own in Williamsburg - coming 2025 it’s “Drachen Dragster: Backfired 2 the Top Thrill!” (Sponsored by Dippin’ Dots).

Kidding aside, there are going to be thousands of people that show up to this park anyway expecting the ride to be open without any clue that it is not, and it will be a grand shame. Looks like my last trip during the eclipse this year may be my last until they get this fully ironed out.
 
I wonder if this is related to the rumored launch speed decrease post-media day?
I don't believe there's any validity to that particular rumor. Unlike this "extended closure," any riders' feelings that the launch speed was changed can very well be blamed on weather conditions.

I was supposed to go to the Point this weekend to ride but didn't risk the long drive once the Saturday closure was announced. This was the biggest draw the park has had in several years for thrill seekers, there's going to be a lot of pissed off guests if this isn't back open within a few weeks. And with what I'm hearing, I wouldn't count on that.

Given this was a huge leap forward for Zamperla using new designs for trains, I'm not surprised they have to have tweaks in the first season. It's hard to find examples of any major ride with similar circumstances where this kind of thing didn't happen.

My guess is this is a routine 'get the jitters out' kind of thing and not an indicator of anything more serious.

(I say that now...)

I think that's being much too generous. Tweaks are one thing; you'd expect this to have extended downtime or one-train ops, anything up to a few days where the ride didn't operate at all. But this "extended closure" announcement one week after the public opening is well outside the typical first season issues.
 
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The best part is that my wife and I made the trip half way across the country to visit yesterday and today, and didn't get to ride it.

At one point in time yesterday, TT2, Gatekeeper, Magnum, Gemini, and Valravn were all down at once. Millie was a late opener. Lift hill evac on Magnum.

This morning, just after the TT2 announcement, there were only 3 coasters running in the whole park, none of which are on anyone's top-5-in-the-park list.

CP, from an operations perspective, was a complete dumpster fire this weekend... but the BBQ was better than KD's, Breakers room was clean, and the staff were friendly.
 
I wonder if this is related to the rumored launch speed decrease post-media day?
That was just the thoosies being overreactive. It was cold and windy that day, and it’s programmed to launch at 120 mph regardless, compared to TTD being able to take into account temp and wind speed and adjust the launch speed as necessary.
 
I think this is related to the wheel size. I remember the press videos talking about the wheel size being like it is to take into account the launch velocity and forces.
 
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What are the chances that they didn't take into account that they had changed the heartline coming down from the top hat, and maybe it's getting forces they didn't expect? Which would be mind blowing if so. This is a question, not a statement.
 
The statement from The Point pretty clearly states that Zamperla will be making a "mechanical modification" to the trains. This implies engineering is getting involved to redesign something and new parts likely need to be fabricated and installed. (Hence why there is currently no onsite activity on the trains). Zamperla themselves might not even have a solid timeline for the fix as they try to get leadtimes figured out.

Without inside information, we can speculate all day on the potential issue. Blue painters tape has been spotted on the stators which is used to detect contact between the magnet beam on the train and the stators; they could be looking at adjustments to the magnet beam or to the wheel bogies to ensure proper gap is maintained. Also could have found premature stress cracks / fractures in any of the critical structure on the train (I'd guess the wheel bogie structure might be most susceptible) and they need to make stronger parts to replace those. Also there have been reports of row closures when the ride was running which could be a routine maintenance issue with restraints or something that developed into a longer term solution being required.

I'm sure with so many eyes at Cedar Point, if they make an significant modifications to the trains in public view it will be photographed.
 
The best part is that my wife and I made the trip half way across the country to visit yesterday and today, and didn't get to ride it.

At one point in time yesterday, TT2, Gatekeeper, Magnum, Gemini, and Valravn were all down at once. Millie was a late opener. Lift hill evac on Magnum.

This morning, just after the TT2 announcement, there were only 3 coasters running in the whole park, none of which are on anyone's top-5-in-the-park list.

Sincerely, I'm sorry that you had to go through that. Cedar Point has let you and a lot of other guests down with this.

According to the Cedar Point defenders on social media, however, having a new ride go down indefinitely a week after is opening is totally normal and expected and no one is allowed to get mad. 🙄
 
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