I Was Wrong About Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster.

I made a lot of right predictions regarding the future of Top Thrill Dragster... But I was wrong about this one... Top Thrill Dragster returning to Cedar Point in 2024!
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Key Words: Top Thrill Dragster, Dragster Spike, Top Thrill Dragster Intamin, Top Thrill Dragster Zamperla, Cedar Point 2024 coaster, El Toro Ryan Top Thrill Dragster, World's Tallest Roller Coaster, The future of Top Thrill Dragster, What's next for Top Thrill Dragster, Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point, Top Thrill Dragster future, Top Thrill Dragster rumors, Top Thrill Dragster fate, Will Top Thrill Dragster open again? Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point 2023, Will Top Thrill Dragster ever open at Cedar Point again?, Top Thrill Dragster predictions, Cedar Point 2024, World's tallest roller coaster, What's new at Cedar Point, Cedar Point roller coasters, World's tallest roller coasters, Theme park, amusement park, Top Thrill Dragster, Swing Launch, Cedar Point 500 ft tall roller coaster, Cedar Point 500 ft
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[@TP_Recommendations]

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[@alexisleblancdussault9434]

Honestly, I would be more confident if GCI built a 300ft steel coaster...

[@dr_expresso]

exactly

[@PatrickRyan150]

YES! 😢

[@TaylorStJohn-fp9zs]

I would have liked to see Premier Rides put their stamp on this. Their Mr. Freeze coasters are still the most memorable launches to me personally even though they're not necessarily the most forceful.

[@JakieJake88]

This is either going to put Zamperla on the map or destroy their reputation. There really is no in-between.

[@brteller]

It seems like it isn't worth the risk for either company at this stage of the game, but here we are, Zamperla making a 120mph + launch... I would hate to be in their engineering department, makes sense of the "delays" rumored now.

[@mattwimad]

It was risky when intamin did it the first time. Let them have their chance and if they fail we can laugh… but it might be real good. Zamperla isn’t a bunch of morons. Let them have their moment

[@brteller]

@@mattwimad it’s not that serious. It’s all speculation, this isn’t a feel good fairytale for their one chance at fame. Until they prove themselves they’ve opened themselves up to skepticism.

[@flashback0978]

If it does put them on the map I wonder what it will do to intamins reputation that they were abl to step in and address all of the issues Intamin was never able to fix

[@flashback0978]

@@brteller designers and engineers do move around, I have a feeling Zamprela ended up with a few engineers from Intamin on their team and that is where this is all coming from

[@ElToroRyan]

I see you’ve joined the dark side 😂 I’m still very confused by all this but I’ve got my popcorn ready to go as we watch Zamperla do their thing

[@TP_Recommendations]

Yea lol. Everything inside of me was telling me not to. 😂

[@dredd_rl2807]

Luv u Ryan

[@thecoasterscorpion]

I also got my popcorn ready!

[@TheJordan08]

I think it could be a good thing but also a bad thing

[@nathanpayne5358]

😂💯

[@thecoasterdad9808]

This is either going to be the best decision in Cedar Fair history or the absolute worst. We all love a underdog story, triumphing over the giant. However it’s still a very questionable decision. The only silver lining I can see is Zamperla needs to hit this out of the park. If the new dragster ends up being the coaster of our dreams, it will catapult them to the top. Or if they fail, then this could set the company back big time, if not put them in a position they stick to just flat rides. They need this coaster to be their brake out coaster. It has to succeed for them. If they wanna be able to play with the big dogs.

[@Sabir_DelNorte]

In my opinion if it is a hit, I’ll have to admit I was wrong about their decision to not work with intamin for this or new build outs in their parks, but if this is a dud/always down outcome, this years long mystery and project, for me at least will rank up there with the son of beast in terms of projects that had such huge game changing potential in the coaster space only to crash and burn, in failure to resolve the operational and safety aspects of the ride once finished with build out and testing.

[@supremefan]

Even if it's good it won't make them near any of the existing manufacturers level... A really big swing launch ride isn't even impressive with the likes of what RMC & Intamin put out now. Let alone Gerstlauer or Mack.

[@brteller]

It's going to be a spike launch and top hat. All I had to know it was for budget reasons and any hope of an extended layout went with it. They're doing this because they want to have it running again and nothing more.

[@ICU306]

Break out**

[@aaronpatalune4363]

@@brteller yeah I'm feeling this is going to be rather blah. I hope I'm wrong next year.

[@KatiesCoasters]

Well said. This is just the saddest news I've heard for awhile... Things aren't lining up good for Dragster 2.0. I don't understand how Cedar Fair thinks this is going to be the "best" decision. Just wow

[@thecoasterscorpion]

Agreed 100%

[@PatrickRyan150]

100% agreed, Katie.

[@Aerolandaircraft]

I totally agree. How do you replace the best launch on the planet with a renovation from a company that can't do a 52 foot wild mouse?

[@aaronsandman749]

To be fair, obviously you wouldn't know. You weren't in the meeting rooms when this deal was decided. Cedar Fair was there though. It is a mindboggling choice to not take Intimin, but there has to be a reason and Cedar Fair knows this. I don't see this as sad news, just surprising. Zamperla has some big shoes to fill that is for sure.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

@@aaronsandman749 apparently the reason was cost, plain and simple.

[@smith9808]

This is shocking tbh. I don’t know how they’re trusting a company that builds unreliable wild mouses to modify arguably the most famous coaster in the world.

[@Someone-hi1nt]

not even close

[@APPANOOO]

COUGH COUGH ….KING DA KA ENTERS CHAT

[@yukonstriker1703]

Took the words right outta' my mouth... I'm shook!

[@APPANOOO]

@@yukonstriker1703 😂😂 I was like wait a damn minute most famous???😂😂

[@Johnnyiswhere]

It's not that shocking. Some of us have been saying Zamperla for months. I think they'll do a great job. Someone had to take a chance on Vekoma again right?.

[@andrewherbert4285]

We have been split between the 2 for months now..I'm not gonna believe either one til Tony says one over the other

[@thehawknelsonfreak]

This. All the proof we have right now is here say. If I hear someone say “my sources are telling me” one more time

[@donzender9008]

@@thehawknelsonfreak "anonymous sources" ..... this guy and his predictions are worse than CNN.

[@StormBreakr]

Cedar Fair: Over relies on B&M and GCI for coaster additions because of how reliable they are Also Cedar Fair: "Hey Zamperla, want to redo our 420ft launch coaster at our flagship park?"

[@Cap-ku6ok]

Teacher: "Boys and girls, moop just gave a good example of an oxymoron!"

[@mhsjfriends2274]

Saying it like that make anyone realize how truly stupid this idea really is

[@synyster__2120]

I feel like Intamin not being involved would be colossal mistake.

[@blainebasil6577]

Definitely is

[@CoasterCheetah]

100%

[@UltimateCoaster2Creations]

I am sad about this

[@IntaminFanGRLPowerCoasters]

I'M MAD! I know they don't like Intamin, but MACK AND PREMIER and EVEN B&M could probably do better than ZAMPERLA. I still wish it was Intamin though. Cedar Point can do Cedar Point I guess..

[@finleyramsden4311]

@@IntaminFanGRLPowerCoasters MACK rides would actually be a good option seeing how similar they are to Intamin

[@raymondaltinzi3152]

Wow… I’m floored. We recently went up to CP for 3 days and my young kids, who are all coaster buffs, were really excited for Wild Mouse. They did get to ride it, but it was only open for about 3 hours on day one and closed the rest of the time. As someone who missed out on the chance to ride the original TTD I am super disappointed.

[@Ryan-ih1ti]

Tbh …. TTD woulda only been open 1 hour across that time. The thoosies are misremembering TTD.

[@SpacePirateK]

Zamperla renovating an Intamin makes about as much sense as asking a third grader to restore the Mona Lisa.

[@jeremycovelli]

well.. they already have at least one more in the works..

[@PatrickRyan150]

Perfectly said! 😢😢😢

[@eskolebedev3512]

Or Grove Street Games remaster GTA Trilogy 😂😂😂

[@Sabir_DelNorte]

So true and as another commenter said, perfectly stated

[@darce2019]

Zamperla did another intamin redo

[@HersheyKnoebelsLover]

I’m glad they are sparing TTD, but I am questioning if this is the right decision from Cedar Fair to go with Zamperla.

[@fortnitekingttv2980]

What’s wrong with TTD??? I think it’s a good ride Honestly

[@eaanyills]

@@fortnitekingttv2980You know, nothing except the critical injury it induced.

[@ImAlwaysHere1]

@@eaanyills Totally maintenance's fault, not a fault of the coaster.

[@coastingthrills7297]

@@ImAlwaysHere1 It wasn’t maintenance, or manufacture fault. It was simply an unfortunate thing that happened

[@ImAlwaysHere1]

@@coastingthrills7297 It was maintenance. There were several bolts missing from components, including the "flag plate", which is what flew off. The flag plate helps the computer system know where the train is on the track.

[@baileyneedham169]

Starting to think cedar fair is the problem with working with companies. No other chains have a problem with RMC and intamin

[@dreams2reality410]

Agreed....100%

[@ThemeParkCrazy]

In all honesty, I have no problem with Zamperla working on Top Thrill Dragster. The company may not have experience with a coaster as big as Dragster, but they are still a proven name in the amusement industry. They have an excellent safety record, and have installed attractions pretty much everywhere (even North Korea). They have the technology possible to redo Dragster, and they have the resources to do so at an affordable price. It is possible that the new ride may have reliability issues, and we dont know how good it will be. But Zamperla's involvement isnt that surprising to me.

[@TheNinjaDC]

I knew it was going to be Zamperla. Zamperla wasn't exactly subtle with their new trains. However, Zamperla makes sense. If Cedar Fair does want to give Intamin another chance, Dragster 2.0 is a rather poor choice. Intamin greatest strength is their layouts. *Dragster has the most basic layout of any thrill coaster.* It's perfect for Zamperla. They get to show off their LSM coasters, and have minimal design work. Intamin is honestly a poor choice as they would cost more, and likely have less favorable contracts (ones that guarantee it works). And they'd bring nothing to the design. Dragster 2.0 is just Dragster with a spike, and maybe a speed hill before the top hat. If Cedar Fair wants to give Intamin one more shot, it makes sense to hire them for a project that plays to their strengths. So a Velocicoaster like blitz, or even a family multi launch.

[@HockeyGUY66871]

Its gonna be more unreliable than the original, I guarantee it. Our zamperlas at Kennywood are maintenance nightmares, the new ines at Carowinds and CPs Wild Mouse have all been massive maintenance nightmares

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Former KW passholder. Went there a couple weeks ago, saw Spinvasion, and had no desire to ever wait in line for it. Phantom was up and on. Go figure.

[@nikkisavo7293]

​@@aaronpatalune4363Spinvasion was weird. I haven't seen it have any major down time yet, but I haven't been to the park as much this year. I will say the seats feel cheap and the OTSRs do too. Which makes me generally wonder about build quality amongst other things. I'll be honest, if all this is true with Zamperla and "Dragster 2.0", I'm extremely nervous about the outcome. 😥

[@jdarcade2538]

This project was the perfect opportunity for Intamin and Cedar Fair to settle their differences and build something incredible. I'm not saying that Zamperla will do a terrible job, but the fact that Cedar Fair would openly reject the original creator of Top Thrill Dragster, Intamin, for the re-imagination process, makes me concerned that we will not see any Intamin coasters coming to Cedar Fair parks any time soon.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Right. Today's Intamin doesn't look to be the same company from 15-20 years ago. Same out of this world rides but now better reliability.

[@bassjasinski]

Wow Zamperla should put spinning trains on the new Top Thrill Dragster 😂

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

That would be insane

[@rranger2834]

Not everyone likes to spin. I hate that crap like Wild Mouse.

[@eddienhp]

Idk if that’s going to happen.

[@MidnightRailfan]

Cedar Fair wanted Dragster. They can’t blame Intamin for building what they asked for. Same thing for I305. Maybe it was too intense and had to be reprofiled, but someone at CF had to sign off to say “yes, we approve of that design”. Intamin has gotten a lot better and CF needs to wake up. Same situation goes for RMC. They had issues with SteVe, but CF pushed for the 200ft mark. They knew very well that would be RMC’s first 200 foot hybrid. They’ve seen Iron Gwazi top that mark with minimal issues. Just like Intamin, RMC has learned from mistakes.

[@HersheyKnoebelsLover]

I totally agree!

[@aaronpatalune4363]

YES!!!!!

[@tsimmons626grcity]

I think the evidence is starting to show that this rebuild of TTD from Cedar Points perspective was never intended to be done in a way that puts the ride instantly in everyone’s top 10 and makes it unbelievably better than the original. This may more of a salvage attempt. More of a “that thing over there is going to cost a boat load of money to tear down what could we do with it that wouldn’t cost an insane amount of money?” I think we may be a bit underwhelmed with the final product. Another thing I’m surprised not many are picking up on, and I don’t have the exact quote in front of me, but at the media day in May, Tony used some verbiage that seemed to at least lend the idea to the notion that the reimagined dragster may not be the only new coaster in 2024. Call me crazy, but what if the lame reimagining of TTD is a smoke screen for a much bigger signature attraction on the current Corkscrew and possibly Gemini plot of land? I’m not convinced this is out of the question!

[@carysage]

Every time I go to Cedar Point most of the Intamins have some serious down time or don't open at all. So it doesn't surprise me that it isn't Intamin. Zamperla does seem to be an odd choice though. There was a news interview with Tony Clark about a month ago and he said something that worried me. He said something along the lines of him liking coasters but not liking them to be too extreme. I think maybe it was "I'm a thrill seeker but not a huge thrill seeker." He went on to say that he would be able to enjoy the new ride... I've kind of been worried that the top hat is actually getting smaller. Put that together with a Zamperla confirmation and I am right back to what I felt when it first closed in Aug of 21: That ride is cursed, they should tear it down.

[@daniellegardella8611]

I think CP maintenance is huge to blame for these rides not being up and ready. Other parks don't seem to have as big of an issue.

[@alexisleblancdussault9434]

Intamin is now a completely new company. Toutatis, Taron, Taiga, Kondaa, Velocicoaster and Pantheon (just to name a few) are all reliable and considered top tier rides. Intamin has proven themselves in recent years, yet Cedar Fair looked past that. Very odd move!

[@aaronpatalune4363]

I saw that interview and felt the same worry.

[@fortnitekingttv2980]

He probably meant wild mouse how he said he will enjoy the new ride

[@aaronpatalune4363]

@@fortnitekingttv2980 hope so but to me it seemed he meant dragster

[@heks128]

Zamperla has to have an ace up their sleeve we don't know about in dealing with this project. Something. Of money is a major concern but I don't think that was the main factor either. Just my opinion.

[@richard6124]

You would think that Zamperla would have an ace up their sleeve. We hope!!! I’m still bummed that it won’t be Intamin!!

[@Danrarbc]

Could it be as simply as Intamin didn't want to keep old track and Zamperla said "sure"?

[@MrPopsfreshnmyer]

If Zamp can pull this off, it'll completely change the company. It can't be as simple as saving money not going with Intamin. This project is years in the making, with Intamin rolling it's new generation coasters to customers the whole time. Cedar Fair knew what Int has been doing the whole time. Zamp must have put one hell of a presentation and demonstration together for CF to make this possible. They must have gotten some kind of maintenance deal too. Any kind of "savings" not going with Int is out the window right away if it turns out to be a rotten egg. A massive dysfunctional coaster will cost more to CF than just the money they initially put into this.

[@TP_Recommendations]

It will be interesting to see what happens!

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Great sales presentation or bargain basement price?

[@Danrarbc]

@@aaronpatalune4363 Yes.

[@MrPopsfreshnmyer]

@@aaronpatalune4363 I find it hard to believe CP would simply go "hey, that's cheap! Let's do that." on their monument attraction that already almost killed someone. Risking tens of millions on an 'eh' company without being shown and offered reassuring tech and capability makes no sense at this level.

[@samplautz5586]

@@MrPopsfreshnmyer let’s be be spreading misinformation. She did not die. She got a brain injury from it but she is still alive

[@FlyRick78]

Intamin has a history of not delivering fully on their contracts and failing to support their rides unless parks commit to buying more from Intamin. Maybe this is changing, but Intamin has left a sour taste in a lot of mouths - and RMC has done similar. Cedar Fair withheld final payments on Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance because of issues that RMC was supposed to address but refused to initially. Intamin has done similar. I've heard they only did some support for Pantheon after Sea World agreed to buy more coasters from them. Maybe that's not true but I can tell you Intamin does not have a good rep. Even Universal has some qualms.

[@alecscheerer_run]

And how do you know that?

[@bends6330]

What do you mean with not fulfilling the contract? Where do you know what part are in the contract? I knew from parks in Europe, that you can buy some „extras“ in the contract, like supervising the construction and if you don’t pay for it, you won’t get it. The relationship between Intamin and CP has some cracks before, I really don’t have a clue why there are so many problems with Intamin rides at CP (Roll at Maverick, Shoot the Rapids) meanwhile other parks got reliable rides from them. Zamperla has improved a lot in the last years, even with the huge sales in the states. But also so knew from parks , that they have to improve some parts of smaller rides on their own to get a reliable ride.

[@cps6290]

Wait. Your video never once confirmed why you think it is Zamperla other than “multiple sources” told you. That’s not reliable information.

[@MileHighGrowler]

I'm actually excited/intrigued by this. It could be the door opening Zamperla needs to usher in a new generation of roller coasters. It could also help heat the fuel of the modern coaster wars with them competing with Intamin and others. I liken this to giving an employee a shot at a big promotion and they knock it out of the park because they really want it, and have new vision and ideas. Maybe it's a bad idea, but there's waaaaay too much doom and gloom in the comments and none of us have any idea at all what we're about to see and get.

[@cp_coasterlover]

If they wanted to knock something out if the park it should have been the much simpler Wild Mouse. Dragster 2.0 will be way more of a complex ride then Wild Mouse is.

[@notsospoopybob]

@@cp_coasterlover i dont a wild mouse really creating the headliner required to do this

[@cp_coasterlover]

@@notsospoopybob but if wild mouse was not down all of the time then Zamperla would look way better and people would not have such a bad opinion of them.

[@notsospoopybob]

@@cp_coasterlover I don't think 1 coaster should be the be all and end all of a single manufacturer - I know their old coasters mostly sucked, but so did vekoma's, and look where they are now. Dragsters probably a strange choice so early on at this sorta scale but I think they deserve a chance. Itll pull crowds regardless of how good it is, (as long as it runs) which is what the park ultimately cares about, not the enthusiasts

[@cp_coasterlover]

@@notsospoopybob I get what you are saying. If it is zamperla and it works the person who chose them will get a promotion or a raise but if the project fails they will probably lose their job.

[@logdow4380]

They took a chance on a small company before. When they were building millennium force, they went w the much smaller intamin vs arrow dynamics. Maybe zamperla could pull off an intamin too

[@First-Drop-Studios]

Yeah this has to be one of the worst decisions in theme park history.

[@Johnnyiswhere]

Why?

[@Rocketcoasternerd]

@@Johnnyiswherecause it is just look at wild mouse’s down time

[@jeremycovelli]

@@Rocketcoasternerd And look at every other wild mouse coaster Zamperla has made.. almost never down. Also the problem with Wild Mouse doesn't really have anything to do with Zamperla, they were supplied some bad sensors.

[@PatrickRyan150]

Yes, this is a huge gamble by Cedar Point if true. Wait times have been long with many breakdowns of coasters. They need a big draw running to ease the lines throughout the park.

[@yukonstriker1703]

Seems Cedar Fair as a Company, have sacrificed guest safety over satisfying shareholders at this point! WOW

[@jayducharme]

I'm not counting anything out at this point. But Zamperla makes sense to me because of the Wild Mouse. Cedar Fair (and other chains) have done this before: open a small ride first from a company that's creating a bigger ride for the park. Perhaps Cedar Fair got a deal from Zamperla, getting the Wild Mouse cheaper if they got the contract for Dragster. Who knows? I just hope the park had full testing done on the remaining tophat track to make sure it still had its integrity.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Not a great business model going with the low cost provider when you're known as the gold standard.

[@IntaminFanGRLPowerCoasters]

Maurer builds some really great rides. Really underrated!

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Yep happened with Dollywood and Vekoma. They got Dragonflier for a discount when they bought Big Bear Mountain

[@robhalverson1983]

You can still be right, Intamin has a ton of white track in front of its building on Google Earth

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Hail Mary, full of grace...

[@mithramusic5909]

Too late for Cedar Fair to start crapping their pants NOW, they should have felt that way back when they were reviewing the proposal. What an odd choice

[@rustyshackleford6746]

Can we see how it rides or what the layout officially is first before we jump to conclusions? Every company has to start somewhere, there was a time when RMC looked crazy or Arrow or RCCA… well maybe not that last one, but you get the idea.😂

[@vrb-.]

When they jump from 115 to 420ft it is concerning. I don't trust them

[@ninjxmi]

at least RMC pretty much got everything before their first coaster right

[@ninjagirl226]

I get what you are saying but using RMC as the example they didn’t immediately jump in and do Steel Vengeance. No for conversations they did New Texas Giant then Iron Rattler then Medusa, Twisted Colossus, Wicked Cyclone, Storm Chaser, Joker, Twisted Timbers, and then Steel Vengeance. They worked their way to something that massive learning as they go and even then mistakes were made which led to the trust lift hills used in Iron Gwazi. For Zamperla this is basically saying ok I can do the 10 K pretty well I’m going to sign up for a full marathon. And I can tell you that doesn’t always go well…

[@CoasterPack]

Recently went on Rollin thunder and considering the rattle on a coaster that small I can’t imagine the pain on the new dragster - especially transitioning between the new and old track.

[@Onoitsbroko]

HOLY CRAP this is WILD! Like, I understand Cedar Fair having hate for Intamin but to actually trust Zamperla with a 420 foot, 100 Mph + coaster is insane to me. I'm going to give this project the benefit of the doubt for sure, but man; to have Rollin' Thunder as your tallest and fastest rollercoaster and for it not to be good at all is scary as hell. 😬

[@smith9808]

Cedar Fair turning into Six Flags in the cutting cost money department.

[@pauldoyle8986]

I saw an interview with the VP of Kings Island saying they could of gotten SolDeSpin with more seats, but it came down to money. Kings Island isn’t getting anything record breaking anytime soon.

[@jeremycovelli]

Six Flags is spending more money than ever these days.. every single one of their parks is getting new rides yearly.. sometimes two rides.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

@@pauldoyle8986 that's just sad. But smaller trains and longer wait times mean more front of the line pass sales. When the accountants run amusement parks :(

[@CoasterCheetah]

Dragster without Intamin is like pizza without cheese. Cedar Fair not working with Intamin or RMC is completely ridiculous and unfortunate.

[@blainebasil6577]

It is beyond ridiculous cedar fair not working with intamin anymore may lose some money from coaster enthusiasts

[@xoanone]

@@blainebasil6577oh no they lose $1M dollars! man i hope the remaining $1.5B dollars will keep them afloat

[@kellyoman2196]

Why aren't they working with rmc?

[@xoanone]

@@kellyoman2196 steel vengence had a ton of severe issues, and twisted timbers + railblazer had issues as well

[@DoomPlague]

@@xoanone Yeah, I'm pretty CF (or SF or SW etc) isn't that worried about losing the entitled-thoosie market.

[@samich57]

Being able to admit your wrong is an excellent virtue! Love the content.

[@brteller]

Hopefully Cedar Fair starts to take note of the great quality of admitting their wrong and perhaps they'll start working with better manufacturers again.

[@randalheller7460]

Yea because the idea of zamperla doing this is not realistic, and I’m 99.9% sure this will go down as one of the worst decisions in history in any park. Hope I’m wrong but the KZbin content will be great either way

[@WillKalili]

At this point, I'm just rooting for Zamperla to pull it off for the sake of Dragster, but I'm seriously concerned.

[@TP_Recommendations]

Me too

[@aidancarwash]

Just because they’re keeping the track on the top hat does not mean it’s going to be zamperla, As I have predicted that the track will stay on the top hat as it would be really expensive to remove track and add new track to the top hat

[@Stormyrac3r]

They wouldn’t choose Zamperla if they didn’t think they could do it.

[@guitarmansg499]

You'd think CP would rather stick to the DO side of things as opposed to just THINK but hey I guess regular gambling doesn't quite give the same thrill anymore. They're looking for TOP THRILL!

[@kevinthompson6986]

@@guitarmansg499they won’t find it with zamperla no offense

[@jtpdesigns]

If you go back a few years...Zamperla made it public in a video statement that they were focusing resources on coaster development. I'd be surprised to learn how long this has actually been in the works for TTD as a conversation with a super key person was was struck about the same time the hydraulic motor was replaced. The concept of a spike was dropped. All we will get most likely is the spike, a drop in switch track, and maybe a bunny hill. Mark me lol I've been saying this since June of last year at least. Feet on the ground as my home park for 32 years I'm pretty confident. I hope im wrong but choosing Zamperla and a simple spike is the cheapest route and likely a win win for both companies. Zampela's coaster business future is riding on it lol pun intended.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

It's stupid on both parties involved. Zamperla has some really big opinions of themselves to actually take on a coaster eight times the height, and at least 2 1/2 times the speed. It was stupid of CP to even consider a company like zamperla to do it knowing they have no experience at those figures. If this isn't basically turn key awesome, it's going to look bad on both parties. With the amount of down time the wild mouse has, it's not looking towards their favor.

[@mcwoods85]

Let’s keep the faith. Everyone needs to fail before they succeed. Zamperla deserves a chance to try. I DO agree Intamin would be better but I’m willing to give Zamperla a chance.

[@ZazzledazzleAnim]

Yeah, Zamperla has stated they're working on improving as a manufacturer, so I'm interested to see where this goes atleast

[@brendan123]

I agree with the sentiment, but 116 ain't even close to 420. We're talking apples and oranges right now

[@donzender9008]

@@brendan123 Remember, Intamin wasn't anywhere close to 420 until 20 years ago. Gotta start somewhere.

[@SpacePirateK]

Well we can say this for certain, if they botch this job. I doubt Zamperla will ever be brought on to a refurb by any major chain ever again. This is a make or break moment for them as a company if they want to be taken seriously for anything other than flat rides.

[@robertpolk9910]

@@donzender9008 Intamin had already done 310 feet in 2000. They had the world's tallest coaster for 3 months, and that was 3 years before Dragster.

[@rexnewcombe8337]

The thing is sometimes you just have to trust someone else and give them a chance.

[@brandonwilliams966]

Exactly.

[@notyourcoaster]

mark my words: zamperla will do this project it will open and have lots of issues and a year later intamin is contacted to "fix it" and then it will be better

[@lyndsiedrapeau527]

Agreed

[@dennmod24]

it's amazing how a park that's going downhill the rollercoaster capital of the world isn't working with the top 2 manufacturers anymore, it breaks my heart now were stuck with B&M zam and haven't even seen a mack and vakoma yet except woodstock. looks like were stuck with the boring manufacturers smh. people the top 3 coasters at cedar point is from Intamin and RMC. soon cp will be at the bottom

[@MrHaaspaul]

You hit the nail on the head !!!

[@aaronpatalune4363]

YES!!! :(

[@poorcomputerman6200]

I have to wonder if Zamperla has hired some employees from other coaster companies such as Intamin as they are planning to do bigger projects.

[@thecoasterbear]

They have

[@aidenkearns3882]

Talked to one of the Painters Today, it’s gonna be red and white on the way up!

[@GarmrWolfFang]

I get everybody’s fascination with Intamin. I like Intamin myself and my favorite coasters are launch coasters made by Intamin. And I know I’m about to catch crap possibly for this. But I think they went with Zempurla because Zempurla showed them something about their future plans that they haven’t showed anyone else and Zempurla has a secret weapon they are putting into place. Zempurla is about to shock the entire coaster world starting with this coaster as a foundation for their much greater future success. Don’t ask me how. But I trust my gut when I say that Zempurla is playing the long game with the much bigger vision than anyone has ever expected and dreamed of from Zempurla. I’m calling it when i say that Zempurlas mega success and future plans in every roller coaster park starts with the dragster. Come back to this comment when you start to see mega extreme thrill coasters by Zempurla in a Ton of major theme parks within the next 5 to 10 years with top ratings if they go about this right

[@joem8875]

Secret weapon? Bro they cant get a fuckin mouse coaster to run consistently 🤣

[@GarmrWolfFang]

@@joem8875 which is what makes my hunch even better. Comments like this. Cause no one , you included, and understandably so won’t believe it until it happens. This feels different from before. Way different. Something about Zempurla’s vision and self belief in their capabilities have changed in a big way. We just don’t know what it is until the vision produces itself. But this isn’t just about dragster for Zempurla this just the beginning of something much grander.

[@DoomPlague]

@@joem8875 Does Intamin get...anything running consistently?

[@ItsCammy.]

@@joem8875but when has maverick been open consistently

[@ninjxmi]

@@DoomPlague imagine just being another intamin hater that's stuck in the past

[@joestoez]

Everyone is going to hate what I have to say but you guys can't trust sources that we don't know if they are reliable. Just wait please before you make any judgements and please just be optimistic.

[@Cap-ku6ok]

This is so unlike Cedar Fair to choose the unproven option. It makes no sense. It's also harder to believe Zamperla would risk their reputation on such a project. If this fails, no one will buy another.

[@jeremycovelli]

lol.. Intamin only ever built one non small family coaster before CP got the them to make Millennium Force

[@dwhitman12341]

I really hope Cedar Fair can mend their relationship with Intamin and RMC. I’m suffering from B&M burnout at my home park Carowinds

[@rcmadiax]

I stand with Cedar Fair 100% on this decision. It’s not just the issues they have had with TTD - almost every Intamin coaster that Cedar Fair has installed has given them issues. I305 was the last straw. That ride, for the price, was meant to put them ahead of BGW - but it failed big time. So now their black listed from working with the chain in the future. It’s not the end of the world if they NEVER work with them again. There’s no shortage of companies willing to step up to the challenge. If Zamperla plays their cards right, this could be big for them.

[@Planco360]

Love the vids man❤💫

[@richard6124]

I do too!!

[@HangingwiththeCrazyCrew]

Looks more like a money decision than a rational one. I'm not saying this will fail or is a bad idea, but Like you said, the last few years, Intamin has been making some amazing coasters and I feel like they could really improve this entire ride. But I guess time will tell how this turns out!!

[@Aerolandaircraft]

Top Thrill Dragster was, in some ways, the ultimate coaster. The only thing that set it back was reliability. And when Cedar Point has a chance to fix this, they choose a manufacturer that can't get a 52 foot Wild Mouse right. I was starting to warm up to the Dragster project after huge disappointment with the spike (I never got to ride but it sure was on my bucket list as I love a good launch) and this is a gut punch. At least there's still Kingda Ka at Six Flags. It's restraints may suck, the launch may shake like hell and the view from the top nothing like Dragster's, but at least a world class coaster.

[@Metal_Groove45]

I only rode Dragster twice. Once in 2018 and one final time in 2020. That launch was incredible and I was suprised how glass smooth it was going up the 420ft tophat! I rode Kingda Ka in 2021, 1 week before the Dragster accident! The over the shoulder restraints are unnecessary, but I don't think they really ruin the ride. The launch though is very shaky in the back, that's true! Personally, I prefer Kingda Ka, but probably because I only rode it at night! 2 night rides!

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

​@@Metal_Groove45We can blame the horrible state of NJ for that, they are mandatory on coasters over 400ft in NJ (for absolutely no reason of course)

[@nascarfireball4828]

I like the colors on the new dragster, as I’ve heard rumors that the ride will be re-themed from a drag racing theme to a space one, which I think is a really cool fit for a ride with dragster’s speed and height. I had never really considered what issues could be caused by dragster’s transition to Zamperla, as I was mostly just swept up by the hype train of the project, but this video brought some new information that has really got me thinking more about the switch and the project’s success or failure. Excellent analysis!

[@joem8875]

My issue isnt so much with Zamperla doing dragster, its with Cedar Fair refusing to work with Intamin and RMC. Grow TF up, thats the entire reason we come to your park. Steve, Maverick, Millie, Dragster, I305, etc. Love the B&Ms too but Intamin is doing things right, look at their last coasters, they are on fire. Wild mouse has been a joke of a coaster with horrendous up-time. This is a GP / accounting pleaser move. GP has no idea who built what and if it costs a couple million less and still goes up and down, the GP go oooo and ahhh. Sour AF and hoping tony clark is just messing with everyone at this point

[@dennmod24]

Thank You , i could not have said it any better , only good B&M's are their hypers and giga models and were not getting one of those anyone soon . intamin rules , i just got back from hershey park and thier intamins are amazing. cp is going way downhill on all categories. it's all about money for cedar point

[@macdox69]

Exactly. Sure these CP Intamins and SV have had some issues, but they have been the star attractions at the park as well. Millions of happy and awesome rides. Rides break down and have issues, especially when you're pushing the envelope. This Zamperla idea just seems off for what is the centerpiece/standout ride in the park. Time will tell.

[@-sixy-]

sorry to break it to you but cedar fair doesn’t give 2 shits about coaster enthusiasts. the gp is where they get their money so they will obviously build rides to please the gp

[@dennmod24]

@@-sixy- i already know that unfortunately were not in the early 2000's anymore

[@baileyneedham169]

I agree but the gp matters more than enthusiasts

[@White.Guy83]

Everyone should wear an "I

[@IntaminFanGRLPowerCoasters]

Haha I would but CP is too far away

[@lavannelli4982]

did you know there are over 600 sensors on the tophat to let the operator know where exactly where every train is

[@lavannelli4982]

the police station is what i think he meant

[@batgirl5518]

Intamin being involved would’ve been the better choice for the park. Since I’ve ridden mouse I’d see how this goes

[@I_Was_Groot_2000]

Still hoping for intamin gang \/

[@IainHendry]

Always enjoy your videos! I am curious though, you didn't really discuss any of the reasons why you now think it's for sure Zamperla. Can you elaborate? What changed your mind specifically? There hasn't been any new evidence about this that I have heard.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Right. What specifically made you change your mind, Brandon?

[@teddym2808]

Dude ,Zamperla ROCKED it with the NTG/IR trains. The NTG accident wasn't their fault and they are way better than RMC's train. I predict a GREAT train for dragster. Zamperla coasters mostly suck, but their thunderbolt layout is fantastic, ironically it was the trains that ruin that one, not the layout. Volare do have the worst coaster trains in the entire world, of course. So I know why some people are worried, but Cedar Fair will be involved and make sure they get what they want. They have made shite, they have made great. I predict great.

[@casuallystalled]

Maybe CP is the problem. Idk, find it odd that Zamperla even bid for this

[@sportsMike87]

yeah I don’t understand why they just didn’t make a compressed air launch. Maxx Force has been running pretty well.

[@charlesgamble5158]

Maxx Force suffers lots of down time :(

[@jeremycovelli]

it only goes 78 mph.. lol

[@andrelol5141]

I wish it was intamin

[@IntaminFanGRLPowerCoasters]

There is still hope... maybe!!

[@richard6124]

So do I!! Now I’m bummed!!

[@Paolo8772]

Personal feelings aside: I'm not surprised. I refuse to believe Playland in Vancouver's over hyped marketing isn't the only reason coaster enthusiasts know about the Intamin cum Zamperla coaster opening here next year.

[@3000GTpro]

Oh boy... This definitely sounds like a big mistake for Cedar Fair. Like you said Brandon, how can you expect a company to get this right if they can't even get a simple wild mouse to run right and stay open? I also don't even understand why They won't do any more business with RMC when the fact of the matter is even with any issues they have with steel vengeance (I don't know what issues they have), the ride is still one of the most popular in the park now isn't it? And RMC is the newest roller coaster manufacturer out there, so you should expect them to be working out what does and doesn't work with them. It kind of seems like Cedar Fair is taking a lot of these setbacks almost too personally.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Agree. They seem to hold a grudge.

[@brteller]

RMC likely wanted them to foot the R&D bill some and Cedar Fair refused. I'm willing to bet they offered it a discount as well, fact is, budgets change and it sounds like Cedar Fair turns into big cry babies every time their record setting prototype needs more TLC than they anticipated using state of the art technology. Barring two of the best manufacturers in the business says it's a Cedar Fair problem and less of a manufacturer problem. Only park that should be slightly upset is Dollywood, but even they still work with RMC because they know they requested a prototype that needed more work than the usual. They pushed boundaries and it came at a cost. Prototypes have inherit risk, even successful ones have issues.

[@3000GTpro]

@@brteller exactly

[@willwill1289]

I can't help but think like maybe they have some secret location somewhere where they test stuff before it goes into production for major parks lol it would be well needed for zamperla lol

[@brandonwilliams966]

With the relationship that Cedar Fair has with Intamin and with all of the Intamin accidents at Cedar Point over the years, it's not shocking at all that they're not involved. I'm glad Cedar Fair is holding their position with Intamin. As for Zamperla... they're doing great work and they definitely know what they're doing. They're essentially just adding a new piece to an existing coaster. I don't see how this could be bad or go "all wrong" as some people are suggesting. Either way... the good thing is that Dragster is being re-imagined at all and not being taken down after it almost caused that lady's death. We'll see what's happening when we (hopefully) ride it next year. Much love to you all.

[@roblake602]

Thanks, Brandon Intamin may have originally subcontracted the job to Zamperla

[@gpeppypeppercorn5305]

I thought that a Google earth photo from intamins headquarters showed track suitable for this

[@ericscornerky]

I feel like we are missing a Coaster Maker here... What about S&S? Cause they DO make a Triple Launch LSM coaster. OR Premier Rides? They made Icebreaker and they use a triangular formations for their spikes.

[@jordonfreeman166]

Here’s a hot take on this video: it sounds like a toddler who’s having a hissy fit after learning their favorite ride at the theme park is closed.

[@kenny-fair]

i dont mind this to much. just a little saddened that cp wont be working with intiman as of now

[@richard6124]

Same here!!

[@thomasellerjr90]

The news actually pretty much puts a nail in that coffin for good. If CP won't use them to retool a ride they originally built I don't see them using them in the future. It's already been 13 years of not working together.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

@@thomasellerjr90 and so much has improved with Intamin since then.

[@constable012]

Definitely a bold move on CPs side. Could work out, as manufacturers can and have had surprising success in the past (Mack hypers for example were a huge leap forward), but certainly a huge risk for CP. I don't feel like there's a huge risk for zamperla honestly here. If it works, amazing feat, and if not, everyone will blame CP for asking a company to go way outside their comfort zone. The swing launch strata coaster market is pretty small. :)

[@bnu-yd6qv]

it is a risky move but Zamperla has changed a lot in the past five years and have poured a lot of money into their coaster department. I'm not concerned about Zamperla refurbishing dragster but I'm interested to see how it goes. If it goes well then Zamperla will have a bright future.

[@germxv]

Cedar fair is really rolling the dice with a lot of chips on the table with this move .

[@GhosterCoasters]

There is so much wrong with Cedar Fair if this is true lol

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Yep

[@IntaminFanGRLPowerCoasters]

NOOOOOOO😢😢😢 Oh well I'm getting an Intamin near me so who cares

[@rrzellner]

If this is a Zamperla project, there must be some trusted engineers involved in the project or something beyond company recognition alone. If successful, this could shake up the entire industry.

[@DJ_JOOD_]

Okay so idk about y’all but it’s been clear it was zamperla for awhile? Also I’m pretty sure intamin publicly stated they want nothing to do with TTD. What we really need to pay attention to is how zamperla retrofits the intamin launch coaster in Canada.

[@michaelthorp2460]

You put Intamin on a pedestal but back in the late 90’s they were in the same position Zamperla is today, and you would have said the same thing about them. A portfolio of smaller rides and a few wooden coaster collabs and then bam… 415 ft in 1997, doubled launched inverted coaster in 1998, their signature Giga and Hyper coasters in 1999/2000, and by 2002 their first hydraulic launched coaster. We’re talking a short 5 years of development and a whole lot of innovation from a company who hadn’t done a lot. Maybe we should see what happens here.

[@Negative509]

Imagine it really is Intimin 💀

[@cyvonix]

Kinda a double-edged sword tbh. On one end, it does raise a little red flag that Cedar Point is going with manufacturers less known for their innovation and pushing of boundries, considering the park's legacy reputation of constantly doing so. On the other hand, this is a chance for Zamperla to transform themselves into a major player. If this project is not only successful, but surpasses expectations, a lot more eyes will be on Zamperla and we may just have a new face making large-scale, flagship coasters, which is undeniably exciting.

[@vrb-.]

I cant trust zamperla after the mess that was wild mouse. In the 2 days i was there i couldn't ride it due to downtime. Ive been told by some of my friends who have been there more recently that it is only abit better. If i cant trust them for a wild mouse, i truly dont know if u can trust them with something 3x the tallest coaster they have built

[@LukeFial]

What were your sources?

[@charlithewolf]

I just hope that everything works out and the ride is around for many years since i never was able to ride the original dragster. But my fear is that now being a frankenstein coaster with 2 different company track on it, i feel like it may suffer from a lot of down time to the point that the park will be like forget it and tear the whole thing out. which i really hope is not the case bit signs point to that may happen. Its also sad to hear that parks refuse to work with certain companies. Six Flags does the same thing to. Its really annoying

[@Calakapepe]

geeze.. i hope they prove me wrong. but I think Wild Mouse is a preview of the reliability we have to come. BUT I do disagree. We will see a top 10 ride eventually still. Mack builds quality rides & I think they could be used for KI though I'd love a new-age vekoma... based on nothing 😅😅

[@FeedYourGreed]

Yeah, if this isn’t fantastic people are never going to let CP hear the end of this. So it’s a pretty big risk, that easily could’ve been mitigated.

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Amen.

[@gajdzik89]

I agree with you…I feel empty and sad if intamin really isn’t in the picture. To think zamperla is the manufacturer. Spinvasion at Kennywood, my home park is new this year. Didn’t care for it. Actually anything zamperla is boring. The top 3 rides at Cedar point were Top Thrill Dragster, millennium force and maverick. B&m is okay but they don’t take nearly as many risks. I guess it’s just like with anything else in life, do you want fun and excitement or reliable and kind of blah.

[@-sixy-]

point on spinvasion is irrelevant because no one is talking about flat rides here bud

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Former KW passholder. Went a few weeks ago and saw the line for Spinvasion when Phantom was literally up and on in the middle of the day. SMH at that one. I might ride it in a few years when the buzz dies down and there's no wait. Hoping for the best, but do I really want a flat ride company working on this coaster? B&M coasters generally leave me feeling blah too.

[@gajdzik89]

@@-sixy- my point is Zamperla is essentially a flat rides company. They haven’t made a good single quality coaster. I’m pretty sure Brandon’s disappointed they’re responsible for the re-imagined dragster, rather than intamin…

[@jeremycovelli]

oh jeez.. I've only been saying this for months, they've all but come out and said it's Zamperla. Now we need the next piece.. it's NOT a spike. Also the problem with Wild Mouse actually has nothing to do with Zamperla.. It has two bad sensors that only work intermittently, new ones are on the way. Also people need to learn how coasters work and are manufactured before complaining. Zamperla.. and Intamin do not make their ride control systems. They only design and manufacture the physical pieces of the coaster. Software and all integrated systems are ALWAYS third party. The two biggest ones being Schneider Electric and Rockwell Automation.

[@rideonreviews593]

Are the sensors not provided by zamperla, because dragster is going to have way more sensors on it than a wild mouse.

[@jeremycovelli]

@@rideonreviews593 they are.. but they're not manufactured by Zamperla.. they're just off the shelf units that pretty much all coasters of similar type use.

[@bigblueamusementproductions]

If it's not a spike then what are those 3 massive footers right behind the station for Dragster for? It's literally in the general location of a spike.

[@jeremycovelli]

@@bigblueamusementproductions there currently exists another element with the same exact footer pattern.. not to mention any type of new element that could use that pattern.

[@vrb-.]

​@@jeremycovellicould you list some of those options that it could be? I find it likely that it is a spike due to the placement and location of the footers

[@bigc1280]

Question, will Cedar Fair work with Chance Morgan? With the next Hyper GTX set to open, would Cedar Fair work with Chance Morgan if it is a hit?

[@joshuacastellon7508]

I think that theme park predictions should've started this video by saying "No no no no no no no, cedar point or cedar fair, what in the world were you thinking, this was supposed to be INTAMIN, NOT ZAMPERLA!!!!!!!!!!🤬🤬🤬🤬". But at least we now know what's happening with top thrill dragster, we'll just have to wait and see what happens and how it ends up doing.

[@PatrickRyan150]

Lol, a 150' spike sounds possible now!

[@aaronpatalune4363]

Right

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

How much of this coaster will change?

[@hanleyhough3327]

We’re talking about zamperlas reliability on wild mouse but intamin wasn’t much better with the original dragster and all the launch issues. It’s possible they wanted a new take seeing as Intamin already failed once.

[@theleftuprightatsoldierfield]

A record breaking prototype is naturally going to be less reliable than a run-of-the-mill wild mouse

[@GGReactor]

Zamperla offers that in track lighting solution, so I hope they at least incorporate that

[@joshbower]

I think Cedar Fair is already regretting their decision

[@TP_Recommendations]

Agreed