The way I feel right now, the worst decision we ever made was putting that coaster in. It just hasn’t worked up to our expectations. Alluding to the Declassified Disaster: Disaster Transport, he stated, “Disaster Transport was sort of a laughing type thing, because the year we put it in we still had a great year financially so we could laugh about it, but with Top Thrill Dragster, that was a $25 million roller coaster. In a 2005 “Motley Fool” segment on NPR, Kinzel called Top Thrill Dragster “the worst business decision” he ever made. More to the point, Kinzel cited Dragster as the highest cost-per-rider in the park to operate, and one of the toughest rides to maintain… (The launch cable would also shred and spray the train with metal shrapnel on Xcelerator in 20, and again on Dragster in 2016.) Image: Cedar FairĪccording to Tim O’Brien’s autobiography, Dick Kinzel: Roller Coaster King of Cedar Point Amusement Park, Kinzel called Top Thrill Dragster his “dumbest decision,” admitting that 50% of guests automatically aren’t interested in riding it. Four riders experienced cuts to their arms and faces. In the ride’s second season – on J– the cable used to accelerate the train frayed during launch, spraying riders with sheared shards of metal. The fifth car was restored to each train mid-way through the 2003 season, but was soon modified to remove decorative “dragster” spoilers and rubber tires, which must have added unforeseen drag. When the ride did work, its trains were modified to include only four of the planned five cars (likely, an effort to lighten the load and more reliably crest the top hat without a rollback) leading to a reported, dismal 800 person per hour capacity. The ride was entirely shuttered from June 20 – July 4, due to errors in the hydraulic system, missing Independence Day crowds. A week later, a faulty valve in the hydraulic system left the ride closed… for the duration of the international CoasterMania event. Just three weeks after opening, on May 26, 2003, the high-tension launch cable that rapidly winds to propel the train came loose, resulting in several days of downtime for the park’s then-signature ride. In what’s become a calling card for Intamin’s cutting-edge, boundary-pushing, line-toeing rides, Top Thrill Dragster worked like a charm… except when it didn’t.
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