Top Thrill 2 Media Day Review
This past Thursday we had the incredible opportunity to take part in Media Day for a fresh...take on an old classic, Top Thrill 2. First and foremost, thank you to Tony Clark and the rest of the Cedar Point team for having us out for such a wonderful event. Also a quick shoutout to the personnel from other Cedar Fair parks for coming up to Cedar Point and helping out with the event!
So let’s start at the beginning of the event. I hesitate to say “bright” and early because at 4:15am when I pulled into the park it was still completely dark out. But nonetheless there I was driving around Perimeter Road towards the CP Shores parking lot. Finally arriving in the parking lot and greeted by the 420 foot top hat of Top Thrill 2 illuminated in front of us. What a sight to behold.
While it was absolutely one of the coolest experiences of my life, I do have one complaint. It was cold. Very cold. We entered the park at 4:30am and at that time it was about 37 degrees. A local news station reported that a ride on Top Thrill 2 at 120 mph would feel like a crisp 16 degrees. Here is where we learned our first thing about Top Thrill 2. It is an absolute workhorse. There it was at 4:30am in near freezing temperatures sending test trains before the event, and on top of that the trains were absolutely hauling over the 420 foot hill. Something tells me this ride won’t be as temperamental with weather as its predecessor.
We entered the park and received our media credentials, but before we could even get to the TT2 midway, Cedar Point had a couple nice surprises up their sleeves.Firstly, Pretzel Fillers next to Magnum has added a wall of Coke fountain machines and a new register so if you want to stop quickly to get a drink, that should be much easier now. This is similar to the drink stand attached to Farmhouse. Second, the bathrooms next to the entrance for Magnum have been completely renovated on the inside. Awesome upgrades to see for an area of the park that will surely see much more foot traffic than it has the last couple of years.
Okay, now it is time to enter the Top Thrill 2 midway. Both near Magnum, and near Power Tower you are greeted with beautiful signs welcoming you to the area. The cement in the whole area has also been painted in a light gray which gives the area a lot of brightness. The cement also has a checker print near the signs on either side of the midway.
The ride wasn’t scheduled to open until 5:00am so we had some time to explore the area, all while Top Thrill 2 continued to remarkably send test trains in the incredibly cold weather. Firstly the former Speed Freaks Gift Shop near the ride entrance has been transformed into a ride photo booth. Presumably this is to add some convenience for those that have to grab their stuff from the lockers but want to buy their ride photo. Instead of getting off the ride, running to the lockers near the entrance (which is still in the same place) and then running back to the ride exit to get your photo, you will now be right next to the ride photos when you retrieve your loose articles from the lockers. Very smart idea from the park. The original ride photo booth is still there and in use as well.
Moving on we see the original grand stands are still there but with new Coke Freestyle machines. Nice to see this upgrade seemingly taking place across the park as we also saw new Freestyle machines at the Freestyle stand near Gatekeeper on Eclipse Day.
Continuing down the midway there is a flower bed right by the launch position. This flower bed currently has a beautiful sign with the TT2 logo and will presumably be filled in nicely with flowers as the weather warms up.
Finally you can see that Power Tower has finished receiving its fresh coat of paint, and it looks fantastic. The shot side got a fresh coat of red paint, and the drop side changed from an aqua color to a blue color that matches the blue on one of the Top Thrill 2’s trains.
Finally the former Speed Zone gift shop has been given a fresh coat of paint, filled with awesome TT2 merchandise, and renamed The CP Racing Store. There is also techno racing music playing throughout the midway and near the ride entrance. You may even hear a remix of the famed “Ready To Go” song that is famous among Cedar Point fans for its presence in the previous ride’s station.
At long last, 5:00am approached, and it was time to get in line. We entered the entrance plaza with the huge TT2 entrance arch overhead, put all our loose articles into a locker, (please note that you may not ride Top Thrill 2 with any loose articles even if you have zipper pockets. This means that your phone, wallet, keys, bags, hats, etc must be put in a locker located near the ride entrance. Flip flops are also not allowed on the ride and you cannot ride barefoot so please plan accordingly. Glasses are allowed as long as they have a strap.) and passed through the metal detectors and got in line. Fun little side note, the magnets on the trains are so strong that when the train passes over the ride entrance, the metal detectors go off. Good for a giggle.
When you enter the line (please also note that since it was media day, phones were allowed in line for picture taking purposes. They were to be returned to a locker before riding) you go through one set of switchbacks right near the entrance and then from there it is one long straight away to the stairs into the station. Fastlane is one straight shot as it was previously. The whole line is covered with a steel roof, with fencing on both sides. Misting fans and FunTVs are present.
Finally, we entered the station. As with the previous ride there is an unload and a load station to speed up operations before you get on one of the ride’s three trains, those being black, blue, and silver. Our first ride was on the black train in row 9. There are 5 cars with 2 rows each, so we were in the 2nd last row. The gates opened and at long last it was time to ride. I noted at Winter Chillout when we all got a chance to sit in the trains that the seats are very comfortable, and nothing has changed. The seats and the pull over the head lap bars are very comfortable. Similar to Velocicoaster in Orlando. Likewise, Top Thrill 2 does not have any seat belts. So our harness was checked, and off we went.
As you pull out of the station towards the launch track there is a soundtrack that plays. It gives you the feeling that you are truly approaching the starting line of a race. One of these sound tracks also faintly plays the original “Ready to Go” lyric as the music fades out. So now you’ve traversed the switch track, and it switches behind you as you stare down the familiar launch track. This was definitely a sentimental moment for me as it was just so nice to be sitting in this very spot once again.
There is still a lunch christmas tree that is adorned with the familiar “ARMS DOWN. HEAD BACK. AND HOLD ON” tagline. Suddenly a large bass drop plays over the speaker that legitimately shakes the ground. 4 red lights flash on the christmas tree and on the tower and off you go.
The first launch gets to speeds of 74 mph. Obviously this launch does not provide the same punch that the original did, but it holds up in its own right. 74 mph certainly isn’t slow (for reference Maverick is 70 mph). I genuinely enjoyed this launch. You reach the end of the launch track and head up the tower. The front of the train is about to reach the twist before it starts to roll back. That’s right, everyone gets a roll back on Top Thrill 2! To me, this is where the ride really begins. Falling backwards and then hitting the 101 mph launch backwards is absolutely one of the craziest moments I’ve ever felt on a roller coaster. Intense, but not uncomfortably so. You reach the other end of the launch track and rocket up the 420 foot spike tower, with the train reaching about 350-370 feet. For a brief moment at the train’s apex the train pauses as gravity tries to catch up. This point, looking around quickly and looking down on Power Tower and even Millennium, is pure bliss. It feels like a dream, especially when your first ride is a night ride. The whole time on the spike tower is spent comfortably floating out of your seat. Absolutely incredible.
Finally, the train hurtles down the spike tower and hits the last launch of 120 mph. You certainly feel that speed kick in and going down essentially the entire launch track at that speed is crazy. Launching from 0-120 originally was certainly something, but feeling 120 mph for such a sustained period of time is a different kind of crazy. Reaching the end of the launch track again, but this time heading up and over the original tower. Unlike the original ride, the train never has any issue going over the top hat. I seriously cannot believe how fast you go over that hill, which is why I said I have a feeling this ride won’t be as temperamental when it comes to weather. You have to have a pretty serious wind gust to keep this train from going over. The airtime up there is some of the craziest ejector airtime I’ve ever felt, and that is including Steel Vengeance. The airtime on TT2 reminds me of the second hill on Steel Vengeance with its intensity and sustainability.
Lastly you come down the tower, go through the spiral seemingly faster than ever, cross the finish line, and hit the brakes. What. A. Ride. We rode it 8 more times on media day and I also attended a preview day to get a ride on it and I seriously still don’t know what to say about the ride. It has seriously left me speechless. It is amazing how many different forces and feelings you feel while riding what is actually a pretty short ride. It packs such a punch that it feels like the perfect length. No more “one trick pony” like the original ride. I think the word I will use to describe Top Thrill 2 is “strong”. That might sound a little weird but bare with me. It is intense. It’s very intense. But not in any of the ways I’ve ever felt intensity on a ride before so I hesitate to call it intense because it's just not normal intensity, and I mean that in the best way possible. “Strong” is a word that I feel describes it because the ride makes you feel it in so many ways. And each of those ways it does with strength and intensity. Ride it for yourself and see if you’d agree with that assessment.
One last thing, it did not break down once in the whole 8 hour event. That on its own is an incredible improvement. Of course as the season begins and the crew is running 3 trains, there will be some bugs, but it's already looking like a huge improvement over the original in that regard.
So the question is, “Is it better than the original?” That is a tough question to answer. Both rides are very different from each other. I would rank them the same in my overall coaster rankings at Cedar Point but for very different reasons. That being said, I’d have to go with Top Thrill 2 if I had to pick one. As I’ve said, there is no replacing that original launch, but this is such a more complete ride that I have to give the nod to TT2. Every single person I’ve talked to has absolutely loved it, and most also say that Top Thrill 2 surpasses the original. Bottom line, Cedar Point has a winner on its hands for sure.
Thanks again to Cedar Point for having us out and also two more shoutouts. First to the ride crew who will be operating this beast all summer. They’ve been nothing but amazing so far. The park couldn’t have picked a better group to open this ride. Second, shoutout to Zamperla who designed Top Thrill 2. What a remarkable job they did. Taking an already loved ride and managing to improve on it is no small feat. With this ride they’ve cemented themselves as a major player in the industry and I truly cannot wait to see what they have coming next.
As always, thanks for reading and cheers to yet another season at The Point!
-Evan
Special thanks to Cedar Point for inviting us! Visit our Facebook page for more videos and pictures!