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Cedar Point | Top Thrill 2 | Triple Launch Renovation | 2024

Rob Coasters

Hyper Poster
Sorry if this has been mentioned before but I can't stop thinking about it. But the whole Top Thrill 2 thing is so weird to me when it's very clear that Cedar Point wants to forget, and not even mention, the "original attraction" nor acknowledge its existence anymore. So why is it so similar?

Literally "Top Thrill" 2. Cedar Point REALLY does not want to talk about "Top Thrill" Dragster, they won't even refer to it by name. In Winter Chill Out Tony hated talking about the ride. They want to pretend it was never a thing & they clearly want to put it firmly in the past. So why take 2 words from the original name and keep its racing theme if you want to separate it from the original so desperately? The whole theme & name almost feels like a celebration of TTD? I don't understand what they're doing.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Sorry if this has been mentioned before but I can't stop thinking about it. But the whole Top Thrill 2 thing is so weird to me when it's very clear that Cedar Point wants to forget, and not even mention, the "original attraction" nor acknowledge its existence anymore. So why is it so similar?

Literally "Top Thrill" 2. Cedar Point REALLY does not want to talk about "Top Thrill" Dragster, they won't even refer to it by name. In Winter Chill Out Tony hated talking about the ride. They want to pretend it was never a thing & they clearly want to put it firmly in the past. So why take 2 words from the original name and keep its racing theme if you want to separate it from the original so desperately? The whole theme & name almost feels like a celebration of TTD? I don't understand what they're doing.
I mean there is a very real tragedy that led to the "demise" of Top Thrill Dragster. It's a simple PR tactic to put all of your eggs into reframing, and "never again" mention the predecessor, especially to not risk any attention of negative optics to the end of TTD's life.

And also it isn't as if a magic spell has been cast on Cedar Point park goers that TTD never existed. I will gladly bet anyone on a casual Cedar Point day this season; 20-30% of attendees won't even be aware of a TT2, and simple call it Top Thrill Dragster. (Corroborated by how many park goers are surprised to learn Mean Streak is actually now a steel coaster in the back!?) So you don't need to work against the naming archetype necessary with the retheme, as yes: they are still trying to evoke a Top Thrill/racing asthetic (even with Republica confirmed to reprise the station theme song).

So to the question: Is Cedar Point purposely trying to erase the history of Top Thrill Dragster? I'd answer not really, they are rather busy hyping up the new attraction. A similar tactic we have seen with Rougarou, Steel Vengeance, etc.
 

Trax

Hyper Poster
To be fair, the „Dragster“ part of it is no longer there. A main part of the concept of the original ride was to be like a Dragster-race with its intense acceleration. That is now gone and replaced by a (what appears to be) weak LSM launch. I am not into Dragster racing, but I feel like they usually don’t go backwards.
Technically, they transformed „Top Thrill Dragster“ into „Top Thrill Pull-back car“, so it just makes sense to drop the Dragster in the name.
Top Thrill 2 still shows which attraction it’s based on, and that it was „upgraded“.
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
A lot of great photo updates packed into the latest construction blog update: https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog/tt2-construction/top-thrill-2-construction-updates

Chief of which is signage photos, which are just mint. 🤌

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We also have some better vantage of the train color designs, which I am digging more on the grey and blue designs:

2024_03_12-tt2-05.jpg

2024_03_12-tt2-06.jpg

EDIT: Batmobile has entered the chat!

 
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