Cedar Point is permanently closing Top Thrill Dragster.
"Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being decommissioned after 19 seasons in operation and 18 million riders enjoying the world's first strata coaster," Cedar Point said on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.
SANDUSKY, Ohio – Cedar Point has made it official after more than a year of conjecture. Top Thrill Dragster, at least in its current incarnation, is no longer in business.
"Top Thrill Dragster as you know it is being discontinued after 19 years of operation with 18 million riders riding the world's first tiered roller coaster," Cedar Point amusement park communications director Tony Clark tweeted Tuesday. "Cedar Point's heritage of ride invention, on the other hand, lives on. Our staff is hard at work developing a new and improved riding experience."
The outcome was generally anticipated. The roller coaster has been stopped since August 15, 2021, when a lady in line was critically hurt after being hit by a flying element that dislodged from one of the ride's fast-moving trains.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture determined in February that the park had not broken state law or department standards by running the ride. According to the report, Cedar Point required to take a number of steps before restarting the attraction. Instead, the park has chosen to shut the attraction for the full 2022 season.
Top Thrill Dragster debuted in 2003 as the world's highest roller coaster at 420 feet, and it was the first roller coaster to exceed 400 feet, a record that remained until 2005. The coaster sent park guests up a massive 90-degree incline before hurling them down at a peak speed of 120 miles per hour. Those specifications, however, came at a cost in the form of maintenance concerns, regular shutdowns, and weather-related obstacles.
Clark stated that further details regarding what will replace the Top Thrill Dragster at its centrally positioned placement on the Midway between the Corkscrew and Magnum XL-200 would be released at a later date. In the past, the park has brought "retired" rides back to life. Avalanche Run became Disaster Transport, Mantis became Rougarou, and Mean Streak became Steel Vengeance, with each new experience utilizing much of the old framework. But it's unclear if that will be the case here.
Cedar Point has previously revealed plans for a new coaster, Wild Mouse, in the park's new Boardwalk section for the 2023 season.
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