Courtesy of Cedar Point
Top Thrill 2 in action
Last Friday, Cedar Point confirmed that Top Thrill 2 will not reopen this year. The attraction’s manufacturer, Zamperla, continues to work through ongoing issues and intends to reopen the attraction next year.
When I visited Sandusky for a preview in April, I was amazed by the speed and intensity of this Top Thrill Dragster remake. Zamperla, a relatively new name in large-capacity roller coaster construction, had done an impressive job on the overhaul. However, in my review for Scene, I noted that the ride’s success would depend on its ability to maintain high levels of reliability, a challenge the original Dragster struggled with.
On May 12, just six days after the attraction opened, Cedar Point announced a temporary closure. The details of the problems were not disclosed, but park officials mentioned problems with the attraction’s trains that Zamperla had to fix.
The current situation is disheartening for everyone involved. By the time the attraction hopefully reopens next year, it will have been nearly four years since the original Dragster closed following a woman’s serious injury due to a dislocated limb. Four years is a considerable gap in the world of roller coasters.
For Cedar Point, this is a continuation of an ongoing public relations crisis. Top Thrill 2 was meant to usher in a new era for the park, moving on from the original attraction’s accident and frequent reliability issues. The closure also likely impacted the park’s revenue, as many fans postponed their visit this summer in hopes of experiencing the attraction before the season ended. In addition, the park’s erratic communication and continued promotion of the attraction on social media for weeks after the May closure added to the frustration.
For Zamperla, the stakes are even higher. Failure to meet Cedar Point’s expectations could have serious consequences for the company’s roller coaster division. Cedar Point’s parent company, now Six Flags following a recent merger, has a history of being tough on manufacturers who fail to deliver. For example, despite the eventual success of Steel Vengeance, Cedar Fair (Six Flags) stopped purchasing from its creator Rocky Mountain Construction after initial problems with the attraction. Likewise, it has been over a decade since Cedar Fair (Six Flags) hired Intamin for a new attraction after problems with rides like Shoot the Rapids and Intimidator 305, despite Intamin’s previous success with Cedar Fair rides like Millennium Force and Maverick. Now it appears it is Zamperla’s turn, as the company may be at risk of losing a major customer if it cannot resolve these issues quickly.
Which parties, if any, should take responsibility for the situation? Cedar Point appears to be directing its frustration at Zamperla, as evidenced by their messages pointing out that Zamperla failed to make necessary changes this year, despite the park apologizing for the situation. However, it’s important to remember that Cedar Point chose Zamperla for this high-profile project despite the company having relatively little experience with large roller coasters. While Zamperla is responsible for executing the project, Cedar Point should also acknowledge its role in selecting a company that had yet to prove itself with such a challenging prototype. Communicating that sense of responsibility to the public, beyond a mere apology, would likely go a long way toward making fans feel that Cedar Point isn’t passing the blame onto anyone else.
While the current situation is far from ideal, it is not uncommon for a roller coaster to be closed for extended periods of time early in its operating season. I won’t go into specific examples here, but if Cedar Point and Zamperla can get the ride running reliably by next spring, the frustrations of this year will likely be quickly forgiven and forgotten. On the other hand, there have been cases, albeit very rare, where roller coasters have only been open for a short time before closing permanently for various reasons. As a loyal fan of this ride, I sincerely hope that the first scenario comes to pass, and if not, that the ride at least avoids a permanent closure, even if that means reconsidering options like contacting Intamin, the creator of the original Top Thrill Dragster, for further changes.
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