Top Thrill 2 and Fastlane

[BoddaH1994]

6 hours ago, DispatchMaster said:

Budget aside, 10 continuous days anywhere seems like a waste of entertainment dollars to me.

If I were doing nothing but marathoning coasters, yeah, 3 days would be too much. But the family-centric stays we've done there included shows/live E, copious beach/pool/resort time, water park time, etc., and we've never felt we overstayed during our 4/5 day visits. YMMV.

I do most of the things that you are mentioning. My favorite part is the beach. I just don’t have the patience to wait in Cedar Point lines at my age. lol 

[DispatchMaster]

Nor do we. Special events and discounted FLP spoiled us to the point where, for the most part, any line longer than ~20 minutes is a big nope for us.

Plus, as many incredible memories I have of running around parks in the 80's and early 90's, a fair portion of my favorite moments have been quieter ones in more recent years, enjoying the atmosphere, my kids' enjoyment of the rides, and outrageously-overpriced beer.

[BoddaH1994]

On 2/13/2024 at 9:07 AM, DispatchMaster said:

Budget aside, 10 continuous days anywhere seems like a waste of entertainment dollars to me.

If I were doing nothing but marathoning coasters, yeah, 3 days would be too much. But the family-centric stays we've done there included shows/live E, copious beach/pool/resort time, water park time, etc., and we've never felt we overstayed during our 4/5 day visits. YMMV.

Agreed, but I don’t marathon. My favorite part is the beach. 

[johnjniehaus]

Outta curiosity, does anyone think the fastlane at CP is worth the price you pay? Anyone have experience with it. I've always been the old school stand in line type of guy and if you don't ride everything you come back another day but this year I'm going with three guys who have never gone so I'm wondering if fastlane is an investment we need to make... I mean I have no idea what to expect concerning crowd levels with TT2 opening this year 

[disco2000]

25 minutes ago, johnjniehaus said:

Outta curiosity, does anyone think the fastlane at CP is worth the price you pay? Anyone have experience with it. I've always been the old school stand in line type of guy and if you don't ride everything you come back another day but this year I'm going with three guys who have never gone so I'm wondering if fastlane is an investment we need to make... I mean I have no idea what to expect concerning crowd levels with TT2 opening this year 

The line will be shorter, but I have seen some days that the FastLane exceeds 45 minutes for the top rides.

[RedSummit20]

5 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

Outta curiosity, does anyone think the fastlane at CP is worth the price you pay? Anyone have experience with it. I've always been the old school stand in line type of guy and if you don't ride everything you come back another day but this year I'm going with three guys who have never gone so I'm wondering if fastlane is an investment we need to make... I mean I have no idea what to expect concerning crowd levels with TT2 opening this year 

It all depends how many times i go a year, i usually go at least 1 time so then i get it so i know i can ride everything. 

[LuvingKI]

I think it would be worth it just for TT2, even though you can only use once. Though you can buy 1 time passes for each top ride if you feel the need, I heard that they're not going to sell single use passes for TT2 this year.

[johnjniehaus]

5 hours ago, LuvingKI said:

I think it would be worth it just for TT2, even though you can only use once. Though you can buy 1 time passes for each top ride if you feel the need, I heard that they're not going to sell single use passes for TT2 this year.

Do you remember what rides they typically offer the one time fastlane for and how much it cost in the past? I mean if I only do it on one coaster it's probably fine but I could see where single use would add up fast and maybe it's just worth investing in the real thing 

[Orion-XL200]

12 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

Outta curiosity, does anyone think the fastlane at CP is worth the price you pay? Anyone have experience with it. I've always been the old school stand in line type of guy and if you don't ride everything you come back another day but this year I'm going with three guys who have never gone so I'm wondering if fastlane is an investment we need to make... I mean I have no idea what to expect concerning crowd levels with TT2 opening this year 

As someone who has been considered a regular of CP, yes it's worth the price you pay. I have the all season Fast Lane....but I have met numerous folks who thought about getting Fast Lane that got turned off on the price (even though it's not too bad) and then asked me how many rides I had been on that specific day that their next visit they would plan on getting it. 
 

[BeeastFarmer]

In general, yes it's worth it to me because I'm a casual visitor to Cedar Point, so I want to take advantage of my time in the park. The last time I got FLP,  if you were a platinum pass holder, you got FLP at FL price, but I'm sure that will change with the new pass structure. 

As others have said, the merge point is further back on many coasters, Kings Island has us spoiled. 

[disco2000]

1 hour ago, BeeastFarmer said:

In general, yes it's worth it to me because I'm a casual visitor to Cedar Point, so I want to take advantage of my time in the park. The last time I got FLP,  if you were a platinum pass holder, you got FLP at FL price, but I'm sure that will change with the new pass structure. 

As others have said, the merge point is further back on many coasters, Kings Island has us spoiled. 

Only those with CP gold+APP will get FLP at FL price 

[Orion742]

7 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

In general, yes it's worth it to me because I'm a casual visitor to Cedar Point, so I want to take advantage of my time in the park. The last time I got FLP,  if you were a platinum pass holder, you got FLP at FL price, but I'm sure that will change with the new pass structure. 

As others have said, the merge point is further back on many coasters, Kings Island has us spoiled. 

The only merge points that I remember are Millenium Force, Steel Vengeance, and GateKeeper right? Am I missing any?

[Orion-XL200]

18 minutes ago, Orion742 said:

The only merge points that I remember are Millenium Force, Steel Vengeance, and GateKeeper right? Am I missing any?

Raptor, Magnum, Rougarou

[LuvingKI]

18 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

Do you remember what rides they typically offer the one time fastlane for and how much it cost in the past? I mean if I only do it on one coaster it's probably fine but I could see where single use would add up fast and maybe it's just worth investing in the real thing 

I know last year, I saw Steel Vengeance,  Maverick,  Millennium Force,  Valravn and there may have been more. And the price may change depending on how busy they are, but I'd say the average I saw was around 20$.

[DispatchMaster]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:05 AM, johnjniehaus said:

does anyone think the fastlane at CP is worth the price you pay?

The way I look it is to calculate what my time is worth to me, and my personal time should be worth at least as much as my time is valued by my employer, and really should be at least 50% more than that. But for the purposes of this example I'll just use hourly wage.

For easy math let's say you can save about 60 minutes of queue time per ride, and we'll assume a FLP price of $150.

On the lower end of the scale making, say, $15/hr, you would need to ride 10 rides to make the FLP "worth it". Hitting 10 rides in a day is doable, but might be a lot for some. At $30/hr, you need to hit 5 rides, and at $50/hr, only 3 rides to make it "worth it". And of course as the FLP price goes up the number of rides needed will increase, but higher FLP prices generally coincide with more people in the park, and thus potentially more time saved per ride, but you get the idea.

Obviously YMMV, but this is the standard I use when considering leisure/entertainment purchases.

[IndyGuy4KI]

https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog/2024/top-thrill-2-rider-safety-guidelines

 

LOCKERS

Working with the manufacturer’s recommendations, Top Thrill 2’s rider safety guidelines were revised after initial testing, resulting in our strict policy of loose articles not being permitted past the ride’s entrance.

Due to the later revision, the integration of lockers into the queue, similar to those at Steel Vengeance, was not possible. We encourage riders to leave any loose articles with a non-rider. If you wish to rent a locker, they will be near the entrance for a nominal fee.

These policies are in place for the safety of our Guests and Associates – and safety is our first priority. Thank you for adhering to these rider safety guidelines to ensure a safe and FUN ride.

We look forward to seeing you on Top Thrill 2 this summer!

[flightoffear1996]

13 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog/2024/top-thrill-2-rider-safety-guidelines

 

LOCKERS

Working with the manufacturer’s recommendations, Top Thrill 2’s rider safety guidelines were revised after initial testing, resulting in our strict policy of loose articles not being permitted past the ride’s entrance.

Due to the later revision, the integration of lockers into the queue, similar to those at Steel Vengeance, was not possible. We encourage riders to leave any loose articles with a non-rider. If you wish to rent a locker, they will be near the entrance for a nominal fee.

These policies are in place for the safety of our Guests and Associates – and safety is our first priority. Thank you for adhering to these rider safety guidelines to ensure a safe and FUN ride.

We look forward to seeing you on Top Thrill 2 this summer!

Our safety is our first priority but you are charging for the lockers.

[silver2005]

I do get not integrating lockers into the line as the space in the TT2 infield is at a premium between the queue and transfer track and there isn't a lot of space for new access points.  

Also, is TT2 still using a 2 station system?

[Winterfestguy]

Just like with steel vengeance there are not enough lockers outside of the TT2 entrance to accommodate everyone’s loose articles, especially later in the day.  Common sense would tell you no loose articles on a coaster of this magnitude so you design with the coaster with an  in-queue lockers just like Universal does.  What a stupid big miss my CP - can’t wait to see and hear all the complaints 

[Kenban]

I have no idea how the need for in line lockers was not obvious early in the design process?  Based on the design of the attraction, its speed, and that the train is passing in such close proximity to the queue, walking paths, and over Iron Dragon, loose articles seem like an obvious problem.  Maybe it’s just me but I just looked at the design and assumed the ride would have metal detectors.

Does anyone know what the building at the start of the unload platform is/was?  I realized the only way I can imagine this working is building a path or more than one depending if the lockers are in the infield or not, under the return track.  Which also means it would need to be far enough back that the track is high enough in the air. I think it should work, but without seeing the finished ride, maybe not.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Don's take on this. 

https://themeparksbydon.com/locked-out-paying-the-price-for-thrills-at-cedar-points-top-thrill-2/

[Tr0y]

1 hour ago, Kenban said:

I have no idea how the need for in line lockers was not obvious early in the design process?  Based on the design of the attraction, its speed, and that the train is passing in such close proximity to the queue, walking paths, and over Iron Dragon, loose articles seem like an obvious problem.  Maybe it’s just me but I just looked at the design and assumed the ride would have metal detectors.

Does anyone know what the building at the start of the unload platform is/was?  I realized the only way I can imagine this working is building a path or more than one depending if the lockers are in the infield or not, under the return track.  Which also means it would need to be far enough back that the track is high enough in the air. I think it should work, but without seeing the finished ride, maybe not.

Metal detectors don’t prevent loose articles from making it onto the ride.

https://www.mlive.com/travel/2018/07/hot_sauce_injures_steel_vengea.html

Maybe CF should look into foregoing metal detectors and instead issue safety glasses with strap to riders, and after the ride take them back. Like what most 3D attractions do. 

[Kenban]

1 hour ago, Tr0y said:

Metal detectors don’t prevent loose articles from making it onto the ride.

https://www.mlive.com/travel/2018/07/hot_sauce_injures_steel_vengea.html

Maybe CF should look into foregoing metal detectors and instead issue safety glasses with strap to riders, and after the ride take them back. Like what most 3D attractions do. 

Except this was not a loose item that made it onto the train, it was thrown from the line.  There is little parks can do except make ride paths not come close to guests to protect riders from people not even on the ride.  Those packets of hot sauce were thrown at the ride vehicle, and likely would have done very little if they had made it onboard and just fallen from someone’s pocket.

While goggles might have helped in this one instance, loose phones and other large objects coming loose at 100+ MPH or 400+ feet in the air are a larger concern.

Here is a guest who received a concussion last year on Maverick.

Left partially blinded by cell phone on El Toro.

Broken nose and left a bloody mess from a cell phone on Iron Gwazi

There are a lot of instances of cell phones causing injuries.

[Orion-XL200]

4 hours ago, silver2005 said:

I do get not integrating lockers into the line as the space in the TT2 infield is at a premium between the queue and transfer track and there isn't a lot of space for new access points.  

Also, is TT2 still using a 2 station system?

It is not....one station system...the front section is for loading, the back section is for unloading. 

[DJSkyFoxx]

I am definitely in the camp of having a free locker system in place for people to use so there is absolutely zero excuse for people not to follow the policies. But I truly do foresee Sandusky PD patrolling TT2 much like they did for SV's opening year where violators of said policy were tossed from the park. And that was of course, before the free locker bank. 

Even though the absolutely zero loose item policy is stated everywhere and will be stated all over this ride, there will be without a doubt plenty of folks who will still not follow said policy and attempt to bring their phone into the line with them because they don't want to pay for a locker. Which like, yeah. Forcing people to pay for a locker is silly when you've already paid a lot of money to be there in the first place. But also, even with the free locker's that are offered for riders of SV, it's still incredible to me how many people make a surprised Pikachu face when they go through the metal detector, set it off and are found to be non-compliant. They then proceed to throw a fit when they have to go put their stuff in a locker. I imagine there is going to be a ton of this with TT2 as well even with all the signage and pre-info being put out there. 

[Kenban]

Last fall the parks were pushing digital only season passes with no plastic card, so in theory new pass holders could easily only have a copy on their cell phone, a cell phone you can’t bring in line.  I don’t have a plastic card since I got a new pass instead of renewing for instance.  A prestige pass holder will use their annual pass, in this case a cell phone, to get the free Fast Lane this year with a scanner at the start of the line and at the station.  They want to do away with the receipts likely to prevent people from giving them away.  Will Cedar Point have to provide those guests plastic cards, and will issuing them cards change their home park?  Or will Cedar Point provide Fast Lane passes allowing guests to give away the single use Fast Lane?

[CoasterJack]

Saw this on reddit today, gave me a good laugh. Clearly we're not the only ones 

https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasterjerk/comments/1cb7l6z/what_else_do_you_think_theyll_charge_for_this/

[DispatchMaster]

On 4/22/2024 at 6:40 PM, Kenban said:

I have no idea how the need for in line lockers was not obvious early in the design process?

This! It is flatly inexcusable that they failed to anticipate this. 

[silver2005]

I recall the original TTD allowing loose articles?  I remember having them on my person when I last rode it in 2018, and those were some of the most minimal restraints ever.  The new trains look to have a wider lap bar, too, so WTH?

I think parks should start making ride designers make their products more loose article friendly, at least when it comes to things like car keys, phones, various cards, etc.   One of my pet peeves with the industry is this whole war against loose articles which just makes things more aggravating than they should. 

[DoomPlague]

30 minutes ago, silver2005 said:

I recall the original TTD allowing loose articles?  I remember having them on my person when I last rode it in 2018, and those were some of the most minimal restraints ever.  The new trains look to have a wider lap bar, too, so WTH?

I think parks should start making ride designers make their products more loose article friendly, at least when it comes to things like car keys, phones, various cards, etc.   One of my pet peeves with the industry is this whole war against loose articles which just makes things more aggravating than they should. 

How would they make the rides more loose article friendly outside of making the rides tamer?