Cedar Point Has Shut Down One of Their Top Drawing Rides for 2022

One of Cedar Points' top drawing rides will be shut down for the 2022 season.

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Every since I was a child, Cedar Point has been my happy place. I started off going with my family and our church, to later going with my school, and then when I could drive I would go at least once a year until I moved out of state. Even then I would go, just not as often.

One of the rides that I found thrilling was the Top Thrill Dragster. It is not a long ride but you really get an idea of what it is like to feel the g-forces of an actual dragster while climbing to an unbelievable height to then be dropped straight down to the earth.

The line is usually always long for the Top Thrill Dragster but the thrill is worth it. In the earlier years that I rode the ride, it didn't seem to have issues other than the long line. As time has gone on, often I would be at the park and the ride would be shut down or not running at all for the day. Just last year my son and I walked by it several times and it wasn't operating so we skipped it.

History of the Top Thrill Dragster

The Top Thrill Dragster began being developed in 2000 not long after Cedar Point opened one of my favorite roller coasters the Millineum Force. It was 2002 when the Top Thrill Dragster was constructed to be over 400 feet tall making it the tallest roller coaster in the world in 2003 when it opened. Its reign as the tallest roller coaster only lasted two years when the Kinda Ka was built at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2005.

Top Thrill Dragster, when completed, stood 420 feet tall and would go 120 mph in just 4 seconds. You can feel it push your skin on your face back when the dragster is launched.

Top Thrill Dragster Shut Down for 2022 Season

In August 2021, a woman from Swartz Creek, Michigan was waiting in line when a part came off the Top Thrill Dragster and seriously injured her. The ride was closed for the rest of the season so an investigation could take place and it was determined that Cedar Point has been cleared of any wrongdoing ruling this case an accident.

Cedar Point has decided to keep the Top Thrill Dragster closed for the entire 2022 season but has not given a reason why they are shutting the ride down.

Why Cedar Point Closed Down the Top Thrill Dragster

This is only speculation but Cedar Point has had problems with the Top Thrill Dragster for years. It often will not be running for a variety of maintenance reasons. I do know firsthand from waiting in line for the ride when it is launched it often doesn't clear the top hill and then goes back to the launch pad. This has to be terrifying for the riders when this happens. The first time I saw this happen I thought "Oh my God these people are going to die." I learned from asking an attendant that this happens often based upon the weight of the passengers. With all the issues this ride has I'm sure Cedar Point wants to fix and improve the ride since it is one of the top drawing rides at the park.