SANDUSKY, Ohio, April 25, 2003 – If
you’re searching for the ultimate thrill, look no more.
Cedar Point, voted the “Best Amusement Park in the
World,” will wow the world when the historic
amusement park/resort debuts Top Thrill Dragster – the
tallest and fastest roller coaster on Earth – on its
Opening Day of the 2003 season, Sunday, May 4.
With a skyscraping 420-foot-tall hill at a 90-degree
incline, blazing speeds of 120 mph over 2,800 feet of
track and a twisting drop of 400 feet at a dramatic
90-degree angle, Top Thrill Dragster is redefining
thrill- riding the world over as the first coaster ever
to break the 400-foot-high barrier. This incredible $25
million “strata-coaster” – termed for its towering
height – is also Cedar Point’s 16th roller coaster,
which is more than any other place on the planet.
Riders begin their wild ride by launching out of a
“starting line” position using a high-tech hydraulic
acceleration system. They then rocket up the
420-foot-tall hill where the train rotates 90 degrees at
the 230-foot height, crests the peak and then plummets
down the 400-foot vertical drop where the train spirals
270 degrees in a free fall starting at the 330-foot
level. After twisting for 115 feet, the train completes
the coaster’s drop, reaches speeds of 120 mph for the
second time and crosses the finish line before returning
to the station.
The grand opening of Top Thrill Dragster will feature
The Ohio State University Spring Athletic Band, making
its fourth appearance at Cedar Point. Under the
direction of Assistant Director Jon Waters, the
200-member band will perform at the park’s main gate
plaza (8:45 a.m.) and near the Iron Dragon (1 p.m.).
Roller coaster enthusiasts can rejoice in a new
season of thrills with the park’s incredible collection
of 16 scream machines, including the No. 1-rated steel
roller coaster in the world, Millennium Force; the
venerable Magnum XL-200; and other fan favorites such as
Raptor, Blue Streak, Mantis, Mean Streak, Gemini and the
Jr. Gemini for thrill-seekers in training.
For those who prefer to keep their feet on the
ground, Cedar Point’s array of award-winning live
entertainment will premiere on Opening Day with
Campground Capers in Camp Snoopy. Seven additional live
shows, plus “Snoopy’s Summer Spectacular” laser, light
and sound show will be added to the entertainment
schedule throughout the season.
Cedar Point has plenty of fun in store for families
and kids again in 2003 with rides and attractions suited
especially for them. Camp Snoopy charms guests with the
popular PEANUTS characters such as Snoopy and Charlie
Brown; plus seven family rides, including the
centerpiece attraction Woodstock Express, a rollicking
38-foot-high roller coaster, get two thumbs up. Kiddy
Kingdom and its pint-sized rides also await Cedar
Point’s youngest guests, while the rousing “Snoopy
Rocks! On Ice” returns in the Good Time Theatre.
The park’s wide range of resort properties will begin
welcoming overnighters daily on Friday, May 9 with
Lighthouse Point, the Hotel Breakers, Breakers Express
and Camper Village RV campground. Sandcastle Suites
Hotel will be open on Friday and Saturday, May 16-17 and
will begin daily operation on Friday, May 23. Cedar
Point’s Radisson Harbour Inn is open year-round.
Cedar Point kicks off the 2003 season on Sunday, May
4 and begins daily operation on Friday, May 9 through
Labor Day, Sept. 1. The park will reopen for Bonus
Weekends on Sept. 6, 7, 13, 14 and for HalloWeekends
on Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 19, 20,
21, 26, 27, 28, Oct. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19,
24, 25 and 26.
