On Saturday, February 24 , Winter Chill Out attendees got an exclusive, inside peek at Cedar Point in the middle of winter and helped a great cause. No rides are open during the event (it was twenty-five degrees!) but a portion of the proceeds benefit A Kid Again, helping thousands of kids living with life-threatening illnesses. The biggest highlight of the behind-the-scenes tours for coaster fans was getting up-close with Top Thrill 2, the record-breaking triple launch roller coaster opening in 2024.
Top Thrill 2 Trains
Winter Chill Out participants this year had the special opportunity to sit in the Top Thrill 2 blue and silver lead cars to see just how comfy they are.
Zamperla’s new Lightning trains look absolutely stunning! I love the sleek and simplistic look of these works of engineering art. We saw the blue car at IAAPA so it was great to see the silver one in person for the first time.
Cedar Point has confirmed there will not be any seat belts on Top Thrill 2. That 420 foot spike will be quite terrifying with only a (over-the-head) lap bar holding you in.
Top Thrill 2’s aluminum-milled chassis exemplifies Zamperla’s commitment to a reduced cost of ownership. This design reduces the amount of time and money required to operate and maintain the vehicles over the life of the ride.
Zamperla’s Roller Coaster Business Unit has been dedicated to researching new technologies, materials, and technical features. The ongoing work includes collaborations with prestigious entities like the University of Padua and the University of Perugia, which has been a research partner with Zamperla. Top Thrill 2 features carbon fiber elements, which dramatically lower the train weight. With the goal of introducing cutting edge materials to coaster design Zamperla partnered with a leading company that produces carbon fiber for F1® cars.
The largest roller coaster wheels at Cedar Point can be found on Top Thrill 2. They’re wheely big!
We can’t wait to see these trains racing around the track in just a few short months!
Top Thrill 2 Station Progress
After checking out the Top Thrill 2 vehicles inside, it was time to go outside to get an up-close look at the track and station.
That head chopper caused by the last section of station roof is going to be insane at 100+ miles per hour.
Yeah, it’s tall. Really tall. The new spike tower is massive and towers over everything. Pictures obviously don’t do it justice.
I’m loving the new color scheme so far. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
The new 420-foot tower goes right over top of Iron Dragon which will make for some cool new interactions and photo opportunities
When it opens in 2024, Top Thrill 2 will become the world’s tallest and fastest multi-launch roller coaster, featuring two 420′ tall structures – the spike and the pre-existing top hat. The coaster’s three launches will be forward, up the top hat, at 74 mph, backwards, up the spike, at 101 mph, and 120mph forward, up and over the top hat before the ride comes to a conclusion.
Special thanks to Kelly and John W. for sharing these pictures with us! Also big thanks to Cedar Point and all the staff who helped plan and run the event for us fans!
More Winter Chill Out Pictures
If you like wheel, specifically roller coaster wheels, this is the event for you! See even more behind-the-scenes pictures from Cedar Point’s Winter Chill Out on our Facebook page.
Have you ever attended a Winter Chill Out? What part of Top Thrill 2 are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
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