Top Thrill 2 is Cedar Point’s reimagined version of the legendary Top Thrill Dragster — a 420-foot strata coaster rebuilt by Zamperla with a triple-launch system that builds speed in three separate stages, topping out at 120 mph before sending riders through a twisting crest and a 270-degree spiral descent back to earth. Where the original Dragster offered a single, all-or-nothing hydraulic catapult, Top Thrill 2 draws out the drama across three launches: forward, backward up a brand-new 420-foot vertical spike, and finally forward again into the original top hat.
The result is a ride that is longer, more complex, and more relentless than its predecessor — and the only dual-tower strata coaster in the world. It’s also a ride with an unusually eventful recent history: a mid-2024 shutdown, a full missed season, a 2025 comeback, and a brief run as the world’s tallest coaster before losing that title in late 2025. Here’s everything currently true about it, verified as of this year.
Quick Answer
Top Thrill 2 is a 420-foot triple-launch strata coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, rebuilt by Zamperla on the footprint of Top Thrill Dragster. Linear synchronous motors (LSMs) launch riders to 74 mph forward, then 101 mph backward up a second 420-foot spike, then 120 mph forward over the original top hat. It closed for most of the 2024 season for mechanical fixes, returned for the 2025 season on May 3, 2025, and has continued operating through the current park season — though it’s no longer the world’s tallest coaster after Falcon’s Flight opened in Saudi Arabia at the end of 2025.
Stats at a Glance
Top Thrill 2 stands 420 feet (130 m) tall with a 400-foot (120 m) drop and 3,422 feet (1,043 m) of track. Zamperla redesigned the ride from the original Intamin layout, and it officially opened to the public on May 4, 2024. The coaster runs approximately two minutes per cycle, and the height requirement is 52 inches (132 cm).
The three LSM launches hit 74 mph on the first forward pass, 101 mph on the reverse run up the rear spike, and 120 mph (193 km/h) on the final forward launch over the top hat. That top speed matches what the original Dragster achieved in a single burst — Top Thrill 2 just takes a more elaborate route getting there. Trains run on a milled-aluminum, carbon-fiber-bodied Zamperla design carrying 20 riders each across five open-air cars.
From Top Thrill Dragster to Top Thrill 2: What Changed
The original Top Thrill Dragster opened May 4, 2003 as a world-record holder: tallest complete-circuit coaster, longest drop, and fastest speed at the time, all powered by a single Intamin hydraulic launch that fired riders from 0 to 120 mph in roughly four seconds. Built by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, it carried millions of riders across 19 seasons.
On August 15, 2021, a small metal flag plate dislodged from a train and struck a guest waiting in the queue, causing a traumatic brain injury; Cedar Point closed the ride immediately and never reopened it under the Dragster name. In August 2023, Cedar Point announced that Zamperla would rebuild the coaster as Top Thrill 2. The redesign retained the original 420-foot top hat and added a second, equally tall vertical spike at the opposite end of the layout, extending the track from roughly 2,800 feet to 3,422 feet. The Intamin hydraulic launch was removed entirely, replaced by a distributed network of LSMs that can accelerate the train in controlled stages — which is what makes the triple-launch sequence possible. The rebuild carried a reported cost of $25 million, and the theming shifted from Top Fuel drag-racing to a Formula One-inspired ‘CP Racing’ look.
The Triple-Launch Sequence Explained
Riders begin in the station and are sent forward at 74 mph toward the original top hat. The train does not have enough energy to crest the tower on this first pass — a deliberate rollback — and reverses back through the station toward the rear of the layout. On the return trip the LSMs fire again, this time accelerating the train backward at 101 mph up the new 420-foot vertical spike at the rear. The train crests the spike going in reverse before gravity returns it to the launch zone one final time.
The third and final launch reaches 120 mph — the same peak speed the original Dragster hit — and now the train has enough momentum to clear the 420-foot top hat. Riders spiral through a 90-degree vertical twist on the climb, experience intense weightlessness at the 420-foot summit, then plunge through a 270-degree corkscrew spiral on the way down. Total ride duration is approximately two minutes, far longer than the original Dragster’s roughly 30-second single-launch experience.
What the Ride Actually Feels Like
The first 74 mph launch is a powerful but deliberately incomplete acceleration — you surge toward the top hat, bleed off speed, and feel the train reverse under you. That rollback is genuinely disorienting; few coasters intentionally reverse at high speed, and it resets your expectations for what’s coming.
The second launch — 101 mph backward up a 420-foot vertical spike — is where reviewers consistently say the experience peaks. You are accelerating in reverse and looking straight up at the sky as the tower’s top comes into view, then you hit weightlessness at the crest. The third launch at 120 mph closes the sequence: the 90-degree vertical climb up the top hat is aggressive, the ejector airtime at the 420-foot summit is extreme, and the 270-degree downward spiral whips riders sharply to the right in a disorienting, high-speed finish. The open-air train design leaves riders fully exposed to wind throughout all three launches, and Cedar Point counts three distinct moments of near-weightlessness built into the sequence.
Is Top Thrill 2 Open? The 2024–2026 Closure and Reopening Timeline
Top Thrill 2 had a soft opening on April 25, 2024 and officially opened to the public on May 4, 2024 — exactly 21 years to the day after Top Thrill Dragster’s debut. Eight days later, on May 12, 2024, Cedar Point unexpectedly closed the ride while Zamperla worked on mechanical modifications to the trains. In August 2024, Cedar Point confirmed the ride would not reopen for the rest of that season.
Zamperla completed the train modifications during the off-season, and Top Thrill 2 returned for the 2025 season on May 3, 2025 — Cedar Point’s park opening day that year — and has operated as a regular part of the coaster lineup since. As of this year it remains open during the park’s operating season; because ride uptime and seasonal maintenance schedules shift day to day, check the official Cedar Point site for same-day status before you visit.
Is Top Thrill 2 Still the World’s Tallest or Fastest Coaster?
Not anymore, though the story is more interesting than a simple no. After Six Flags Great Adventure closed and later demolished Kingda Ka in 2025, Top Thrill 2 briefly held the title of world’s tallest roller coaster. That reign ended on December 31, 2025, when Falcons Flight opened at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia, reaching 534.8 feet with a 518.4-foot drop and a top speed of 155.3 mph — launching an entirely new ‘exa coaster’ height class that Top Thrill 2 doesn’t compete in.
Top Thrill 2 was also never the world’s fastest coaster outright — that title belongs to Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, which hits roughly 149 mph on a single hydraulic launch. What Top Thrill 2 does hold, and still holds today, is the record for the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch coaster and the only dual-tower strata coaster on Earth — records tied to its unique launch design rather than its raw height or speed.
Planning Your Visit
Top Thrill 2 has a 52-inch (132 cm) minimum height requirement, and like Cedar Point’s other marquee coasters it enforces a strict loose-article policy: phones, hats, bags, keys, and other loose items aren’t allowed in the queue or on the ride, and riders pass through metal detection before boarding, with lockers available near the entrance for anything you’re carrying.
Cedar Point operates on a seasonal schedule, generally running spring through fall with hours that vary by day and season, and admission is sold through several tiers — single-day tickets, season passes, and skip-the-line Fast Lane add-ons — with pricing and hours that change throughout the year. Because both shift regularly, don’t rely on older blog posts for exact figures; check the official Cedar Point website for current hours, ticket prices, and Top Thrill 2’s day-of operating status before you go.
Top Thrill 2 FAQs
Is Top Thrill 2 open right now?
Top Thrill 2 returned from its extended 2024 closure on May 3, 2025 and has operated as part of Cedar Point’s regular coaster lineup since. Ride availability can still vary day to day for weather or maintenance, so confirm same-day status on Cedar Point’s official site before visiting.
Why did Top Thrill 2 close in 2024?
It closed on May 12, 2024, just eight days after its public debut, so Zamperla could make mechanical modifications to the ride’s trains. Cedar Point confirmed in August 2024 that it would not reopen for the rest of that season, and the fixes carried into the 2025 season opener.
Is Top Thrill 2 the tallest roller coaster in the world?
No. Top Thrill 2 briefly held that title after Kingda Ka closed in 2024, but lost it on December 31, 2025 when Falcons Flight opened at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia at 534.8 feet — more than 100 feet taller.
Is Top Thrill 2 the fastest roller coaster in the world?
No. Its 120 mph top speed is fast but doesn’t match Formula Rossa’s roughly 149 mph at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Top Thrill 2’s actual record is narrower but real: it’s the world’s fastest and tallest triple-launch coaster.
How is Top Thrill 2 different from Top Thrill Dragster?
Dragster used a single hydraulic launch to hit 120 mph in about four seconds and closed permanently after a 2021 incident. Top Thrill 2 replaced that hydraulic system with LSM launch technology spread across three stages — 74 mph, then 101 mph backward up a new second tower, then 120 mph — nearly quadrupling the ride time to about two minutes.
What is the height requirement for Top Thrill 2?
Riders must be at least 52 inches (132 cm) tall.
How long is the Top Thrill 2 ride?
The full triple-launch cycle, from the first forward launch to the final descent, takes approximately two minutes.
Did Kingda Ka close permanently?
Yes. Six Flags Great Adventure closed Kingda Ka and it was subsequently demolished in 2025, which is part of why Top Thrill 2 briefly became the world’s tallest coaster before Falcons Flight opened later that year.
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