Top Thrill a league above Kingda Ka?

[Nick P]

Ya'll are forgetting about my lonely Storm Runner.<3 I'd assume its launch is right behind stealth. Short and very quick acceleration. The launch on TTD is long and slow compared to others, but the speed is absolutely breathtaking. KK on the other hand...I'm not sure. I've never been on it so I can't really say anything. I'm guessing its crap compared to TTD, just like what you guys have been saying. Believe it or not, I'm not such a big Six Flags fan anyways. SFA </3.

I would call TTD's launch anything but long and slow.

I imagine you are referring to the acceleration of the launch - with Storm Runner averaging 75 mph in 2 seconds while TTD averages 60 mph in 2 seconds. In real life each accelerator coasters launch doesn't break down to linear increments of increased speed every second (which is to say, TTD does not accelerate at 30 mph every second, reaching 120 mph in 4 seconds). Acceleration is depicted exponentially, meaning the rate at which speed increases also increases.

All of this is to say that while the average accelerations plays to Storm Runner's favor, TTD is still going a hell of a lot faster than Storm Runner. Storm Runner's top speed of 75 mph is only 62.5% of TTD's 120 mph. As a rider, I think I notice the top speed more than the the rate of acceleration, and will choose TTD over Storm Runner any day.

Yes, I did mean the acceleration. My interpretation may not be so great, since I haven't been on TTD for many years. The length of the launch is much longer than Storm Runner's, but SR reaches 75 MPH a bit faster. Since, I crave acceleration more than speed, we will have two different opinions. Don't get me wrong, I love TTD's launch, which is why it's so high on my list, but add the amazing (and very unique) inversions, plus quick acceleration, and SR just beats it for me. Lets not turn this into a TTD vs. SR topic. :lol:

 

[ECG]

If it's all about acceleration, then Xcelerator is the coaster for you.
I've ridden TTD, Ka, Storm Runner, Stealth, Rita, Desert Race, iSpeed, Maverick, blue fire Megacoaster, Cheetah Hunt, Fluch von Novgorod, Lynet, Sky Rocket, Verbolten, Volcano The Blast Coaster, Speed - The Ride, California Screamin', Wicked, Batman And Robin: The Chiller, Poltergeist, Joker's Jinx, White Lightnin', Greezed Lightnin', Montezooma's Revenge, Velocity, Steeplechase, OCC Moto Coaster, Moto Bala, Pony Express, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (WDW), Shock - Steam Machine, Powder Keg: A Blast in the Wilderness, Wicked Twister, Steel Venom, Possessed, V2 (both), Manta (SeaWorld San Diego), Superman (The Escape & Escape from Krypton), Revenge of the Mummy (both U.S. ones), Mr. Freeze (both of them forward & Reverse Blast), Flight Of Fear (both) & Back Lot Stunt Coaster (all).
None of them match the thrust of Xcelerator. Of course, I still have to give Dodonpa, ring°racer & Formula Rossa a try. :wink:

 

[CanobieFan]

I've ridden blahblahblahblahblah

Me too! Just not as many

Having done both Ka and TTD.... they both kina suck to me. Speed doesnt cut it for me.... Maybe if the rides held at the top or something so you could look around and enjoy the view I'd like them, but really.... Meh. at Gadv I'd rather spend time with Toro, Dusa, Nitro... and at CP (well.... I'd rather not even be at CP...............) but I'd be at Mav or Twister

And if you go for Doddononpapah.... I want in

 

[ECG]

I just listed all the launch coasters I've been on to show that I've been on every type & more importantly - to avoid people asking if I've ridden Blahblahblah & how can Xcelerator be better than Blahblahblah.
I'll also definitely let you know when I heading to the Far East so you can join in on the fun.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

^ Jerry I really have to disagree about Xcelerator. Despite what the statistics say I thought it was the worst coaster out of Dragster, Ka, Stealth, and itself.

As far as Ka is concerned, maybe I'm just not picky enough but I still really enjoy the ride!

 

[ECG]

The problem with Xcelerator is that it was the first of its kind & the launch is too strong compared to the others you mention. It's like Intamin didn't care about how the trains clear the top hat as long as they do so every time. If the top hat was another 50 feet or so taller, the launch would be perfect.

 

[Hyde]

I guess what I look for most in a launch is scale and speed.

While Xcelerator's launch is great, 2 seconds simply feels too short to properly gauge. I remember the launch feeling very quick, but very short as well.

To that end I will prefer TTD's 4 second launch at twice the speed.

 

[bmac]

To that end I will prefer TTD's 4 second launch at twice the speed.

I like it when there's more to do other than the launch, so I prefer rides like Maverick and Storm Runner to TTD and Kingda Ka.

 

[Hyde]

To each their own. However, that strays away from the original discussion of TTD vs. KK.

 

[gavin]

I much preferred TTD over Ka. I rode them pretty close to each other as well, Ka being just 10 days or so before TTD, so I think I can make a pretty fair comparison.

I'll be honest and say that I preferred Ka's setting. People seem to rave about the whole spectator stand thing for TTD, and that its has good dragster theming etc. Sorry, but it's plonked on a slab of concrete with some bleachers stuck next to it. I just didn't get the whole "vibe" around the area that I've read people going on about. To me, it was pretty much a parking lot coaster.

Ka, at least the way we approached it, has a lot of greenery around it and is overall in a much more pleasant, less concrete environment.

When it comes to the actual ride though, TTD wins hands down. The extra speed and height on Ka may give it the record, but when you're riding, you really can't tell the difference. 30 something feet and 8 MPH makes no difference at all to rides on that enormous scale.

I only rode the front of Ka, and therefore didn't experience the rattling/roughness that others have mentioned, so I guess that's a plus for me.

From my experience of actually having some good rides on Ka, the difference is in the restraints as far as I'm concerned. The lap bars on TTD make a huge difference to the ride in that you feel so completely exposed. As an enthusiast, I know that the lap bars are 100% safe, but something in the back of my mind was still telling me that a ride of that height and speed should have something more "secure" holding me in, and it made the ride all the more exciting.

People can argue all they want that the Intamin OTSRs don't touch your shoulders blah blah blah. That must be really nice for you, but on me, they do.

That's about the crux of it.

 

[Edward M]

The answer to your question is: YES!!!! TTD is in my top 20 while KK is in my bottom 20 for being a cheap copy. It also has OTSRs... Why? The terrible roughness on the launch is unbearable. Worst of all is that the idiot workers pushed the restraint into my thighs HARD!!!!! It was a painful experience. Of course, the ride certainly didn't help so TTD over KK.

 

[Snoo]

Being a copy shouldn't make the ride any less enjoyable. Being **** should make the ride less enjoyable.

 

[Jason Voorhees]

TTD is in my top 20 while KK is in my bottom 20 for being a cheap copy.

I've heard terrible reviews from Kingda Ka but it wasn't exactly a copy. It was built by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengal. It's not like Six Flags can build a homeade coaster (Which most non-coaster enthusiast think) and copy Top Thrill Dragster. Then again I really only hear Cedar Point fanboys say it.

 

[Edward M]

TTD is in my top 20 while KK is in my bottom 20 for being a cheap copy.

I've heard terrible reviews from Kingda Ka but it wasn't exactly a copy. It was built by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengal. It's not like Six Flags can build a homeade coaster (Which most non-coaster enthusiast think) and copy Top Thrill Dragster. Then again I really only hear Cedar Point fanboys say it.

That's not my only reason though. It just kind of beats a crap ride to an even crappier ride. Unoraginality annoys me a lot. The hill also gave me no airtime so it was just there so it wasn't an EXACT copy (I think).

 

[Jake]

I actually thought Ka was amazing. Didn't find it rough, but I was at the front...

I'm sure TTD is better though. The 'airtime' hill on Ka didn't really do anything for me, plus lap bars would have been fab <3.

 

[Maverix]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the hill on Ka meant as a speed hill not airtime hill? The fact that the ride has to rise above the ground again means that they can have the brakes a bit later down the 'straight away' and thus you're going faster longer? With Dragster the brakes start almost immediately after the pullout whereas Ka's start at the top of the hill, which is almost half way back on the return trip.

 

[JJLehto]

KK is 8 mph faster and 30 some feet higher but you don't notice. Really, when you're going 128 vs 120 ya don't feel a feel difference :lol: nor does the height seem different at all.

So they're pretty much the same and while KK has the airtime hill (which isn't an epic one or anything) it also has the OTSR and unless you're near the front they hurt! So that's why I, and most, prefer TTD.

With lap bars it still wouldn't be better than TTD, just the same level. Both are overrated and I think KK gets flak since it's just not anything different, but that's stupid. It's only a hair worse due to OTSR and neither is in my top 25

 

[CheeseBoy8]

I have only been on Kingda Ka and it is not a great ride - I just did it just to do it. From what you guys are saying about TTD, especially because it doesn't have OTSR, I would imagine TTD is better.

 

[Youngster Joey]

Dragster is at least 1000 times better than Ka

 

[rtotheizzo17]

Tie.