Park section Old Western Times Type Steel – Hypercoaster Designer Ron Toomer Max speed 129 km/h Height restriction 1.22 m Park Primm Valley Resorts | Status Operating Manufacturer Arrow Dynamics Height 64 m Opened 1994 Cost 30 million USD | |
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Opening date August 11, 1994 (1994-08-11) Similar The Roller Coaster, Canyon Blaster, Speed – The Ride, El Loco, Magnum XL‑200 | ||
Desperado is a hypercoaster located in Primm, Nevada, United States at the Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino a part of the Primm Valley Resorts complex.
According to the roller coaster database, Desperado was one of the tallest roller coasters in the world at the time of being built. It features a 60-degree, 225-foot (69 m) drop; a 209-foot (64 m) lift hill; and top speeds around 80 mph. On the 2 minute, 43 second ride, riders will experience almost 4 Gs. A portion of the ride runs through the interior of the casino. The coaster was listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest roller coaster in 1996. It is the only Hypercoaster in the state of Nevada. The ride was provided by Arrow Dynamics and fabricated by Intermountain Lift, Inc.
History
Looking to attract people driving by on adjacent Interstate 15 to his new casino, Buffalo Bill's, which opened on May 14, 1994, Gary Primm contracted Arrow Dynamics to build a highly-visible roller coaster. The roller coaster opened to the public on August 11, 1994, as one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. The ride's 209-foot-tall (64 m) lift hill was the tallest in the United States, second behind only the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England. Its drop length of 225 feet (69 m) and top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) were tied in the country with Kennywood's Steel Phantom, which also featured a 225 feet (69 m) drop of and top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Desperado in its 1996 publication as the tallest roller coaster in the world.
For his Top Secret special that first aired on February 24, 1999, magician Lance Burton staged a death-defying escape in a stunt where he was tied to the roller coaster's track and had to break out of handcuffs in order to escape.
