Excalibur (Valleyfair)

Excalibur is a steel roller coaster with a wooden structure located at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. It was built in 1989 by Arrow Dynamics, for the cost of $3,000,000. The ride is 105 feet (32 m) tall with a top speed of 54.5 mph (87.7 km/h), and has a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Excalibur is only one of a few coasters in the world that has a steel track with a wood frame. Two others, Gemini and Cedar Creek Mine Ride, are located at sister park Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It follows a customized figure-eight track layout and is rather short for a major roller coaster, with a total ride duration of two minutes and thirteen seconds. Most likely due to its location at the very western edge of the park and the more recently built roller coasters such as Wild Thing, Steel Venom and Renegade, Excalibur witnesses significantly less foot traffic than other, more frequently visited rides. This leads to relatively short lines for riders and similarly short wait times to gain access to the ride. Some visitors to Valleyfair have been known to ride Excalibur once, stay on the train, and ride again. Valleyfair has a park policy that limits the re-ride to two rides in a row. Valleyfair closes Excalibur during Halloween Haunt due to the lack of popularity.

A few years after the ride was built, trim brakes were added at the top of the first hill. The bottom and first half of the turn were re-profiled in an attempt to reduce roughness. The photo spot and the "Excalibur Photos" booth were also removed. The photo booth was replaced with a Refreshment stand, which has also been removed.