Desperado (roller coaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Desperado |
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| Primm Valley Resorts | |
| Location | Primm Valley Resorts |
| Park section | Old Western Times |
| Coordinates | 35°36′51″N 115°23′04″W / 35.61417°N 115.38444°W |
| Status | Standing But Not Operating (SBNO) |
| Opening date | August 11, 1994 |
| Cost | $30,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Designer | Ron Toomer |
| Model | Hypercoaster |
| Track layout | Ron Toomer |
| Lift/launch system | Chain |
| Height | 209 ft (64 m) |
| Drop | 225 ft (69 m) |
| Length | 5,843 ft (1,781 m) |
| Speed | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:43 |
| Max vertical angle | 60° |
| Capacity | 900 riders per hour |
| G-force | 4 |
| Height restriction | 52 in (132 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train. |
| Desperado at RCDB | |
Desperado is a giant roller coaster located in Primm, Nevada, United States. You can find it at the Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino, which is part of the Primm Valley Resorts complex. This exciting ride is a type of roller coaster called a hypercoaster, meaning it's known for being very tall and very fast! As of February 2020, Desperado is not operating, but it is still standing tall.
When Desperado first opened, it was one of the tallest roller coasters on Earth. It features an amazing 225-foot (about 68-meter) drop that goes down at a steep 60-degree angle. The ride also climbs a 209-foot (about 63-meter) tall lift hill. Riders can reach a top speed of 80 miles per hour (about 129 km/h). You'll also feel up to 4 g's during the ride, which lasts for two minutes and forty-three seconds. A cool part of the ride is that it goes right through the inside of the casino building! In 1996, the Guinness Book of Records even listed Desperado as the world's tallest roller coaster. The ride was built by Arrow Dynamics.
A Bit of History
The owner of the Primm Valley Resorts, Gary Primm, wanted to attract people driving by on Interstate 15 to his new casino, Buffalo Bill's. So, he asked Arrow Dynamics to build a very noticeable roller coaster. The casino opened on May 14, 1994, and the Desperado roller coaster opened to the public shortly after, on August 11, 1994.
When it first opened, Desperado was one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. Its 209-foot (about 63-meter) tall lift hill was the tallest in the United States at the time. It was only second to the Pepsi Max Big One in England, which opened in the same year. Desperado's 225-foot drop and top speed of 80 mph were tied with another famous coaster called Steel Phantom in the U.S. As mentioned, The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Desperado in its 1996 book as the tallest roller coaster in the world.
In 1999, a famous magician named Lance Burton performed a daring stunt on Desperado for his Top Secret TV special. He was tied to the roller coaster's track and had to escape from handcuffs before the coaster came back!
