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Wild Thing (Valleyfair) facts for kids

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Wild Thing
Wild Thing Treetop View.jpg
Wild Thing above the trees
Valleyfair
Location Valleyfair
Park section South Midway
Coordinates 44°47′54.81″N 93°27′31.43″W / 44.7985583°N 93.4587306°W / 44.7985583; -93.4587306
Status Operating
Opening date May 11, 1996
Cost $9,500,000 USD
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer D. H. Morgan Manufacturing
Designer Steve Okamoto
Model Hypercoaster
Track layout Out and Back
Lift/launch system Chain-lift
Height 207 ft (63 m)
Drop 196 ft (60 m)
Length 5,460 ft (1,660 m)
Speed 75 mph (121 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 3:00
Max vertical angle 60°
Capacity 1,700 riders per hour
G-force 4.1
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains 3 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 36 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Wild Thing at RCDB

Wild Thing is a super-fast roller coaster at Valleyfair amusement park. It's known as a "hypercoaster" because it's really tall and fast! This ride has a long track, stretching over one mile (about 1.6 kilometers).

When you ride Wild Thing, you'll climb a huge hill that's 207 feet (63 meters) tall. Then, you'll zoom down a steep 60-degree drop, reaching speeds of up to 74 miles per hour (119 km/h)! The height of Wild Thing was even checked by the FAA because of a nearby airport.

Wild Thing was the first "hypercoaster" made by a company called D. H. Morgan Manufacturing. It opened in 1996. When it first opened, it was the fifth tallest roller coaster in the whole world! Because Wild Thing was so popular, two similar rides were built later. These were Steel Force at Dorney Park in 1997 and Mamba at Worlds of Fun in 1998.

Riding Wild Thing

Wild Thing Roller Coaster 2007
Wild Thing's tall lift hill

Your adventure on Wild Thing begins with a slow climb up the 207-foot (63-meter) lift hill. Once you reach the very top, get ready! The train plunges down a thrilling 196-foot (59.7-meter) drop. This is where you hit the top speed of 74 miles per hour (119 km/h).

After the big drop, the train goes over a 103-foot (31.4-meter) "parabolic hill." This hill gives you a long feeling of floating, almost like you're weightless! Next, the train climbs another large hill, 130 feet (39.6 meters tall), and makes a left turn.

You then go through a big figure-eight turn. After that, the train twists through an S-shaped turn and slows down a bit on a mid-course brake run. The ride isn't over yet! You'll then go over several more "airtime hills." Two of these hills are inside a cool tunnel. This is where a camera takes your picture! Finally, the train enters the last brake run and turns right, bringing you back to the station.

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