| Desperado | |
| Location | Primm Valley Resorts |
|---|---|
| Park section | Old Western Times |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | May 14, 1994 |
| Cost | $30,000,000 |
| Type | Steel - Hypercoaster |
| 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) |
| Max speed | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:43 |
| Max vertical angle | 60° |
| Capacity | 1700 riders per hour |
| Max G force | 4 |
| Height restriction | 4 ft 0 in (122 cm) |
| Desperado at RCDB | |
| Pictures of Desperado at RCDB | |
| Amusement Parks Portal | |
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.[1] 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.[2]
At its opening, the coaster tied the record for longest drop and steepest roller coaster. However, the top speed of 80 mph was slightly slower than the Steel Phantom at Kennywood which had a top speed of 82 mph. There was much discussion when the ride opened that questioned if it's 209' lift height was higher than The Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England. The Big One opened in May 1994, with a top speed of 75 mph and an advertised height of 235', but many claimed that number was above sea level which was 34' lower than The Big One's base. Later measurements showed The Big One as being 213' high.
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.[3]
| Preceded by Magnum XL-200 |
World's Tallest Complete Circuit Roller Coaster May 14, 1994 |
Succeeded by Pepsi Max Big One |