FARMINGTON — Lagoon visitors will be going "batty" this year with thrills and chills as the amusement park opens its first suspended roller coaster, "The Bat," which will be included in Lagoon's regular admission price.
This $3 million ride, built by the Vekoma company in the Netherlands, is now being installed at Lagoon. It is expected to be ready for the park's opening day, probably in mid-April.
"We're very excited about this ride," said Trent Brown, Lagoon Marketing Manager. "It will give a feel of flying. It will be fun and different."
He cautioned that ride enthusiasts shouldn't be disappointed by the coaster's top speed of only 26 mph, or the fact that it won't tip passengers upside down. "It is designed to bank and weave through trees," Brown said, explaining that it will have a different kind of feeling from any other Lagoon ride.
Unlike Lagoon's other four roller coasters — Fire Dragon, White Wooden Roller Coaster, Jet Star and Puff — the Bat will have the track overhead, instead of under passengers' feet.
Brown said an exact height requirement for riders is yet to be determined. However, the height requirement for all but the kids' Puff coaster ranges from 46-50 inches.
He stressed that Lagoon wants to try and keep this a family roller coaster. The theme of a bat will be used at the ride and its entrance.
The Bat can carry up to 650 passengers per hour. Each roller coaster train has 10 coaches, with room for two people in each, or 20 passengers per ride. The ride will reach a maximum height of 50 feet and goes along a 1,122-foot-long track. (By comparison, the Fire Dragon travels at 55 mph and goes 85 feet high and the White Wooden Roller Coaster goes 45 mph and reaches 60 feet in height.)
Lagoon also selected this ride because of its high degree of reliability. It will be the first at the park to use a magnetic braking system, very smooth and dependable.
The new ride will be located just northeast of the park's mini-golf course. The Lake Park Terrace was torn down to make way for The Bat.
Paramount Kings Island in Ohio was the first theme park to receive this same type of suspended-roller coaster ride from Vekoma in 2001. It themed the ride "Rugrats Runaway Reptar." Paramount classes this ride under family attractions. A minimum height of 44 inches is required to ride Reptar, and the ride is 90 seconds long.
Lagoon was built in 1886 as a dance hall by the Great Salt Lake, 2.5 miles west, and was designed by Richard Kletting, architect of the original Saltair and the Utah State Capitol Building. The terrace structure was remodeled and moved inland in 1896 to Lagoon's current location, becoming its oldest picnic pavilion.
"It was very old," Brown said. Cracks and deterioration made it impractical to preserve the structure any longer. He said Lagoon still has adequate picnic space without the Terrace.
In fact, Lagoon remains one of the few amusement parks in the nation that allow patrons to bring in food from outside. It also sells meals and snacks.
Lagoon's regular prices for the 2005 season will be $32.95, plus tax, for those 51 inches tall to age 64; $27.95, plus tax, from age 4 to 50 inches tall; and $21, plus tax, for senior citizens, ages 65 and over. Parking will be $7 a day.
Season passport prices through June 5 are each $72.95, plus tax, when four or more are ordered, and $82.95, plus tax, for one to three passports. Prices increase by $9 each after June 5. A season parking pass is $38.
For more information, go online to www.vekoma.com or www.lagoonpark.com.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com