Cannibal (roller coaster)

Cannibal is a steel roller coaster located at Lagoon amusement park in Farmington, Utah. It opened with the tallest beyond-vertical drop in the world on July 2, 2015,[2] and its drop angle of 116 degrees was the steepest in the United States for a brief time.[3] A large portion of the $22-million ride was built and designed in-house, a rare move for an amusement park. Since its debut, Cannibal has also consistently ranked in the top 50 among steel roller coasters worldwide in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today.

Cannibal
Aerial view of Cannibal
Lagoon
LocationLagoon
Park sectionNorth Midway
Coordinates40.987396°N 111.895546°W / 40.987396; -111.895546
StatusOperating
Opening dateJuly 2, 2015 (2015-07-02)
Cost$22 million
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerART Engineering
DesignerDal Freeman (Lagoon)
Height208 ft (63 m)
Length2,735 ft (834 m)
Speed70 mph (110 km/h)
Inversions4
Duration2:30
Max vertical angle116°
G-force4.2
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains7[1] trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 4 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train.
Websitewww.lagoonpark.com/ride/cannibal/
Cannibal at RCDB

History

Nearly 75% of Cannibal was designed, engineered, and manufactured in-house by Lagoon amusement park with the help of multiple firms located in Utah. The lead designer was Lagoon's Dal Freeman. In an era when most amusement parks outsource the work to a select few established roller coaster manufacturers, the decision to build in-house is rare in the industry. The roller coaster features a 208-foot-tall (63 m) enclosed elevator lift, a beyond-vertical drop of 116 degrees, a themed underground tunnel, and a 360-degree helix situated above a man-made waterfall.[4] It also features four inversions that include a 140-foot-tall (43 m) Immelman loop, a dive loop, and a unique inversion the park calls the "Lagoon roll," which consists of a counter-clockwise heartline roll immediately followed by a clockwise heartline roll. The trains, which use only lap bar restraints, travel up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and pull as much as 4.2 G's.[4]

The ride had been in the planning stages for more than five years and required more than two years to construct.[5] Prior to its planned opening in the spring of 2015, Lagoon announced that the roller coaster's debut would be postponed for additional testing and inspections.[4] The ride officially opened on July 2, 2015.[6][7] At the time of opening, Cannibal set a world record for having the tallest beyond-vertical drop among roller coasters,[2][8] and became the steepest in the United States.[3] Its drop angle record in the US was surpassed by TMNT Shellraiser, which opened at Nickelodeon Universe in 2019.[8]

Ride experience

The roller coaster features a 208 feet (63 m) elevator lift, enclosed in a huge tower structure; a 116° beyond vertical drop; inversions, including an Immelman-like loop, as well as an inversion unique to the park consisting of two consecutive heart line rolls (commonly referred to as a "Lagoon Roll") in opposite directions; a water feature; and a tunnel 20 feet (6.1 m) underground.[5] It is the tallest roller coaster in the state and the longest ride in the park.[5] The ride cars accommodate 12 passengers (3 rows of 4), and the duration of the ride lasts approximately two and a half minutes.[5]

Reception

The ride appeared in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for the first time in 2016, ranking 42nd among steel roller coasters.[9]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year20162017201820192021
Ranking 42[9]32[10]44[11]41[12]48 (tied)[13]

References
  1. "Cannibal – Lagoon". Ultimate Rollercoaster. Retrieved 24 Apr 2016.
  2. Landers, Justin S. "We visited Utah's Lagoon Amusement Park – Here's what we experienced". Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  3. Levine, Arthur (September 7, 2017). "12 most thrilling roller coasters in the USA". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  4. MacDonald, Brady (1 Apr 2015). "Utah's Cannibal coaster promises to 'eat' the competition". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles: Davan Maharaj. Retrieved 4 Apr 2015.
  5. Edwards, Ashton (4 Sep 2014). "Lagoon's new roller coaster is out for blood, Cannibal coming soon". fox13now.com. Salt Lake City: Tribune Broadcasting. Retrieved 5 Sep 2014.
  6. Hansen, Cassidy (July 2, 2015). "Lagoon's Cannibal coaster finally opens". ksl.com. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  7. Wharton, Tom (8 Jul 2015). "$22M, 'beyond vertical' Cannibal coaster finally opens at Utah's Lagoon amusement park". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City: Paul Huntsman. Retrieved 21 Jul 2015.
  8. Marden, Duane. "World Record Holders - Angle". RCDB.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  9. "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  10. "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  11. "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  12. "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  13. "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
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