After a long wait, visitors of Lagoon Amusement Park near Salt Lake City (UT, U.S.A.) are finally able to ride the promising new Primordial semi-dark roller coaster. The ride combines in- and outdoor roller coaster sections with a 3D interactive dark ride, including a thrilling vertical drop. All of this is located around and inside a large mountain that was erected to house the ride. Once inside the mountain, guests face creepy creatures and finally need to battle a dragon with their interactive guns. A first POV is already posted online, and gives a clear impression of the ride.
Primordial invites guests into a medieval fantasy-setting, where they become knights to fight creepy, primordial creatures. During the queue line, an animatronic welcomes guests into this world. In the station, set in a medieval town, they board the roller coaster trains, seating 4 people across in two cars, making for 8 riders per coaster train. The seats are equipped with interactive guns and riders are handed 3D glasses for the interactive part of the experience. Moreover, the cars can rotate in a controlled way, facing scenes to the side of the ride.
From the station, the vehicles climb the lift hill, followed by a short outdoor coaster section around the slopes of the mountain. Once inside, the first interactive part begins, where riders shoot at interactive 3D-screens containing spiders and other creatures. The indoor section is further decorated with rockwork and an occasional animatronic. After an indoor backwards roller coaster section, riders enter the second interactive part. This part ends with a climatic battle against a dragon, ended by a sudden vertical drop.
The ride system of Primordial was delivered by ART Engineering, who collaborated with Triotech delivering the interactive system. The system is similar to Wonder Mountain’s Guardian at Canada’s Wonderland, delivered by the same two companies, though there are some notables differences. Where Wonder Mountain’s Guardian seats two people across in a back-to-back configuration, using screens on both sides of the track, Primordial seats 4 people across and only needs screens and theming on one side of the track. Moreover, both the lay-out and the theming of Primordial are more extensive, including an indoor coaster section and more thematic elements along the ride.
Construction on Primordial already started in 2019, but has been put to a halt for multiple years during 2020 and 2021. By the end of last year, Lagoon suddenly teased the opening of the long-awaited ride for 2023. It would eventually take until this Saturday, 16 September, before park guests could finally board Primordial. The ride was officially opened yesterday, with a short ceremony taking place inside the boarding station. From today, Primordial is open on every regular park opening day. On top of that, passholders can reserve a time slot on weekdays, when the park is closed for other visitors, to take an exclusive ride.
