Excalibur (roller coaster)
Encyclopedia
Excalibur is a hybrid wood
and steel roller coaster
located at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota
. It was built in 1989 by Arrow Dynamics
, for the cost of $3,000,000. The ride is 105 feet (32 m) tall with a top speed of 54.5 mph (87.7 km/h), and has a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Excalibur is only one of a few coasters in the world that has a steel track with a wood frame. Two others, Gemini
and Cedar Creek Mine Ride
, are located at sister park Cedar Point
in Sandusky, Ohio
. It follows a customized figure-eight track layout and is rather short for a major roller coaster, with a total ride duration of two minutes and thirteen seconds. Most likely due to its location at the very northern edge of the park and the more recently built roller coasters such as Wild Thing
, Steel Venom and Renegade, Excalibur witnesses significantly less foot traffic than other, more frequently visited rides. This leads to relatively short lines for riders and similarly short wait times to gain access to the ride. Some visitors to Valleyfair have been known to ride Excalibur once, exit the ride, then immediately return to the entrance and be able to ride again with virtually no wait.
A few years after the ride was built, trim brakes were added at the top of the first hill. The bottom and first half of the turn were re-profiled in an attempt to reduce roughness. The photo spot and the "Excalibur Photos" booth were also removed. The photo booth was replaced with a Refreshment stand.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
and steel roller coaster
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
located at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the thirteenth largest...
. It was built in 1989 by Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics
Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of...
, for the cost of $3,000,000. The ride is 105 feet (32 m) tall with a top speed of 54.5 mph (87.7 km/h), and has a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Excalibur is only one of a few coasters in the world that has a steel track with a wood frame. Two others, Gemini
Gemini (roller coaster)
Gemini is a hybrid wood and steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Built in 1978 by Arrow Dynamics and designed by Ron Toomer, it is a racing roller coaster...
and Cedar Creek Mine Ride
Cedar Creek Mine Ride
Cedar Creek Mine Ride is a roller coaster operating at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio in the Frontiertown section of the park. It is the second oldest operating roller coaster in the park behind Blue Streak...
, are located at sister park Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
in Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
. It follows a customized figure-eight track layout and is rather short for a major roller coaster, with a total ride duration of two minutes and thirteen seconds. Most likely due to its location at the very northern edge of the park and the more recently built roller coasters such as Wild Thing
Wild Thing (roller coaster)
Wild Thing, located at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, is a steel out-and-back roller coaster with more than one mile of track. Its first hill is with a 60 degree drop, and reaches speeds of up to...
, Steel Venom and Renegade, Excalibur witnesses significantly less foot traffic than other, more frequently visited rides. This leads to relatively short lines for riders and similarly short wait times to gain access to the ride. Some visitors to Valleyfair have been known to ride Excalibur once, exit the ride, then immediately return to the entrance and be able to ride again with virtually no wait.
A few years after the ride was built, trim brakes were added at the top of the first hill. The bottom and first half of the turn were re-profiled in an attempt to reduce roughness. The photo spot and the "Excalibur Photos" booth were also removed. The photo booth was replaced with a Refreshment stand.