A portion of the ride runs indoors through the main area of the casino. Since February 2020, and the COVID-19 lockdowns, Desperado has been closed and not operating, but still receiving monthly maintenance checks and test runs from ride technicians.[5]
History
Gary Primm opened a casino called Buffalo Bill's on May 14, 1994, and he wished to attract people driving on adjacent Interstate 15 to his new casino. Primm contracted Arrow Dynamics to build a highly visible roller coaster. The ride opened to the public on August 11, 1994, as one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. The ride's 209-foot-tall (64 m) lift hill was the tallest in the world, second behind only the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England that opened the same year. Its drop length of 225 feet (69 m) and top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) were tied in the country with Kennywood's Steel Phantom, which also featured a 225-foot (69 m) drop and top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Desperado in its 1996 publication as the tallest roller coaster in the world.[3]
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.[6]
In February 2020, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Buffalo Bill’s Casino was temporarily closed, along with Desperado and their log flume which closed indefinitely.[5] The casino reopened on December 23, 2022, but Desperado remained closed.[citation needed] In 2023, it was reported that the roller coaster would be part of a casino-wide refurbishment, in an effort to bring back previous guests.[citation needed] Casino general manager Jerry West stated that the ride had been kept properly maintained and functional during the nearly three-year closure, with test runs occurring regularly. He added that the coaster will be subject to a "sign-off process" involving legal and mechanical inspections before reopening.[citation needed]
References
^Palermo, Dave (August 7, 1994). "PRIMM SPRUCING UP CALIFORNIA-NEVADA BORDER". Las Vegas Review-Journal/Sun.
^"Amusement". Intermountain Lift, Inc. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.