Dragon Mountain
Dragon Mountain is a steel roller coaster located at Marineland of Canada near Niagara Falls, Ontario, in Canada.[3] Built in 1983 by Arrow Huss, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world before the opening of Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point.[4] At its opening, it claimed to have the longest ride time of 3 minutes and 30 seconds and the longest track length of 5,500 feet (1,700 m).[5]
| Dragon Mountain | |
|---|---|
 The Bowtie element on Dragon Mountain | |
| Marineland of Canada | |
| Location | Marineland of Canada |
| Coordinates | 43.061265°N 79.080379°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | July 16, 1983[1] |
| Cost | CA$9 million[2] |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Huss |
| Designer | Ron Toomer |
| Model | Custom Looping Coaster |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Drop | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Length | 5,500 ft (1,700 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Inversions | 4 (two back to back vertical loops and a bowtie, consisting of two inversions) |
| Duration | 3:30 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train. |
| Dragon Mountain at RCDB Pictures of Dragon Mountain at RCDB | |
Dragon Mountain reaches a maximum elevation of 186 feet (57 m) although the first drop is only 80 feet (24 m). The ride covers 30 ares (0.30 ha) of land and is considered the "world's largest" roller coaster on that basis. It is also the only roller coaster with a bowtie element.
The riders are first welcomed at the base of the mountain by a long path. At the end of the path lies the dragon's cave, which is carved to look like an actual dragon's head. The queue and station inside are almost in complete darkness. The station, however, is lit up more than the queue, because it would make operating the ride extremely difficult for the ride operators and attendants. Upon exiting the station, the riders are brought back outside climbing up the lush-green hill. Throughout the most of the ride, the track follows the terrain closely.
Upon the opening in the early 80's, the ride was missing the proposed volcano facade around the helix, and the miniature waterfalls built around the stretch of track after exiting the first tunnel. These unthemed parts of the ride had nothing but the framework, which was constructed along with the track. In 2006, Marineland decided to complete the volcano to improve the ride's appearance. Whether the park would like to add more to the facade to make it look more like a volcano is unknown. This has been the only improvement to the ride's theming, as the other incomplete section has remained untouched.
References
- "'Coaster' opens at Marineland".
- "Marineland builds thrillseeker's dream". Toronto Star. April 13, 1983. p. A3.
- http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/yellowpages/coasters/dragon_marineland_ca.shtml
- http://www.rcdb.com/185.htm Roller Coaster Database
- "Dragon Mountain is new attraction". Toronto Star. July 2, 1983. p. S4.