Estimated reading time: 3-4 minutes
FARMINGTON — After years of anticipation, Lagoon Amusement Park’s newest ride, Primordial, opened to park guests Friday.
This ambitious project took more than eight years. Park officials emphasized the roller coaster’s custom design and locally sourced materials at a press event ahead of its first public opening.
“We named it ‘primordial,’ which means from time immemorial,” said Julie Freed, the lagoon’s special events director. “With its primitive setting, the storyline you’ll follow as you travel in this vehicle…is unlike anything you’ve seen before and is 100% original.”
The fantasy-themed ride is described as a 3D interactive roller coaster that combines traditional drops with arcade-like sequences projected inside the ride.
Riders are given 3D glasses before boarding and use blasters attached to each seat to fire at hordes of animated spiders, sorcerers, and other fantastical creatures and climb the leaderboards. Aim for a chance to win a spot.
The vehicles each seat eight people, travel at 40 miles per hour, and can turn in any direction. The ride begins outdoors and then tunnels into a giant, mist-filled mountain. Riders battle enemies through dungeons, outside castles, snow-capped mountain peaks, and more. All of this is displayed on a panoramic screen.
Freed said the interior of the car is decorated with more than 5,000 square feet of screens.
Lagoon unveiled its newest ride to the media ahead of its public opening on Friday afternoon. Primordial is described as a “3D interactive roller coaster” with over 5000 square feet of projection screens for gameplay. pic.twitter.com/lhx2HubDWR
— Bridger Beal Tsvetko (@BealBridger) September 16, 2023
Primordial is different from other lagoon rides because it has multiple randomly selected paths, so you can ride it multiple times without repeating the same experience.
It was the high point for 13-year-old Colvin, who interviewed KSL.com after already riding Primordial twice.
“I loved it. It was really cool,” he said. “I didn’t expect it to end in two different ways. I’ve been there twice and both times it was different.”
He said it’s too early to call it his new favorite ride, but it’s easily in the “top five.”
When asked if Colvin’s younger sister, Evoleft, 6, had fun, she answered emphatically, “Yes,” and said she enjoyed both the drops and the gameplay. She liked it so much that she said she won’t be recommending it to her friends to “keep it a secret” to reduce her wait time the next time she visits the lagoon.
The 70,000-square-foot mountain that Primordial sits on is already visible from Interstate 15, and Freed said the park is “proud of how unique this project is.”
“We not only sought to build an interactive vehicle with 3D elements, but also designed the mountain to house it as the perfect backdrop for this incredible adventure,” she said.
All of the structural steel, including about 2,000 feet of track, was made in Utah, she said. Overall, more than 75 percent of the materials were sourced locally, Freed said.
The experience lasts about five minutes, longer than any other ride in the lagoon and more than twice as long as the Cannibal roller coaster. It’s also meant to be a family-friendly attraction, so any guest over 36 inches tall can ride.
Primordial’s opening was later than expected after the amusement park announced its spring timetable last November.
Some frequent visitors expressed concern last month that the ride might not be ready for the season as the season drew to a close.
At the time, Lagoon spokesman Adam Leishman promised the ride’s opening was “imminent.” He said the ride was undergoing final testing and employees were allowed to ride Primordial, but he did not say when it would be open to the public.
With just six weeks left in the season, Lagoon is offering 2023 season pass holders the opportunity to reserve a ride on the Primordial every Monday through Thursday for the remainder of the year from 4-8 p.m. are doing. Primordial is the only attraction open during these hours, but anyone can ride the roller coaster during regular weekend hours.