Lagoon celebrating 120th year

FARMINGTON — Lagoon, Utah's amusement park, will open Saturday at 10 a.m. — weather permitting — for its 120th season.

New this year are two children's rides — the Dinosaur Drop and Ladybug Bop. Essentially, these are scaled-down, kid-friendly versions of Lagoon's Rocket Ride. However, while the Rocket towers are 217 feet high and require that riders be 50 inches or taller, these two new attractions are only 39 and 45 feet high and have a minimum height requirement of just 36 inches (although kids 36-42 inches tall need an adult to ride with them).

The Drop and Bop are two separate towers, which Dick Andrew, Lagoon spokesman, describes as family rides with some fun theming. He expects both rides to be open Saturday.

Each ride has five double seats attached to a motorized ring driven around a vertical tower. Vertical and rotational movement can be controlled, providing different ride experiences.

Each ride carries 10 passengers at a time and can handle about 360 passengers per hour.

With the addition of the "Bat" ride last year and other rides and special theming in recent years, Lagoon has beefed up its children's ride area.

Andrew said Lagoon is also adding Colosimo's Sausages to its lineup of food outlets. This will be located on the south end of the park.

Still another change is that Lagoon has demolished its old central restrooms and is in the process of rebuilding new ones, though they won't be finished by opening weekend. "You can only make so many upgrades," Andrew said of the old facilities.

Lagoon also has taken out the old Maple Terrace, north of Lagoon-A-Beach, and is utilizing the space better with two new picnic terraces, as well as a third outlet for the park's catering services.

The early season is a great, less-crowded time to visit Lagoon. Although the weather is fickle and Lagoon closes much earlier in the evening, ride lovers can more than get their money's worth.

Andrew also confirmed the rumors that Lagoon is slated to open a major new roller coaster for the 2007 season. "It will surpass anything we have," he said.

Lagoon will break ground on the new coaster this summer just west of the Fire Dragon ride.

• Lagoon will be open Saturdays and Sundays in April and May, plus Memorial Day. It will open daily on Friday, June 2.

Its six-acre waterpark, Lagoon-A-Beach, will open on Memorial Day, weather permitting.

Frightmares, Lagoon's seasonal Halloween event, opens Sept. 29.