The Bat is a

Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is an amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is a syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek (Veld Koning Machine Factory) which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld. History The company originally manu ...

suspended family coaster A Suspended Family Coaster is a steel inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma designed for families with no inversions. Just like all inverted roller coasters the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage ...

located at

Lagoon Amusement Park Lagoon is a family owned amusement park in Farmington, Utah, located about 18 miles north of Salt Lake City. Lagoon is divided into five main areas: The Midway, containing the majority of the rides; Pioneer Village, which has several exhibits d ...

in Farmington,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

History

The Bat debuted at Lagoon Amusement Park on April 16, 2005. Lagoon had hoped to open The Bat on the opening day of the 2005 season on April 9, but the opening was delayed a week.Arave, Lynn: "Lagoon to open its gates, unleash new 'Bat' coaster", ''

Deseret Morning News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LD ...

'', April 8, 2005. It was built on the site of the Lake Park Terrace, a pavilion moved to Lagoon from the park's original location on the shore of the

Great Salt Lake The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and the eighth-largest terminal lake in the world. It lies in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah and has a substantial impact upon the local climate, partic ...

. The pavilion was removed on October 12, 2004, to make room for the new roller coaster, as the structure's deterioration had passed the point of feasible maintenance.Arave, Lynn: "'The Bat' a different kind of fun", ''

'', January 14, 2005. The Bat was one of four roller coasters added to Lagoon in a 10-year span, and the first at the park to use a magnetic braking system. The Bat was the third family-friendly ride, allowing both adult and child riders, to be installed in the park, following the Kontiki and Dragon Fly flat rides installed in 2004. The ride was also the first inverted roller coaster at the park, and it remains the only one in the present day.

Ride description

The Bat begins with a turn out of the station and up a pinch wheel lift, into a series of helices and small hills around a "bat cave" and other themed features. The Bat comes to an end as the train is slowed by magnetic brakes and returns to the station. The minimum height for riders of The Bat is , a smaller minimum height restriction than most of the other roller coasters located in the park.

Theme

The ride theming is based on bats. The ride façade and queue area resemble a cave with roosting bats, and the light coverings in the station area are decorated with images of bats. The ride track is painted purple with green supports, and the trains are black and purple with orange restraints. As of 2008, The Bat is the only roller coaster at Lagoon with over-the-shoulder restraints.

References

{{Lagoon Utah Coasters Inverted roller coasters Roller coasters in Utah Lagoon (amusement park) 2005 establishments in Utah