Wild Thing is where the Morgan hypercoaster story begins. Opened on May 11, 1996 at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota, the $9.5 million giant was the very first hypercoaster built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing — the prototype for a family of 200-foot out-and-back machines that soon spread to parks across America.
Standing 207 feet tall and hitting 75 mph, it was the fifth-tallest coaster in the world when it opened, and it remains the biggest, fastest ride in Minnesota’s largest amusement park.
Key Stats
| Height | 207 ft (63 m) |
| Drop | 196 ft (60 m) |
| Length | 5,460 ft (1,660 m) |
| Speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Duration | 3:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 60° |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Manufacturer / Model | D. H. Morgan Manufacturing — Hypercoaster |
| Opened | May 11, 1996 |
| Capacity | 1,700 riders per hour |
The First Morgan Hyper
Designed by Steve Okamoto, Wild Thing established the template its siblings — Steel Force at Dorney Park and Mamba at Worlds of Fun — would follow: a 200-foot-plus lift, a 60-degree first drop, a giant second hill, an elevated turnaround and a return run of airtime bunny hops. At 207 feet it stood among the tallest roller coasters in the world in 1996, and its 75 mph top speed still holds up against the fastest coasters anywhere.
One quirk of its construction: the Federal Aviation Administration effectively capped the ride’s height because of the neighboring Flying Cloud Airport’s flight path — one reason the lift stopped at 207 feet.
Ride Experience
After the 196-foot first drop, Wild Thing floats over a 103-foot parabolic hill engineered for one of the longest sustained low-gravity moments on any coaster of its era, then crests a 130-foot hill into the turnaround. The return leg dives through a tunnel — complete with on-ride photo — and rattles off a string of bunny hills before the brakes. Peak forces reach 4.1 G, yet the ride stays smooth and inversion-free, with a 48-inch height requirement.
Three trains seating 36 riders each keep capacity high at around 1,700 riders per hour, so the line moves even on packed summer days.
Legacy
Wild Thing proved that a mid-sized regional park could headline with a world-class hypercoaster, and Morgan’s follow-ups borrowed its blueprint almost bolt for bolt. Nearly thirty years later it is still the tallest and fastest coaster at Valleyfair and one of the biggest thrill machines in the Upper Midwest.
FAQ
How tall is Wild Thing at Valleyfair?
Wild Thing is 207 feet (63 m) tall with a 196-foot (60 m) first drop at 60 degrees.
How fast does Wild Thing go?
Wild Thing reaches 75 mph (121 km/h), making it the fastest ride at Valleyfair and one of the fastest coasters in the Midwest.
Was Wild Thing ever a record holder?
When it opened in 1996 it was the fifth-tallest coaster in the world and the first hypercoaster ever built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing.
Photo: Drbcoaster via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)