Desperado Footage - May 1995

[@5MadMovieMakers]

Gonna miss this ride

[@SeanFlaharty]

When was the last time you rode it? I think the last time I rode it was in 2008 and it was really bad. I heard they tried to do some fixes a few years ago but don't know if that worked out or not.

[@5MadMovieMakers]

@@SeanFlaharty I rode it in 2015 and again in 2016 I think. It was intense and wobbly but I wouldn't say rough

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@5MadMovieMakers That's interesting. I wonder what was changed or fixed. The ride had big potholes or something in the valleys of all the hills. Gave me an instant headache. That's good to know something might have been done. I wonder if it was just the train I was riding in.

[@RideAllNight5]

Rip to a legend

[@StamfordBridge]

Not confirmed to be closed forever just yet.

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@StamfordBridge It's not looking good though. While I would love to see the casino take some time and fix the coaster up and reopen it, I don't have my hopes up. The last time I rode it was in '08 and it wasn't even close to being the same ride it felt like back in 1995. :(

[@NickyD]

@@StamfordBridge most likey never reopening the hotel said in emails and FB msgs to people who asked and they said they have no plans whatsoever to operate it in the future ride operated just 4 days last year

[@Coasterkitty7]

I love seeing all of you older footage. I used to have an 8mm as well! I can't remember the brand, though. I can imagine how popular Desperado was in its heyday. We rode it in 2005 on our way to Vegas from LA. It was rackety then, but it was worth a "check off the list" credit.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I loved my 8mm camcorder. It did the job. It was a huge step up from the VHS camcorder I had years before. I have a ton of older stuff I will be releasing every couple of days. It was cool to revisit that old stuff. I don't remember what year, but there definitely a time when Desperado started becoming really bad.

[@CoolioJoe100]

Wow, this footage was taken a few months before I was born!

[@SeanFlaharty]

Yep, I am definitely old. :)

[@CoolioJoe100]

Sean Flaharty You said it, not me! 😆

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@CoolioJoe100 Ha ha. Well, it's true. :)

[@CivilianSatellite]

Fantastic footage, and great to see it running with full trains. I can only imagine just how big Desperado looked at a time when there were really only 4 hyper coasters in the world. How much did a ride cost at the time?

[@SeanFlaharty]

Thank you Vince! I never got to see it run in person with more than one train. I fell in love with that coaster. I opted to not go into Vegas with the rest of my friends so I could ride the coaster many times in the dark. I don't remember exactly how much a ride cost at a time. I remember purchasing tickets for rides and them getting a wristband or something so I could ride a lot more.

[@rjkral]

I rode in 96. It was $5/ride but I had a 2 rides for $5 coupon from the strip. I almost didn't go for the free 2nd ride it was so painful during the first half. Impressive to look at though for sure.

[@WillKalili]

Drove past this coaster on my way to Vegas about a month ago. It was right after Christmas and NYE so the casino was relatively empty. In other news, I rode Manhattan Express ("Roller Coaster") for the first time and it was much smoother than I expected. The trains seemed to be hugging the track. There were still some weird transitions in there but no rattle or shakiness.

[@SeanFlaharty]

Those Premier trains do hug the track better than the TOGO ones did. I still think the ride is rough but its good that they got different trains.

[@jeremydegeytere8385]

Not the point of the video but at 1:03 you can see the water slide, this water slide was removed only a few years later due to accidents and injuries but you used to BOOK it down the last few turns and slam into the water, remember it clear as day as a kid.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I don't remember a water slide at all. I do remember riding a log flume, before they made it interactive with light guns.

[@malcolmwhite2420]

I remember seeing this Coaster back in 2012, when we were on our way to California on our Vacation. But, we didn't go to Buffalo Bills.

[@SeanFlaharty]

The last time I rode it I think it was 2008. It was running incredibly rough.

[@shawnhendrix8671]

I hope they will reopen it! I went on it back in 1998 it was awesome!

[@SeanFlaharty]

It was a fun ride for sure. I rode it again in the early 2000's and it was incredible rough and very difficulty to enjoy. I hope they fix that if they open it.

[@brycefourn2001]

Great off-ride footage! Too bad this coaster may not be around much longer :(

[@SeanFlaharty]

Many thanks, Bryce!

[@StamfordBridge]

Very interesting to hear you compare it to Magnum. Makes sense for the time.

[@SeanFlaharty]

After the night rides, I had it above Magnum on my list. I think I even had it at #1 at one point. It was incredible! I stopped rating in 1999 but am curious as to where it would have been on the list after that.

[@StamfordBridge]

Sean Flaharty Amazing to hear given how disparaged the coaster is these years.

[@yourexperienceguide]

Wish I'd got on this thing, hoping one day it makes a surprise reopening

[@SeanFlaharty]

I have been hearing of reports of it testing recently. I have only ridden it one other visit after this footage was recorded and that was in 2002 (I think) and it was running incredibly rough. I can only imagine it being too rough now, however, maybe a retracting of rough spots is in store, eventually. Who knows at this point?

[@yourexperienceguide]

@@SeanFlaharty Here’s hoping it’ll reopen 🤞🏼

[@seaworldfan2421]

I really hope they open it agian I really wanna ride it

[@SeanFlaharty]

I also hope the best for the ride. It doesn't look good but things can change.

[@SOLDIERxBLING]

I used to work here from 2007 to 2012 didn't like working there because it was too far from Las Vegas and gas would cost a lot to get from work back to Las Vegas

[@stephenbarr1995]

This was filmed just a few days after I was born. (I was born May, 12, 1995)

[@SeanFlaharty]

Wow! That's crazy, man. Time flies......:)

[@HangtimeThrills]

It’s a shame this thing is SBNO, looks pretty fun if you ask me.

[@SeanFlaharty]

It was a really fun ride in 1995. I rode it two other visits after that and it wasn't running the best. Let's hope they can do something to not only reopen the ride but to make it more comfortable somehow.

[@ernestopadilla5382]

One ticket to 1995 please

[@Joypyf]

Is it just me, or do those transitions look really janky? Lol 😬

[@SeanFlaharty]

They really were. Good ole' Arrow coasters were fairly known for janky transitions. :)

[@Joypyf]

Sean Flaharty Ha! I heard someone say smooth and I just couldn’t help but feel like that must have been a mistake lol 😅

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@Joypyf I guess I didn't think it was too rough as weird transitions were the norm back then. The ride did get incredible rough after I took my first ride on it though.

[@Joypyf]

Sean Flaharty oh I’m sure! I’m one of those people who thought Magnum was too rough to enjoy on my only ride in the back a few years ago😬🙈

[@rjkral]

Janky as HECK!!! I'm a huge fan of coasters but this thing was ROUGH! (Rode in 96)

[@tismejaytee]

Much old

[@SeanFlaharty]

Indeed.

[@puccipower]

Jeeze... those transitions are just so bad... if it could be retracked in certain spots it would be worth it. I don’t think it’s been safe for the past 20 years honestly though.... hope they don’t demolish it but they probably will.

[@SeanFlaharty]

I agree. It could be a better ride for sure.