Amusement Park News

Farmington, Utah's Lagoon Amusement Park opened its summer season with a new S&S swing ride. The Nutcracker soars 105 feet above the park, creating an exciting new attraction that carries up to 40 riders at a time.

The family-owned theme park is seeing enthusiastic guests enjoy the new ride. S&S, also based in Utah, has collaborated with Lagoon before on The Rocket, the park's massive drop ride, which was added in 1999.

With its German-inspired theming, The Nutcracker creates a striking new presence on the park's skyline. According to Trever Dyer, director of sales and marketing for S&S, partnering with Lagoon again was a natural choice. He describes the theme park as “a great partner that builds world-class attractions on a local scale.”

Reflecting on their shared roots, Dyer adds, “We're both very proud to be from the state of Utah and to show the world what can be accomplished in our home state.”

The ride propels guests up to 135 feet in the air. According to S&S project manager Steve Johnson, the boom arms swing riders “120 degrees at 68 miles per hour propelled by compressed air.” That speed is only slightly slower than Lagoon's Cannibal thrill ride, the fastest attraction in the park.



Riders swing nearly as high as the park's Sky Coaster, soaring above the 50-foot sculpted nutcracker figure created by 3dx Scenic that serves as the ride's centerpiece. The figure also conceals the ride's air tank and piping. Openings built into the fiberglass panels that make up “Hansel” allow maintenance staff easy access to key service areas.

Positioned prominently on an elevated platform, the nutcracker figure serves as a focal point for the attraction while enhancing the Biergarten atmosphere in that section of the park, an intentional design choice by Lagoon.

The theme park has built a reputation for high-quality theming in recent years, and The Nutcracker fits seamlessly into both the park's overall aesthetic and the Biergarten area where it is located, according to Julie Freed, Lagoon's director of special events.

Appropriately, riders exit The Nutcracker directly into the Lagoon Biergarten. The Nutcracker figure holds a Lagoon-A-Bier, encouraging guests to enjoy a similar beverage. Further enhancing the experience is ride narration performed by a female voice actor with a German accent.



The attraction is strategically located next to the German-themed Liesl's Pretzel Haus, a new food-and-beverage venue housed in a Bavarian-style building. The structure features a clock with rotating animals that perform every quarter hour. Those same animals are represented in The Nutcracker's loading area, where riders are assigned seats according to one of four queue groups: bear, stag, owl, or squirrel.

Beyond the charming animal-themed details, Liesl's Pretzel Haus is a natural fit for the area, serving fresh soft pretzels and Bavarian roasted and candied nuts. The German-inspired offerings at the Biergarten further reinforce the immersive atmosphere. Menu items include beer-battered fish and chips, chicken schnitzel, and onion rings.

Nowhere in the park is this attention to thematic detail more evident than in the area surrounding The Nutcracker, although last year's steampunk-themed District area also ranks among Lagoon's most impressive themed environments.

The addition of Hans the Nutcracker helps unify the Biergarten section of the park. As a standalone figure, he also serves as a major visual draw for the attraction. The swing ride features two large arms with back-to-back seating for 20 riders on each side. The experience begins immediately with a soaring swing and G-forces ranging from -0.42 to 4.67 throughout the ride cycle.



Dyer notes that the new attraction is “a huge success from an operations and installation standpoint” and calls it “one of the best Screamin' Swings in the world.”

S&S is already looking forward to working with Lagoon again. “They were fantastic to work with,” Dyer says.

Big D Construction created the ride's foundations and support structure.

Guests eager to get “cracking” must be at least 48 inches tall. The ride lasts a thrilling 108 seconds and is designed to include an additional 60 seconds for loading.

Freed notes, “It feels great to have this ride open. It's a celebration for all of our incredible team members who have been working all winter long, every day. Their attention to detail shows with this ride. We're really celebrating the hard work.”

While the park has steadily added new attractions over the past several years, Lagoon is not slowing down. Freed reports that “there's a lot of fun things coming in the future for Lagoon.”



Season passes cost $227.95 for guests ages 34 months through 64 years. Single-day tickets are $99.95.