Coasting The Strip

by Guide Bill Burton

Some of you may recall that I am somewhat of an adrenaline junkie. As ifthe thrill of the casino was not enough, I always look for a little moreexcitement when I get to town. In the past I have tried indoor skydivingat Flyaway, racing virtual Indy cars at Speedworld and last year I rode andrated all the motion rides on The Strip.

With the addition of Speed, the newest coaster at the Sahara, I figured itwas time to rate all the roller coasters on the Strip. I rode a few of thesein the past but figured it would be best to revisit them all to do a bettercomparison.

I started at New York NY where I waited about thirty minutes to climb aboardthe Manhattan Express. This is the biggest coaster on The Strip. The trackis a little shy of a mile at 4,777 ft. The maximum height is 203 ft at theapex just before you plunge 145 ft to start your journey through loops andcorkscrews at the incredible speed 67 miles per hour. The ride lasts twominutes 45 seconds and is a thrill every second of the way. This ride isnot for the faint of heart. The ride is open 10am - 10pm daily and until12 on Fri and Sat. The price is $10, which works out to about six cents persecond. This is a must ride for any true coaster aficionado.

I jumped to the Sahara to ride Speed, the much-talked about new ride on TheStrip. The ride is unique because it does not have a circular track. I satin the front car and stared down the tunnel toward the opening in the sideof the building. As I watched the circle of light at the end of the tunnelI had a sense of what the Human Cannonball at the circus must feel like.The ride operator warns all to keep their heads back as he hits the triggerto shoot the cars on their way. The ride accelerates from zero to 70mph infour seconds as it shoots you out of the side of the building where you gothrough a small tunnel before the big loop. After quick upside down thrillyou are propelled up a 224-foot high tower. Reaching the top of the toweryou experience a second of weightlessness as the coaster starts it decentfor the backward journey back to the starting point. The ride is 1,365 feetlong and the whole ordeal is only 45 seconds. The ride is open 10am - 10pmdaily and until 12 on Fri and Sat. The price is $8 for non-residents, whichworks out to about seventeen cents per second. Residents can ride for $6and there is a re-buy ticket for $4. I found a discount coupon good for twodollars off in several freebie magazines and according to the Las Vegas Advisor,the Sahara slot club members can get a funbook at the slot club booth witha 2-for-1 coupon for the Speed roller coaster. There is also a multi-attractionpass for $19.95, which includes unlimited rides and admission to the virtualracecars and motion rides. If you plan to spend some time there this is thebest bargain.

I then headed over to the Circus Circus Adventuredome to ride the CanyonBlaster, the only indoor loop coaster that I have ever seen. This ride isthrilling with it's double loop and corkscrew. It is a little slower thanthe previous coasters with a top speed of 55mph over a track that is 2,000feet long. The maximum height is 90 feet just before the 90-foot drop atthe beginning of the ride. The ride is one minute forty five seconds. A singleride is Five dollars, which is less than five cents a second. The Adventuredomeis open from 10am until midnight daily. An all day pass can be purchasedfor $16.95 and you will find many four-dollar off coupons in the freebiemagazines. I would recommend the all day pass, which would allow you to rideJimmy's Clown Chaos the best motion simulator on The Strip. The reallydaring can also ride The Inverter, which flips and flops you upside downin a fashion I have never seen before. Although not a coaster, I give theInverter a high rating on the Thrill-o-meter.

Finally sitting atop the Stratosphere Tower at the north end of The Stripis the High Roller coaster. If this ride were not sitting 900 feet abovethe ground it would probably belong in kiddy land. It is very tame with amaximum speed of 30mph with a thirty-foot drop. However the height adds alittle thrill factor. If you are a true coaster buff you will want to ridejust because it's there. I recommend going at night to get a nice view ofthe lights on The Strip. The ride is open 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily, 10 a.m.to 2 a.m., Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. The price of the two-minute rideis $5 but you also must purchase a $6 ticket get to the top of the tower.You can buy a combination ticket for nine dollars. This equates to elevencents a second.

The Desperado is not in Las Vegas but it is only about a 40-minute ride away.It is located at Buffalo Bills in Primm. Any true coaster fan should takethe time to journey out to the state line for a ride. The Desperado is overa mile long with a 5,843-foot track. The maximum height is 225 feet thatstarts you down the first drop at a 55-degree angle. The coaster reachesa top speed of 80 mph. The first time I saw the Desperado I actually questionedmy sanity for wanting to ride it and for a fleeting moment had second thoughtsabout climbing on board. But riding the Desperado is like a right of passagefor any true coaster aficionado wishing to leave the ranks of mere coasterriders to join the legions of full-blown coaster connoisseurs. The ride lasttwo minutes twenty five seconds. The six-dollar price equates to about threeand a half cents per second. The ride is open 10am - 10pm daily and until12 on Fri and Sat. There is a shuttle available to Buffalo Bills from NewYour New York. It is free for casino guests and $10 for non-guests. Reservationsare needed.

** All the coasters with the exception of the Canyon Blaster are subjectto weather conditions. They can't operate in high winds. You might want toplace a quick call to make sure the ride is operating before making a specialtrip just for the ride.

There is a look at the roller coaster scene in Las Vegas. Thrill seekerswill not be disappointed. If your still looking for excitement at the endof the day after Coasting The Strip, you can always try the casino games.

Enjoy the Ride!!!!

Photographs by Bill Burton, copyright 2000, licensed toall-about-casino-gambling.com,Inc.

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