Coaster in Las Vegas?

[ListenToCKY]

I heard a rumor about a coaster like 900 feet tall to be built in Vegas somewhere. This sounds ludacris, but I just want to confirm it. Is it in the works or not?

 

[Cindy B]

Well you may be thinking of the High Roller on top of the Strasphere tower.

It is a scary coaster, and it is on the roof of the building.

It has been there a while, as well as a hydrolauic launch chair thing (think Tower Power at Cedar Point) also on the roof.

That launch thing is called the Big Shot, nad the coaster is the High Roller.

THe high roller may not be scariest or thrilling, but it is intense.
I remember going up the observation tower, getting the similiar rush as when I went on the Twin Towers observation deck.

Then we get on the coaster.. its ok, until I see the gap between the buildings track and the car of the coaster.. 900 feet down.. it was a clear day, and you can see mountains and beautiful things, but it sure was scary setting into the coaster car.

I'm glad I went on it, and it was surely different. I've also been on Dragster and that doesn't compare to the High Roller really.

 

[BarryHom]

It sounds like the High Roller on top of the Stratosphere. There is no 900 foot coaster anywhere. That's twice the size of Top Thrill Dragster!

High Roller is like a kiddie coaster way up high. It goes up and down, up and down, up and down, and then backwards up and down, up and down, up and down.

 

[Cindy B]

Barry, it may be a kiddie coaster but it is a high kiddie coaster

It was pretty scary sitting in the seat, going down the hill, on the building.. it was a very strange feeling.

It very different than anything I have ever been on. And yes, before you ask, I still liked that better than a flying coaster.

 

[ListenToCKY]

From another message board I post at, the admin is from LV. He said this in my thread about my trip:

"Have you seen the proposed roller coaster plans for the Stratosphere Tower here?

First drop, 921 ft."

 

[MICKEY88]

High Roller at the Stratosphere Tower, Las Vegas

The High Roller (what a great name!) is a fairly wimpy roller coaster. At a top speed of 30 mph, no inversions, not much acceleration or g-forces, and hardly any drops, it's firmly in the "family" coaster category. Oh, there is one notable stat you may want to consider before you convince Grandma to go on the roller coaster: the track wraps around the top of the Stratosphere Tower at the 900-foot level.
· At 900 feet in the air however, there are some psychological thrills.
· Attraction type: Steel family coaster
· Stratosphere Tower
· Las Vegas, NV
· 888-236-7495
What a sight. The track for the High Roller doesn't sit on top of the observation deck that surrounds the top of the Stratosphere Tower. It is bolted to the side of the deck and the tower. Walking onto the ride, there is a slight gap between the deck and the track. Looking down, it's a 900-foot drop to the Strip.
The sheer height, and the fear that the over-the-shoulder harness may not keep you secured to the seat, the train may not be securely affixed to the track, or the track may not be securely attached to the tower, provides the thrills. Otherwise, it is a very mundane coaster.
There is no lift hill. The train just gets a little push out of the station, it descends a modest drop, reaches a top speed of 30 mph, and then winds around the tower a couple of times, before it repeats the cycle an additional time. The view is spectacular, and it is a rush to ride a roller coaster some 900 feet above the ground. But if you're after thrills, consider the Stratosphere's other tower-top rides, Big Shot and X Sky.
Go to Project X Sky feature

 

[MICKEY88]

click below for more images The Big Shot blasts off on top of the Stratosphere Tower. The High Roller is in the

Big Shot at Stratosphere Tower, Las Vegas Tower rides are popping up at theme parks and amusement parks everywhere these days. But, one of the most unlikely spots for a freefall ride is atop the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas. At over 1000 feet in the air, it is, by far, the world's tallest thrill ride.
Advertisement

And it is both terrifying and exhilarating. · Stratosphere Tower · Las Vegas, NV · 888-236-7495Just getting to the Big Shot is an adventure. You must first enter the Stratosphere's casino. If you manage to hang onto your money, you then head upstairs to the second level and walk through the resort's mall. If you've still managed to hang onto a few bucks, you purchase your Tower and ride tickets, and board the elevators, which travel an ear-popping 1800 feet per minute, or three floors per second, to the stratospheric levels of the tower. Before you brave the rides (the Stratosphere also features the High Roller coaster and the Project X Sky attractions), you may want to hang out on the observation deck. Its panoramic vistas of the Strip, downtown Vegas, and the surrounding hills are incredible. You could also check out the Top of the World spinning lounge and restaurant or the sky-high wedding chapel (only in Vegas!). Then it's a short elevator ride up to the Big Shot...which is essentially the world's scariest elevator ride. Like many tower rides, S&S Power built the scream machine. It is a fairly standard 160-foot version of the manufacturer's "Space Shot." The Big Shot uses compressed air to blast riders from the base up to the top of the tower. Did I say it was fairly standard? Well yes, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THE BASE OF THE RIDE SITS ATOP THE 921-FOOT LEVEL OF THE STRATOSPHERE TOWER! Yeahhhhhh!The ride attendants help you buckle the over-the-shoulder harnesses into place, give you and the ride operator the thumbs-up sign, and leave you for a few agonizing moments to ponder what in the world made you think about doing this. The ride's compressors whoosh as they fill with air, the seats release and slightly rise, and then--yeahhhhhh--you are blasted with incredible force to over 1000 feet above Las Vegas' terra firma. It's 2.5 seconds to the top (perhaps the longest 2.5 seconds of your life). The seats momentarily hang as you experience some delirious zero-G airtime floating incredibly high above Las Vegas. The ride then freefalls down and bounces a couple of times for some less intense doses of negative-Gs before it mercifully stops. There are many psychological factors conspiring to scare the daylights out of you. The sheer height is positively terrifying. The ride leaves you completely exposed with your legs and arms dangling. Facing away from the tower, it's just you, the seat, and the ether above Las Vegas. The force of the launch gets you thinking: What if this seat just rocketed off the top? For that matter, will the safety harness really tether you to the seat? If you can manage to get past these not-inconsiderable concerns, the view is captivating. If possible, you might want to hold out for seats on the side of the ride that face the Las Vegas Strip. You may also want to try Big Shot during the day and again during Vegas' neon-soaked night. Go to Project X Sky feature

 

[4cruisin]

I saw this on the news this morning...the computer graphic of it almost made me toss my cherrios

Here is the link...

http://www.coasters2k.com/news/index.php?id=163

 

[ListenToCKY]

It's not something that's already built. They are in the designing process. This is what he said:

"Have you seen the proposed roller coaster plans for the Stratosphere Tower here? First drop, 921 ft. Chamber of Commerce gave Bob Stupak the go-ahead."

He's probably mixed up.

 

[DebbieB]

I rode the High Roller and wasn't very impressed, neither were those who rode with me. The track tilts into the building so you don't really have the feeling that you are going to fly off 900 feet in the air, it's not that fast. I chickened out of the Big Shot. I liked the one at NYNY, I forget the name. It has upside down loops, big hills and was fast.

 

[WDWHound]

The Strat had plans in 2001 and 2002 to build a coaster that went straight down the side of the tower (a 90 degree, 900+ foot drop!). They even displaid a model of the proposed attraction in their lobby for awhile. I saw the model during a visit there. This was gonna be one intense ride.

Unfortunately, the city council vetoed this twice due to concerns from the neighbors about the noise and the plan was eventually dropped. The ride 4cruisin linked to is what they are going to build now in place of the coaster.

BTW: I agree that the High Roller is nothing special. On the other hand, the Big Shot is one of the scariest things I have ever ridden.

 

[WDWHound]

The is the model of what they were going to build before the city council nixed their plans: