Ride the Big Apple Roller Coaster at NYNY (Las Vegas!)
Las Vegas is a lively city with so much to do — you can visit casinos, catch a Cirque du Soleil show, relax by a pool, or enjoy a world-class dining experience. While these are common attractions loved by tourists, there are other, not-so-common adventures that await, including the Big Apple Roller Coaster at NYNY. So, what do you need to know about this Las Vegas coaster?
The Big Apple Roller Coaster in Las Vegas is an attraction at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. Passengers board the ride in a NYC-style subway station and are pulled up a 180-foot (55 m) lift followed by a 76 feet (23 m) drop and then a bigger drop of 144 feet (44 m).
This article will explain everything you need to know about riding the New York New York roller coaster and tell you more about where you’ll find it. There are also some great resources to help you plan the best trip to Las Vegas.
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Big Apple Roller Coaster in Las Vegas
The Big Apple Roller Coaster (formerly known as the Manhattan Express) is one of the most popular attractions on the Las Vegas Strip and definitely one of the highlights of a visit to the NYNY hotel and casino.
The roller coaster (which looks like a suped-up New York taxicab) reaches sixty-seven miles per hour with a total of two hundred and three feet of verticle drops and a one hundred and eighty-degree twist and dive (known as a “heartline twist). It was the first roller coaster to ever perform this type of maneuver.
Big Apple Coaster Highlights
- Length of track: 4,777 feet long
- Height: 203 feet above street level
- Largest Single Drop: 144 feet
- Top Speed: 67 mph
- Length of Ride: Approximately 2 minutes and 45 seconds
Big Apple Coaster Tickets & Prices
You can plan and buy your tickets in advance if you want to ride the coaster while in Las Vegas or you can purchase them once you’re here. The advantage to buying tickets in advance is that it can significantly reduce the wait in line if it’s busy.
| Days of the Week | Ticket Cost | Ticket Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mon-Thurs | $19 (11AM-6PM) | $23 (6PM-11PM) |
| Fri-Sun | $19 (11AM-6PM) | $23 (6PM-12AM) |
| Re-Rides | $10 | $10 |
Rides on the coaster will vary depending on what time of the day you go. Tickets for the coaster cost more in the evenings because it tends to get busier at night as many riders enjoy seeing the lights of the Strip in the evening.
Whether you ride the Big Apple Coaster during the day or at night is a personal preference and you’re guaranteed spectacular views of the Las Vegas Strip no matter when you go. However, note that when you purchase your tickets (whether in advance or in-person) they will be for a reserved time range. Each ticket will give you a 2-hour window in which you can ride the coaster.
Pro Tip: Once you’ve ridden the coaster 1x, you have the option to ride again the same day for just $10.
You’ll find the NYNY roller coaster entrance inside the hotel at The Big Apple Arcade. The arcade is home to the latest video games, plus some old-school classics like air hockey and skeeball.
NYNY Roller Coaster Packages
There are also different packages that you can purchase that include a ride on the Big Apple Roller Coaster.
One of these packages is the Coaster n’ Cocktails package, which gives you access to a pop-up bar with music and drinks near the coaster. The ticket comes with a ride on the Big Apple Roller Coaster and credits for the arcade.
Another package is the Scream Pass which gets you unlimited rides for the day and savings on a photo from the roller coaster.
There are also Family Fun Flights that include a ride for four people plus photos from your ride. Residents of Nevada, members of the military, and first responders can get discounted tickets on the ride for up to four people.
This YouTube video from CoasterForce gives a front-row view of what it is like to ride the roller coaster during the day:
Virtual Reality (VR) at The Big Apple Coaster
If all of that doesn’t sound fun enough, you can upgrade your roller coaster into another dimension with virtual reality! That’s right, you can ride the roller coaster while wearing advanced VR goggles to transform the experience into something out of this world.
The virtual reality headset will give you a 4D experience using visual graphics that are perfectly timed with the ride to take this roller coaster to the next level.
Get Married on The NYNY Roller Coaster
The Big Apple Coaster in Las Vegas even offers the chance for true coaster enthusiasts to get married on the ride. The ceremony is performed at the station while the couple sits in the front car of the coaster.
Once the “I do’s” have been said, the coaster flies out the door with the newlyweds on their first roller coaster ride as married spouses. What could be more fun than that? If you’d like to plan your Big Apple Coaster wedding, give MGM resorts a call at 702-740-6616.
Big Apple Coaster Rider Requirments & Weather
In order to ride the Big Apple roller coaster, you’ll need to be at least 54″ tall without shoes. So the ride is a no-go for the littlest ones but it is a great Las Vegas family attraction for those with older children.
Also, note that rides on the roller coaster are subject to weather conditions as the coaster itself is outside on top of and in front of the New York-New York resort. Weather conditions that will cause the coaster to temporarily shut down include rain and/or excessive wind.
NYNY Hotel & Casino: Home to The Big Apple Coaster
The Big Apple Roller Coaster is a part of the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. The hotel is forty-nine stories tall and has more than two thousand rooms, fifteen restaurants, nine bars, a casino, a spa, and a pool. It is on The Strip and only a few minutes by car from the airport.
As the name suggests, the hotel has a New York City theme with iconic NYC features and decor. The casino is almost as big as New York City’s Times Square with eighty-four thousand square feet of games and entertainment, and the restaurants feature classic New York food, like pizza, hot dogs, and more.
The hotel also has plenty of live music and shows like Cirque du Soleil. While many of the shows and the casino are geared towards adults, there’s plenty for the kids to do as well.
If you want to see more of the NYNY hotel and casino, check out this video from Details in Luxury, which gives an overview of the rooms, the casino, the restaurants, the pool, the entertainment, and of course, the Big Apple Roller Coaster:
Las Vegas Tourism Resources
If you are visiting Las Vegas, you want to make sure you have the best time possible. Whether you are focusing on casinos, relaxing, entertainment, or anything else, you can use the resources (available on Amazon.com) listed below to plan the perfect trip.
- Fodor’s Las Vegas (Full-color Travel Guide): Fodor’s book is the ultimate guide to Las Vegas. You will find everything you need to know about hotels, casinos, restaurants, and how to get around the city. There are maps, color pictures, itineraries for all trip lengths, and lists of the top things to do, food, drinks, and more. The tips in this book come from Las Vegas locals, so you know you are getting the best information.
- DK Eyewitness Top 10 Las Vegas: This is another great guidebook, which focuses on the top 10 casinos, bars, clubs, restaurants, and much more. There are maps with route suggestions, public transportation, and itineraries for you to follow to make sure you see all the best places while you are in Las Vegas.
- Lonely Planet Pocket Las Vegas 5: This final guidebook will help you with the places to stay, eat, and go based on your budget. You will also have information like hours, prices, and website info for the places suggested in the book. There are also maps, tips, and itineraries covering Las Vegas Blvd.(the Strip), downtown Las Vegas, and other places to visit during your stay, like the Grand Canyon.
Final Thoughts
The Big Apple Roller Coaster at the New York New York Hotel in Las Vegas is a great way to experience some thrills while you are in the city. The roller coaster and hotel are conveniently located on the Las Vegas Strip, so you can enjoy a ride or two whether you are staying at the hotel or not.
Make sure to book your tickets in advance, and try out one of the coaster’s fun packages for families or their cocktail nights.
