Goodbye to Speed: The Ride at the Sahara (Vegas)?

[DJeXeLThis button makes my penis erect.]

Time for an "emergency trip" to Vegas.

[robbalveySite Admin]

^ The ride is good...but not THAT good!

[Sir CoasterI'll drink donkey urine before I'll drink a Pepsi.]

Like I said, luckily I'm heading to Vegas in two weeks for a Monster Jam show. If I have a chance on the days leading up, I'll conjur up as many rides as I can on Speed...Shouldn't be a problem considering the ride NEVER has a line...


And perhaps I'll also take a spin on the TOGO death machine that lurks only down the Strip... ..That's the ride that TRULY needs to be obliderated from existence! Manhattan Express is fun, but only good for one ride. After that, the roughness becomes incredibly apparent.

[robbalveySite Admin]

Like I said, luckily I'm heading to Vegas in two weeks for a Monster Jam show. If I have a chance on the days leading up, I'll conjur up as many rides as I can on Speed...Shouldn't be a problem considering the ride NEVER has a line...

Except that more often than not, they only run the coaster once every 15 minutes. Even when people are waiting! Not joking! Last time we were there we brought a group of 30 people. The first 24 rode, then they made us wait 15 minutes, then the next 6 rode.

Great ride...beyond terrible operations.

[Sir CoasterI'll drink donkey urine before I'll drink a Pepsi.]

Woah, really?

I rode it in 2007 with a good 20-30 people in front of me, and I got in and out of there in 15 minutes...

[DJeXeLThis button makes my penis erect.]

^^Supposedly that's because of the guests in rooms complaining of noise. I don't buy it though.

[robbalveySite Admin]

^^ In 2008 and 2009 they were doing the "once every 15 minutes" launch...and they were sticking by it!

Oddly enough, though, it's quite the contrast to the "double launches" they used to do in 2006!

[xmichellexI'm a know-it-all about donkeys!]

Every time I've gone to Vegas I've gone in the summer - last time was 2009 - and on that trip, and the couple years previous to it, they always waited about 15 min. between launches. Not sure about hotel guests complaining about noise, but the ride ops explained to us that it was due to the heat since in July and August (when we were there) it tops out around 100 during the day and still around 80-90 at night... Don't know if year-round they do the 15 min. wait, but every time I've ridden it in the summer months, there's been space between rides.

[xmichellexI'm a know-it-all about donkeys!]

And perhaps I'll also take a spin on the TOGO death machine that lurks only down the Strip... ..That's the ride that TRULY needs to be obliderated from existence! Manhattan Express is fun, but only good for one ride. After that, the roughness becomes incredibly apparent.

I think I'd book a trip to Vegas just to watch that thing be taken down!

[QueerRudieFull Fledged Meat Enthusiast!]

1.) I also recall the 'timed' launches- I think it was more of complaints about running 'empty' trains- which, in turn, resulted in people NOT riding the coaster as they thought it was closed...

2.) For those of you in the LA Basin, now is the time to get -beyond- dirt cheap airfares: Spirit Air has fares starting at $1.00 each way- and that's NOT a joke- You will end up (after taxes, fees etc.) getting it (at it's lowest) around 36.00 r/t. This fare may not be matched by ALL carriers- but take advantage of it- it's hard to find most fares for under $100.00 in that market anymore.

3.) Imploasions: If you REALLY want to get a good seat, start looking at when they might be getting ready to 'bring down the house'- The best reccommendation I can give (Having seen one before- On New Years Eve, no less) is to find the hotel that's not too far away- and book a higher-floor room facing the site: I'd not reccommend being in a hotel NEXT to the site- but since there's not much really around there, the Stratosphere might be your best direction to see it go down- or a higher-up room at Circus Circus for that matter. The Hilton Las Vegas (aka the International) would give some good back-side views, but if they're going to put on a 'show' you'd probably miss it.

R.D.