The Ride
In 1990 New York New York Hotel and Casino was constructed by MGM and Primaddona Resorts. This New York themed resort was equipped with everything from a scale version of the Empire State Building to the Statue of Liberty. It was decided that the center piece if the New York skyline replica, would be a 203 foot tall Togo steel looping coaster named Manhattan Express. On January 3, 1997 the New York New York Hotel and Casino opened and Manhattan Express took it's first riders for a wild ride through the Manhattan city streets. Manhattan Express is a true hyper coaster with a 75, 144, and 100 foot drops, and then there's two inversions. A vertical loop and a spin and dive element. Manhattan Express sends riders through a helix before sending riders back into the second floor station house in the Hotel. Manhattan Express currently holds the record for the tallest steel looping in the United States.
The Experience
Riders board the Manhattan taxies on the second floor of the hotel, but their in for more than just a taxi ride. They are fastened in with over the shoulder restraints and the cab pulls out. It's carried up 20 stories to be exact. There the trains cruise along a brief straight stretch of track so they can view fabulous Las Vegas, but this isn't a sight seeing tour. The train plunges down a 75 foot drop and is picked up by another chain lift, carrying it to 15 stories above the ground. There the train plunges down it's tallest drop of 144 feet. Then riders are carried up another hill, which veers to the left and then plunges down the hill completing a half-circuit around the hotel. Once in front of the building riders enter the vertical loop then it's through the spin and dive. The train climbs to 86 feet and into the beginning of a heartline roll. Then they are turned 180 degrees through a half loop. Then it's a braking station, and then it's a 180 degree U-turn. Another drop follows and then it's into a Camelback, another 180 degree turn, and a speed hop. The final element of the ride begins with a 540 degree helix and a drop. The coaster re-enters the hotel and loses speed through the braking run, as it smoothly coasts back into the station.
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