Big Apple Coaster

Big Apple Coaster
Previously known as Manhattan Express (1997–2006)
The Roller Coaster (2007–2015)
The Big Apple Coaster and the New York-New York Hotel & Casino
New York-New York Hotel and Casino
LocationNew York-New York Hotel and Casino
Coordinates36°6′7″N 115°10′25″W / 36.10194°N 115.17361°W / 36.10194; -115.17361
StatusOperating
Opening dateJanuary 3, 1997 (January 3, 1997)
Cost$25 million
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerTOGO
DesignerTOGO
ModelSitdown Looping
Track layoutCustom
Lift/launch systemChain lift
Height203 ft (62 m)
Drop144 ft (44 m)
Length4,777 ft (1,456 m)
Speed67 mph (108 km/h)
Inversions2
Duration2:40
Max vertical angle55°
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains5 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 18 riders per train.
Big Apple Coaster at RCDB

The Big Apple Coaster (formerly Manhattan Express and The Roller Coaster) is a steel hyper roller coaster at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The ride's trains are themed to New York City taxicabs. Opened in 1997, it is the only roller coaster by Japanese roller coaster manufacturer TOGO still operating in North America. The ride travels on a 4,777 ft (1,456 m) track. It contains a 180-foot (55 m) lift hill and a 76-foot (23 m) first drop, followed by a hill and another 144-foot (44 m) drop. The ride also has two inversions: a standard vertical loop and a dive loop.

The ride was constructed as part of the New York-New York Hotel and Casino, which was developed by MGM and Primadonna Resorts. Completed at a cost of $18 million, the coaster was known as Manhattan Express when it opened along with the resort on January 3, 1997. In the months after the ride opened, Clark County building officials shut it down several times over safety issues, and many of the ride's steel tension rods had to be replaced. After some modifications by Premier Rides in the mid-2000s, the Manhattan Express was renamed The Roller Coaster in 2007 before being renamed the Big Apple Coaster in 2013. The ride introduced a virtual reality option in 2018, and Premier replaced the trains in 2021.


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