New York New York Coaster

New York City is known for many things—the 24/7 action, the skyscrapers, the Yanks, its residents being oh-so-friendly. You may think that roller coasters are not one of them, but then you've never ridden in a taxi speeding down Broadway during rush hour. It was this kind of energy that the New York - New York hotel wanted to capture when it opened in January 3, 1997 (with the slogan "The Greatest City in Las Vegas"). The hotel tries to bring the Big Apple to the desert by housing replicas of buildings and noted landmarks within New York's skyline, such as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Yet it's the Roller Coaster at New York - New York that truly nails the city's hustle and bustle while paying homage to Coney Island's famed coaster, the wooden Cyclone.

The steel hyper-coaster zooms at 67 miles per hour, looping around the hotel's exterior, climbing up 203 feet and then plummeting 144 feet. Along the three-minute ride, you'll experience two drops one after the other, two inversions, loops and a special move that simulates a jet fighter's barrel roll called a "heartline." This twist-and-dive rolls 180 degrees and stops, dangles its riders 86 feet in the air, then takes a nosedive, leaving some wishing for Coney Island's rickety wooden Cyclone. If you really need to sit this one out—after your third helping at the buffet, it might not be a bad idea—watching the roller coaster from the Strip at nighttime is a spectacle in itself.

Designed by manufacturer Togo and originally called the "Manhattan Express," the New York - New York Roller Coaster has undergone some changes in recent years. In 2004, Premier added a magnetic brake system to the ride, and in August 2006, they replaced the original cars and changed the name to the Roller Coaster. The new cars are made to look like old-fashioned yellow-checkered taxicabs. But all things considered, these babies drive much less recklessly than the real thing.