Speed – The Ride

For $ 14.99 you can giggle and small all day long if you happen to be a fan of roller coasters. Where do I sign? Yes, it is short, but it is oh so sweet! The coaster has good speed, a couple of lose your belly moments, a loop-​da-​loop, and then you get to go backwards. It pretty much takes the best parts of a coaster ride and slams them into 45-​seconds. The only thing that might be missing is the climatic build to a precipice and subsequent plunge, but this isn’t Six Flags. The worst part is the 15-​minute wait between trips, but even if you only manage to ride two or three times, it will be worth it because when it finishes, I promise you’ll be thinking, «Can we do that again?!?»

I still love it!
So, it’s been about 6 years since my last trip to the Sahara. Every time I have to go on the roller coaster.
Well, this was my last trip to the Sahara so we made sure we took one last right.
This roller coaster is as fun today as it was the first time I went on it in 2000. I’m sad it’s not going to be around any longer. I really wish it could be moved to a different location.
We paid $ 10 each to go once this year. Every time it comes to a stop I say, «I should have purchased an unlimited pass!»
Farewell Speed, it really was fun while it lasted!
BTW — I do not think the coaster at NY NY can even compare. I know, how dare I?

As a former coaster geek (well maybe the word «former» can be omitted), I think I know a thing or two about the art of the scream machine. IMHO, Speed — The Ride is the best roller coaster we have in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, that’s not saying a whole lot. The Manhattan Express is a forceless farce, they tore down the High Roller years ago (Thank God!), and the old MGM Grand park hasn’t existed in a decade. I do have a soft spot for the Canyon Blaster (I used to work there). But for a nice and smooth ride with an excellent linear induction motor launch, you can’t beat S-​TR.
I joined a few Unilocalers in paying our respects to the soon-​to-​be-​defunct attraction. I was worried that the coaster might have lost something in the decade since I last rode it. I’m happy to report that S-​TR has aged very well. It’s not as silky smooth as it was ten years ago, but those over-​the-​shoulder restraints are just as soft and comfortable as I remember. I could seriously fall asleep in them.
The initial LIM launch accelerates you to 45mph in 2 seconds. That’s enough to get you out of the station and through the loop. A second set of LIMs then accelerates you to 70mph for a swoop around the Sahara entrance and up the spire. It’s a quick 45 seconds and you’re back in the station, but sometimes, less is more.
The Sahara Hotel is closing its doors on May 16. I highly recommend getting out there to ride S-​TR one more time (or for the first time) before it’s gone. You can get an all-​day wristband for $ 14.99. This wristband is also valid for the Cyber Speedway driving simulation (though you can skip that without losing any sleep). I say it’s worth the $ 15, even if you only ride S-​TR twice or thrice. The bad thing is that they are only running the ride every 15 minutes.

Fast. Holy Hell fast.
As part of «So Long To the Sahara», The Gang™ and I got the rollercoaster combo pass. For an older ride, that thing takes off like a shot, surprising me so into saying one of my preferred expletives I use for these types of situations.
Since the Sahara is pretty much «done» within a month from now, they were doing a deal: $ 15 for unlimited rides for this and Cyber Speedway. Speed is a fast ride that doesn’t beat you around, even with the sharp turns, the loop, or the launching straight up… before it sends you through all of that again, but backwards.
I had a good time, and rode it twice. I would have done more, but I was feeling a little off after the second ride, and once we ate dinner… not in my best interests, as I didn’t want to «decorate» the ride. The ride seems actually well maintained, though I can’t understand why they would need 15 minutes between each ride when the area was as quiet as it was.
This is one of those «Better later than never» discoveries. I’ve visited the Sahara on and off throughout the decade, but never tried their rollercoaster. Now that I have, it was worth it.
Catch it before it’s gone.

As part of an unofficial Unilocal event. we came here to say goodbye to the Sahara which is closing in the middle of May. I got the all day pass for $ 14.99, but I only had time for two rides. That gave me a good fix.
I’ve ridden Speed before and I like it a lot. It goes quickly and is done quickly, too! That’s why the all day pass is great. Now, they are only running the ride every 15 minutes so you have time for a drink or bathroom break while you wait.
I am coming back in 2 weeks when the kids go back to school from spring break and then I’ll get the full value out of my all day pass.
If you’re a local, ride it while you can!

So Lawrence T. has been DYING to go ride roller coasters. After heading to the AdventureDome and seeing that it was closed last night (4÷4÷11) we headed across the street to The Sahara, which is closing next month, to hit this roller coaster.
Damn, for $ 10 a person, it should have lasted 10 minutes! Way too expensive, but it was very fun. We would have gotten a longer ride pass, but it closed at 9 and it was 8:41PM when we got there.
I’m glad we got to check it out and it was fun, but for those prices, I won’t be back.

Riding roller coasters in Vegas isn’t cheap and when we went neither was speed. It is all about the «speed» you go fast through the loop de loop go straight up into the air back down and the backward through the loop de loop at a fast speed, that about sums it up. It was ok.

Nothing special and a bit out of the way, prob should lower the price a bit.
However the ride is short, fast and sweet.

$ 10 per person to ride this thing. I was a little hesitant to plunk down the money but did so anyways. After we get up to the loading area, we are informed that they only launch every 20 or so minutes, which pretty much guarantees you a 15+ minute wait. Keep in mind that even if the lines are backed way the hell up they still will only board every 20 or so minutes. I was so irritated by this, and their unwillingness to be up front about it before I paid for the ticket.
The ride: yeah, it’s a roller coaster. You go out, then you come back, but you do it backwards, which is kind of novel. The ride is probably about 45 seconds. I’m told even high-​end prostitutes are cheaper than this, and there’s less waiting involved.

I was hesitant about the $ 10 price tag but my gf wanted to go so we did it. It is really short but it’s really intense. They don’t tell you when it goes, it just goes, and it really is like a dragster. High G startoff, a few loops, and then you go backwards to the beginning.
Very intense and fun. If for some sad reason you’re stuck at the Sahara I’d get the all day pass. We were just passing through to get up to the Stratosphere.
I wouldn’t recommend the pound of fries at the Nascar Café right before this ride. Projectile barfing a pound of fries could be hazardous to your health.

Suppose one takes it for granted that a coaster is ‘speedy,’ but this one topped 70miles/​hour. I screamed myself hoarse, needless to say. There is no time for anticipation on this ride. One is launched off at 0−45mph in secods so fast there is no time to react. As it drops down 25 feet below ground only to rise quickly up into a loop, it gains speed from 35mph to 70mph until you are shot straight up into oblivion, 224 feet that is, wondering how you will get back to point A. This is when the coaster goes into reverse and the whole nerve wracking experience is repeated, except this time you can’t see what’s coming and you think…‘this is it, my life is flashing before my eyes…” and suddenly you are back at point A, 45 seconds that seemed like an eternity of hell.

Not really a coaster but instead a «ride». Yes it is over quickly but it is a quick «rush». No, I do NOT want the attendant to tell me when it is ready to go. Maybe the people that need that could ask if the attendant could ride with them and hold their hand. That is the fun of the ride. You are launched off an aircraft carrier. This is the second best ride to the coaster at NY-​NY, though I have not done the stratosphere (which is more ghetto than the Sahara and sans culture).

I rode this the night before it officially opened & it was quite a rush. it was $ 5 then-​a 30 second forward & back slingshot loop. Considering where its located at the Sahara-I’m thrilled to have anything to do since they closed the Holy Cow microbrewery next door & Wet n Wild Water Park on the other side. It’s good clean fun for $ 5-​$ 6 but nothing too memorable.

Honestly this ride is a bit costly. A mini-​me version of Superman the ride at magic mountain. I miss magic mountain.

Rode this yesterday. For $ 10 and the short duration, it’s quite costly, but it was fun. I think it would have been better if they notified us that the ride was going to start. It just went very fast all of a sudden at warp speed.

There are a limited amount of rides in Vegas, so beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to getting your coaster kicks. Speed the Ride is at the Sahara Hotel on the extreme north end of the «Strip» near the Stratosphere.
The coaster is 60-​second super speed thrill ride that includes one loop and a Superman style vertical ascent at the end. It then reverses at top speed and you get the loop one more time. The speed of the ride is the best part, in which you go 0 – 60 in about 2 seconds for a hard left turn into the loop. When you think it is going to slow down, it instead begins to move faster as you climb up the ascent for a 2-​second weightless fall. The return is just as jostling and fun… that is if you are into speed rides such as this.
The cost is $ 10 a ride and $ 8 for a repeat, or $ 20 for an all day pass. If you sign up for a player’s card you get a discount coupon off the all day pass. It pretty much run’s into the night so you can go almost anytime before 10−11pm.

Let me preface this by saying that I am a rollercoaster junkie. I can never walk past a rollercoaster without getting on. That being said…
This ride sucks. I had no idea it would go so fast. I was sitting there waiting to go and all of a sudden WHOOSH! I mean don’t you think the attendants could have said ok ready? or place your heads back? or SOMETHING?
So as we’re going at warp speed, which would have been fun had my head not been bumping those head cushions (cushion my ass).
The best part was when we went straight up and fell back down. That was awesome.
In total the ride was about 5 seconds long. Which may seem short but when your head is being rammed into those side thingies it feels like an eternity.