High Roller (Stratosphere)

The ride opened on April 29, 1996, in a special VIP gala opening, one day before the ride and casino opened to the general public. High Roller was one of the first two amusement rides to open on the Stratosphere tower at the casino opening (the other being Big Shot). Even initially, Stratosphere guests exhibited considerably greater excitement over the Big Shot gravity drop tower than they did over High Roller. This price was later lowered to $4. It was initially estimated that removal of the ride would take three months and be accomplished largely by crane, but the use of plasma cutting, as opposed to gas cutting, sped the removal of the coaster (the lack of need to transport flammable acetylene canisters for gas cutting also improved safety). The track segments were also removed by elevator as opposed to being removed by crane. ==Ride experience==

The High Roller sat high on top of the tower's observation pod and its track wound around the central mast. Due to these design limitations, the High Roller was neither a fast nor intense ride experience; the height alone was the primary thrill element. The height of the ride itself from base to top was quite modest, only having a drop of . Aggregated reviews on themeparkcritic.com gave the ride an average of 2.77 out of 5.0, compared to Stratosphere's other rides—Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity—which all garnered ratings above 4.0 out of 5.0. Although there were never any serious incidents or injuries on the High Roller, the ride was well known for its frequent break-downs, and all the rides on Stratosphere would frequently shut down temporarily due to high winds (greater than 45 mph). Notable incidents early in High Roller's operation included a drive cylinder breaking loose and cracking safety glass in an observation level below, and an incident where two wheels came loose—derailing the train and forcing riders to be rescued. One major break-down in 1996 necessitated in High Roller being re-engineered. ==See also==