What the ride is
The Big Apple Coaster — originally the Manhattan Express — opened with New York-New York in 1997 and has been snaking around the resort's half-scale skyline ever since, its yellow-cab-styled trains visible from the whole South Strip. It is a steel coaster with a 203-foot lift, a first drop of 144 feet, a top speed of about 67 mph, a vertical loop and a "heartline twist and dive" that rolls the train around its own centreline before plunging — a manoeuvre that was a coaster first when it debuted. The ride lasts about two and a half minutes, with the train leaving from an indoor station inside the casino's arcade and spending most of its time outside over the pool deck and Las Vegas Boulevard.
It is important to be clear about what this is: a proper, fast, intense coaster from the 1990s, not a family ride. It has been re-tracked and given new trains over the years, which improved the famously rough ride, but it still delivers a jolt or two. Fans of big coasters rate the views and the twist; people who ride once a decade usually get off rubbing their neck and grinning. It appears in our South Strip guide as the one attraction at New York-New York everyone can see and few know how to price.
Where it is and how to find the entrance
New York-New York is on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, across from the MGM Grand and next to Park MGM and T-Mobile Arena. The coaster entrance is inside the resort on the second level, in the Big Apple Arcade — take the escalators from the casino floor near the food court or use the pedestrian bridges from MGM Grand and Excalibur, which drop you at the right level. Signage is decent but the arcade is noisy and easy to walk past; follow the yellow cab graphics.
Walking from the centre Strip takes 25 to 35 minutes; the free tram from Mandalay Bay and Luxor drops at Excalibur, a five-minute bridge walk away. The monorail's MGM Grand station is across the Boulevard via the bridge. Parking at New York-New York is MGM Resorts' standard paid garage rate, so if you are driving in just for the ride, expect to pay a few dollars for the first hours on top of the ticket.
Tickets, prices and the VR option
As of 2026, a single ride has generally been in the $20 to $30 range, with an all-day re-ride pass typically $35 to $50 and a "Scream Pass" style unlimited option appearing at times; there are usually discounts for MGM Rewards members and for booking online. Photos are sold at the exit. Check the official New York-New York site for current pricing and hours, which shift with the season.
The virtual reality option puts a headset on you for the ride, syncing a fly-through of a fictional New York to the track layout. It costs more than a standard ride, and opinions split: it is a genuinely different experience the first time and a good reason to ride twice, but it removes the real view of the Strip, which is arguably the best thing about the coaster. Our advice is to ride bare first, then decide. Height minimums apply (roughly 54 inches has been the published figure; confirm), and the ride is not recommended for pregnant riders or anyone with back, neck or heart conditions. Check our tickets hub for multi-attraction passes that sometimes include the coaster.
What the ride feels like and how rough it is
The sequence goes: slow lift up the side of the fake skyline with a view straight down the Boulevard, a sharp 144-foot drop toward the pool deck, a second drop, a vertical loop, then the heartline twist that inverts you and dives, a spiral around the Statue of Liberty and a helix back to the station. Two and a half minutes, with the speed and inversions loaded into the middle. The moment of stillness at the top of the lift, looking at the Bellagio, Sphere and the mountains, is the best view of the Strip that comes with a ticket under $30.
On roughness: the ride is smoother than its old reputation — the trains were replaced and the track worked on — but it is still a 1990s looping coaster with over-the-shoulder restraints, and some riders come off with a head-banging complaint. Keep your head back against the restraint through the inversions, brace on the drops and it is manageable. If you are sensitive to rough rides, the ride at The STRAT tower or the High Roller are calmer options.
When to ride and how long it takes
The coaster typically opens late morning and runs to late night, with the last dispatch varying by day; weekend nights are the busiest. Queues are rarely more than 20 minutes outside holidays because capacity is high and the arcade is off the beaten path, so allow 30 to 45 minutes including the queue and the walk-through. Best time to ride: the half hour after sunset, when the Boulevard is lit but the sky still shows the mountains from the lift hill. Summer afternoons are hot on the lift hill; the queue is indoors.
It suits thrill-seekers, teenagers who need something after two days of watching adults gamble, and couples who want ten minutes of shared terror before dinner. It does not suit small children, anyone with neck issues or anyone who has just eaten at the food court. Doing it once is a Vegas rite of passage; the all-day pass only makes sense for coaster enthusiasts who will ride five or more times.
Tips and nearby combos
- Empty your pockets. Cubbies at the station hold loose items; phones and sunglasses will not survive the twist.
- Sit at the front for the view, the back for the strongest pull on the drops.
- Book online for the discount and skip the arcade kiosk.
- Ride before, not after, the buffet.
- Watch it first from the Boulevard sidewalk or the Brooklyn Bridge replica to decide if it is for you.
Afterwards, the New York-New York food court and Nine Fine Irishmen are downstairs; Hershey's Chocolate World is at the Strip-side entrance; The Park, the outdoor dining walk next door, leads to T-Mobile Arena and Park MGM. Across the Boulevard, MGM Grand has the Cirque show KÀ, and the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is one tram ride south — a good family split between a thrill ride and a calm one.
