The El Dorado Auto Scooter is one of the best sets of bumper cars in the world.
Located in Coney Island off Surf Avenue, this independent attraction has a lot of character
to it.
And this is what makes it unique.
But should you pay the $8 to ride?
In this video, I will review the El Dorado Auto Scooter in Brooklyn, New York.
The facility is most notable for the bumper cars they are named after, but it also features
an arcade.
The arcade originally opened in 1971, but the bumper cars didn’t open until March
1973.
But those bumper cars have been drawing guests for nearly 5 decades.
From the street, El Dorado seems more like a night club than a set of bumper cars.
From a distance, you just hear booming music and see flashing lights behind these bars.
But instead of seeing dancing, you instead see a set of bumper cars.
And the ride’s atmosphere is what makes it special.
Most bumper cars are in boring arenas.
This one feels electric with the loud music and psychedelic lights reflecting off the
walls and disco ball.
It’s a surreal place to drive a vehicle.
The operators also give a lot of character to the experience.
They regularly climb aboard the sides of cars to help disabled or stuck riders.
Whenever I see this I just watch in awe.
I try to avoid hitting them for obvious reasons, but I’ve seen others ram them, but the operators
keep their balance and don’t seem to care.
Where else would you see something like that?
The other thing I encountered in my 2019 ride was an employee driving a super car.
This employee had a vehicle heavier and faster than everyone else’s cars.
And the employee was riding around destroying everyone.
Kid stuck in a corner?
He’d ram them harder.
Someone driving the wrong way?
He would send them airborne in a violent head-on collision.
I didn’t see this in 2021, so I don’t know if what I saw in 2019 was the norm or
not.
I’d love to know down in the comments if anyone knows what the standard experience
is.
As I mentioned earlier, these bumper cars cost $8 per ride as of 2021.
There is a discount for rerides, but it’s still an expensive ride.
However, that is the case for almost every attraction at Coney Island and I would argue
these bumper cars are worth it because of the unique atmosphere.
After purchasing a ride token, you rarely have to wait more than a cycle since El Dorado
has a ton of cars.
This also has the other benefit of creating a chaotic experience with countless bumping
opportunities.
The cars themselves have above average speed and power.
That’s especially the case if you can build up a full head of steam and ram an unsuspecting
rider.
El Dorado does have the one way arena like many bumper cars in the United States and
this is strictly enforced, but the sheer amount of cars offer plenty of collision opportunities.
I especially love t-boing a car as they round the corner.
Thankfully, El Dorado offers a very long ride cycle to help make the high price point worth
it.
I think the ride lasts roughly 5 minutes.
So what would I rate the El Dorado Auto Scooter?
I would give these bumper cars a 9 out of 10.
Without the atmosphere, these bumper cars would probably only be a 6 or so.
This ride’s atmosphere is everything.
The lights, music, and crazy ride operators result in a memorable experience few bumper
cars can compete with.
This is a Coney Island staple for me and something I’ll hit every time I am there.
The only reason I won’t give this ride a perfect 10 out of 10 is that it is dependent
upon who you’re riding with.
If you’re riding with the ride operator and his super car and/or experienced drivers,
this ride is the best set of bumper cars in the world.
If you’re riding with less experienced guests, the experience can suffer since they constantly
get stuck.
If you are unable to build up a full head of speed, the power of these cars becomes
diminished.
The peak ride conditions are what earned this set of bumper cars the top spot on my favorite
bumper cars list.
So those are my thoughts on the El Dorado Auto Scooter at Coney Island.
Have you been on these bumper cars?
Do you think they’re worth the price?
I’d love to know what your favorite set of bumper cars is down in the comments.
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