Insanity is…for lack a better word…insane.
This is a unique attraction swinging you over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower, forcing
you stare at the Las Vegas Strip 900 feet beneath you.
But has this ride operated for the last time?
In this video, I will review this attraction and also explain why it may not operate again.
The Stratosphere Tower opened in 1996.
This $550 million resort and casino would stand 1149 feet or 350 meters tall.
The tower and observation deck itself would be 92 stories tall.
The remaining height was attributed to Big Shot.
This was an S&S space shot placed atop the tower.
But this wasn’t the only amusement ride.
The complex also opened with a roller coaster named High Roller spiraling around the observation
deck.
Two additional amusement rides opened at the turn of the millennium, both from Interactive
Rides.
First was X-Scream in 2003.
This is a see-saw tilting riders over the edge of the tower.
Second was Insanity in 2005.
This was a special swing style ride.
I experienced this attraction in 2019 and it was a neat experience.
This ride system is one-of-a-kind, dictated by the unique setting.
You have a C-shaped structure with 5 arms arranged in a circle at the end.
The ride loads over the tower.
The structure then swivels sideways for the main cycle, dangling the arms over the edge
of the building.
Those arms then rotate in a circle, flaring outwards from the forces until riders are
looking downwards at the strip.
This ride has a long cycle time between the main cycle itself and the time needed for
the structure to swivel to and from the tower.
Add in the fact that this ride seats just 2 riders per arm for a max of 10 riders per
cycle, this could be a capacity nightmare.
Yet I’ve never heard of the rides atop the Strat getting much of a wait.
When it’s your turn to board, you are seated in this very wide open vehicle.
You have just a lap bar holding you in.
It’s pretty freaky.
Once the ride starts, you get a genuine “Oh Poop” moment as you leave the security of
the ride platform and dangle over the edge.
You then start to rotate.
You spin at a decently fast rate, but the experience doesn’t pull any major Gs.
In terms of forces, it’s similar to a star flyer.
But the experience is downright terrifying.
It’s a psychological thriller, as you’re staring at the ground far beneath you with
just that little restraint.
I do prefer the views on the tower’s other rides though.
Big Shot and X-Scream offer wider and broader sightlines, whereas Insanity has you staring
at one section of the ground.
So what would I rate the experience?
I would give this ride an 8 out of 10.
It’s scary.
That’s for sure.
And the way the ride system operates is really cool.
My one con with the ride is that the sightlines teeter more towards the fear aspect than the
wow aspect.
This isn’t just in comparison to the other rides on the Strat, but this is compared to
other ride types like Star Flyers too.
But this ride may never operate again.
In early 2023, the ride was listed as closed until further notice.
And recently, Insanity was removed entirely from the Strat’s website.
There are no longer any mentions of the ride anywhere.
Whenever parks remove a ride from a website altogether, it is rarely a good sign.
We’ve seen several parks do this over the years.
Similarly concerning, the resort recently published a video highlighting their rides
and Insanity was deliberately excluded.
These are major warning signs and there are three other things to consider.
First, Interactive Rides is no longer in business.
We’ve seen a few parks remove similar teeter totter rides like X-Scream, but there are
at least a few installations of those out there.
Insanity was one-of-a-kind, meaning it cannot be easy to procure replacement parts for it.
Supply chain issues have led to a lot of ride removals in recent years.
The aforementioned High Roller was removed in 2005.
It was in need of a 6 figure refurbishment and it was the lowest rated ride on the tower.
While the location was neat, the ride was essentially a kiddie coaster.
And you could argue the tower’s other rides offered superior views.
Second, the Strat is extremely limited as to how much space they have available since
they’re working with an observation platform atop a very skinny tower.
To add another new attraction in the future, they may have to remove something.
SkyJump was the last attraction added back in 2010.
This is a bungee style attraction allowing you to jump off the edge of the tower.
But this is separate from the trio of amusement rides.
Insanity was the last amusement ride, and that was added nearly two decades ago.
You could argue the complex is due for something new.
And replacing Insanity would open up a plot for a new flat ride of some sort.
Three, all rides atop the Strat are sensitive to wind, but I believe Insanity is the most
impacted.
Wind gusts are particularly common atop a tower this tall.
And Insanity specifically had a high profile incident shortly after it opened where a wind
gust stopped the ride mid-cycle, leaving guests stuck over the edge of the building for 1.5
hours.
Based on all this, I think Insanity may not open again.
On one hand, I hope I’m wrong since it’s a unique attraction.
On the other hand, I’m intrigued if the complex may replace it with another ride that
could be even more thrilling.
But we’ll see what happens in the coming months.
So those are my thoughts on Insanity, both the ride itself and its potential closure.
What are your thoughts about this ride and its future?
Let me know down in the comments.
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