Bigger, Longer Zipline In Las Vegas
Zipline enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the Slotzilla attraction that replaces the Flightlines ride which has been sending riders down the famed Downtown street.
At the time of this writing, "Slotzilla at the Fremont Street Experience" has opened the lower lines but not the powered "Superman" line. People will just have to be patient, since there are such things as building codes, inspections, and safety certifications for such an extraordinary ride.
Ride Above Crowds
If you haven't been to Fremont Street, you are in for an experience that combines elements of Times Square with gambling and loud music. The Fremont Street Experience famously revitalized this downtown casino district in the 1990s, closing off the iconic street and turning it into a pedestrian mall with a massive arched overhead TV screen offering audiovisual entertainment on the half hour starting after dark. Much like other outdoor venues, you get the circus of celebrity impersonators, homemade Transformers (the robot kind, not the voltage variety) and people in Muppet costumes who will pose with you for a tip. There are other street performers as well as entertainment from live cover bands and the occasional free concert from big-name artists. Things can get loud on Fremont Street, which still boasts a lot of casino square footage and hotel rooms for rent. If you desire, you can get rooms that overlook the action though many hotel floors are relegated to above the dome. If you watch older movies and TV shows about Las Vegas, characters are often seen driving down the street with a million lightbulbs, but now much of the high roller action has moved to the Strip.
Upper and Lower Lines
The lower line is 850 feet long and known as the "zip" line, which uses gravity and costs $20 per ride. A longer and higher "zoom" line which propels riders head first will cost around $30 and uses mechanical launching to overcome the slope of the street. Built at an estimated cost of eleven million dollars (a bargain considering Vegas projects) the ride's slot machine theme is right in line with all the glitz and glamour that is Las Vegas. The line is expected to employ over 100 people when both lines are active. According to the Review Journal, weight limits are between 60 and 300 pounds.
Some cautions about ziplining are universal to the trade. Occasionally people will get "stuck" out in the middle of the line if you don't get enough velocity, and your author personally witnessed this on the older line, so specialists had to pull the rider back to the landing area. Most of the time ride personnel will make sure that you don't have loose items in your pockets or shoes that could call off. People who drink to excess, or are under the influence of medications and recreational drugs may be turned away. With all zip lines there are weight limits. Also, when a line offers a longer ride this usually means the wait between customers is also longer, so enjoy the ride when it is your turn. .
A little history: The original line was opened as a 1-month attraction that became a fixture. The new line took 14 months to build and as of early April 2014 it was being tested (when we took photographs) and now it is partially operational. The tower is 12 stories high, the currently open lines are 77 feet over the ground, and the ride will be 850 feet for these lines. The upper powered line, which opens "soon" will be 114 feet high and 1,700 feet long. This will take you over all the people in Muppet costumes, the provocatively dressed photo-tip-getters, and the buskers along with a new thing for Fremont street which is people with cardboard signs who claim to be from Alabama, stranded, and starving. Strangely enough, more food grows in Alabama than in Vegas, but if people are handing their dollars out to folks that paint themselves gold or prop themselves up impossibly using an artificial hand and a hidden chair, then you may as well ask. Just wait until the older guy dressed like Cupid walks by.