Finally - Reasonable Prices for the High Roller Ferris Wheel

So if anyone is interested, it looks like the prices have finally come down to a reasonable level.

I stopped in at the TR "office" that is located along the Linq shops on the way to the High Roller and due to my Platinum status was able to buy 2 tix for $ 20. Apparently I get one 2 for 1 on shows each month (news to me), and they counted the High Roller for that.

We also had some $ 5 off coupons from staying at Paris, so that got the other tix down to $ 15. So for all 4 of us, the total came to $ 53 or an average of $ 13.25 each. We went on a weekday at 3:00 and shared our cabin with 3 other tourists. So as you can imagine, NOT BUSY !

I was tempted to do the $ 25 deal which included unlimited drinks, but that didn't fit our schedule very well, and there were 2 non-drinkers in our group but they would have had to pay the $ 25 price whether they drank or not.

The High Roller website says that daytime tickets are $24.95 while nighttime tickets are $34.95 and presumably the $10 premium for night is because the lights on the Strip are delightful after sunset.

Winter is the best time of year to ride it. The website says that the ticket price changes at 7pm. This time of year the sunsets at 4:40ish, so by 5:30 or 6 the Strip looks fantastic.

Quote: reno

Winter is the best time of year to ride it. The website says that the ticket price changes at 7pm. This time of year the sunsets at 4:40ish, so by 5:30 or 6 the Strip looks fantastic.

Wow, good note. Sun sets in Vegas so early. I really wish Vegas was in Mountain Time.

I also looked at London Eye prices by comparison. No wonder CET is bleeding money on this. They assumed it would do as well as it does there. Typical CET miscalculation. Also CET also owns one of the better views of the Vegas strip to begin with. Paris's half-scale Eiffel Tower!

I forget where I saw it, but it's $5 this month for men with a moustache in honor of Movember.

Perhaps even a discount for veterans or something. Its always good to ask about such things but I'm not the "touristy" or "camera-bug" type. I go to Vegas to gamble, enjoy buffets from time to time, keep up with changes in the various casinos. An acquaintance of mine used to author a newsletter that reviewed Las Vegas pools and she keeps up with special "deals" at the lower level casinos. I doubt I'll be taking Ferris wheels.

Quote: tringlomane

No wonder CET is bleeding money on this.

I haven't riden it, but most of the reviews I've read say that the High Roller is usually empty, no lines, ghost town, etc. I just wonder if they could make more money by charging $5 per person. Would they rather have 50 riders per hour paying $35 or... 350 riders per hour paying $5? Even if they lost a little on tickets, they'd sell tons more alcohol drinks & souvenirs.

This would be an easy experiment for CET: they should pick a month and loudly advertise $5 tickets all month just to see if the increase in attendance is dramatic or negligible. If the experiment is a huge success, they could make the $5 tickets permanent. If the experiment is a huge failure, they could return to the old $35 price and no one will care because no one wants to ride this thing anyway.

The High Roller is stupid.

Why ride it when you can get as good a view from the tower at Paris, for less?

Yeah, the High Roller is taller, at 550 feet, versus 460 for the tower, but most of your time on the HR is going up or down.

Or better yet, just look out of your strip casino hotel room, at least most of the time.

The High Roller used to be the name of the roller coaster on the top of Stratosphere. Never went on that either.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I forget where I saw it, but it's $5 this month for men with a moustache in honor of Movember.

I forgot about this thread...

I was in Vegas for Raving last month. I've got a full face, very close cut beard and moustache. Yep, I qualified for the $5 deal so I went on.

There was no lines, although I kinda laughed at the size of the rope snake queues used when they're busy - which I assume is never.

When I got to the pod entrance area, they were limiting it to about 10 people per pod, so I had to wait for the second pod. Wow. An entire 90 second delay.

Getting on an off is about as easy as an escalator or just about any Disney ride.

Ten people and the pod was plenty roomy. I would think that it starts to feel cramped at 25 people. A capacity of 40 people? No way.

There is a goofy guy on the overhead videos which really makes the experience kinda lame. It would be better without that guy.

Overall, I'm happy I took the ride. But I'm thrilled it was only $5. I think $10 or $15 is the most I'd say to pay where it's almost worth it. $35? No f-ing way.

Any locals know where to get discounts? I don't think I want to pay $35 either

Try asking reception or TR if they have free tickets going on. A few months ago, I got four tickets for checking in, and four more for suited BJs.

Place was pretty much empty, though I almost got into a fight while boarding. -_-

Well you've to my attention...let's hear the rest of the story

For anybody that hasn't been on it yet, they don't stop the orbs during boarding. (I believe they may stop it for passengers with mobility issues.) Everybody crams into one of two small fenced off boarding platforms and waits for the orb to show up. People in it leave from the far door and you'd board from the near door.

It was early evening near Christmas. A few of my relatives came up too, so we were a small group travelling together, at least for the High Roller since I had the tickets.

At this point, we're near the head of the line, and staff are rushing us to get into the boarding area for the next orb. This couple is stopping every few steps to take photos, and the staff are really pushing at us to move along. Our group slides past them when they stop AGAIN and they start screaming at us about cutting in line (uh, they're first in line, and the balls hold like 30 people, so it doesn't matter...), wrecking their photos, and that LV should stop paying attention to 'those people'.

My cousin pulls out his tablet and starts recording, in the event things escalate further. Staff, realizing something's going on, grab them and stick them into the other boarding section and tell them that they're calling security. The male half of the couple notices that they're now being recorded, turns away, and tries to block her from view. She pitches a mostly-empty cup in our general direction (not actually getting anywhere, and she probably got more spray on herself than anybody else) before they manage to get her to back off and stop openly and actively pursuing aggressive action.

(It was probably a good thing that most of my group didn't realize that it went from passing them in line to racial slurs; one of them has a slight temper problem, and the strength to match. He once got angry at a red light and broke his steering column, punching the wheel.)

They sound like idiots

Quote: Venthus

Staff, realizing something's going on, grab them and stick them into the other boarding section and tell them that they're calling security.

Good, at least the Staff did SOMETHING.

I find it hard not to let an incident with some a-holes bother me, but I try not to let them ruin my day.

Quote: Beardgoat

Any locals know where to get discounts? I don't think I want to pay $35 either

I would try this if I were you:

Quote: johnnyq

I stopped in at the TR "office" that is located along the Linq shops on the way to the High Roller and due to my Platinum status was able to buy 2 tix for $ 20. Apparently I get one 2 for 1 on shows each month (news to me), and they counted the High Roller for that.

I'm guessing they would have something similar OR BETTER for locals, just for the asking.