Being the seasoned thrill seeker and coaster nut that I am, there really isn’t much out there that I am fearful of riding. I’ve ridden just about every thrill ride concoction that the designers have thrown out there, and nothing had really given me that kind of nervousness that makes you think "You know what? I think I’ll pass". Nothing, that is, until X-Scream. Perched over the side of the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas, at an absolutely ridiculous 866 feet off the ground, X-Scream is simply put one of the most insane thrill rides ever created. In fact, I would love to meet the sadistic person who thought that nearly 1000 feet in the air was a perfect location for thrill rides! That, in my book, is truly being innovative! Looking from the ground, you can faintly see the structure of this ride teetering at the tower’s edge. Down on terra firma, I thought "Eh, that’s not too intimidating!" HA!! Boy, was that a mistaken thought! Once you reach the observation/thrill rides area and step outside, that’s when it hits you as to how high up you are! It was at this point that I walked over and watched X-Scream run, and my traveling buddy simply laughed and told me I was a lunatic! Watching it run, my thoughts then turned to "Holy you-know-what! This thing is just insane!!" That, my friends, was the logical part of my brain, telling me that I was nuts to even think of stepping foot onto that thing. However, that damn adrenaline-craving lobe of my brain told the logical part to can it, and up the stairs I went to the ride’s loading area. My friend was right – I AM a lunatic!! LOL
Once I boarded, in the front row no less, logical processing of any kind went right out the window and was replaced by fear. I’m talking major, heart-pounding, sweaty palms FEAR! I have honestly never been so scared before a ride in my entire life. For those unaware, X-Scream is essentially a glorified teeter-totter, but it is its placement in one of the most terrifying locations imaginable that earns this ride its uniqueness and kudos! As the ride began, my heart was literally racing! Then, the ride instantly tilted down, sending the car barreling over the tower’s edge, to the point where the track disappeared. Alas, the brake grabs hold and stops the train. This leaves you dangling and looking straight down from nearly 900 feet up. Folks, I’m not ashamed to admit it – that first time I screamed, and although it probably sounded subdued, believe me, on the inside it sounded like the shriek of a little girl! The ride then teeters and totters back and forth, sending you over the edge twice more. By now, I was just laughing hysterically (probably to avoid the thoughts that if the brakes failed, I was dead) and throwing my arms up! Then comes the last surprise, the one talked about in reviews below. Cue my heart now jumping into my throat! That little surprise, plain and simple, is EVIL!! But, like any good thrill seeker, I loved every second of it!! I exited the ride laughing and just shaking my head, because that was the most extreme ride I have ever ridden. The ride itself is great fun, but the placement of it and the fear it induces is what makes this ride a huge winner. I rode it twice more, and although I knew what all was coming, the ride was still great! I suppose it could eventually lose its novelty if you rode it hundreds of times, but for me it delivered every time. And truthfully, nothing will touch that amazing and downright frightening first ride! This is one of those rides that even in a review cannot be accurately described. It is something as a thrill seeker you just must experience! If you have a fear of heights, well, you probably won’t even be going up the tower in the first place. This is a ride that, if you possess that fear, would probably make you wet yourself just by looking at it. And if you aren’t afraid of heights, well, you may still wet yourself anyway that first time you fly off the edge!! X-Scream certainly may not be for eve
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