A nervous energy bubbled high atop the Rio, on the patio on the 50th floor, where men and women of all shapes and sizes queued up to be the first to ride the new VooDoo Zip Line on Sunday.
More than a year in the making, the attraction finally opened about 1 p.m.
Rio Vice President and Assistant General Manager Dan Walsh said it took a little longer than anticipated, because they wanted it to be as safe as possible.
Walsh expects it to be a boon for business.
“It always helps to have an attraction like this,” he said. “We hope it’ll bring more people off the Strip to the Rio.”
He also said the rise is unique due to its height and the fact that is motorized, rather than depending on gravity.
The VooDoo Zip Line spans about a third of a mile between the Rio’s 51-story Masquerade Tower to the 20-story Ipanema Tower.
A staff member uses a metal-detecting wand to double check patrons before they can get on the ride, but they are not that worried about weapons. Not exactly.
They are more worried about people trying to smuggle on cellphones to take selfies, and a cellphone falling from 500 feet could do a lot of damage.
The zip line’s crew is all about safety. Workers in the loading cage wear harnesses, and there is a safety net under the beginning of the ride.
There is a 48 inch height requirement. There are weight restrictions, hidden scanners and provisions for heavy wind and lightning. There’s a portable cooling machine, and a text message service that allows you to wait for your turn comfortably inside.
Multiple workers bragged that management and designers added more safety checks than the county required for a license.
But the staff still teased riders to keep energy high. The air brakes are the worst part, they said, because there is a moment over the second tower when you do not think the ride will stop.
Riders sign a waiver. Before they can approach the white loading cage tucked beneath the black staircase to the VooDoo Lounge, they lock their belongings in a little locker by the entrance.
Inside the cage, riders sit on one of two cushioned seats attached to the line. Two lap belts secure them in place. After a moment, a waist-high gate opens, and it starts.
If you get nervous, hold on to the side handles, workers say.
You zoom west, looking at the neighborhoods and mountains in the distance. It is difficult not to look down at the pools beneath the line.
And it’s true about the brakes. You hear them, but you don’t feel them. You see the end of the line racing towards you instead.
But you do stop, and then it’s easy to relax as the seats reverse up the line to the tall tower.
Donna Smith, from Phoenix, came to Las Vegas with her sister, Jo Smith. The petite blondes were the first customers to ride tandem. The Smiths came to take in some of Vegas’ famous shows and decided to be brave and try it.
Donna Smith gets vertigo, but she laughed afterwards.
“The anticipation is worse than the ride,” she advises. “It goes faster than you think. Just do it.”
Rides cost $27.49 before 5:30 p.m. and $42.50 at night. If you want another go, second rides are discounted. People younger than 21 are not allowed to ride after 8:30 p.m.