The iconic Wonder Wheel stands as a testament to the industrial age and a bygone era of Coney Island. But it’s still relevant and offers modern fun too. Passengers get “in line” (as they say in New York City) to ride the Wheel of Wonders as much for its panoramic views and unique swaying cars as it is for its sheer nostalgia. One of the first wheels, it inspired a lot of copy cats. Read about the tallest observation wheels in the world.
Initial information
- Excitement scale (0 = Wimpy !, 10 = Yikes!): 4.5 for moving cars. 2 for stationary cars.
- Rocking cars can be quite unnerving. With its dizzying height, even stationary cars can make some passengers feel a bit dizzy.
- Height: 150 feet (with a diameter of 140 feet)
- Capacity: 144 passengers
- Wonder Wheel Photo Gallery
- Description of Coney Island
As with the other two icons that dominate the Coney Island skyline, the Cyclone roller coaster and the parachute jump, the Wheel of Wonders heralds Coney Island’s glorious past. Opened in 1920, it is the oldest of the three.
Are you a swinger?
While in line, passengers can choose to enter the swaying cars or the line of stationary cars. The wait for stationary cars is generally shorter. Each car has two benches and can accommodate four to six passengers. The eight stationary cabins, which are located on the outside of the wheel, behave like the typical seats of the Ferris wheel. As the wheel turns, the cabs turn and remain level. The view of the amusements, the ocean, and the Manhattan skyline in the distance is incredible and well worth the price of admission.
Rocking cars, however, provide a distinctive and wild ride. They are located towards the center of the wheel and sit on curved tracks that extend to the perimeter of the wheel. The cabins remain fairly level during the first half of the trip revolution. However, just after the moving cars pass the apex of the ride, they fall and soar toward the outer edge of the wheel. When they reach the end of the track, they swing up and then bounce back. After a couple of side-to-side movements, the cabs reach the bottom of the wheel and settle in for the next climb.
Although passengers know that the cabins are on a runway, the thrills are powerful as they are thrown downward and seemingly at their destination from the wheel’s edge about 150 feet in the air. It is a dizzying and strange feeling.
Other wonders of the wheel world
The Wheel of Wonders is a New York City landmark and, like the Cyclone, is protected from the whims of developers.
There is a Wonder Wheel replica in Yokahama, Japan, apparently developed with the consent of the original wheel owners. According to Dennis Vourderis, co-owner of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, the folks at Disney wanted to create a Wonder Wheel clone at Disney’s California Adventure. (The park’s Paradise Pier is a tribute to classic seaside parks like Coney Island.) When the negotiations broke down, the Mouseketeers went on and developed the attraction anyway. Disney doesn’t call their ride the Wheel of Wonders.
