Melco Crown figure-of-eight ferris wheel nears completion

Melco Crown Entertainment said a giant figure-of-eight ferris wheel, which it claims is a world first, is nearing completion at its $3.2 billion Studio City resort in Cotai.

The ride features prominently on the facade of the art-deco-style integrated resort, which is scheduled to open later this year. Melco claims that 95 percent of the attractions at the property are dedicated to non-gaming.

Towering at 130 meters, the Golden Reel is located at the center-point between the resort’s twin “Art Deco meets Gotham City” hotel towers.

There are 17 “Steampunk”-themed cabins, each accommodating up to 10 people on the 15 plus minute journey around the figure-8 track.

The attraction was designed and engineered by Liechtenstein-based Intamin Amusement Rides Int. Corp., and is currently undergoing rigorous mechanical testing following the final installation of passenger cabins earlier this month.

 The company says the Golden Reel was formed in traditional Hollywood blockbuster movie fashion, “when not one, but two flaming asteroids crashed through the building façade in tandem to create an almost perfect figure-8 form.”

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