winters. The tradition of winter maintenance continued with the Wonder Wheel's subsequent owners. The only time the wheel stopped while not under the control of the operator was during the New York City blackout on July 13, 1977. The owners hand cranked the wheel around to evacuate the passengers. Critical reception A writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch stated in 2000 that when "the cars begin to swing like a pendulum [...] you swear the entire structure is collapsing." The same year, a writer for the Central New Jersey Home News praised the views from the Wonder Wheel, saying that "a trip would not be complete without a spin on the Cyclone, a trip to the top of Deno's Wonder Wheel or a corn dog at Nathan's." In 2015, a Newsday reporter contrasted the two experiences of the Wonder Wheel's stationary and moving cars: the stationary-car experience was described as being "so pleasant a baby can ride it without alarm", but the swinging-car experience was "more like a catch-your-breath thrill". Cultural influence The New York Times called the Wonder Wheel "the jewel of the showy, boomtown Coney Island that rose along the newly widened beach in the Roaring Twenties". The Wonder Wheel has inspired at least two replicas. Pixar Pal-A-Round, a eccentric Ferris wheel at Disney California Adventure, opened in 2001 and was initially known as Sun Wheel and Mickey's Fun Wheel. There was also a replica in Yokohama Dreamland, Japan. Due to its prominence on Coney Island, the Wonder Wheel has been depicted in numerous movies and TV shows, such as the film The Warriors, the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, and the TV series Mr. Robot. At least one film is named after the attraction: Wonder Wheel (2017), set on Coney Island in the 1950s. In addition, the Wonder Wheel has been the setting for many engagements and weddings throughout its history. In August 2020, historian Charles Denson published a book about the Wonder Wheel, titled Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel Park. See also List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn References Notes Citations External links Oral histories about the Wonder Wheel collected by the Coney Island History Project Ferris wheels in the United States New York City Designated Landmarks in Brooklyn Coney Island 1920 establishments in New York City