We caught up with Ryan in NYC Monday, and he was all smiles, telling us he's having a total ball giving away piles of cash -- and a new car here and there.

Ryan, who was joined by sister Meredith, added he always knew the hosting gig would be a blast, and he's now at the point where he's just trying to contain his excitement about the whole thing.

It's great to see everything falling into place for Ryan, who dove headfirst into his game show debut last month, stepping into Pat Sajak's big shoes like a pro.

But Pat was totally supportive, shooting Ryan a "good luck" text before his debut -- and it looks like those good wishes are working like magic!