Nickolodean Universe(Go here to talk about this article!)
Bloomington, Minnesota, is a thriving city in the amusement industry. Along with the Water Park of America in the city limits, the Mall of America lies adjacent to the enormous water park. Inside the giant mall lying directly in the center is a seven acre park with a new name for the 2008 season: Nickelodeon Universe, formally known as the Park at Mall of America. Nickelodeon Universe will be the only exclusive Nickelodeon theme park in the world, featuring rides, meet and greets with Nickelodeon characters and talent, unique Nickelodeon retail and food options, and much more.* The three new Featured Rides are SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, Splat-o-Sphere, and Avatar Airbender.
Picture property of Looty on ThrillNetwork.com
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge is going to be a Gerstlauer Custom Euro-Fighter, the 9th of its kind total and the 2nd for the U.S. The coaster will feature Gerstlauer’s signature vertical lift hill followed by the signature 97 degree drop. The coaster will stand at a height of 67 feet and will travel along the 1345 feet of track. During the 2:00 minute ride course, riders will endure tight turns, extreme forces, and travel through two inversions: a loop and a heartline roll. It is reported that the lift hill will come within 5 feet of the ceiling of the park, but that has not been confirmed. Can someone say, “Head chopper?” You can see in some of the pictures how the coaster is looking and how close it comes to the ceiling of the park. You can also see that trains for the ride are on site out in the parking lot covered up. Watch construction progress for this coaster on the webcam at the park: http://info.theparkatmoa.com/Hours/RockPlunge.htm
Picture property of Looty on ThrillNetwork.com
Picture property of Looty on ThrillNetwork.com
The Splat-o-Sphere ride is going to give riders an experience they are not going to forget. The Splat-o-Sphere ride is going to be like a version of a Power Tower by S&S but will be smaller do to height constrictions. The spring tower will stand 60 feet tall and will launch riders straight up close to the ceiling of the park, then will catapult you straight back down at record speeds. The extreme launch and drop should allow all of its riders to experience great forces while going up, and give the extreme rush of strong airtime as they return to ground level.
Picture property of Looty on ThrillNetwork.com
Avatar Airbender is one of the more… unique roller coaster types in the industry. Avatar Airbender is one of the 6 Intamin Half Pipe coasters in the world. The coaster will tower over the rest of Nickelodeon Universe at 70 feet tall. It will be an extreme family thrill ride, taking you through the curl of the wave with rotating seats and an amazing free fall experience. Guests at the park are going to get a one-of-a-kind ride experience on the Avatar Airbender. Track work is currently completed other than the electrical work. Watch construction progress for this coaster on the webcam at the park: http://info.theparkatmoa.com/Hours/splat-o-sphere.htm
The new rides under construction are not the only changes happening around the park. Some of the current rides are getting a new paint job, and some even received new names. The Li’l Shaver (1995) in 2008 will become the Barnyard Barnstormer, Timberland Twister (2004) will become the Fairly Odd Coaster, and the Pepsi Ripsaw (1992) will become the Orange Streak. Soon, guests will start to see signs that Nickelodeon is taking over with different visuals showing off the Nickelodeon Universe theme. If you would like to view all of the changes occurring all over the park, see them here: http://info.theparkatmoa.com/Hours/collider.htm
As part of the one billion dollar expansion to the whole Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe will expand in size and will be America’s Largest Indoor Amusement Park. The park, opening new and improved in Spring 2008, will continue to thrill America year round with all of the current rides and the addition of the new attractions. The park in total all adds up to a world of fun for the whole family to enjoy!
Nickolodean Universe
