Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock is a Gerstlauer Sky Fly operating at Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock was opened on March 17, 2012, and was the first of its kind in the United States.[1][2] The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.[3][4]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock | |
---|---|
Nickelodeon Universe | |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | March 17, 2012 |
Replaced | Tak Attack |
General statistics | |
Manufacturer | Gerstlauer |
Model | Sky Fly |
Theme | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
Height | 72 ft (22 m) |
Speed | 25 mph (40 km/h) |
Vehicles | 12 |
Riders per vehicle | 1 |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
History
On July 25, 2011, Park Thoughts had an interview with the marketing director of Nickelodeon Universe, and they confirmed that a new major attraction in the works for the 2012 season.[5] Then on January 20, 2012, Nickelodeon Universe announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock for the 2012 season that is expected to open in March 2012.[1] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock replaced Tak Attack that closed on November 14, 2011 to make room.
On March 16, 2012, around 1:00 pm, the ride malfunctioned, causing it to freeze in the air. The ride held 12 people, all of which were okay. It took ride developers about 15–20 minutes until they were able unfreeze the ride, bringing all passengers safely down. The ride passengers included four children and 8 adults. The ride continued to occasionally freeze in air throughout the first week of operation.
On March 16, 2012, at around 2:30 pm, the ride froze in operation, taking ride operators over 10 minutes to get passengers down. The ride at that time was holding 11 passengers (two children and 9 adults). The ride was then closed and re-opened two hours later.
On March 17, 2012, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock officially opened at Nickelodeon Universe. Nickelodeon Universe also hosted the event Be A Part of Turtles History at Nickelodeon Universe! to conduct the Guinness World Record for the Largest Gathering of Ninja Turtles.[6][7][8] The record was broken on March 17, 2012, with 836 people dressed up as Ninja Turtles in front of "Shell Shock".[9] The previous record for the largest gathering of Ninja Turtles was set at Rutgers University in 2008 with 786 people.[8]
Ride
Once the 12 single-rider gondolas are carried up, the gondola brakes then are released and for the control wings every rider is able to roll over. Each rider decides whether the ride turns into a thrill or scenic ride. Since the boom is tilted, the riders go up 72 feet (22 m) and come down each revolution around the central tower at speeds of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h).[10]
Riders enter through a queue themed to look like the Ninja Turtles' underground sewer headquarters before boarding the attraction featuring a turtle shell on the back.[2]
Theme
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock coincided with the scheduled launch of Nickelodeon's 2012 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" animated television series.[2]
See also
References
- Nickelodeon Universe (January 20, 2012). "Introducing our new thrill ride..." Facebook. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- McDonald, Bradly (March 1, 2012). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ride to debut at Nickelodeon Universe". LA Times. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
- "Gerstlauer busy in 2011". Park World Magazine. December 29, 2010. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- Doug (July 25, 2011). "Interview with Jennifer Lauerman of Nickelodeon Universe". Park Thoughts. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
- Nickelodeon Universe. "Be A Part of Turtles History at Nickelodeon Universe®!". Facebook. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- Wallace, Chelsea (March 16, 2012). "MOA Hosts Ninja Turtle Gathering". KSTP TV. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- Piatt, Bryan (March 16, 2012). "New Shell Shock ride at Mall of America sparks world record attempt". KARE 11. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- Jewell, Bridget (March 17, 2012). "We Broke The Guinness World Records". Mall of America Blog. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- "Sky Fly". Gerstlauer. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
External links
- Sky Ride Information at Gerstlauer's official website