Post by I Can Fly Now on Mar 21, 2008 22:59:02 GMT -5
So I've been watching the construction on this park for months, and last Saturday was the official grand opening of the Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America. (And I'm just posting this now? Yeah, I know. I kept forgetting -_-0)
Anyway, it was quite awesome, and I recommend you go if you live near the Minnesota area or are, for some reaon, planning a family trip to Minnesota. Everything is so brightly-colored--especially compared to the "rustic" style of Camp Snoopy, and the...well, no style of the park at MOA. I'm really lame and don't own a digital camera (not even on my phone!), so I couldn't take any pictures, but I found some online. Here's a general overview of the park itself: www.nickelodeonuniverse.com/map.html
Some of the rides were converted from older ones. The Screamin' Yellow Eagle became the Danny Phantom Ghost Zone ride, the ferris wheel got a Dora the Explorer makeover, etc. Some were left alone, like the carousel, the log chute, the ghost blasters ride, and then there were some that were all new. There was a Fairly Oddparents rollercoaster, a spongebob coaster, a power tower-type ride called the "Splatosphere," and, of course, the Avatar ride.
Ah, the Avatar ride. I couldn't get my little brother to go on it with me when I took him, so I dragged my friend on it when we went on Sunday night, and it was so much fun. I reaaally wish I could have taken pictures. It was very similar to the pics I've seen of the King's Island one: There's a big half-pipe, on which sits a a gigantic skateboard. Half the board is done up in orange and flames, and the other half is all blue and, y'know... airy. There is a circular group of six chairs on either side. As the board goes back and forth up and down the half-pipe, the groups of chairs spin. It was so disorientating, but it so much fun.
Here's a pic I found; it doesn't show much, and it seems to be from the "testing phase," but you can get the idea:
I actually only went on two rides. I spent most of the time exploring. There are four shops in the Nick park, and I was pleased to see that there was a halfway decent selection of Avatar merchandise. (No plushies, though! I was super disappointed) but there were several T-shirts. There were a couple souvenir shirts for the ride, which I thought was cute. And there were some really pretty ones with Aang on them. Aaaand *jumps up and down* I got the coolest shirt! www.theparkatmoastore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=7343599 The color in the pic looks icky, but it's actually a pretty nice shade of grey. Click on the pic of the back. It's the only shirt I saw that had more characters than just Aang. And look...outlined in red in the background? Season two Zuko! I almost had a heart attack, I was so excited. I love season two Zuko. 'Bout dang time! Now that we're well into season three
Other than the shirts, there were baseball caps, ornaments, party favors, a rather nifty stainless steel thermos, a tiny candy tin, and the usual action figures. Still a little sparse. Spongebob and Dora still dominated most of the store >.< Hopefully there will be more soon. I go out to the mall all the time, so I'll keep checking. I'll also try to snag a camera next time I go so I can get some better pictures.
So, yeah. That's about it. I approve of the Nick park. What I like about it, and what I've always liked about the mall of america park, is that you don't have to pay to get in. You can just wander on through anytime. The only thing you have to buy tickets for are the rides. Which, admittedly, are a little pricey. But I guess they have to make their money somehwere. And if all you're interested in is exploring and taking in the atmosphere, maybe getting some snacks, it's really nice.
Anyway, it was quite awesome, and I recommend you go if you live near the Minnesota area or are, for some reaon, planning a family trip to Minnesota. Everything is so brightly-colored--especially compared to the "rustic" style of Camp Snoopy, and the...well, no style of the park at MOA. I'm really lame and don't own a digital camera (not even on my phone!), so I couldn't take any pictures, but I found some online. Here's a general overview of the park itself: www.nickelodeonuniverse.com/map.html
Some of the rides were converted from older ones. The Screamin' Yellow Eagle became the Danny Phantom Ghost Zone ride, the ferris wheel got a Dora the Explorer makeover, etc. Some were left alone, like the carousel, the log chute, the ghost blasters ride, and then there were some that were all new. There was a Fairly Oddparents rollercoaster, a spongebob coaster, a power tower-type ride called the "Splatosphere," and, of course, the Avatar ride.
Ah, the Avatar ride. I couldn't get my little brother to go on it with me when I took him, so I dragged my friend on it when we went on Sunday night, and it was so much fun. I reaaally wish I could have taken pictures. It was very similar to the pics I've seen of the King's Island one: There's a big half-pipe, on which sits a a gigantic skateboard. Half the board is done up in orange and flames, and the other half is all blue and, y'know... airy. There is a circular group of six chairs on either side. As the board goes back and forth up and down the half-pipe, the groups of chairs spin. It was so disorientating, but it so much fun.
Here's a pic I found; it doesn't show much, and it seems to be from the "testing phase," but you can get the idea:
I actually only went on two rides. I spent most of the time exploring. There are four shops in the Nick park, and I was pleased to see that there was a halfway decent selection of Avatar merchandise. (No plushies, though! I was super disappointed) but there were several T-shirts. There were a couple souvenir shirts for the ride, which I thought was cute. And there were some really pretty ones with Aang on them. Aaaand *jumps up and down* I got the coolest shirt! www.theparkatmoastore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=7343599 The color in the pic looks icky, but it's actually a pretty nice shade of grey. Click on the pic of the back. It's the only shirt I saw that had more characters than just Aang. And look...outlined in red in the background? Season two Zuko! I almost had a heart attack, I was so excited. I love season two Zuko. 'Bout dang time! Now that we're well into season three
Other than the shirts, there were baseball caps, ornaments, party favors, a rather nifty stainless steel thermos, a tiny candy tin, and the usual action figures. Still a little sparse. Spongebob and Dora still dominated most of the store >.< Hopefully there will be more soon. I go out to the mall all the time, so I'll keep checking. I'll also try to snag a camera next time I go so I can get some better pictures.
So, yeah. That's about it. I approve of the Nick park. What I like about it, and what I've always liked about the mall of america park, is that you don't have to pay to get in. You can just wander on through anytime. The only thing you have to buy tickets for are the rides. Which, admittedly, are a little pricey. But I guess they have to make their money somehwere. And if all you're interested in is exploring and taking in the atmosphere, maybe getting some snacks, it's really nice.