Hello hello hello, and welcome to my first-ever blog series! Over the next… wow this is going to take a lot of weeks… I’m going to be talking about the total madness that was my first USA road trip! With a total of twelve parks, somewhere around 3,500 miles and all too many Twizzlers along the way, there is a *lot* to talk about. So, let’s get going with day one!
If there was one park I wasn’t letting myself get excited for on this trip, it was this one. Our first stop: Nickelodeon Universe at the American Dream mall in New Jersey. Only 27 miles from JFK, but a 90-minute drive through downtown Manhattan (nothing like a nice chill first drive eh?) it just seemed silly not to stop here on our route south. But with the highest ticket price of the whole trip (!) and a reputation for poor ride availability, expectations were kept very low. So, how was it?
Well. Let’s just say, that reputation is well earned. This was the first thing that greeted us:
That’s three of the five coasters down, and arguably all of the best ones too. Especially Shellraiser, the current holder of the record for the world’s steepest drop and arguably the main reason to visit this park. Without a doubt the ride I was most excited for. So. Not a great start, to put things mildly.
But, when we walked into the park I actually felt a huge wave of joy. It just looked so fun! Everywhere you looked, there were bright colours and characters and rides and it just radiated happiness. Of course, there was also the joy of just being here, in the United States, at a theme park with my friends. That itself was pretty overwhelming!
After a quick scoot around to get the lay of the land, we headed straight for Nickelodeon Slime Streak as our first ride of the trip. Whilst this is a relatively mild family coaster, its elevation above the whole park added a lot to the experience. I’m a sucker for an elevated transport ride and whilst there was a super cute Dora-themed one here, it had the only truly long line in the park the whole time we were there so it was a skip for us. But Slime Streak offered equally lovely views around the place. It was surprisingly speedy at times too! We only got a mid-train ride, but I’d imagine it’s actually quite a laugh at the back. Nick Streak UK still reigns supreme for me though!
With Shellraiser SBNO (standing but not operating, for my non-nerd friends), my next ride was without a doubt the headline attraction for me: Spongebob Jellyfish Jam. This is quite simply, the most beautiful chairoplane I’ve ever seen. It’s just SO happy! I’m happy to say that the ride experience actually lived up to the aesthetic too, being surprisingly forceful and just utterly delightful. Definitely my favourite chairoplane.
Alongside Shellraiser, I consider Skyline Scream the other signature attraction at this park. A 125ft (not quite the 300ft we were told by the ride op) S&S drop tower may not be anything special, but in this custom-built wing of the mall, it sure is. That’s because, when building the mall, the roof was extended up to house the ride, and right at the top of this extension is a window offering panoramic views over New Jersey and even better, the Manhattan skyline. The ride offers a long cycle, with an initial launch and some drops, followed by a lift to the top where you’re held for a reasonably long time in order to let you take in the views. I actually found this to be quite deceptive, looking out over Manhattan I genuinely felt that I was just sitting on a bench in a mall, completely forgetting that a 125ft drop was imminent, so it genuinely took me by surprise when the drop finally came. However, I’ve yet to ride an S&S that offers any actual force, so if you’re not a drop tower fan rest assured that it is not intense at all, and well worth it for the view!
The only other operating coaster at the park was The Shredder, an inward-facing Gerstlauer spinning coaster – the first I’ve done of this type! I’m not sure yet where I stand on the inward-facing cars. They made the ride far more disorientating as it was far harder to see what was coming, even when facing forward which on one hand certainly made the ride far more thrilling. On the other hand, it made us all feel dizzy as hell. For me, the ride improved as it got closer to the ground, with both the forceful helixes and following bunny hops being highlights. Those inward-facing seats definitely left me begging to escape by the time we reached the brake run though. Still, I’d absolutely ride again without hesitation!
On our way out, we made one final stop, of course, at Rugrats Reptar-go-Round, a carousel where every vehicle was Reptar! Again, this ride was so vibrant and joyful and even played the Rugrats theme in a carousel style! (I mean, does it even count as a carousel if they’re not playing proper organ music? Also +100,000,000 points if there’s an actual organ! I digress…) On the downside, Reptar was not super comfortable to sit on but hey, it’s only a couple of minutes. Thankfully.
Foodwise, there’s only really one stand which sells pre-packaged sandwiches and snacks but you absolutely do not need to be eating in here. The American Dream mall was actually far more alive than I expected with plenty of shops and dining throughout. With the park allowing re-admission, just head on up to the food court and grab something there. We swung in before entering the park and, given that we’d only been in the country a couple of hours, were very happy with the range of American staples available.
So, that was our visit to Nickelodeon Universe at the American Dream mall. $85 for a one-hour visit, riding five rides. On the bright side, queues were practically non-existent (we waited ten minutes for Shredder but hopped straight on everything else), although you can drop an additional $50 on fast-track if you so wish (lol). Also, it’s obviously a win to have a park that we could fit into our arrival day. It’s just so frustrating to me how much potential this park has, the ride design, signage, and lighting design are all absolutely world-class. Plus given the relatively small footprint for so many rides, the interaction between the coasters is amazing. Except, it wasn’t when we were there because they simply were not operating. This could be a really lovely park if it was operated as it should be. Right now, it feels as though the ‘all rides are subject to availability’ clause is being exploited the hell out of to offer a sub-par experience for a top-tier price. If you were thinking of coming here in the future, my advice would be to hold out on your ticket purchase until the day of. Check that closure board, then decide if it’s worth it to you because chances are it just won’t be.
Speak again soon,
Claire
x
P.S. Since finishing putting this blog together Nick Universe have announced that they’re introducing a pay-per-ride system. Of course.
coasterclaire.co.uk 