BLOOMINGTON, Minn., March 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fans dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles united in Mall of America to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS largest gathering of ninja turtles and celebrate the grand opening of the newest thrill ride at Nickelodeon Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock, the first ever ride of its kind in the United States. Fans from across the nation traveled to Mall of America to shatter the previous record of 786 with 836 fans dressed as ninja turtles. The Mall welcomed guests with commemorative Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirts, face masks and free passes to check out the ride.
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"The passion of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans blew this record out of the water with 836 fans dressed as ninja turtles," said Michael Empric, adjudicator with Guinness World Records.
"We're astounded by the number of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans that showed up today to celebrate the grand opening of the new ride," says Jennifer Lauerman, Nickelodeon Universe marketing director. "You can feel the adrenaline and excitement in the air from the guests and fans, it's a great feeling."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock takes riders 70 feet in the air in a matter of seconds reaching up to 25 mph. With 12 single bucket seats at the end of a cantilevered arm that rotates around a central tower, this ride is a thrill-seekers dream. Each guest controls their seat which can rotate wildly like a plane propeller or a gentle teeter-totter like a see-saw making no two ride experiences the same. The attraction is based on the highly-anticipated all-new CG-animated television series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which will premiere on Nickelodeon later this year.
A second new attraction to Nickelodeon Universe, Dutchman's Deck Anchor drop stainless steel spiral tube slide system also opened this month. These two intertwining tubes offer quite the thrill for guests from 56 and 35 ft. in the air. One leaves from the third level while the other one leaves from the top of the Flying Dutchman Ghostly Gangplank Adventure Ropes Course. The attraction is based on the Flying Dutchman character from Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants—the number one animated series with kids for the last 12 consecutive years. Admission to the slides will be included in Ropes Course admission or can be purchased for $2 per person with a wristband purchase or $3 per person without a wristband purchase.
For more information on the new ride visit www.mallofamerica.com or www.nickelodeonuniverse.com.
About Mall of America
Mall of America is the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex. At 4.2 million square feet, MOA is home to more than 520 world-class shops; Nickelodeon Universe, the nation's largest indoor family amusement park; SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium; Moose Mountain Adventure Golf; Theatres at Mall of America - a 14-screen movie theater with VIP theatre and more. The Mall opened in August of 1992 and is located in Bloomington, Minn., just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. Follow Mall of America on Facebook and Twitter or visit our blog.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).
SOURCE Mall of America