Shop a little, play a little at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America!
Written: Nov 07 '09 (Updated Nov 09 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of good rides; Popular Nickelodeon characters; Most rides welcoming to little guys
Cons: Expensive! Kids won't want to stop (not exactly conducive to getting your shopping done)
The Bottom Line: It costs a pretty penny, but amusement park and/or Nickelodeon aficionados will have a good time at Nickelodeon Universe.
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| jurgrace's Full Review: Nickelodeon Universe, Mall of America |
Every time we go to visit the family homestead in Minnesota, my husband and I make sure to hit up the Mall of America in Bloomington. Yeah, shopping without sales tax on clothes is nice, but so is hanging out in a Snoopy-themed amusement park. Only, Snoopy has left the building and the amusement park has been re-dubbed Nickelodeon Universe. While that throws my sentimentality out the window, it sure is handy when you've got preschool and "big school" aged children with you.
Once you enter the mall, it's nearly impossible to miss Nickelodeon Universe, as you can see the giant Dora the Explorer ferris wheel (el Circulo del Cielo) or the park-spanning Pepsi Orange Streak roller coaster from every hallway opening. No matter what, though, if you enjoy amusement parks or Nickelodeon characters, you will get sucked into the park.
The cost
Nickelodeon Universe has 24 rides, all but three of which can be ridden one way or another by visitors 42" or less in height. Each ride charges a point value of 3-6 points in order to ride. What points, you ask? The points you can purchase at any of the park's entrances (with credit card only) and carry around on a little "ticket" as you go. If you don't want to pay the steep price for a ticket (we got 85 points for $62.90), you can also get a bracelet for unlimited rides ($29.95). We are a family of five, and after doing the math, we went with the 80 points and rotated ride privileges.
Before going to the park, I recommend you check out www.nickelodeonuniverse.com to see what offers they have. Once we were at the mall, we learned that we could have gone on Tuesday morning and gotten a three hour Kiddie Ride Wristband for $9.95. Our friends went to Nickelodeon Universe the week after we did, and told me they went to Twilight savings, when you can get an Unlimited Ride Wristband for $17.95.
The Rides
When Nickelodeon took over what used to be Camp Snoopy, they kept most of the rides intact, giving their decorations a slight makeover. For example, there used to be a little train ride filled with Snoopy characters; now the train is blue (Azul the train from Dora the Explorer), and the Snoopy guys are little Dora characters. Sometimes the changes work; other times the tranisition is forced. An example of this is with Big Rigs, a "driving" ride where toddlers can "drive" big trucks in a circle. Nickelodeon apparently had trouble thinking of how to brand that one, because it's one of few (if not the only) rides in which there are no characters on it.
Overall, though, there are great rides here that should appeal to all ages. There are several 'junior' rides in which kids 36-58" tall can ride by themselves. This gives such a sense of empowerment to three and four year olds, to be able to go on a ride alone, like a big kid. There are also some rides in which a child 36-42" tall can only go with a chaperon. In this event, the chaperon gets to ride without paying points. This gives such a sense of empowerment to my wallet, as it saved us points so the kids could go on more rides.
Most of these junior rides featured characters from Go, Diego, Go, The Backyardigans, Dora the Explorer, and Blues Clues. Since Blues Clues is getting old, I imagine those will be morphed into Ni hao, Kai-lan rides soon.
Most of the 'older' rides are more generic. While there are a few specific to Spongebob or Avatar, there is also the Log Chute and Ghost Ride. Nonetheless, these are pretty fun. The Spongebob Rock Bottom Plunge is a roller coaster that takes riders straight up, then immediately drops them straight down in a 180. Another fun ride is the afore-mentioned Pepsi Orange Streak, which winds its way through the entire amusement park.
A few of the attractions at Nickelodeon Universe require extra money. For example, they just opened the Butterfly Bay Aviary (butterfly house), which costs an additional two dollars for admission. Likewise, miniature golf will run you an extra five bucks, and the Flying Dutchman Ghostly Gangplank an extra four dollars. Of the three, my girls would be most interested in the butterflies, but adventuresome folk would surely enjoy the Flying Dutchman, which is a maze-like series of suspension-type bridges that you have to wear a harness to be able to enter.
The 'People'
If you're looking for a "free" activity at Nickelodeon Universe, you can always take your little companions to meet some of their favorite Nickelodeon characters. There are two photo op places in the park, where various characters will be available to shake hands and take pictures. You can get a schedule of appearances at any of the park's entrances. When we were there, there was a rotating schedule of various Backyardigans, Wonder Pets and Dora at the 'Nick Jr.' area, while Spongebob and Patrick were pretty much all you could get at the other space.
For kids six and under, getting to take pictures with these cartoon characters should be a lot of fun (I know my girls enjoyed it--even the one who is "too old" for Dora), however, older kids probably won't care too much if they get a picture with Spongebob or not, even if they are fans.
So, should you fit Nickelodeon Universe in your Minnesota itinerary?
Would I go to Minnesota strictly to visit Nickelodeon Universe? Of course not. I wouldn't even go to the Mall of America solely for this park. However, if you enjoy rides, are with kids, and are in the area, this is a fun amusement park where weather is not an issue, as it is all indoors. While the summer humidity or winter snow may make some people hesitate to go to Valley Fair, these are not obstacles to year-round enjoyment at Nickelodeon Universe.
If you plan to shop at the country's largest shopping mall (and not pay sales tax on clothes!), you might as well give your feet a break and enjoy some rides. Just make sure to check the offers ahead of time to get your best deal, because the cost adds up quickly.
Thanks so much to cr01 for adding this to the database eons ago. I promise to be quicker at reviewing the next time around.
Recommended:
Yes
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