TMNT Shellraiser
Gerstlauer | Nickelodeon Universe, American Dream
East Rutherford, New Jersey
The new Nickelodeon Universe theme park, opening in fall 2019 at the massive American Dream Meadowlands retail and entertainment center, will offer guests four steel roller coasters from which to choose. But one ride, named “TMNT Shellraiser” (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), is the development’s signature coaster in terms of its size, speed, and thrill factor, with its track intricately interwoven with another new coaster called “Shredder.”
The 3,281-foot-long “TMNT Shellraiser” is an indoor ride featuring a linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch and vertical chain-lift hill, as well as seven inversions. According to Jeff Davis, attractions director at American Dream Meadowlands, the facility’s owners chose this coaster because “we were able to break a world record with this ride to claim the steepest coaster in the world.” With a descent of 121.5 degrees, the drop will be more than straight down. “Additionally, the ability to have both a vertical lift and a launch element was appealing to our developers and owners,” Davis says.
The ride’s additional elements include a heartline roll, a top hat, a banana roll, two corkscrews, a dive loop, and an Immelmann. “The LSM launch will send riders at 62.5 mph to the roof of the building. A vertical lift hill will take the vehicle 141 feet up through the roof where riders will get a glimpse of the New York City skyline through windows in the building before dropping down the steepest drop in the world at 121.5 degrees,” says Davis. “Locally, there are approximately 20 million residents within a 50-mile radius. We anticipate up to 50 percent of these residents to ride the ‘Shellraiser.’”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theming will accompany the ride, highlighted by its green track. The cars will be custom-painted by a local auto body artist.
