SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2013) |
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge | |
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Nickelodeon Universe | |
Location | Nickelodeon Universe |
Coordinates | 44°51′19″N 93°14′33″W / 44.8553°N 93.2425°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | March 15, 2008 |
Cost | $2,500,000 |
Replaced | The Mystery Mine Ride, SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D, The Funtastic World Of Hanna-Barbera (ride) |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel – Euro-Fighter – Indoor |
Manufacturer | Gerstlauer |
Designer | Werner Stengel |
Model | Euro-Fighter (Custom) |
Track layout | Compact |
Lift/launch system | vertical Chain lift |
Height | 74.5 ft (22.7 m) |
Length | 1,371.4 ft (418.0 m) |
Speed | 43.5 mph (70.0 km/h) |
Inversions | 2 |
Duration | 2:00 |
Max vertical angle | 97° |
Capacity | 750 riders per hour |
G-force | 4.4 |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Trains | Several trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 4 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train. |
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge at RCDB |
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster located at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. Standing 74.5 feet tall, it is the tallest roller coaster in the park. It also features a beyond vertical (97 degrees) drop. It is the first roller coaster themed to SpongeBob SquarePants, and opened with the Nickelodeon Universe grand opening on March 15, 2008. The ride features a vertical loop, and a heartline roll. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.[1][2]
History and development
In 2007, the ride replaced Camp Snoopy's Mystery Mine attraction which housed the SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D ride and The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera ride (under the name of Yogi's Big Rescue). Concept artwork for the ride was revealed to the public via the theme park's construction walls in 2007.[3] The ride is based on the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Rock Bottom" (from Season 1), and features a prominently placed statue of SpongeBob and Patrick riding an orange bus down a 90 degree angle while holding a glove over his head. Design and fabrication for the giant statue was handled by Tivolitoo, a company that Nickelodeon Experience Design often collaborates with.[4]
Mall of America and its Camp Snoopy theme park were built upon the former site of the Metropolitan Stadium, and a plaque was installed at the previous location of the stadium's home plate. This plaque was kept in tact during the theme park's conversion to its Nickelodeon re-theming, and now sits outside the entrance of Rock Bottom Plunge.[5]
References
- ^ "Gerstlauer busy in 2011". Park World Magazine. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Ficker, Dan (21 October 2007). "Cool Rides At The MOA? Maybe". Retrieved 2 October 2022.
- ^ "Custom Stuff". Tivolitoo.com. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
- ^ Bennett, Byron (13 October 2013). "Bloomington's Metropolitan Stadium – MIA At The MOA". DeadBallBaseball.com. Retrieved 2 October 2022.