Riders enter through a queue themed to look like the Ninja Turtles' underground sewer headquarters before boarding the ride vehicles, which feature the turtles' shells and their weapons on the back.[2] Once the 12 single-rider gondolas are carried up, the gondola brakes are released and guests are able to control the rotation of their vehicles. Since the boom is tilted, riders go up 72 feet (22 m) and come down each revolution around the central tower at speeds of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h).[5]
History
On July 25, 2011, the Park Thoughts podcast interviewed the marketing director of Nickelodeon Universe, and confirmed that a new major attraction was in the works for the 2012 season.[6] On January 20, 2012, Nickelodeon Universe announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock for the 2012 season, and was expected to open in March 2012.[1] The attraction replaced Tak Attack, which closed on November 14, 2011.
The ride malfunctioned on multiple occasions in its first week of operation, causing it to freeze in the air. On March 16, 2012, the ride malfunctioned at 1:00 pm and later at 2:30 pm. All passengers were brought down safely by ride operators.
On March 17, 2012, the attraction officially opened several months before the premiere of the television series that it is based upon.[2] Nickelodeon Universe hosted a Be A Part of Turtles History at Nickelodeon Universe! event to conduct the Guinness World Record for the Largest Gathering of Ninja Turtles.[7][8][9] The record was broken on March 17, 2012, with 836 people dressed up as Ninja Turtles in front of the ride.[10] The previous record for the largest gathering of Ninja Turtles was set at Rutgers University in 2008 with 786 people.[9]
