October 9, 2011
I probably have a soft spot in my heart for the SkyTrail® Ropes Course we installed at Nickelodeon Universe because it was our first project in collaboration with our friends at Ropes Courses, Inc. While not a coaster, the structure is imposing as it looms over the entire park. It stands 4 stories tall, but it is also set about 13 feet above the midway, which really allows the blue and green structure to make a statement.
Every time I go on this attraction, called “Flying Dutchman Ghostly Gangplank” by the park, I admit that I get a little nervous. Now, I have climbed on coasters, tower rides, and a lot of vertical structures, but even that does not quite prepare me to scamper across a rope or two while hanging 60 feet in the air. The crowning jewel of the entire installation is the “plank”. This was the first time that Ropes Courses, Inc. installed this element and it has proven to be a huge winner. Guests that climb all the way to the fourth story are greeted by three elements. There is the plank in the middle, and then on either side is a simple element, one has just two ropes that criss-cross and form an “x” on at the bottom with a simple assistance rope on top, and the other has essentially a rope ladder laid on its side. These lead out to the plank, which I approached with a little trepidation the first time I climbed, but kids about one-third of my age loved. Here you walk out on a dead-end, see the bright colors of Nickelodeon Universe all around you, and use both hands to pull the foghorn. The trick here is that the foghorn only goes if both ropes are pulled, which means you need to completely let go of your harness. I did it, but it certainly was not easy the first time. However, every time I visit now I feel like an old pro.
If you are in the neighborhood we recommend you stop by. There are 3 Ride Entertainment projects in the park, the “Fairly Odd Coaster” (a Gerstlauer Spinning Coaster), SpongeBob Sqaure Pants Rock Bottom Plunge (a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter), and the afore-mentioned SkyTrail® from Ropes Courses, Inc. All of their ticket information is at: http://www.nickelodeonuniverse.com/ticketpurchasing.html and it is worth the extra price to go for a climb.