Nickelodeon Universe (MOA) Discussion Thread

[garyman6]

^ I can agree with that. And now VF's approved water park expansion project will be totally blown out of the water (pardon the pun) by this behemoth before it is even built (that is IF Valleyfair builds it). If MOA/NU threw up a B&M hyper or an RMC in the parking lot next to this new water park would anyone even go to VF anymore?

 

Of Course we would. There are all kinds of examples where the two coexist! Plus, the mall can be way too busy much of the time. I took my daughter to Nick U. last month. We paid for all-day wrist bands and rode a total of 3 rides! Every line was 45 min wait min. And as much as I'd love to see a big coaster put up there, unless they can figure out a way to have the station inside Nick U and the track leaving the mall, I don't see that as being a viable option. Cedar Fair has shown itself to not back down from competition. If anything, maybe it will make them re-evaluate their plans for Valleyfair and increase the investment. I mean from a tourist perspective or a theme park enthusiast perspective, what could be better then having two great destinations within 20 min of each other. Honestly, I think Valleyfair should partner up with MOA and offer shuttle buses from the Mall to Valleyfair! No car rental or Lyft needed.

[Dombot]

Don't worry we've got the same thing in the American Dream (can't wait for when THAT comes)

In all seriousness, this looks awesome. Really cool to see that they're building on both the Nick Universe parks rather than focusing on just the one. It's quite the investment, but it looks really promising and I'm super excited.

[RCjunkie]

The new MOA waterpark is one step closer to happening. The last vote for financing approval happens next month. Update on the details are below. Such a weird financing agreement.

 

Bloomington gets ready to set water park tax plan in motion

 

Bloomington leaders are nearing final approval of an elaborate plan to help build one of the nation’s largest water parks beside the Mall of America.

 

The deal hinges on the city’s option to hike sales taxes at the Mall of America to pay debt on the $260 million facility, if visitors who pay to raft down 10-foot-wide slides and lounge in cabanas don’t generate enough revenue. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize imposing the taxes — 11 years after the Legislature granted them that power — under specific circumstances that will be agreed to next month.

 

A series of votes scheduled for Dec. 17 will finalize an unusual financing plan with little precedent in Minnesota.

 

Under the deal, a Louisiana-based nonprofit organization will borrow money from an Arizona public development authority to build the park. Then a Mall of America affiliate will manage it. The debt will be guaranteed by a city pledge to raise sales taxes at the mall if water-park revenue falls short. Bloomington will pay more than $55 million for a parking ramp and skyway, and the water park will pay rent to Mall of America owners for using their land.

 

No one testified at a public hearing about the taxes at Bloomington City Hall on Tuesday night. Voters last week elected a supporter of the water-park plan, City Council Member Tim Busse, to be the city’s next mayor — succeeding Gene Winstead, another champion of the project.

 

Before the vote, Mall of America representatives briefed city leaders on what visitors will find inside the glass-covered, multilevel 325,000-square-foot facility. Updated renderings show a tropical oasis replete with palm trees, thatch-roofed structures, lounge chairs, wave pools and a mock steamer ship.

 

“This isn’t a traditional water park where you’re seeing the North Woods type landscape and feel,” said Nate Klutz, the mall’s vice president of construction. “We’re trying to create our own unique branding, our own unique experience.”

 

A centerpiece is a slide complex reaching 70 feet high, where groups on rafts can barrel down wide, translucent multicolored fiberglass tubes.

 

Chris Grap, lead storyteller and experience designer for the Mall of America, said they worked carefully to make the most of limited space.

 

“We kind of like to say it’s all killer and no filler,” Grap told city leaders. “We’ve made sure there aren’t any redundant experiences within the park.”

 

Grap said they have broken the park up into five “outposts” with their own music, plants and “rock work.”

 

“We want this project to last well beyond the impression of a first visit,” Grap said. “There’s not one ‘wow’ moment. There’s 20 ‘wow’ moments. We want to build a sense of discovery. We want people to be able to walk in the space and recognize that this isn’t a water park. Really we’ve designed it as a theme park with water-based attractions.”

 

A Bloomington official said last month that the working title is “Mystery Cove,” though Mall spokeswoman Sarah Grap said a name has not been chosen.

 

Taxes, feasibility

 

But can it turn enough profit? That’s the subject of a feasibility study by Hotel and Leisure Advisors that the city expects to receive before Thanksgiving. That study will be put into the preliminary operating statement for the bonds on the project.

 

“So it’s not [Mall of America ownership] projections, it’s not the city’s projections, it’s an independent third party whose livelihood is to project the performance of water parks,” said Schane Rudlang, administrator of Bloomington’s Port Authority.

 

The sales taxes approved Tuesday night would only apply at the Mall of America and the block north of the shopping center. The city is authorized to charge a hotel tax, admission and recreation tax and general sales tax of up to 1%, as well as a food and beverage tax up to 3%.

 

The city will vote on a plan next month to impose the taxes — or portions of them — automatically depending on certain circumstances.

 

“It’s designed so that there would be no subsequent action before the [City Council],” said city attorney Melissa Manderscheid. “These will happen as a result of certain things occurring outside of the City Council.”

 

The tax plan stems from a deal brokered at the Capitol 11 years ago. Then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty supported using sales taxes to fund the mall’s expansion after vetoing an earlier attempt to redirect money from a regional tax sharing pool known as Fiscal Disparities.

 

In 2013, the Legislature and then-Gov. Mark Dayton also exempted the mall from the tax-sharing pool. That allowed Bloomington to subsidize infrastructure related to the mall’s expansion — such as the parking ramp and skyway for the water park — with money that would have helped reduce property taxes elsewhere in the metro.

 

Article link and picture - http://www.startribune.com/bloomington-sets-water-park-tax-plan-in-motion/564872702/

[AmyUD06]

Good to know the NJ one isn't the only Triple Five project getting done on the backs of taxpayers LOL.

[VF15]

Nickelodeon Universe will be closing from Wednesday, March 18th until the end of the month. The rest of the mall will remain open.

https://mallofamerica.com/COVID19

[Canobie Coaster]

^ The most surprising thing is how long it took for them to decide to close down based on every other park.

[bert425]

Nickelodeon Universe will be closing from Wednesday, March 18th until the end of the month. The rest of the mall will remain open.

https://mallofamerica.com/COVID19

 

sooo?. . that candy store is staying open?

 

 

edit:

LOL.. sorry, was thinking this was the NJ one.

[VF15]

Mall of America will be reopening on June 1st, but Nickelodeon Universe will remain closed for now.

https://mallofamerica.com/node/24496#

[TheThemParkFan]

Just wanted to state an observation.

 

Nickelodeon Universe in Mall of America seems better landscaped and more of a "Park" (It's better intergrated with the mall and has lots of vista area's to sitdown and view the park) than the new park in New Jersey, which has a really odd warehouse feel to it. Just was wondering if anyone felt similar.

Edited May 19, 2020 by TheThemParkFan

[coasterbill]

The one in Jersey felt like less of a warehouse than I thought it would but I still definitely agree with that. The park at Mall of America is really nice.

 

I see there being a debate about which park is better for years to come with enthusiasts. Jersey clearly has better thrill rides, probably already and Sandy’s looks insane but Mall of America’s park is prettier and they have Log Chute.

Edited May 18, 2020 by coasterbill

[Canobie Coaster]

^ I agree 100%. The one in Minnesota also has a lot more energy since it's in the center of the mall with open gates. The one in NJ is tucked in a corner and requires paid admission.

[TheThemParkFan]

The one in Jersey felt like less of a warehouse than I thought it would but I still definitely agree with that. The park at Mall of America is really nice.

 

I see there being a debate about which park is better for years to come with enthusiasts. Jersey clearly has better thrill rides, probably already and Sandy’s looks insane but Mall of America’s park is prettier and they have Log Chute.

Are the Nickelodeon Universe parks owned 100% by Nickelodeon? I know Cedar Fair used to own the amusement park in Mall of America (this might be why it's nicer, they have a lot more history building and maintaining parks) and the Nickelodeon Universe at MoA was just a retheme of that. Might explain why Jersey's version feels empty, whoever built it has less experience running a park.

 

I wonder why Nickelodeon never advertises the parks on their channel or do something with the Teen choice awards there.

[A.J.]

Are the Nickelodeon Universe parks owned 100% by Nickelodeon? I know Cedar Fair used to own the amusement park in Mall of America (this might be why it's nicer, they have a lot more history building and maintaining parks) and the Nickelodeon Universe at MoA was just a retheme of that.

The parks are owned by the mall operators, the Triple Five Group. All the attractions are themed under license from Viacom-CBS. It's a similar relationship to Tokyo Disney Resort's, where the Oriental Land Company owns and operates the resort under license from Disney.

[AmyUD06]

Nickelodeon owns 0% of any of their parks; it's just a licensing agreement. Triple Five built and owns both parks.

 

And as best I could tell, Cedar Fair never owned any portion of the MoA park...it was an operating agreement they dumbed into when they bought Knott's. They also got out of it before it became NU.

 

NU in American Dream is trashy because it's in NJ.

[TheThemParkFan]

^ I agree 100%. The one in Minnesota also has a lot more energy since it's in the center of the mall with open gates. The one in NJ is tucked in a corner and requires paid admission.

That sounds like a complete and utter mistake to have the park entrance gated/can't roam around without admission. I bet Nickelodeon Universe gift shops and merchandise in Mall of America get a lot of customers who don't pay to go on the rides.

[TheThemParkFan]

Nickelodeon owns 0% of any of their parks; it's just a licensing agreement. Triple Five built and owns both parks.

 

And as best I could tell, Cedar Fair never owned any portion of the MoA park...it was an operating agreement they dumbed into when they bought Knott's. They also got out of it before it became NU.

 

NU in American Dream is trashy because it's in NJ.

Did Nickelodeon own the Orlando resort (now defunct) and still operating resort in Punta Cana or is that also similar?

[coasterbill]

I also think the setup at MOA makes way more sense but the park in Jersey will print money no matter what so I guess what do I know?

[Canobie Coaster]

I also think the setup at MOA makes way more sense but the park in Jersey will print money no matter what so I guess what do I know?

 

It's also a relative bargain compared to the $100 water park next door.

[Coasterguy21]

Nickelodeon owns 0% of any of their parks; it's just a licensing agreement. Triple Five built and owns both parks.

 

And as best I could tell, Cedar Fair never owned any portion of the MoA park...it was an operating agreement they dumbed into when they bought Knott's. They also got out of it before it became NU.

 

NU in American Dream is trashy because it's in NJ.

Did Nickelodeon own the Orlando resort (now defunct) and still operating resort in Punta Cana or is that also similar?

 

The now defunct Nickelodeon Hotel was originally a Holiday Inn Family Suites that was then rebranded into Nickelodeon via a partnership. In 2016, Holiday Inn reverted it back into a Holiday Inn Resort. The decision is rumored to have happened for three reasons

1) Nickelodeon didn't have a presence in Orlando much anymore

2) The hotel needed many repairs and it was the perfect time to rebrand

3) Nickelodeon had just partnered with Karsima Hotels to open up the Nickelodeon Resort in Punta Cana

 

The hotels are operated as a partnership between Nickelodeon & Karsima (with Karsima doing the operation). Another one will be opening in Riveria Maya, Mexico.

 

Like stated previously, Triple Five owns the parks in the two malls and the Nickelodeon theming is just licensing. That's why the park at MoA had to change names to "The Park at MoA" between Cedar Fair pulling out (and the parking losing the PEANUTS theming at that time) and them securing the rights to Nickelodeon.

[VF15]

Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America will begin a phased reopening on August 10th with select rides open. Park capacity will be limited to 250 people.

https://nickelodeonuniverse.com/opening/

[grsupercity]

Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America will begin a phased reopening on August 10th with select rides open. Park capacity will be limited to 250 people.

https://nickelodeonuniverse.com/opening/

 

Glad to see this fun little park open back up. Wonder how they will track 250 guest

[KBrylczyk]

^ Turnstiles keep count of things. That's the only reason they exist.

[grsupercity]

^ Turnstiles keep count of things. That's the only reason they exist.

 

The thing we loved about NU at MOA is we would ride a couple rides then hit a couple stores. Ride a couple rides then go up stairs to the food court. Hit a couple rides then go to VF. It was nice with a wrist band to come and go.

[RCjunkie]

At $19.99 for a 2 hour pass with unlimited rides and only 250 allowed in the park should be a pretty good deal. They said all rides will not open though. So if the flume ride does not open then it won't be a good deal. I usually do not hit this park until it snows but with VF closed that will change.

[kcxbmjzijxktrmjxxp]

The M&M'S website for M&M'S Mall of America announcing a 2021 opening date and concept art for the location:

Quote

 

M&M’S IS COMING TO MALL OF AMERICA® IN 2021!

With a central location inside the east market area of Mall of America®, the more than 24,000 sq. ft. store will incorporate region-specific décor that clearly distinguishes this location, paying homage to Midwest culture. New personalization components and exclusive merchandise will complement the store’s more recognizable elements such as the iconic Wall of Chocolate and larger than life character moments.

Continue to check back here for more details on the store opening over the next few months.

 

Was not ever a fan of encroaching on the landlocked foot print of the amusement park for more retail (see also Peeps & Company, American Girl), but this is especially pronounced given the exceedingly vacant "Central Parkway" expansion above North Garden and major vacancies in Southeast Court and Northeast Court due to the closures of large anchors (see Bloomingdale's, Sears). The park will never have room to expand so I am wary of Mall of America's insistence on reclaiming space for more retail given the mall's vacancy rate.

This is further exacerbated by American Dream's Nickelodeon Universe introducing exciting new ride concepts and a clear indication that Nickelodeon was more willing to broaden their IP portfolio than they were in 2008 when we officially the last vestiges of Camp Snoopy, which arguably was a better fit for Minnesota. Long story short, I am concerned about short-sighted development decisions that will limit our mall's ability to remain a world-class destination by limiting options to expand the park offerings in favor of more retail space.