Fairly Odd Coaster

{{Short description|Amusement ride}}

{{other uses}}

{{more citations needed|date=November 2013}}

{{Infobox roller coaster

|name=Fairly Odd Coaster

|image=Fairly_Odd_Coaster_MOA.jpg

|caption=Fairly Odd Coaster

|previousnames={{nowrap|Timberland Twister (2004–2007)}}

|location=Nickelodeon Universe

|section=Southeast

|type=Steel

|type2=Spinning

|type3=Indoor

|status=Operating

|coordinates={{Coord|44|51|15|N|93|14|32|W |type:landmark_region:US-MN |display=inline,title}}

|opened={{Start date|2004|03|15}}

|year=2004

|manufacturer=Gerstlauer

|designer=Werner Stengel

|model=Spinning Coaster Model 420/4

|track=Twister

|lift=Chain-lift

|height_ft=54

|drop_ft=34

|length_ft=1345

|speed_mph=31

|inversions=0

|duration=1:30

|angle=50

|cost=

|trains=6

|carspertrain=1

|rowspercar=2

|ridersperrow=2

|acceleration=

|capacity=480-720

|gforce=3.2

|restriction_in=43

|rcdb_number=2508

}}

Fairly Odd Coaster (known formerly as Timberland Twister) is a spinning roller coaster themed to The Fairly OddParents that opened on March 15, 2004, at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America. Individual cars have two rows facing each other and each car spins independently throughout the course of the ride. The ride is geared toward families. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.{{cite journal |date=29 December 2010 |title=Gerstlauer busy in 2011 |url=http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/archivestory.php/aid/1870/Gerstlauer_busy_in_2011.html |url-status=dead |journal=Park World Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002243/http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/archivestory.php/aid/1870/Gerstlauer_busy_in_2011.html |archive-date=3 December 2013 |access-date=22 November 2013}}{{cite web |title=Projects |url=http://www.rideentertainment.com/projects |access-date=22 November 2013 |publisher=Ride Entertainment Group}}

Ride experience

The ride vehicles exit the boarding station and climb a 54 foot tall hill. At the top, the vehicles are released and enter a series of flat tight curves to get them spinning. Guests then ride through: a set of speed-retarders, several helix turns, an additional set of speed retarders, a series of large track-hills, another set of speed retarders, and a series of fast sharp bumps. Riders then take one last tight sideways turn, and the vehicles return to the boarding station.{{Cite web |title=Mall Of America Roller Coasters |url=https://www.johnweeks.com/tour/moa/index.html |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=www.johnweeks.com}}

History

Fairly Odd Coaster opened as "Timberland Twister" when the park was themed to Camp Snoopy, and is the first spinning roller coaster from Gerstlauer and the first of its kind. A month later, an identical ride opened at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri called Spinning Dragons. A discontinued feature of Fairly Odd Coaster was an on-ride video system that allowed guests to purchase DVDs of their ride on the attraction.

The Fairly Odd Coaster name was previously shared with rollercoasters at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina and Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio before they were both renamed and rethemed as Woodstock Express.

References

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