Just days after Gov. Phil Murphy celebrated the long-awaited opening of American Dream by trying out The Shellraiser roller coaster, that ride and other attractions inside the property's Nickelodeon theme park shuffled in and out of service this week, and some rides still await approvals to open.

Several of the more thrilling attractions inside Nickelodeon Universe have yet to open, and others were closed for maintenance this week — some with large electronic signs that read “closed for testing,” and others with ropes blocking the entrances.

On Tuesday night, so many rides were out of service that guests were given free vouchers to come back another time. By Wednesday, guests were told that only general access tickets were being sold — tickets for the kiddie rides in the park — although some of the coasters started to operate again late Wednesday.

The last-minute testing and uncertainty about which rides will be in service echo signs that American Dream was still securing the needed paperwork to open right up to the scheduled Oct. 25 opening. The state only announced it granted the project a temporary certificate of occupancy the night before the opening, which meant inspection approvals for rides were also only granted that day.

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And although American Dream has said it will increase the price for tickets to its theme park in two weeks, at least fives rides still need to pass inspection, state records show.

American Dream's opening was a milestone for the project, more than two decades in the making. But the project is still finding its bearings. Parking on Wednesday was free, even though parking rates were supposed to have gone into effect Monday. Navigating the massive property to find parking is still confusing, and food options remain scarce. At least one employee expressed concern that the opening felt rushed.

Despite the hiccups, some officials say it's about time the project opened.

"I don’t know if 'rush to open' is the correct term because I’ve been dealing with this going back for the last 17 years," said James Cassella, East Rutherford's mayor. "I think they needed to get open, even if it isn’t totally finished yet. It’s beneficial that it’s opening in stages. It gives everybody a chance to adjust."

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So far, only the Nickelodeon theme park and ice rink inside American Dream are open. The project's water park is slated to open Nov. 27, followed by its indoor ski slope on Dec. 5. Next spring, the property's retail end is supposed to open.

It was unclear why some rides inside Nickelodeon Universe — especially those running on opening day — were closed this week. Signs indicated rides were closed for testing. Employees on Wednesday said that rides were closed pending safety inspections.

State officials who oversee the permitting process for the rides deferred questions about closures to American Dream officials, who did not respond to questions.

Two of the main attractions shut this week — but running on opening day — were The Shellraiser and Nickelodeon Slime Streak, which dozens of high school students rodeopening day. On Tuesday, neither ride was open. By late Wednesday, both started to operate again.

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It's common practice for roller coasters to be tested daily, said Ken Martin, an amusement ride safety consultant. Typically, those tests occur during off hours.

"Every amusement ride is supposed to be inspected by the owner on a daily basis," Martin said. "Many of the major amusement parks bring their crews in at sunup and they have to go out and, what we call, walk the rides."

The process for getting a theme park inspected in New Jersey is tedious, Martin said. The state is known for having strict rules.

State inspections still pending

By opening day, 18 of 27 rides inside Nickelodeon Universe had permits to operate, according to the state Department of Community Affairs, which inspects amusement park rides. Two more rides received permits the following day.

State officials said inspections for the rides that received permits were conducted weeks prior to the opening of American Dream. But for the state to permit a ride, the building first needed to receive a certificate of occupancy.

In all, 21 rides have received permits; at least five have not been fully inspected and are not open. Engineering reviews for those rides are incomplete, but state officials said the park was given permission to demonstrate three of them without passengers.

Getting approval to open a ride in New Jersey is involved. The manufacturer must have the ride certified before its sale. The ride's owner must register it by applying for an annual permit. Once the state permits a ride and it passes inspection, the ride is considered safe to operate.

Officials said the permit assures that the ride is inspected annually, that the owner has proper insurance and has addressed any outstanding violations. The annual inspection includes examining maintenance logs, using special equipment to test for flaws or damage that may not be visible to the naked eye, and ensuring there are trained people to operate the ride.

Which rides are open?

State records did not identify by name the American Dream rides that still need to pass inspection.

However, a survey of the coasters still being tested this week, crossed with descriptions provided by state officials, indicate these rides still need to pass inspection: Timmy's Half Pipe Havoc, Nickelodeon Skyline Scream, SpongeBob's Jellyfish Jam, Sandy's Blasting Bronco, and The Shredder.

On American Dream's website, a "park alerts" tab indicates these rides will be "opening soon." But at the point of purchase, there is no alert indicating that any rides are closed.

Customers only find out when they show up, as one reporter did Tuesday. The reporter, who purchased a full access ticket on the website, was given a voucher to return to the park when all rides are open.

General access tickets this week are $39.99, and full access tickets cost $49.99. The full access tickets provide access to "thrill rides" — the coasters that teenagers and adults may prefer. On Nov. 15 those prices will climb. The price for all-access will jump to $79.99, and general pass will cost $59.99.

On Wednesday, confusion about which rides were open continued.

Employees said they were only selling general access passes because roller coasters were undergoing safety tests. No signs provided this information to customers.

However, a few "thrill" rides inside the park appeared to be functioning: Kraang Prime Pandemonium and Aang's Air Gliders.

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Employee concerns

At least one employee hired last month as a ride operator expressed concern that the park’s inaugural may have been rushed.

The employee, who did not want his name published for fear of losing his job, said the last-minute permitting kept him and other employees from receiving more training. He said he completed about 1.5 hours of training, and felt unprepared.

“I’m very excited for this place to have opened and for everything to be up and running, but I believe they did this way too quickly," the 19-year-old said.

He recalled the scramble to get the park ready: workers just days before the opening were paneling walls assembling one of the playgrounds,painting walls and testing rides.

Martin, the safety analyst, said training for ride operators varies by the ride. Typically, an operator is at least 18, but he has seen operators at some locations as young as 16. The more complex the ride, he said, the more complex the training.

There is one basic tenet all operators must follow, Martin said: always pay attention to the ride, so you can respond instantly if something goes wrong. Although safety is a huge concern for amusement parks, new coasters like those inside Nickelodeon Universe are less likely to malfunction if they are well maintained and tested regularly, Martin said.

"The bottom line is, if you come to an amusement park, wherever it is, if you follow the rules, pay attention to the rules, listen to the instructions from the ride operator, you should be fine," Martin said. "It’s when those procedures are not followed, or they aren’t delivered as they’re supposed to be delivered," that problems can occur.

Some American Dream employees, like those hired as lifeguards, have already undergone months of extensive training, and will continue until the project's water park opens Nov. 27.

One lifeguard, who also asked her name not be published, has been training since summer.

The lifeguards test the park's water slides, and can be seen training on-site. The park continues to recruit new lifeguards.

Melanie Anzidei is the retail reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news about store openings and closings in North Jersey’s biggest malls, shopping centers and downtowns, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: anzidei@northjersey.com Twitter: @melanieanzidei

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