Visitors to Circus Circus in Las Vegas are invited to take an underwater journey to Bikini Bottom on SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride!, a new attraction created by Sally Dark Rides and developed in partnership with Paramount and Nickelodeon. Its debut on March 1 marks the opening of the first SpongeBob-themed dark ride, with the experience offering six animatronics, colorful sets, interactive gameplay, and narrative immersion that appeals to visitors of all ages.
IAAPA News attended the ribbon cutting to learn more about what it takes to bring an attraction representing a globally popular franchise to life.
Collaboration is Key
From the inception of the project, Nickelodeon, Paramount, and Sally Dark Rides agreed upon the importance of crafting an experience that would not only captivate fans of the show, but also set a polished standard for immersive storytelling.
“We all loved SpongeBob, and we wanted to immerse his fans in a high-caliber, very high-end way,” shares Marie Marks, senior vice president of themed entertainment and experiences at Paramount. “And SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride is exactly that.”
Rich Hill, chief creative officer at Sally Dark Rides, says that the spirit of collaboration made the project possible. “With Circus Circus doing all the base facility demolition of the old space and new construction, [Sally] working with their architects, then also working with Paramount and Nickelodeon on the script and the animation, it was a process,” says Hill of the various stages of the project.
Honoring Fan Expectations
With SpongeBob’s global popularity in mind, the teams involved in the project were challenged to adhere to the aesthetics, character personalities, and comedic sensibilities that audiences have come to expect from SpongeBob and his cast of friends.
“Getting to work with the cast of characters, all of the voice actors, the talent at Paramount and Nickelodeon … everybody put a really big effort into making this attraction as close to official and on-brand as possible, while also making it fun,” explains Hill. “It was really important for us to hit the right tone and take guests into Bikini Bottom and really give them an experience that is official.”
Crafting a Unique and Repeatable Experience
Sally Dark Rides endeavored to create an entirely unique attraction, which is an objective that extended to all corners of the creative process. Immersive elements such as custom-created artwork, bespoke character voices, and evocative scents elevate the experience, transporting riders into the vibrant world of Bikini Bottom.
“What does the ride look like, feel like, smell like?” pondered Hill during the development process. “There are a lot of smells in there—we’ve got cotton candy, barbecue … there are some moments that are heightened by the various senses,” he hints.
As riders embark on an adventure that lasts more than six and a half minutes, they are encouraged to pick up the blasters attached to their SpongeBob-shaped ride vehicles and become active participants in the titular character’s zany escapades.
The ride media was designed to provide an incentive for competitive riders to purchase additional game cards—priced at $19.95 each—so that they can return to beat their prior score.
“There are a lot of Easter eggs you can access, bonus targets that are hidden inside of the scenes,” Hill reveals. “But, if you only rode it once, you would still have fun playing the game.”
