SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride Opens at Circus Circus Las Vegas

(eap) As the attraction’s main character, “Mr. Krabs” had already made a guest appearance as a cheerful-looking animatronic at the Sally Dark Rides booth during last year’s IAAPA Expo, which stoked anticipation for “SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride”. Since March 1, the world‘s first SpongeBob dark ride under license from Paramount/Nickelodeon can be experienced at the Hotel & Casino Circus Circus in Las Vegas. The new attraction, which is now available not far from the hotel’s own Adventure Dome indoor park, expands the wide range of experiences and activities designed for the hotel’s family audience.

Nine trackless “Mystic Mover” vehicles (from Dutch company ETF Ride Systems) take guests on a fun tour over the funfair with numerous game stations organized by Mr. Krabs. Passengers can put their marksmanship to the test in interactive multimedia scenes – at the same time, they have to keep the ingredients for Mr. Krabs’ famous crab burger, which SpongeBob and starfish Patrick have inadvertently provided as throwing material, secret from his adversary Plankton. An exciting adventure in Bikini Bottom!

“This is one we’ve been excited about from the start. We’re using one of the most globally recognized brands to create an immersive dark ride – and it’s about as immersive as it gets. With floor to ceiling wallpaper, a track that looks like sand, bright media that blends in with colorful scenery, iconic animatronic characters around every bend – you feel like you’ve just walked into a SpongeBob cartoon!  It’s so fun! And then we added in competitive, but relatively easy gaming, so that every member of the family can play along. It’s just one of those rides that’s just a winner in every aspect,” comments Lauren Wood Weaver, Vice President of Marketing at Sally Dark Rides, celebrating the attraction’s opening at Circus Circus together with the customer and project partners, including main partner ETF.

“Since we first announced that a SpongeBob SquarePants dark ride was coming to Circus Circus last November, we have been counting the days until opening,” said Shana Gerety, General Manager, Circus Circus. “This engaging, interactive attraction is the perfect addition to our family-focused resort, and we know people from all over the world will want to experience this crazy SpongeBob adventure again and again.”

Read all about the world’s first SpongeBob-themed dark ride, which is to be followed by a second installation with a similar storyline at Turkey’s Land of Legends already in fall this year, in our just published March/April issue! ■