Sally Dark Rides, a leading creator of immersive attractions, is exhibiting at IAAPA Expo 2023 this week in Orlando, Florida, where the team made a series of announcements on the trade show floor. Firstly, together with Paramount, Global Nickelodeon, and Circus Circus Las Vegas, the firm revealed new details about SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride family dark ride, which will be a first-of-its-kind experience opening in early 2024. The team also unveiled one of the ride’s star animatronics, Mr. Krabs.
The following day, the company also announced its continued collaboration with Paramount Global and Nickelodeon to develop and install the first-ever SpongeBob SquarePants dark ride outside of the US, at The Land of Legends theme park in Turkey. The project companies gathered in the Sally Dark Rides booth to officially sign the contract.
SpongeBob comes to Circus Circus
Motivated by the challenge and opportunity to create an immersive family dark ride that brings the world of SpongeBob SquarePants to life, Sally has been creating and assembling unique, colourful sets, spectacular special effects, six amazing animatronics, and colourful multimedia projections. When combined, these components will guarantee that visitors are completely engrossed in SpongeBob and his pals from Bikini Bottom’s nautical nonsense.
Under the direction of chief creative officer Rich Hill, Sally’s creative team created an original narrative for the brand-new immersive ride. Mr. Krabs invites visitors to participate in his new wild assortment ride through style midway games to kick off the ride.
Delivering supply boxes to each game, SpongeBob and Patrick help him as he greets everyone to his new funfair in Bikini Bottom. The pair unintentionally grab a box of Krabby Patty components and then try to cover up their mistake by stuffing the games with buns, patties, sea tomatoes, and other food. This prompts Plankton, Mr. Krabs’ rival, to devise a cunning scheme to steal the ‘Krabby Patty’ secret formula.
“For more than 55 years, Circus Cirus has been Las Vegas’ favorite family resort,” said Shana Gerety, general manager of Circus Circus. “Now as part of our incredible resort-wide revitalization, we are thrilled that Paramount, Nickelodeon and Sally Dark Rides have come together to create this new ride experience for us. The high energy attraction will bring a new level of family-friendly competitive gameplay and theme park ride experiences to all our guests!”
SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride will include fifteen distinct scenes, each having several interactive targets for visitors to interact with. These targets will include digital and multimedia screens, animated scenic components, and even secret bonus special targets designed to advance the plot and promote repeat rides.
“For nearly 25 years, SpongeBob SquarePants has brought an incessant optimism to kids and families all over the world – in more than 170 countries and over 30 languages,” said Marie Marks, senior vice president of themed entertainment at Paramount Global. “It’s a pleasure to work with Sally Dark Rides and Circus Circus Las Vegas to bring this ride to SpongeBob’s fans. And as you can see by the Mr. Krabs animatronic, this is truly a larger-than-life experience.”
“For more than 45 years, Sally Dark Rides has been synonymous with developing and installing one-of-a-kind dark ride experiences for the entire family,” added John Wood, president and chairman of Sally Dark Rides.
“We are thrilled to be entrusted to bring the world of SpongeBob Squarepants to life for Circus Circus and its millions of guests. We understand the importance of meeting every detail and getting everything just right for this special brand. Our team has been fully submerged learning each character’s personality and individual traits so that everyone who experiences ‘SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride’ will feel like they, too, live in a pineapple under the sea.”
New ride for Land of Legends
The Land of Legends is a popular family destination in Turkey that welcomes almost two million guests each year. It is home to more than 20 rides and over 40 water slides.
“As we worked with Sally Dark Rides on this dark ride attraction for SpongeBob SquarePants at Circus Circus Las Vegas, we knew we wanted to do more – create more opportunities to bring this delightful, unique ride to other markets across the globe. After all, SpongeBob fans are everywhere,” said Ty Granaroli, executive vice president of themed entertainment at Paramount. “This opportunity with The Land of Legends is perfect. It’s a beautiful park, perfectly fit for a SpongeBob dark ride.”
“The Land of Legends is an integrated resort with a family theme park, retail area and hotels, welcoming guests from all over the world,” said Fettah Tamince, chairman of The Land of Legends. “For a long time, we have wanted to collaborate with Paramount Global on Nickelodeon properties. This new dark ride is part of that collaboration.
“Sally is the leader in this field, creating rides that can be enjoyed by the whole family and experienced again and again. We are ready to bring the world of SpongeBob SquarePants and his wacky friends from Bikini Bottom to Turkey!”
The attraction will have a similar storyline to the ride at Circus Circus, with vibrant sets, special effects, interactive multimedia components and animatronics, including a Mr. Krabs, like the one the firm unveiled on the IAAPA Expo tradeshow floor.
“What a week this has been for all of us at Sally,” said Rolf Paegert, chief executive officer at Sally Dark Rides. “Yesterday we unveiled a first look at our first SpongeBob SquarePants-themed dark ride and today, we are announcing a second will open in 2024.
“Sally has proudly brought beloved intellectual properties to life through interactive dark rides for more than 45 years. We are so honored that Paramount, Nickelodeon, and The Land of Legends are trusting us to continue to bring SpongeBob and his friends to life for guests of all ages.”
Sally Dark Rides recently won several industry awards in Europe, in recognition of projects at PortAventura World and the work of the firm’s founder and president.
