All the SpongeBob SquarePants Rides Coming to Universal Kids Resort

Tracking the construction progress of Universal Kids has been a blast. And a challenge. I recently wrote about the many ride parts that have shown up in Frisco over the last two months. I updated that post regularly as new details emerged, to the point that it’s now unwieldy. To make things easier to follow, we’re going to break things down by each of the park’s seven lands. First up: a closer look at the rides coming to the SpongeBob SquarePants land at Universal Kids Resort.

This is my first time covering a theme park build, so I’ve relied on @Aahs_n_Oohs to guide me through the process. He’s done most of the heavy lifting, matching my construction images with existing attraction pics and blueprints. He’s very good at what he does.

My job is to walk the park’s perimeter and search for new parts. Most materials have been there for a while, but I have discovered new details with each visit. Storms and high winds (and the resulting cleanups) have shed new light on several SpongeBob items.

SpongeBob SquarePants rides

Why are we starting with SpongeBob? We’ve gathered the most information on this land, leading to better predictions. It wasn’t always that way. Early on, we were hopeful one of the show buildings would include a dark ride. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Still, the upcoming attractions should be a hit. Most are spinners — rides that move in a circular motion parallel to the ground.

Before we get into specifics, let’s get the lay of the SpongeBob SquarePants land. It’s found in the lower right of Universal’s concept art.

To provide even more context, let’s look at the site plan found in construction permits first uncovered by Alicia Stella from Orlando Park Stop. I added SpongeBob.

Let’s get to the rides!

SpongeBob aerial flyer

Aahs used the large turquoise components to zero in on Zamperla’s Aero Top Jet 12. The parts match known Zamperla rides found in other parks. Universal Studios Florida’s Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl is the same model.

Last week, we gained clarity on the ride’s vehicles. Crews removed one of the vehicle coverings, leaving little doubt that we were seeing the spinner’s flying fish.

We previously caught a glimpse of a gold-colored vehicle. We thought the patchwork design was for the Minions’ demolition derby. But the tailfins in the previous images prove these are destined for Bikini Bottom.

This week’s high winds shredded the wraps on many vehicles, revealing other colorful variations.

This might be an off-the-shelf ride, but the theming is on point.

• Ride model: Zamperla Aero Top Jet 12 (confirmed)
• Ride name: unknown

SpongeBob dual flat spinner

SpongeBob’s dual flat spinner is a Zamperla Watermania. We spotted its ride vehicles immediately, thanks to an iconic flower peaking out from beneath a tarp. But we didn’t need that detail to confirm the ride, not with “Watermania” printed so clearly on a pallet label.

After a storm, crews replaced the tarps with stretch wraps. The tighter wrapping revealed a shape we think is Patrick Star. I initially thought he might be attached to a barrel, but aerial footage proves he’s a separate piece. He might be a decoration for the ride’s central hub or another element in the area. Again, great theming.

Even more was revealed this past Sunday. Last week’s high winds shredded the wrapping on many vehicles. In fact, one barrel is now completely uncovered, its water cannons exposed. The Watermania will be a must-ride during Frisco’s brutal summers.

• Ride model: Zamperla Watermania (confirmed)
• Ride name: unknown

SpongeBob half-pipe ride

Zamperla’s Rockin’ Tug is all but confirmed for Universal Kids. Any doubt vanished last week when crews unwrapped the bottom half of the ride vehicle. Today, we found the top half had also been unwrapped.

The ride’s “bus” is an exact match of the “Bikini Bottom Crosstown Express” found in Sea World Marine Park Gold Coast (Australia) and American Dream (New Jersey).

• Ride model: Zamperla Rockin’ Tug (confirmed)
• Ride name: Bikini Bottom Crosstown Express (speculated)

SpongeBob roundabout (updated June 12, 2025)

We assumed SpongeBob’s fourth attraction was indoors, but after seeing several aerial drone videos, that doesn’t look to be the case. Universal’s concept art shows a building with a pineapple entryway in the location that now includes a large circular ride foundation. As of right now, there’s no evidence that a building will enclose that ride.

Aahs relied on videos from Texney, ThemeParkHD, and Common Explorers to discover more about this attraction. Based on its size and three small hills, he was fairly confident that it was a Zierer Roundabout.

MACK Rides’ SeaStorms was another possibility, but since its version has four peaks, Aahs gave the nod to Zierer.

Since our initial reporting, the ride’s track and vehicles arrived in Frisco. Aahs matched the three track pieces to an existing Roundabout.

The ride vehicles are themed to Bikini Bottom’s Boatmobiles, complete with little flags. The Zierer logo is visible on the tape wrapping some of those boats.

With this new information, we’re confident that a Zierer Roundabout is coming to Universal Kids Resort.

• Ride model: Zierer Roundabout
• Ride name: unknown

So now you know as much as we do about Universal Kids’ SpongeBob rides! This land’s theming will be a hit, just like those water cannons in summer.

We’ll update this article as we learn more details.