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I identify as a Nick Adult. That means I was raised on cartoons like Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, SpongeBob Squarepants, and CatDog, internalizing their goofy style of humor before I could even read. As I grew older, still quoting SpongeBob daily, I noticed what so-called Disney Adults had, between their theme parks, cruises, festivals, bar crawls, resorts, and hotels. And leading up to this trip, I joked with friends that I was taking a pilgrimage to the Pineapple Villa as the cooler, funnier, and (so I thought) more ironically detached version of the kind of person who cries real tears while posing for a photo with a guy in a Buzz Lightyear costume. With that spirit in mind, I’d booked a “personal sliming,” jotted down when I could meet Squidward, and resolved to take a photo with the resort’s oversized bronze statue of SpongeBob.
But now, three days into slurping slime smoothies at a swim-up bar and floating down a lazy river under a gigantic orange Nickelodeon blimp while other guests chased after their kids, I began to doubt myself. It was becoming clear that my friend and I were among the only childless adults on the property. Where were my people?
It made sense that I couldn’t find them; Disney Adults have run of a dozen theme parks around the world, while Nick Adults are left scrambling for scraps. By my count, there’s the Universal Studios in Orlando, a Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park at the Mall of America in Minnesota, and another Nickelodeon Universe in New Jersey, where park goers can hop on rides like Jimmy Neutron’s Atom Smasher, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco, even a Legends of the Hidden Temple-themed ropes course.
Leo Cimoch, a season pass holder to the third one, has visited the park more than 100 times since it opened in 2019. “After all of the stresses of a regular day, with my season pass, I really do feel like it's a nice place to escape,” says Cimoch, who’ll sport a SpongeBob or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt during his visits and is widely recognized by park employees. “It's upbeat. There's bright lights and music, and recurring character appearances.”
Though the 43-year-old loves the park, he wishes there should be more for fans— meet-and-greets with characters like Patrick Star are tough to find outside of New Jersey. To that end, Chloe Liggett, a 23-year-old TikToker who works for a theme park called Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, recently penned a modest petition to Paramount Parks. The company phased out Nick Kid-friendly elements at its attractions—think roller coasters, rides, and gift shops—back in 2006, after CBS and Viacom split.
Although she’s hopeful about the forthcoming Nickelodeon hotel opening in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2026, Liggett still says that Nickelodeon has a long way to go in terms of appealing to more adults.
"Within the next decade, I think it would make a lot of sense to bring back more Nickelodeon theme parks in some way," she says. "While there are the Nickelodeon Universe parks, they don't even come close to the experiences Disney fans can share."
Though the lack of neon-orange roller coasters is disappointing to some enthusiasts, they’re not the only way to appeal to fans. A few Nickelodeon Adults have taken matters into their own hands.
Dominic Marciano is the bar manager at The Brixton on Long Island, where a so-called “Drinkelodeon” menu features cocktails with names like Hey Arnold Palmer, Kenan + Mezkel, and Rumrats. The millennial and former Nick Kid says he came up with the idea about a year ago while trying to appeal to his target market: people ages 25 to 40. Catering to nostalgia seemed like an easy way in.
“Watching Nickelodeon brings people back to their youth; a simpler time with no bills, no politics, no responsibilities, and no worries,” Marciano tells me. “In my opinion, that’s how a bar should be. It should be a place where you can let loose, have fun, and act like a kid again.”
Meanwhile, rapper Ka5sh quotes SpongeBobdaily and even has a tattoo of a character from an episode in which the gang goes camping. The 32-year-old North Carolina native leans into his Nick Adult status with the help of DJs and flashing lights. He’s the creator of Big Bubble Rave, a touring SpongeBob-themed event that’s been bumping remixes to “Jelly Fish Jam” and “F.U.N. Song” to costumed attendees since 2022. The voice of SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny, made an appearance at a rave in 2023, much to the delight of 29-year-old Desirea Price, who dressed up like Hibernation Sandy for the rave and counted herself lucky to be there.
When Price was younger, and before it closed in 2008, she visited the Nickelodeon Blast Zone at Universal Studios in Hollywood. But that experience pales in comparison to the two Big Bubble Raves she’s attended. Attendees young and old go all out on costumes, she says, with one attendee dressing up like Plankton's computer wife, Karen. “They actually had an LED screen on their face with a TV monitor around their head,” Price remembers. A 34-year-old pal who’d never seen the show before had so much fun he was converted into someone who regularly watches SpongeBob—a bonafide Nickelodeon adult.
“I can't even put into words how cool the costumes are. And people make them themselves,” says Price. “Being this age, too, and seeing other people completely encourage that is just awesome.”
On our last night at the Nickelodeon Resort, my friend and I saddled up to the bar in the “Snick Lounge,” which nods to ‘90s Nick shows like Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and the Ren & Stimpy Show. In other words—the adult-coded hangout. We were the only patrons for a while, until a couple of dads popped down for a drink after putting their kids to bed.
By that point, I’d made peace with being a childless resort guest. I still had a blast and, unlike a kid, appreciated every little detail, right down to framed prints of stills from SpongeBob episodes in each suite. I’d started to think: Maybe Nick Adults don’t need a 1:1 slate of hotels, parks, and cruises to find their Disney-like communities. I think they’d prefer fewer—and funnier—experiences instead. After all, Nickelodeon skews silly (and sometimes absurdist), whereas Disney leans into heartwarming storylines and teachable moments.
One day I hope to mention DoodleBob in an environment where everybody gets the reference. Themed drink menus, costumed raves, and Pineapple Villas are scratching that itch for now, but I see a future where Nick Adults revel freely. It’s only a matter of time until we create more places to convene.
Nickelodeon Adults Want What Disney Adults Have
It’s my 30th birthday, the sun has just set over Punta Cana, and I’m sitting in an open-air theater watching an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants on a movie screen. My best friend and I are sipping rum cocktails from a coconut, marveling at how tropical paradise and our personal version of paradise (see: watching SpongeBob) have converged. After all, it was only a few years ago that the all-inclusive Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana came into existence.I identify as a Nick Adult. That means I was raised on cartoons like Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, SpongeBob Squarepants, and CatDog, internalizing their goofy style of humor before I could even read. As I grew older, still quoting SpongeBob daily, I noticed what so-called Disney Adults had, between their theme parks, cruises, festivals, bar crawls, resorts, and hotels. And leading up to this trip, I joked with friends that I was taking a pilgrimage to the Pineapple Villa as the cooler, funnier, and (so I thought) more ironically detached version of the kind of person who cries real tears while posing for a photo with a guy in a Buzz Lightyear costume. With that spirit in mind, I’d booked a “personal sliming,” jotted down when I could meet Squidward, and resolved to take a photo with the resort’s oversized bronze statue of SpongeBob.
But now, three days into slurping slime smoothies at a swim-up bar and floating down a lazy river under a gigantic orange Nickelodeon blimp while other guests chased after their kids, I began to doubt myself. It was becoming clear that my friend and I were among the only childless adults on the property. Where were my people?
It made sense that I couldn’t find them; Disney Adults have run of a dozen theme parks around the world, while Nick Adults are left scrambling for scraps. By my count, there’s the Universal Studios in Orlando, a Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park at the Mall of America in Minnesota, and another Nickelodeon Universe in New Jersey, where park goers can hop on rides like Jimmy Neutron’s Atom Smasher, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco, even a Legends of the Hidden Temple-themed ropes course.
Leo Cimoch, a season pass holder to the third one, has visited the park more than 100 times since it opened in 2019. “After all of the stresses of a regular day, with my season pass, I really do feel like it's a nice place to escape,” says Cimoch, who’ll sport a SpongeBob or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt during his visits and is widely recognized by park employees. “It's upbeat. There's bright lights and music, and recurring character appearances.”
Though the 43-year-old loves the park, he wishes there should be more for fans— meet-and-greets with characters like Patrick Star are tough to find outside of New Jersey. To that end, Chloe Liggett, a 23-year-old TikToker who works for a theme park called Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, recently penned a modest petition to Paramount Parks. The company phased out Nick Kid-friendly elements at its attractions—think roller coasters, rides, and gift shops—back in 2006, after CBS and Viacom split.
Although she’s hopeful about the forthcoming Nickelodeon hotel opening in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2026, Liggett still says that Nickelodeon has a long way to go in terms of appealing to more adults.
"Within the next decade, I think it would make a lot of sense to bring back more Nickelodeon theme parks in some way," she says. "While there are the Nickelodeon Universe parks, they don't even come close to the experiences Disney fans can share."
Though the lack of neon-orange roller coasters is disappointing to some enthusiasts, they’re not the only way to appeal to fans. A few Nickelodeon Adults have taken matters into their own hands.
Dominic Marciano is the bar manager at The Brixton on Long Island, where a so-called “Drinkelodeon” menu features cocktails with names like Hey Arnold Palmer, Kenan + Mezkel, and Rumrats. The millennial and former Nick Kid says he came up with the idea about a year ago while trying to appeal to his target market: people ages 25 to 40. Catering to nostalgia seemed like an easy way in.
“Watching Nickelodeon brings people back to their youth; a simpler time with no bills, no politics, no responsibilities, and no worries,” Marciano tells me. “In my opinion, that’s how a bar should be. It should be a place where you can let loose, have fun, and act like a kid again.”
Meanwhile, rapper Ka5sh quotes SpongeBobdaily and even has a tattoo of a character from an episode in which the gang goes camping. The 32-year-old North Carolina native leans into his Nick Adult status with the help of DJs and flashing lights. He’s the creator of Big Bubble Rave, a touring SpongeBob-themed event that’s been bumping remixes to “Jelly Fish Jam” and “F.U.N. Song” to costumed attendees since 2022. The voice of SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny, made an appearance at a rave in 2023, much to the delight of 29-year-old Desirea Price, who dressed up like Hibernation Sandy for the rave and counted herself lucky to be there.
When Price was younger, and before it closed in 2008, she visited the Nickelodeon Blast Zone at Universal Studios in Hollywood. But that experience pales in comparison to the two Big Bubble Raves she’s attended. Attendees young and old go all out on costumes, she says, with one attendee dressing up like Plankton's computer wife, Karen. “They actually had an LED screen on their face with a TV monitor around their head,” Price remembers. A 34-year-old pal who’d never seen the show before had so much fun he was converted into someone who regularly watches SpongeBob—a bonafide Nickelodeon adult.
“I can't even put into words how cool the costumes are. And people make them themselves,” says Price. “Being this age, too, and seeing other people completely encourage that is just awesome.”
On our last night at the Nickelodeon Resort, my friend and I saddled up to the bar in the “Snick Lounge,” which nods to ‘90s Nick shows like Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and the Ren & Stimpy Show. In other words—the adult-coded hangout. We were the only patrons for a while, until a couple of dads popped down for a drink after putting their kids to bed.
By that point, I’d made peace with being a childless resort guest. I still had a blast and, unlike a kid, appreciated every little detail, right down to framed prints of stills from SpongeBob episodes in each suite. I’d started to think: Maybe Nick Adults don’t need a 1:1 slate of hotels, parks, and cruises to find their Disney-like communities. I think they’d prefer fewer—and funnier—experiences instead. After all, Nickelodeon skews silly (and sometimes absurdist), whereas Disney leans into heartwarming storylines and teachable moments.
One day I hope to mention DoodleBob in an environment where everybody gets the reference. Themed drink menus, costumed raves, and Pineapple Villas are scratching that itch for now, but I see a future where Nick Adults revel freely. It’s only a matter of time until we create more places to convene.
