|briefsummary = {{Link|Patrick}} goes on vacation with [[SquarePants family|SpongeBob's family]] to the [[Great Barrier Reef]].
}}
===Characters===
===Characters===
*[[Eugene H. Krabs]]
*[[Eugene H. Krabs]]
Line 11:
Line 23:
*[[Patrick Star]]
*[[Patrick Star]]
*[[Harold SquarePants]]
*[[Harold SquarePants]]
*[[Margaret SquarePants]]
*[[Margaret SquarePants]] {{Sup|(first name revealed)}}
*[[Billy (lime fish)|Billy]]
*{{Link|Incidentals}}
*[[Clay]]
**[[Billy (Pickles)|Billy]]
*[[Don the Whale]]
**[[Incidental 31]]
*[[Evelyn]]
**[[Don the Whale]]
*[[Francis]]
**[[Incidental 14]]
*[[Frank (lifeguard)]]
**[[Steven]]
*[[Frank (red shirt)]]
**[[Frank]]
*[[Harold (red fish)]]
**[[Incidental 105]]
*[[Harold "Bill" Reginald]]
**[[Harold (Inc 36)]]
*[[Henry-Bart]]
**[[Incidental 40]]
*[[Jimmy Gus]]
**[[Incidental 9]]
*[[Lloyd-Rich]]
**[[Incidental 27]]
*[[Martin]]
**[[Incidental 68]]
*[[Nat Peterson]]
**[[Incidental 37B]]
*[[Nathiel Waters]]
**[[Incidental 41]]
*[[Nazz-Mimi]]
**[[Incidental 60]]
*[[Old Man Jenkins]]
**[[Putzy]]
*[[Phil (yellow)|Phil]]
**[[Old Man Walker]]
*[[Sandals]]
**[[Incidental 28]]
*[[Shubie]]
**[[Sandals]]
*[[Tina Fran]]
**[[Incidental 45]]
*[[Tom]]
**[[Incidental 8]]
*[[Vera Fishbowl]]
**[[Tom]]
*[[Jennifer Millie]]
**[[Incidental 12]]
*[[Miss Rechid]]
**[[Carol]]
*[[Monroe Timmy]]
**[[Incidental 102]]
*[[Sadie]]
**[[Incidental 103]]
*[[Cara]]
**[[Incidental 47]]
*[[Fred]]
**[[Incidental 69]]
*[[Medley Fishbowl]] {{Sup|(light blue; normal)}}
**[[Fred]]
*[[Gus]]
**[[Incidental 13]] {{Sup|(light blue; normal)}}
*[[Norma Rechid]]
**[[Incidental 37A]]
*[[Baytona 400 announcer]] {{Sup|(heard only)}}
**[[Incidental 49]]
*[[Anchovies]]
**[[Anchovies]]
**[[Mable-Monica]]
***[[Incidental 30]]
**[[Billy Fishkins]] {{Sup|(green)}}
***[[Incidental 115]]
*[[Archie]] {{Cameo}}
***[[Billy Fishkins]] {{Sup|(blue)}}
*[[Buddy]]
***[[Teen 4A]]
*[[Charlie]]
**[[Incidental 2]] {{Cameo}}
*[[Taylor Fishbowl]]
**[[Incidental 16]]
*[[Cow]]
**[[Charlie]]
*[[Mechanic]] {{Debut}}
**[[Incidental 152]]
*[[Loud creature]] {{Debut}}
**[[Incidental 64]]
*[[Giant fruit fly]] {{Debut}}
**[[Angry Jack]]
*Baytona 400 announcer {{Sup|(heard only)}}
*[[Live-action cow]]
*Mechanic {{Debut}}
*[[Jellyfish]] {{Cameo2|in picture}}
*[[Jellyfish]] {{Cameo2|in picture}}
*[[Flower creatures]] {{Debut}}
*[[Mysterious Red Kelp Forest/Inhabitants|Forest Inhabitants]]
*[[Octodecapede]] {{Debut}}
**Giant blue anemone {{Debut}}
*[[Triclops]] {{Debut}}
**Loud creature {{Debut}}
*[[Cyclops creature]] {{Debut}}
**[[Giant fruit fly]] {{Debut}}
*[[Rock creatures]] {{Debut}}
**Flower creatures {{Debut}}
*[[Male judge]]
**Octodecapede {{Debut}}
*[[Thaddeus]]
**Triclops {{Debut}}
**Cyclops creature {{Debut}}
**Rock creatures {{Debut}}
==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
Everybody gets special invitations from SpongeBob, promising each the thing they love most in life. For example, SpongeBob says to Mr. Krabs that he will have free money, says to Squidward that he will have a latte sipping contest, and says to Sandy that she will have a science experiment. Everyone goes to his house, only to be surprised and disappointed that they are going to see vacation slides (which they do not care about). They are about to leave (while stepping on Plankton), but SpongeBob persuades them back.
===Act 1===
In the beginning of the episode, everybody gets special invitations from SpongeBob, promising each the thing they love most in life. For example, SpongeBob says to Mr. Krabs that he will have free money, says to Squidward that he will have a latte sipping contest, and says to Sandy that she will have a science experiment. Everyone goes to his house, only to be surprised and disappointed that they are going to see vacation slides, which they do not care about. They are about to leave, but SpongeBob persuades them back.
[[File:A SquarePants Family Vacation 119.png|thumb|200px|"Let's All Sing The Road Song!"]]
The adventure starts with Patrick squirting the [[Cheese Fizz]] on the camera. SpongeBob's parents pull up and get him and Patrick in. SpongeBob looks at a brochure and Patrick suggests a game- Hide and Seek. Patrick gets on the windshield of the boat and Harold yells "Egad!!!"' and loses control. They slide and burst into The Outskirts Outlet Mega-Mall, and Basscar Racing Stadium. Then, they fling off the stadium and head straight into space where a floating cow gets hit by them and lands on the moon. Then, they fall back down to the Earth and slide down a rocky cliff onto the road. SpongeBob then suggests they sing a road song. Everyone sings the road song, and at the end of the song, the engine blows up. They move the boat to a local service station. They wait in an outhouse. Margaret sees a playground and offers SpongeBob and Patrick to play on it. They do, but they slide down a sewer pipe and onto a small puddle.
The adventure starts with Patrick squirting the [[Cheese Fizz]] on the camera. SpongeBob's parents pull up and get him and Patrick in. SpongeBob looks at a brochure and Patrick suggests a game- Hide and Seek. Patrick gets on the windshield of the boat and Harold yells "Egad!!!"' and loses control. They slide and burst into The Outskirts Outlet Mega-Mall, and Basscar Racing Stadium. Then, they fling off the stadium and head straight into space where a floating cow gets hit by them and lands on the moon. Then, they fall back down to the Earth and slide down a rocky cliff onto the road. SpongeBob then suggests they sing a road song.
===Act 2===
[[File:MS6.png|thumb|left]] Everyone sings the road song and at the end of the song, the engine blows up. They move the boat to a local service station. They wait in an outhouse. Margaret sees a playground and offers SpongeBob and Patrick to play on it. They do, but they slide down a sewer pipe and onto a small puddle.
When they get up, they try to get back up, but they cannot. They enter a mysterious red kelp forest with many mushrooms. They hear a hollering noise and run. It turns out it is a small creature. They jump over a cliff, onto an anemone and onto a mushroom. Behind Patrick is a giant fruit fly. They run away and go behind a rock. They hear a noise. It came from a gift shop. SpongeBob wastes his money on useless knick-knacks. They sing the road song wearily. Then, SpongeBob decides to play the road song on a flute he bought at the gift shop.
When they get up, they try to get back up, but they cannot. They enter a mysterious red kelp forest with many mushrooms. They hear a hollering noise and run. It turns out it is a small creature. They jump over a cliff and onto an anemone and onto a mushroom. Behind Patrick is a giant fruit fly. They run away and go behind a rock. They hear a noise. It came from a gift shop. SpongeBob wastes his money on useless knick-knacks. They sing the road song wearily. Then, SpongeBob decides to play the road song on a flute he bought at the gift shop. They walk along past Harold and Margret and into the forest again. Animals follow them. The animals suddenly run away because the giant fruit fly is behind them. SpongeBob stops playing. When they turn around, they see the fruit fly wants to give them a lift. They then sing the above the road song. He drops SpongeBob and Patrick off. SpongeBob's parents call them over but SpongeBob and Patrick just fall asleep. Margaret says "Do something Harold!" while Harold says "He's your son, Margaret, he's your son..."
[[File:A SquarePants Family Vacation 279.png|thumb|200px|Giant fruit fly.]]
They walk along past Harold and Margaret and into the forest again. Animals follow them. The animals suddenly run away because the giant fruit fly is behind them. SpongeBob stops playing. When they turn around, they see the fruit fly wants to give them a lift. They then sing the above the road song. He drops SpongeBob and Patrick off. SpongeBob's parents call them over, but SpongeBob and Patrick just fall asleep. Margaret says "Do something Harold!" while Harold says "He's your son, Margaret, he's your son..." As the episode ends.
==Production==
==Production==
This episode was in production on {{Time|September 30}}, {{Time|2010}}.<ref name="ginny" />
During a tour of {{W|Rough Draft Korea}} for students of Yongsan International School of Seoul in 2016, various SpongeBob color background books were discovered for many episode segments. One of the books found was created for the second half of "A SquarePants Family Vacation," confirming that it was shipped to Korea sometime during October 2010.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/YISSGuardians/posts/thank-you-scott-mansz-rough-draft-korea-for-hosting-our-students-today-what-a-tr/473910899463481/ Yongsan International School of Seoul on Facebook - "Thank you, Scott Mansz..."]</ref>
This episode was confirmed and added to the United States Copyright Catalog on {{Time|June 6}}, {{Time|2011}}.<ref>https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=195&ti=226,195&SEQ=20231112003205&Search%5FArg=SpongeBob%20SquarePants&Search%5FCode=TALL&CNT=25&PID=_nIHwLWqRbNucgfwB11w_fPu91SGu&SID=2</ref>
[[File:12967920 473910576130180 5318106348810033595 o.png|260px|thumb|A picture of various SpongeBob color background books, going as far back as episode #507, "Best Day Ever."]]
{{OM|Who Said That- Jolly Good Fellow#Who Said That- Jolly Good Fellow 2{{!}}Who Said That- Jolly Good Fellow 2|Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony|"No, I mean I really can't! I've been in this confined space too long already! Help, get me out of here!"}}
{{APM|h|Hop and Skip|Phil Green|SpongeBob's mom suggests a road game}}
{{APM|h|Hop and Skip|Phil Green|SpongeBob's mom suggests a road game}}
{{APM|a|Armed Attack|Jean Clero|Patrick blocking the windshield}}
{{APM-article|Armed Attack|Jean Clero|Patrick blocking the windshield}}
|timedate = *After "[[Help Wanted]]" and "[[Tea at the Treedome]]"
*This episode was initially called "A SquarePant's Family Vacation,"<ref name="family" /> which included the grammatically incorrect placement of an apostrophe.
}}
**In the UK, this episode was known as "SpongeBob SquarePants Runaway Roadtrip Part 1."<ref name="sbuk" />
*The episode was released on DVD on {{Time|September 20}}, {{Time|2011}}, before it aired on television one month and twenty-one days from its release.
*This is the only special after [[season 3]] to take up one production code, labeling parts one and two as "268-815A" and "268-815B."
*On iTunes, this episode is paired up with the season 8 short "[[Sandy's Vacation in Ruins]]."
*This episode was available on the SpongeBob's Runaway Roadtrip DVD, released earlier in {{Time|2011}}, before it aired on television.
*The original title for this episode was "Runaway Roadtrip." The [[SpongeBob's Runaway Roadtrip|DVD cover]] still has it.
*This episode on iTunes was paired with the short "[[Sandy's Vacation in Ruins]]."
*This is the first of the five episode vacation miniseries to air on [[Nickelodeon]].
*The original title for this episode was "Runaway Roadtrip." The [[SpongeBob's Runaway Roadtrip|DVD cover]] and [[SpongeBob's Runaway Roadtrip (event)|the premiere event]] use this title.
*When SpongeBob and Patrick jump off the cliff, it is similar to what they did in ''[[The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie]]''.
*This is the first episode of the SpongeBob's Runaway Roadtrip miniseries.
*On some airings, this episode is preceded by "[[Hello Bikini Bottom!]]."
*When SpongeBob and Patrick jump off the cliff, it is similar to what they do in ''[[The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie]]''.
*This is the second episode where Patrick is mistaken as luggage. The first is "[[The Great Patty Caper]]."
*The episode was promoted as "Runaway Roadtrip" in the UK and Ireland, but the actual episode is still called "A SquarePants Family Vacation."{{Citation needed}}
*This is the second episode where Baytona is mentioned. The first is "[[The Hot Shot]]."
*This episode is listed and called "SquarePants Family Vacation" in Turkey.{{Citation needed}}
*The episode was promoted as "Runaway Roadtrip" in Ireland and the {{Link|UK}} but the actual episode is still called "A SquarePants Family Vacation."
*SpongeBob's mother's first name is revealed to be Margaret.
*This episode listed and called "SquarePants Family Vacation" in Turkey.
*SpongeBob's mother's first name is revealed to be "Margaret."
*This is the only double-length vacation episode.
*This is the first episode in the series where Harold and Margaret both play a major role.
*This is the first episode in the series where Harold and Margaret both play a major role.
**Also, this is currently the final episode where SpongeBob’s parents make a physical appearance.
*This is the first episode to be rated PG in Canada.{{Citation needed}}
*This is the second episode to be a long flashback sequence. The first is "[[Missing Identity]]."
**Unlike that episode, this does not bring one back to the actual setting, making the whole flashback the rest of the episode.
***This goes the same for the rest of the vacation miniseries.
*This was the first episode to be rated PG in Canada.
*This is the third special to air on {{Time|November 11}}. The first two were "[[Have You Seen This Snail]]" in {{Time|2005}} and "[[The Great Patty Caper]]" in {{Time|2010}}.
*This episode reveals that Margaret SquarePants knits.
*This episode reveals that Margaret SquarePants knits.
*This episode premiered eight years after ''[[Friends Forever]]'' was released, six years after "[[Have You Seen This Snail?]]" premiered, and one year after "[[The Great Patty Caper]]" premiered.
[[File:The Great Barrier Reef Billboard in A SquarePants Family Vacation.png|thumb|260px]]
*This episode takes place after [[Bummer Vacation]], as SpongeBob knows what a vacation is in this episode.
[[File:The Great Barrier Reef Billboard in SpongeBob Simulator.png|thumb|260px]]
*The Great Barrier Reef billboard later appears in ''[[SpongeBob Simulator]]''.
*This episode preceded the premiere of a new season of "Camp Orange: The Lost Kingdom" in the UK and Ireland.<ref name="sbuk" />
[[File:Runaway ratings.jpeg|250px|center|thumb|Ratings charts provided by BARB]]
**The episode received exactly 100,000 viewers on its United Kingdom premiere and was the third most viewed program on Nick UK for the week ending {{Time|August 19}}, {{Time|2012}}.
{{Clear}}
===Cultural references===
===Cultural references===
*The title of this episode is similar to those of the films ''{{W|RV (film)|RV}}'', ''{{W|Runaway Vacation}}'', ''{{W|Rat Race}}'', and ''{{W|Johnson Family Vacation}}''.
*When the boat is sent flying into space, there is a cow jumping over the moon, which is an allusion to the nursery rhyme "{{W|Hey Diddle Diddle}}."
*When the boat is sent flying into space, there is a cow jumping over the moon, which is an allusion to the nursery rhyme "{{W|The Cat and the Fiddle}}."
*The cow seen floating in outer space near the moon may be a reference to the [[Milky Way Galaxy]].
**It may also be a reference to the poem that goes "Hey diddle diddle, the cat had a fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon."
*This episode could be an allusion to 1987 film, ''{{W|Planes, Trains and Automobiles}}'', the 2005 film, ''{{W|Are We There Yet?}}'', and the 1994 film, ''{{W|Dumber & Dumber}}''.
*Baytona and Basscar are parodies of {{W|Daytona}} and {{W|NASCAR}}.
*Baytona and Basscar are parodies of {{W|Daytona}} and {{W|NASCAR}}.
*The Road Song is a parody of the theme song "Holiday Road" from the movie ''{{W|National Lampoon's Vacation}}''.
** The Baytona 400 is a race parody of the {{W|Daytona 500}}.
*When SpongeBob eats the grape and turns purple, it is a parody of ''{{W|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory}}'' when Violet turns purple.
*When the Service Station Worker is explaining what's wrong with the car, he repeats word-for-word an exact copy of what the mechanic in ''[[w:c:madmax:Mad Max 2|Mad Max 2]]'' says what's wrong when another character asks about the condition of a semi-truck.
*SpongeBob playing the flute and causing weird animals to follow him may be a reference to the ''{{W|Pied Piper of Hamelin}}''.
*Cheese Fizz is a parody of {{W|Cheez Wiz}}.
===Errors===
===Errors===
*When SpongeBob asks "Patrick, where'd you get that kelp cake?," the captions read "cupcake."
*When SpongeBob says, "I'm so glad you all could make it...," Mr. Krabs does not have any legs.
*When SpongeBob says "I'm so glad you all could make it...," Mr. Krabs doesn't have any legs.
*When Squidward reads the invitation letter, SpongeBob's house is gone.
*When Squidward reads the invitation letter, SpongeBob's house is gone.
*When Patrick's seatbelt is on while seeing the map then tries to get out, his seatbelt disappears in the next scene.
*When the boat is crashing through the [[Bikini Bottom Outskirts Outlet Mega-Mall]], two incidentals who are walking near the edge disappear too early.
*When the boat is crashing through the [[Outskirts Outlet Mega-Mall]], Phil and Henry-Bart, who are walking near the edge, disappear too early.
*When SpongeBob walks towards the outhouse, one of his blue eyes turns white for a split-second.[[File:SpongeBob's white eye mistake in A SquarePants Family Vacation.png|thumb|260px|The white eye.]]
*The Grayground looks normal when Margaret looks at it, though it may have been the perspective that made it look normal.
*When SpongeBob is on the seesaw while laughing, both of his blue eyes turns white for a split-second.
[[File:SpongeBob's white eyes mistake in A SquarePants Family Vacation.png|thumb|260px|The white eyes.]]
*When SpongeBob and Patrick stand in the Grayground puddle, they have waves around their feet, but Margaret does not have them.
*When SpongeBob and Patrick stand in the Grayground puddle, they have waves around their feet, but Margaret does not have them.
*SpongeBob and Patrick both should have been able to see the bouncy plant at the bottom of the cliff.
*When SpongeBob says, "For a second I thought it was some scary monster coming to eat us," his left arm goes missing for a frame.
**Also, in the same scene, his left arm partially goes behind his body for another frame.[[File:SpongeBob is missing an arm error in A SquarePants Family Vacation.png|thumb|260px|SpongeBob's missing left arm.]] [[File:SpongeBob's right arm going behind his body error in A SquarePants Family Vacation.png|thumb|260px|SpongeBob's left arm going partially behind his body.]]
*When the swing breaks, Patrick is seen bouncing down the hill, When he is next seen, he is rolling and the broken chair disappears.
*Pearl's red lips are missing when she comes to SpongeBob's house.
*Pearl's red lips are missing when she comes to SpongeBob's house.
[[File:Pearl's red lips missing error in A SquarePants Family Vacation.png|thumb|260px|Pearl's missing red lips (left), and when they came back after everyone says "I knew it was too good to be true!" (right).]]
*When SpongeBob and Patrick are falling, Patrick's eyebrows disappear.[[File:A SquarePants Family Vacation 259.png|thumb|260px|Patrick's missing eyebrows.]]
In the beginning of the episode, everybody gets special invitations from SpongeBob, promising each the thing they love most in life. For example, SpongeBob says to Mr. Krabs that he will have free money, says to Squidward that he will have a latte sipping contest, and says to Sandy that she will have a science experiment. Everyone goes to his house, only to be surprised and disappointed that they are going to see vacation slides, which they do not care about. They are about to leave, but SpongeBob persuades them back.
The adventure starts with Patrick squirting the Cheese Fizz on the camera. SpongeBob's parents pull up and get him and Patrick in. SpongeBob looks at a brochure and Patrick suggests a game- Hide and Seek. Patrick gets on the windshield of the boat and Harold yells "Egad!!!"' and loses control. They slide and burst into The Outskirts Outlet Mega-Mall, and Basscar Racing Stadium. Then, they fling off the stadium and head straight into space where a floating cow gets hit by them and lands on the moon. Then, they fall back down to the Earth and slide down a rocky cliff onto the road. SpongeBob then suggests they sing a road song. Everyone sings the road song, and at the end of the song, the engine blows up. They move the boat to a local service station. They wait in an outhouse. Margaret sees a playground and offers SpongeBob and Patrick to play on it. They do, but they slide down a sewer pipe and onto a small puddle.
Act 2
When they get up, they try to get back up, but they cannot. They enter a mysterious red kelp forest with many mushrooms. They hear a hollering noise and run. It turns out it is a small creature. They jump over a cliff, onto an anemone and onto a mushroom. Behind Patrick is a giant fruit fly. They run away and go behind a rock. They hear a noise. It came from a gift shop. SpongeBob wastes his money on useless knick-knacks. They sing the road song wearily. Then, SpongeBob decides to play the road song on a flute he bought at the gift shop.
They walk along past Harold and Margaret and into the forest again. Animals follow them. The animals suddenly run away because the giant fruit fly is behind them. SpongeBob stops playing. When they turn around, they see the fruit fly wants to give them a lift. They then sing the above the road song. He drops SpongeBob and Patrick off. SpongeBob's parents call them over, but SpongeBob and Patrick just fall asleep. Margaret says "Do something Harold!" while Harold says "He's your son, Margaret, he's your son..." As the episode ends.
During a tour of Rough Draft Korea for students of Yongsan International School of Seoul in 2016, various SpongeBob color background books were discovered for many episode segments. One of the books found was created for the second half of "A SquarePants Family Vacation," confirming that it was shipped to Korea sometime during October 2010.[2]
This episode was confirmed and added to the United States Copyright Catalog on June 6, 2011.[3]
The episode was promoted as "Runaway Roadtrip" in the UK and Ireland, but the actual episode is still called "A SquarePants Family Vacation."[citation needed]
This episode is listed and called "SquarePants Family Vacation" in Turkey.[citation needed]
SpongeBob's mother's first name is revealed to be Margaret.
This is the first episode in the series where Harold and Margaret both play a major role.
This is the first episode to be rated PG in Canada.[citation needed]
This episode reveals that Margaret SquarePants knits.
The episode received exactly 100,000 viewers on its United Kingdom premiere and was the third most viewed program on Nick UK for the week ending August 19, 2012.
Cultural references
When the boat is sent flying into space, there is a cow jumping over the moon, which is an allusion to the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle."
Baytona and Basscar are parodies of Daytona and NASCAR.
The Baytona 400 is a race parody of the Daytona 500.
When the Service Station Worker is explaining what's wrong with the car, he repeats word-for-word an exact copy of what the mechanic in Mad Max 2 says what's wrong when another character asks about the condition of a semi-truck.
Errors
When SpongeBob says, "I'm so glad you all could make it...," Mr. Krabs does not have any legs.
When Squidward reads the invitation letter, SpongeBob's house is gone.
