Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
| File:Holidayworldlogo.gif | |
| Location | Santa Claus Spencer County, Indiana, United States  |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°07′N 86°55′W / 38.12°N 86.91°W |
| Opened | August 3, 1946 |
| Owner | Will Koch |
| Slogan |
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| Operating season | May through October |
| Area | 120 acres |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 47 |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Website | http://www.holidayworld.com |
Holiday World is a family-owned and -operated theme park located in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. Holiday World is also noted for its water park, Splashin' Safari, which is included in the price of admission. Together, they are officially known as Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.
The theme park celebrates Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July with rides, live entertainment, games and attractions. The water park includes a number of family raft slides, two wave pools, two action rivers, two family "tipping bucket" water-play attractions, numerous water slides, plus water activities for children. Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offer guests free unlimited Pepsi soft drinks, free parking, free sunscreen, and free use of inner tubes. The parks are smoke-free, with designated smoking areas available in each themed section of Holiday World plus one by each wave pool in Splashin' Safari.
History
Holiday World opened on August 3, 1946; it was founded by Louis J. Koch under the name Santa Claus Land. Holiday World was the first themed amusement park in the United States, preceding Disneyland by nine years. The park had rides and activities for children and their parents. It was a small park themed around Santa Claus and Christmas.The park still remembers Santa Claus with a large statue at the entrace of the park.
In 1984, in order to appeal to a wider age group, the park expanded to include Halloween and Fourth of July sections, and the park's name was changed from Santa Claus Land to Holiday World to reflect the emphasis on additional holidays. Frightful Falls, a log flume ride, was added in 1984. As the park's name changed, so did the names of some of the rides, to reflect the new holidays. For example, the round-up ride called Arctic Circle became known as The Roundhouse in the new 4th of July section.
In 1993, Splashin' Safari was added. The water park area initially included Crocodile Isle, a children's water-play area with some animal-themed water slides, an action river called Congo River, plus two large water slides. In 1994, a wave pool was added.
Holiday World gained national attention in 1995 when wooden roller coaster The Raven opened during the park's 50th season. It has been rated as the first, second, and third best wooden roller coaster on the planet by ''Amusement Today'' and ''Inside Track'' magazines.
Additional water slides and attractions were added to Splashin' Safari in the following years.
The wooden roller coaster The Legend opened in 2000 and has consistently been rated in the top dozen wooden coasters in the Amusement Today Golden Ticket awards.
In 2002, Splashin' Safari opened the largest enclosed water slide in the world, called ZOOMbabwe.
In 2006, Holiday World added the Thanksgiving section and additions to Splashin' Safari for its 60th Anniversary. The additions in 2006 marked the largest expansion ever for Holiday World and cost over US$13 million. These additions included a new wooden roller coaster, The Voyage. The new coaster won the Best New Ride Golden Ticket Award for 2006. On September 13, 2006, the park's owner Will Koch taped a segment for The Colbert Report pitting Santa Claus against Abraham Lincoln, another historical figure with ties to southern Indiana. The park's 60th season concluded on October 8, 2006; on that day the park broke its all-time attendance record as more than one million visitors came through the gates that year.
In 2007, a $4.5 million expansion included Bakuli, a ProSlide Behemoth Bowl water slide, in Splashin' Safari and Turkey Whirl tilt-a-whirl in Thanksgiving. Also that year, The Voyage was given the Best Wooden Coaster award at the Golden Ticket Awards and the park once again had over one million visitors pass through its gates which broke the attendance record set the previous year.
2008 Expansion
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari will invest more than $6 million for a variety of 2008 expansion projects. Splashin' Safari will receive a major addition called Kima Bay (Kima is the Swahili word for "monkey"). Kima (KEE-muh) Bay is a huge monkey-themed waterplay attraction, opening on May 10, featuring seven water slides plus more than 100 water-play elements, including more than 125 water jets. A 1,200-gallon bucket will constantly fill with water, tipping periodically to create a four-story waterfall. A variety of playful monkeys will theme Kima Bay. The Kima Bay structure will measure 83 feet wide by 79 feet deep (front-to-back) by 43 feet tall. Kima Bay is designed by Whitewater West and is a custom-designed model of their Aqua-Play RainFortress series. The cost of this installation is $1.7 million.
In addition, Holiday World will open a carousel with a patriotic theme in 2008. The Star Spangled Carousel will be part of the park's 4th of July section and will include a mixture of 30 Allan Herschell-style horses and other animals, plus two chariots. In the Christmas section's Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch, a ride called Reindeer Games will be added. This Moser Spring Ride is a smaller version of the popular Liberty Launch double-shot ride. The three-story ride will give children of all ages a chance to "leap in the air like reindeer."
Visitors to the park in 2008 will also see a series of infrastructure improvements including additional restrooms and another Pepsi Oasis in Splashin' Safari, a tram for the Legend Parking Lot, and a number of outdoor clocks in both parks.[1]
In 2008, Holiday World will open at 9:30 am CDT, which is a half-hour earlier than it has opened in previous seasons. This is to better accommodate the many guests who are visiting from the Eastern Time Zone.[2] Most of Indiana is now on Eastern Time, including the counties to the immediate north of the park.
Mascots & Characters
Since Holiday World is an independent, family-owned theme park, there are no licensed characters at the park. However, over the years, Holiday World has developed several mascots and characters including:
- Holidog - A brown dog who is the mascot of Holiday World
- Safari Sam - A green crocodile who is the mascot of Splashin' Safari
- George the Eagle - A bald eagle wearing American flag-themed clothing
Park layout and current rides
Holiday World's attractions are divided into four sections: Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving. Splashin' Safari is connected to Holiday World.
Christmas
The Christmas section is at the entrance to Holiday World. It includes a huge Christmas tree, the Applause fountain, a nativity scene, Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch (a collection of classic kiddie rides) as well as Kringle's Kafe, the largest restaurant in the theme park. Since the park opened in 1946, Santa Claus is available daily throughout the year to chat with children of all ages. He also invites children on stage with him at Santa's Storytime Theater.
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| Reindeer Games | Three-story Moser Spring Ride |
| Dancer's Thunder Bumpers Junior | Junior sized Bumper boats |
| Comet's Rockets | A children's rocket ride |
| Dasher's Seahorses | A seahorse ride |
| Prancer's Merry-Go-Round | A junior-sized carousel |
| Blitzen's Airplanes | A children's airplane ride |
Halloween
The Halloween section includes The Raven and The Legend, two of the park's full sized roller coasters along with Frightful Falls, HallowSwings, and Scarecrow Scrambler. In Amusement Today magazine, The Legend and The Raven have repeatedly been voted among the top wooden roller coasters in the world. The Raven is themed around the classic Edgar Allan Poe poem "The Raven." The Legend is based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" as riders dash through the woods of Holiday World as if chased by the Headless Horseman. This section is also home to the High Dive Theater which features daily high-dive shows, each ending with a high dive from 80 feet up into just 10 feet of water.
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| The Raven | Custom Designed Wooden Roller Coaster |
| Frightful Falls | Log Flume |
| Scarecrow Scrambler | Scrambler Ride |
| The Legend | Custom Designed Wooden Roller Coaster |
| HallowSwings | Swing Ride with a Halloween Theme |
Fourth of July
The Fourth of July section is the largest area within the theme park. An eight-story free-fall ride called Liberty Launch was added in 2003. Some other popular rides include Raging Rapids, Revolution, Paul Revere's Midnight Ride, and The Freedom Train, which is the only remaining ride from the park's first season 62 years ago. The Fourth of July section also features live Gospel and Country Music shows.
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| Star Spangled Carousel | Carousel with a patriotic theme |
| Paul Revere's Midnight Ride | Octopus/Spider ride |
| Rough Riders | Bumper Cars |
| Revolution | Roundup Ride |
| Liberty Launch | 8 Story S&S Power Double Shot |
| Lewis & Clark Trail | Tin Lizzie antique car ride |
| Eagle's Flight | Flying Scooters |
| Raging Rapids in Boulder Canyon | White water rapids raft ride |
| Indian River | Children's Canoe Ride |
| Salmon Run | Children's spinning ride with fish themed cars |
| Betsy Ross Doll House | A walk-through attraction with an extensive collection of antique dolls |
Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving themed section of the park premiered on May 6 for the 2006 season to commemorate Holiday World's 60th anniversary. The centerpiece is The Voyage, an out-and-back/twister wooden roller coaster which set a new world's record for the most air-time on a wooden coaster with a total of 24.2 seconds of weightlessness. The Voyage is 1.2 miles long and has five underground tunnels plus a record three sections of track that are banked at 90 degrees. The first drop is a steep 66 degrees. In 2007, the readers of Amusement Today named The Voyage the #1 Wooden Coaster on the Planet. Thanksgiving also includes a turkey-chase interactive dark ride called Gobbler Getaway, a turkey-themed tilt-a-whirl called Turkey Whirl, a gift shop, and Plymouth Rock Cafe.
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| The Voyage | Custom Designed Wooden Roller Coaster |
| Gobbler Getaway | Sally Corporation interactive dark ride |
| Turkey Whirl | Turkey-themed Tilt-a-whirl |
Holidog's FunTown
Holidog's FunTown is a play area geared toward children, located on the east edge the 4th of July section and encircled by The Freedom Train. The section is surrounded by Holidog's Treehouse, which is the biggest such interactive family-play attraction in the U.S. It is three stories tall and includes slides, web climbs, rock-climbing walls, interactive play areas, and more. The Howler is a family-size steel roller coaster, which is a six-car Holidog-themed train with two seats per car. It features one 360 degree Helix and is 15 feet tall with a 13 foot drop. The section also includes Doggone Trail jeep ride; Magic Waters, a 35 foot water-play area; and Just for Pups, a smaller tree house for toddlers.
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| The Freedom Train | Miniature scale train that takes riders past scenes from famous Nursery Rhymes. This is the only remaining ride from the first season of Santa Claus Land (1946). |
| Doggone Trail | Children's car ride featuring oversized off-road, themed vehicles |
| The Howler | Family/children's roller coaster |
| Holidog's Treehouse | Three-story play structure (largest in U.S.) |
| Just for Pups | Smaller version of Holidog's Treehouse designed for toddlers |
| Magic Waters | Spray Park Area |
Splashin' Safari
Splashin' Safari water park includes ZOOMbabwe which is the world's largest enclosed water slide. Other popular rides include Zinga, a tornado slide and Jungle Racer, which is a group of 10 competing water slides. Others include the Watubee, a family raft slide; the Otorongo in-the-dark slides; Monsoon Lagoon, a children's play area; two wave pools, and two action rivers. In 2007, Bakuli, a huge new family water slide that pours riders into a 60-feet-wide bowl, opened. Splashin Safari has the distinction of being the largest waterpark in Indiana, as well as one of the top water parks in the nation.
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| Bahari Wave Pool | Wave pool featuring geysers and water jets |
| Bahari River | Lazy river |
| Bakuli | Six Story ProSlide Behemoth Bowl Slide |
| Congo River | Lazy river |
| Kima Bay | Custom Designed Whitewater West Aqua Play RainFortress with playful monkey theme |
| Monsoon Lagoon | SCS Interactive Discovery Treehouse featuring a 1000 gallon water bucket dump |
| Otorongo | 3 individual intertwining pitch black water slides (Oto, Ron & Go) with a common landing pool |
| Watubee | Family water slide with rafts that can hold up to 4 riders |
| The Wave | Wave pool |
| Jungle Racer | Five Story 10-Lane Racing Water Slide featuring an electronic scoreboard to determine each racer's elapsed time |
| Zinga | Eight Story ProSlide Tornado Water Slide |
| ZOOMbabwe | World's largest enclosed water slide. Rafts can hold up to 4 riders |
| Jungle Jets | Family "Sprayground" |
| Butterfly Bay | Children's gentle wave pool adjacent to The Wave |
| Crocodile Isle | Children's play area including small water slides and fountains |
| AmaZOOM | Enclosed water slide |
| Bamboo Chute | Water slide that can be ridden either individually or in two-person inner tubes |
Defunct Rides & Attractions
| Ride | Description |
|---|---|
| Thunder Bumpers on Chesapeake Bay | Bumper boats; removed after the 2007 season. Replaced by Star Spangled Carousel. |
| Deer Playground | A children's playland that included ball pits, slides, etc.; removed after the 2007 season. Replaced by Reindeer Games. |
| Banshee | Chance Falling Star; removed following the 2002 season. Replaced by HallowSwings. |
| Firecracker | A Pinfari model Z47 steel Roller Coaster; removed early in the 1998 season; replaced by Holidog's Fun Town in 1999. |
| Virginia Reel | Tilt-a-whirl; removed following the 2005 season to make way for the entrance to the new Thanksgiving section. A new, custom tilt-a-whirl, Turkey Whirl, was added to the new Thanksgiving section in 2007. |
| Roundhouse | Roundup Ride; Replaced by The Revolution, a larger version of the roundup ride. |
| Stormin' Norman's Tank Tag | Classified as a game, Tank Tag was a series of miniature tanks that could be driven by park guests for a fee. Buckets of balls could be purchased to shoot at targets from outside the tank area as well. It was replaced by The Alamo restaurant. |
| Hall of Famous Americans | Wax Museum with an emphasis on American Presidents and American History; replaced by Liberty Launch. |
| Petting Zoo | Petting Zoo with a typical collection of barnyard animals. |
| Bungee Jump | Crane-Based bungee jump attraction. Required an additional fee. Discontinued due to decreased ridership and safety concerns. |
Awards
In 2005, Holiday World received the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions' Applause Award.[3] This is an exceptionally prestigious award that is only given every two years to a single theme park (worldwide) that demonstrates foresight, originality and creativity, plus sound business development and profitability. Holiday World is the smallest park to ever receive the Applause Award. The park marked the award by installing a large version of the award (applauding hands) and commemorative plaques naming the other winning parks in the fountain located in the Christmas section.
Holiday World has received many first place Golden Ticket Awards[4][5] including:
| Award | Year | Ride |
|---|---|---|
| Friendliest Park Staff | 10 years in a row 1998-2007 | Whole Park |
| Cleanest Park | 8 years in a row 2000-2007 | Whole Park |
| Best Wooden Roller Coaster | 2007 | The Voyage |
| Best Wooden Roller Coaster | 4 years in a row 2000-2003 | The Raven |
| Best New Ride | 2006 | The Voyage |
| Best New Water Park Ride | 2007 | Bakuli |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2006 | Bahari River |
Wacky Weddings
Holiday World often plays host to some unusual weddings. The ceremonies are completely legitimate and legal though they are often very light-hearted and festive. In the park's history, couples have been married on The Voyage, The Legend and in 1995 a dozen couples simultaneously tied the knot on The Raven. Other couples have married in The Wave pool, on the park’s now defunct bungee jump, and in a hot air balloon over the park.[6]
See also
Incidents at independent parks#Holiday_World - list of incidents that occurred at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.