Holiday World Review & Overview | Best Independent Amusement Park in America?
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- čas přidán 12. 05. 2021
- Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana is a charming holiday-themed amusement park. This park has lands themed to Christmas, Halloween, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and their park mascot in Holidog. This park has an award-winning wood coaster collection, top-notch customer service, and an elite water park. Does that make it the best independent park in America? Find out in this review!
Video Credits
Gobbler Getaway (Holiday World)- • Gobbler Getaway at Hol...
Holiday World Food (Holiday World)- • Holiday World Job Prev...
Holidog's Fun Town (Holiday World)- • Holidog's Funtown at H...
Howler Off-Ride (JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle For Metropolis Expert)- • Video
Raging Rapids Off-Ride (Holiday World)- • Raging Rapids at Holid...
Raven Off-Ride (Holiday World)- • The Raven Off-Ride Sho...
Raven POV (Holiday World)- • Holiday World Plus | T...
Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch (Holiday World)- • Rudolph's Reindeer Ran...
Splashin' Safari Overview (Holiday World)- • Splashin' Safari water...
Voyage Spaghetti Bowl (wingless92)- • Spaghetti Bowl The Voyage
Voyage Station (Airtime Thrills)- • Voyage at Holiday Worl...
Background Music
Documentary Background Epic Music by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Planet Nine- • Documentary Background...
Back in 2015 during Holywood nights, I had sensory issues and one of my major pet peeves was loud noises. Thunderbird terrified be with the loud thunder effects. My parents talked to park management and they got maintenance to turn off the thunder effects on the launch so I could ride it for the first time. They even let me skip the line to ride in the front row. Thunderbird became my new favorite ride, I still love the holiday world to this day.
That's super nice of them!
The training is very long and employee rules are very strict I’m very exited to work there this year so I hope you guys come again this year
*Holiwood
@@MrSlice-jy7lu ur ay ear 2 layte myn but eye wyl aktcept it lol
Oh when I was real little in the late 80s the pitch black tunnel part of Frightful Falls (which we always rode first) had lights suddenly come on and the log ride would get a boost of speed and it really freaked me out at the time :(
Before I went I didn’t rly understand all the hype, but after I left I more than understood, it’s just a magical place unlike anywhere else in the world
Agreed!
Exactly
3 almost elite wooden coasters and 1 is, a launched B&M, and even a kiddie credit, must be awesome!!! Although this park really needs a family coaster bad.
They really do.
Honestly, they just need more coasters overall
@therealnb4714 i think they go for the quality if quantity route with their coasters. They dont wanna releaste a new coaster unless they are curtain it will win some rewards
This park really is cool and has a very down to earth feel that you don't get at most amusement parks. For example, in the Fall you can do their corn maze. While that may not be the greatest thing ever, you don't often see an amusement park with something like that. It really emphasizes the rural feel of the park.
You also can't beat the free soda, free parking and water park.
It surprises me their Halloween event is about mazes over haunts.
@@CanobieCoaster true. But it's quirky and unique. And there are so many Halloween events with scare actors. I have little kids so it's nice to have a Halloween event that is light hearted. Plus, having a fall harvest type festival just fits well in the rural midwest.
The thing that always confuses me is that Holiday World doesn't have a haunted house dark ride in the Halloween area. That seems like an obvious choice.
Small town parks blown metropolitan parks out of the water when it comes to passion and charm. I thinks it’s mainly because small town parks are usually family owned and metropolitan parks are owned by much larger companies who aren’t as concerned about charm and character.
This is also pretty cheap for a theme park only like 70$
You pretty much nailed Holiday World, but one thing I would love to impress upon is customer service. We recently became foster parents to my nieces and nephew and we found out that they offer free tickets to foster kids!
That's awesome.
That is literally my favorite thing I’ve heard today ❤
The raging rapids used to have even more water splash zones that they stopped using. It's also interactive. There are spots where other guests can splash riders through buttons.
Interesting!
Rip raging rapids :(
I live about 20 minutes from the park and get a season pass every year. I've been going to the park since I was a kid (I'm 40) and this review was perfect. I never realized how many hills you have to go up and down but it's definitely true. The Thunderbird is definitely a long uphill walk, as well as a dead end, but it's a great ride. Plymouth Rock Cafe is awesome! Being a season pass holder and living so close, I've admittedly gone to the park a few times just for a Thanksgiving meal in the summer. You'll notice staff every 100 or so feet with brooms and dustpans so yes it is very clean. The Voyage is no joke one of the best coasters in the world. I got my daughter to ride it when she was barely tall enough and I kinda felt bad because I think she passed out for a few seconds.
This park is so well taken care of.
My anxiety is telling me that I will immediately fly off and die if I ride the Voyage. I also heard it's really rough since it's a wooden rollercoaster. A few friends of mine are going in a couple weeks
@@athenaallen2026 I also left out besides a lot of deaths being from ignoring safety it’s also underlying conditions so if you know you have heart problems or had a recent injury or any head trauma it’s better to just skip riding for then
Otherwise it would have to be a 0.1% chance of a freak accident happening to get hurt or die and a lot of freak accident scenes in movies can’t even happen due to how the wheels and tracks are engineered (like final destination, that cannot physically happen irl)
I hope this was reassuring some :)
I’d love to see a GG family woodie similar to Kentucky Flyer in a new easter or oktoberfest area. Also if they could squeeze in a Vekoma Family suspended coaster into the 4th Of July area that would be fantastic
Either would be great!
My one experience there, hitting the water park around lunch time worked out for us. People had gone through the water rides, were either eating or relaxing in the water. May have just gotten lucky. Thanks for reminding me to visit again.
Nice!
I'm going on a trip in June that includes Holiday World, Silver Dollar City, and Cedar Point, so seeing your recent new reviews about two of these parks have been a pleasant surprise!
Good timing!
Thanks for the explanation! Never knew these things! 😁
You're welcome!
Awesome review on one of my favorite parks!
Thanks!
So glad to have this as my home park!
Nice!
This is an amazing and well informative video. Wonderful work! 👏🏿
Thanks!
I agree with this being one of the best independent parks. In fact, lots of independent parks I think would do good getting bought by a chain to see it grow even more, but I hope Holiday World always stays independent since they manage to add the perfect additions all the time and keep the amazing charm to this park
This park has such a charm to it.
Voyage right now is my #1 bucket list coaster! I NEED to ride it!
It delivers.
You are one of the best, love the content!
Glad you enjoy it!
Has been one of my bucket list parks for ages now...being stuck on the west coast!
Holiday World , Lagoon Park , Silver Dollar City , Dollywood , Hershey Park are on my top 5 in no particular order!
All are great!
I live in Vincennes, about an hour or so away from Holiday World. Since I was a kid I've gone at least once a year. Always have a blast and I never really gets old.
Nice!
As a kid my dad tricked me onto to The Raven my little self was terrified but once the ride ended I wanted to do it again😂 one of the best ride! Just be careful if you have back pain or any pain as the ride can be rough😊.
I go there all the time I would recommend going some time!
Such a great ride.
Yep, I went here once, driving from Kentucky Kingdom, and I was surprised how few people were in the parking lot. Then I realized I’d crossed a time zone and had arrived an hour earlier than I thought I had. 😂
The time change worked in your favor at least.
@@CanobieCoaster Yeah, I wasn’t even annoyed, just amused. It just meant we were at the front of the crowd that slowly formed at the gate.
It seems like such an amazing park. I’m hoping to go this year 🤞
I hope you can!
I have grown up going to this park and love the set up! I am still excited to go in the future and just live holiday world
It's an amazing park.
I can't wait to come here in June, i'm gonna be here for a day and a half (Tues-Weds). I'll probably spend most of my time in the park but I'll visit Splashin' Safari as well.
Great review!
Thanks!
Not big on slides but their water coasters + quick jump in the pool for a minute is just enough water park for me. Took us longer to get food.
Can't wait for Holiwood Nights! Holiday World's customer service always delivers in droves!
I can't wait either!
I’m just watching this b roll and I’m like HOME!!!!! I MISS YOU!
It's a great park.
Planning to visit here, Indiana Beach, Kentucky Kingdom and Six Flags St Louis for the first time later this summer. The footage of the food in this video really made my mouth water. I bet it's even better than Knoebels and Disney!
I prefer the food at the other two, but Holiday World is above average in that department.
i grew up going here like 2-3x a year and loved it every time. the upkeep on the coasters is amazing and i have barely noticed that big of a difference as i’ve grown up riding the wooden coasters. this park also kicked off my theme park hyperfixation at 9 years old. i’ve since moved to florida and i still am tempted to go back home to visit holiday world
They really care about their park.
Relatable with it causing a theme park hyperfixation ^^❤
Last year's HoliWood Nights is my only experience at the park. I just assumed from that Saturday that this park is always slammed with 2-hour lines on everything all the time. From what you said, I guess that was quite an unusual day. Half-capacity trains didn't help, but I would guess that that Saturday had a much larger turnout than normal. I still loved my time there, thanks to the ERT and everything else at the event, and I look forward to attending the next one in a few weeks.
That Saturday's lines exceeded anything you usually see at Holiday World. The lines on the water park side that day were typical of a weekend.
I saw the park during the cross country move to Colorado last year, and I’m very excited to make my first official visit to this park later this summer.
Enjoy!
Fun fact marathoning Voyage on a heavy rainy day is definitely an experience!
The same could be said about any day on Voyage.
@@CanobieCoaster Well being pelted with rain very harshly definitely isn’t something you experience every day.
I love Holiday World. My great grandparents, grandparents, and parents, and lot of aunts, uncles, and cousins grew up in Indiana and went to holiday world. We have photos of every there even me and my brother traveled there so we could get a photo with the Santa statue. Everyone in my family has and when my great grandparents and grandparents went there was almost no theme park. It was mostly just a few statues mainly the one of Santa and some other, a playground, a carousel and a few small rides, a restaurant, and a gift shop. The main attraction was getting your photo with Santa and it is extremely important in my family.
Very cool!
Just started working here last saturday. Really fun park! I have been coming here since i was like 5 so
Nice!
Definitely a bucket list park
Absolutely!
When I visited about 2 years ago, me and my family had so much fun and the waterpark was fun.
It's a great water park.
100% agree. They had me sold at single best ride you can have in the world...Voyage, trimless, at night, full of enthusiasts with dog masks
That was a funny sight to see.
As a little kid my family always went there for our family vacation and being from central Indiana and I’m actually taking my nephews in July to experience it for their first time
Enjoy!
I love Holiday World it's one of my favorite Amusement Parks! The best part I only live 1 hour and 30 minutes away.
Nice!
I hope to see you at Holiwood Nights 💕
I'll be there the Friday night.
Sounds like a fun place!
Sure is!
Good Gravy! Holiday World has announced a family-friendly shuttle coaster in the Thanksgiving section that will open in summer of 2024! On the negative side, however, Raging Rapids has been permanently retired as of 2023.
Good Gravy is a much needed family coaster.
What a wonderful review. I went many times as a kid. I enjoyed Holiday World more than Disney!
Thanks!
I really feel like I’m missing out my not visiting this park after the review! It’s a pretty far drive from Wisconsin but I really will try my best to get there in the next few years
It's well worth it.
You won't regret it. I've been there a lot as it's only a little less than 2 hours from my house. I'm considering getting a season pass for next year.
Being from stl it’s my second home park and I love this place. If I had a choice to visit one theme park for the rest of my life it would be here. Only park I take over this that I’ve been to is cp only bc of the coasters
Makes sense!
I forget what it’s called, but the former part of the water park located next to Thanksgiving area that is now removed would make a terrific Oktoberfest or Easter area. they do need to do that
I'd love to see a new holiday, but that area is wedged between the two Thanksgiving areas. I think they'll expand there, but it may just be a continuation of Thanksgiving.
Hyena falls I belive
I went to Holiday World before it was so fun down there. I enjoyed those 3 wooden coasters and that amazing launch B&M wing coaster. That was my first wing coaster I ever been on and I loved that launch, turns and that vertical loop. It would be awesome if the Raven and the Legend can receive a GCI upgrade by replacing those PTC trains with Millennium flyer trains so it becomes smoother for a better experience.
I think their wood coasters ride great as is. The park takes such good care of them.
It dominated alot of my child hood as I was born and raised in Kentuckiana. Moved away when I was 22. Have never found another park like it.
It's such a nice park.
i love holiday world, my family goes there at least three times every year! my favorite ride is the thunderbird but my favorite water ride is the wildebeast
Nice!
DUDE!! This place is way closer to Nashville than Dollywood. Going there next week. WOOOOO
Can-O-Beast
Enjoy!
Pls do a review on Hersheypark! It's a great place, and is up there with Holiday World!!
I'm waiting for Storm Runner to reopen so I can get some video footage of it.
If I could wave a magic wand, I’d utilize the land and station of Pilgrim’s Plunge to make a wild, custom RMC raptor. Family coaster would be more realistic, perhaps one of the new RMC family coasters.
I'd love an RMC but they need a low height family coaster more.
With the setting and the woods, do you like or do you love night rides?
Love them.
We normally do two days one at Splash and Safari and one at Holiday World it’s an awesome park
Nice!
They should build a land similar to Fireman's Landing at Silver Dollar City and Wildwood Grove at Dollywood and they should theme it to Easter (it bothers me they don't have an Easter section). And they should build it where Pilgrims Plunge and Hyena Falls used to be. And I hope they build something there quickly because I've been waiting for them to fill that space before going and I've been wanting to go there for over a decade so my patience is wearing thin.
I'd love to see an Easter area although I wonder if that area would need to be part of Thanksgiving because of where it is.
@@CanobieCoaster Not necessarily. If you walk forwards after Turkey Whirl, you'd still be in Thanksgiving. If you turn left, you'd be in Splashin' Safari and if you turn left, you'd be in Easter. Simple as that.
Wait, I'm confused. What makes Voyage the tallest/fastest woodie over Goliath? Is topper track not considered wood?
Traditional wood coaster. Goliath is a wood coaster, but it has the unconventional Topper Track.
What is the star attraction(s) of all of the 4 holiday sections of HW?
Thanksgiving- Voyage
Halloween- Legend
4th of July- Raging Rapids
Christmas- All kids rides
What do yall say should I visit HW and kK or HW or SFSL???planning a trip for next year
I'd pick HW and KK if you can only pick 2.
I have been here before because I live in Indiana so opi go every summer
Nice!
4:15: wouldn't being an hour behind mean that it actually gets darker sooner?
Yes, I got mixed up. I'll edit that out. My mistake.
Just an FYI Holiday World is on central time and at the beginning of the day they open up each section 1 at a time with about a 30 minute window between each section
Good point about the time zone. I've gone to Voyage at open and it's usually open.
I went yesterday but I am scared of heights so I only rode the thunderbird, I’ll think about riding the wooden one next time I go
The wood coasters are even more fun.
I like this park even i love the voyage
Voyage is top notch.
Hey quick question. i'm interested in possibly trying to go to holiwood nights next year or maybe the year after, I was wondering if the 50$ advertised ACE entry fee was one time, annual, or monthly? I was looking at there website and could not tell
ACE fees are annual. The fee for Holiwood Nights is a one-time fee. It's contingent upon you being in a coaster club.
@@CanobieCoaster yes thank you. So it’s 50$ a year that’s good. And completely reasonable.
How well can you snap the flyers compared to something like the one at Knoebels
The ones at Knoebels basically snap themselves.
@@CanobieCoaster I mean… yea 😂
For theme parks it's like the Rose Bowl, the granddaddy of 'em all! No really, The Artist Formerly Known As Santa Claus Land (1946-83) opened 8-9 years before Disneyland! Their free sodas and sunscreen are what truly make it unbeatable though...hardly anyone else does this!
I really REALLY miss the Banshee ride :(
Love this park's policies.
Omg the Bansheee! I loved that ride as a kid and no one remembers it!
Is Holiday world ever adding an Easter section?
Not sure.
i agree
Nice!
Lucky to live pretty close to this place lol
Nice!
wait, do you sometimes give a 1/10 ranking for parks? b cuz it feels like sometimes I see there is and sometimes there isnt.
I usually don't give one for parks, just rides.
@@CanobieCoaster oh ok, i knew u did for rides, but i thought sometimes u did it for parks as well
What do you think about the fifth drop on Raven, famous or infamous?
Famous
I love Holiday World, but they desperately need at least two thrilling flatrides (as you mentioned with the lackluster flats there). Even newer parks that cater to families like Nickelodeon Universe (American Dream), and The Park at OWA puts Holiday World's flats to shame. IMO HW doesn't need any coasters for the foreseeable future (besides maybe an intermediate coaster like a Vekoma SFC).
I think they could use a family coaster to bridge the gap between Howler and Raven.
If it is supposed to rain on one of the two days I am going is that a better day to visit the water park or the dry side?
Traditionally rainy days have very light crowds here. Knock out the busier water park on that day.
@@CanobieCoaster thanks for the advice, i appreciate it 🙏
@CanobieCoaster do they close down the Waterpark if there is supposed to be thunderstorms?
i’ve been begging my parents to take me here and they said they might think about it
It's a great park.
Hollywood Nights is cool but waaaayy too packed now. You'll be lucky to get 2 rides in. I'd suggest going during a normal weekday to avoid the crowds and ride everything you want!
They have an attendance cap now.
@@CanobieCoaster makes sense! Even still, I bet their "cap" allows in an insane amount of people. No complaints though, they just need to extend the amount of days so there isn't such a mad rush to go for the zillion of us coaster nerds.
I like the park, but the layout and flat ride collection really need work. It’s so odd walking past two huge abandoned rides to get to Thunderbird.
If those two areas are improved, Holiday World would be pretty much perfect.
The recently got the green light on renovating this area!
I was famous in this one too!
Lol
I know I'm in the minority here but I'm not a huge fan of HW. The Voyage deserves all the praise it gets & Thunderbird is incredible too, but after that, it's just okay. I most certainly don't dislike the park & it's a fun place but nowhere near elite. BTW, I didn't go to the water park & it does look amazing.
It's about quality over quantity for me at this park.
I think they could benefit a lot from a intense b&m, like a flyer, they don’t really have that signature intense coaster.
I'd argue Voyage is a very intense coaster. I'd love to see a family coaster most since they have nothing bridging the gap between Howler and Raven.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah that’s true. Maybe even the family rmc could work. I could also see a dive be added
The group water rides are my big sell for HW. I don't even like water parks. I think it's just a place you've gotta visit and then come to appreciate it. Underrated for sure.
Last went when I was 5
Were you tall enough to ride the big coasters?
@@CanobieCoaster I had the option to ride all the rides, but since I was 5, I was scared of The Legend and The Voyage lol. I can’t wait to go back and ride the Cheetah Chase and Thunderbird. Btw, I love you channel and your content. Please keep it up.
Also, Canobie Lake Park is also my home park and I’ve been going since 2011!
I live about 30 minutes away from holiday world and even though it’s a decent park with fun rides I will always take the 2 Hour drive to Kentucky Kingdom because it has a lot more coasters and a lot more rides in my opinion Holliday world, is just a glorified waterpark
I prefer Holiday World. I love their 4 major coasters.
and it has 1 steel coaster.
1 adult steel coaster.
I don’t even know all the major American parks classified as “Independant”
Any of the non-chain ones.
@@CanobieCoaster which I’m unsure.
Ben there 4 times
Nice!
You were born without a sweet tooth?????? I just can't believe it.
Hate sweets!
(Trigger warning: It's ok if you don't like this comment): While I think it's disturbing that adults can't handle the fact that Santa Clause, The Easter Bunny, Jesus and "god" are ALL part of Imagination land, I would agree that Holiday World is a great park, even if the owners are completely brainwashed, like Lewis Cook, who founded the park only to discover that couldn't deal with the fact that Santa Clause is actually the children's parents, and also the name of a town called Santa Clause, (somewhere in Indiana, apparently. No lie! ;) but didn't have a year around Santa Clause. What's more disturbing is that they have children who have children who have children... dumb people keep being born into $. who don't understand that fables aren't real, unless it makes them more $ apparently.
They're not alone: the owner of Carowinds thanks Jesus for Fury 325 when it opened, instead of thanking his bank account, ($$, which I guess he thinks this Jesus guy he's referring to LOVES so much, apparently) technology, hard work, science and physics. I can't speak for anyone else, but if the only evidence I was given for the safety of a roller coaster is that Jesus built it, I'd never get on it. Good think I'm not completely insane, that's how I'm still alive. Besides, Fury 325 is a bucket list coaster for me because it's safe, no thanks to delusions of imaginary deities.
Having said that: I'll spend my $ where the attractions are good, and I consider Holiday wold a bucket list park for me. I'll happily go there for the coasters, because no other park offers the same attractions. But I'm sick of rich evangelical Christians dumbing down the world for the almighty $; the same $ they refuse to thank while thanking their imaginary sky daddy and Jesus when basking in the pride of their best attractions they built from the almighty $$$ they were born into.
I'd be interested how much these people who PUBLICLY obsess about their imaginary sky daddy while owning the best amusement parks in the world would publicly obsess about their imaginary sky daddy's if they were homeless. I'd love to hear about what they have to say about "Jesus" and "god" then.
I DID enjoy this video, I DID give it a like, but what I said had to be said.
I hope this can be applied to other parks that have owners who were born lucky, rich and stupid, because it's not a habit of mine to rant about the powers that be, so I don't plan on making a comment like this again on an amusement park video any time soon. The Cook family may have "The Voyage" but one doesn't need "god" for that. I still love you're video, however; it's a great park I want to visit one day. I'd love to hear your review of the wooden coasters (especially The Voyage) in this park, (since you've already reviewed Thunderbird).Thanks for this great review of Holiday World; a bucket list coaster destination for me.
Sir, this is a Wendy's
The park is safe. The owners seem nice. And I like the park.
@@CanobieCoaster Even though I believe what I said, won't revisit what I said 8 months ago and I would agree that the park is safe, and the owners are probably nice people; In fact it's a bucket list park for me to visit, Unfortunately it isn't easy for me to get to, but I must ride The Voyage.
@@CanobieCoaster Please keep in mind that I'd like to think that you appreciate the Gravity Group for having built The Voyage, and not a Turkey the same way I'd hope that you appreciate B&M for building Fury 325 rather than Jesus Christ. At least the kind folks at Holiday world never cited any one of the many thousands of gods as a reason for the mere existence of any of their coasters the way the Carowinds guy cited Fury 325 as proof that his belief in god and Jesus built it; just another case of stupid rich people hiring smart skilled people.
I can't implicate the owners of Holiday world, at least not to the same extent. They're brave people anyway owing an independent park; the theming of the park is consistent with over many decades. I only hope they're not as infantile as anyone who cannot live one ay without Christmas, which I no longer believe they are. In conclusion: While I cannot say "god bless Holiday World" (because I don't believe in imaginary cosmic sky thugs): I can say "May reality be kind to Holiday World" Will that be good enough for you? I'm pretty sure Holiday World is doing pretty good, and both of us can be happy about that. ;)