Dude, where's your belt?

Why in the world is that low-hanging-britches thing still in style?

Fellas ... nobody, but nobody, wants to see your boxers.

Nobody.

Recently a fellow in that mode of dress sauntered up to one of our Sweepers with a question:

"Dude ... how do I get to the water park?"

Mrs. Koch just happened to be standing nearby. She waited patiently while the Sweeper explained the easiest route.

Then she sprung into action.

She tapped the casually-dressed fellow on the arm (he was easily a foot taller than she, so she couldn't reach his shoulder).

When he turned to look at her, Mrs. Koch smiled brightly and said:

Dude ... would you please pull up your pants? I'm really not interested in seeing what kind of underwear you have on today.

Happily, the dude yanked up his britches as he made his way toward the Splashin' Safari entrance.

The young Sweeper, with a big grin on his face, high-fived Mrs. Koch.

Trip, camcorder, gas money contest ends Friday

Time is running out if you'd like to enter The Great Indiana Getaway contest.

Head over here to enter the online contest sponsored by the Indiana Tourism Department.

Neither rain, nor snow...

...nor thunder and lightning.

A family who visited earlier this month relates a sweet story on our What Our Guests Are Saying blog.

A day to celebrate

Merry Christmas in July!



Mrs. Koch, after all, is Santa's Daughter. Despite the heat of a summer day, she's happy to model Santa's jacket.

The white gloves come as no surprise, given her love of all things related to cleanliness. (We're a little concerned she may not give them back to Santa.)

Can she rustle up a hearty ho-ho-ho?

Not a problem.


"Hey! That's my line!" comes booming from Santa's Storytime Theater.


A warm hug from Santa on a toasty day? There's nothing cooler.

Before anyone's head explodes...

I give.

I thought the statement that I would reveal what's being built next week was a clear indication it was not something really big.

It was simply something being built.

Near the highway.

In clear view of, well, anyone driving by.

Creating a bit of a buzz.

Alas, coaster enthusiasts, ye hardly know me.

You've been on top of the world guessing what is going on. Dreaming big. Posting bigger.

Finally someone old enough (sigh!) caught the puns.

We've Only Just Begun.

For All We Know.

Close To You.

...and I just added another one in this post (Top of the World).

Just a tiny bit familiar?

A brother and sister act...

No, not Donny and Marie.

Not Will and Natalie either.

Karen and Richard.

That's right ... The Carpenters.

Carpenters. Hmmmm...

We have carpenters on staff.

Hard-working fellows.

They deserve a new workshop, don't they? They've outgrown the old one.

That's right -- the carpenters are building themselves a new Carpenters Shop.

Meanwhile, It's Going To Take Some Time before we announce what's new for you next year.

Pass it along

Oftentimes in May, we get emails from folks asking when might be the best time to purchase Season Passes at a discount.

With a sigh, I reply that the best time was the previous fall. ("I'm sorry, as I know this doesn't help you for this year, but for future reference ...")

It's not quite the fall of the year, yet ... but our '08 season pass prices will be announced in a week or so, with the deepest discounts available through the end of this season, October 14.

The info will be released via our e-newsletter. If you'd like to receive a copy, please sign up here.

It's not exactly the new Harry Potter book, but it's the best I've got...

We've only just begun...

Anyone driving by our Employee Parking Lot on Highway 162 the past few weeks has noticed some interesting activity.


For all we know, this might be the start of an exciting addition to the park for 2008. Be sure to pass this construction photo along to someone close to you; we'll tell you what it is next week.

Earl, they used their headline!

Earl Conn is a really nice guy. He's the retired head of the journalism department at Ball State University and still has fun writing travel articles for a bunch of newspapers.

We spent some time with Earl and his family last month and here's his article.

Earl told me he wasn't sure if the editors would go for the headline his grandsons pitched. I'll bet those boys are pretty proud of their first editorial endeavor.

Not to mention all those notches on their coaster belts.

Please! Make him stop!

Ever since we got the good news about the results of the online survey to determine the state's "Favorite Indiana Getaway," John has been singing.

Non-stop.

"We are the champions, my friend ..."

Frankly ... no one wants to be your friend, John, when you're singing that way.

"I've paid my dues ... time after time ..."

John, our intrepid marketing director, actually has a decent voice. But he's doing this horrible, cheesy, lounge-lizard rendition and it's driving us all crazy.

"I've done my sentence ... but committed no crime."

In fact, the marketing interns locked him out of the office. (Note to self: get a new lock on PR office door. And don't give John a key. Not while he's singing, anyway.)

Despite the singing, we'd like to extend our thanks to the many folks who voted for our trip...

...plus we'd like to add an extra day!

So if you win the Holiday World trip, instead of three days and two nights, you'll receive four days and three nights. That will give you plenty of time to enjoy a day at Marengo Cave and Cave Country Canoes, plus a day and overnight in Evansville ... all this in addition to two days at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari with two overnights in one of the cool RVs at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort.

Please head over to State Tourism's website to enter the contest by July 27.

Yes, you have to write a little essay. Quit complaining.

...at least you're not in constant danger of John calling and singing on the speaker phone.

"No time for losers ... 'cause we are the champions ... "

As part of the Getaway Package, the winners will also receive a $500 Circle K gas card, an RCA Small Wonder digital camcorder plus an RCA Opal mp3 player.

Be sure to load "We Are the Champions" on yours if you win.

It really is a wonderful anthem ... when it's in tune.

Let it Snow!

Eric Snow is experiencing his first season as our Director of Admissions.

He hasn't melted yet...


Eric regales us with the cute little comments he overhears as happy little children come and go throughout the day.

A little girl, maybe five or six, sighed dramatically, "When I grow up, I want to spend my honeymoon here!"

And then there was the little boy who concentrated solemnly while studying Eric's name tag.


"What's the Applesauce Award?"

Last day to vote in state-wide contest

Right now we're neck-and-neck with some casino for the #1 spot.

Click here to head over to the ballot.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Lovely.

My seven-year-old just hollered, "Are you out of your mind?!" to his teacher.

Teachers, actually.

Swim teachers, to be precise.

They laughed and encouraged James to try.

And off he went, paddling away. Still "beating up" the water too much, but a vast improvement from a week ago.

Some of the Splashin' Safari lifeguards are teaching swim lessons this summer.

Somehow we lucked out with our schedule, and James has his own private swim tutor.

Two tutors, actually.


That's Jennifer on the left and Leah on the right. James likes Jordan, too, who has conducted a few of the lessons.

Are you local, and swim lessons for your young'uns sounds good? Send us an email and we'll forward you more information, as another session starts up next week. There are different classes for different ages and skill levels (pre-schoolers through age 16).

There's even a new Jr. Lifeguard Program that will be held the week of July 23.

Jordan passed along a conversation he had with my son the other day:

James: Jordan? May I ask a personal favor?

Jordan: Sure, James.

James: Would you please call it my bottom instead of my butt?

Bless Jordan, he has complied with the rather Victorian request. "Come on, James -- keep your bottom up! Breathe through your nose! You can do it!"

Will Koch talks...

...and "WAVE 3 Listens."

If you are in the Louisville area, you might want to tune in Wednesday at 10:00 am EDT to WAVE-TV to see Will on the live talk show.

Vote first, win later

The folks at our State Tourism office just launched a contest.

Ultimately, you could win a free trip to Holiday World.

But first, you must vote.

Apparently the top three vote-getters (out of 12 trip itineraries) will be the trips that State Tourism will offer as free getaways.

Good luck!

The latest from "Ms. Cheap"

I'm not sure at what point she went from being "Miss Cheap" to "Ms. Cheap," but it appears the transition has occured.

And Ms. Cheap is pulling no punches. She's searching high and low for the best deals for her readers (the Nashville Tennessean).

Here's this year's report about parks.

All he wants for Christmas...

It would be a major gap in judgment not to share this story:

I want to thank formally Lauren & Amanda who worked at the Funnel Cake Factory on June 28th in the evening.

My son Bryce and I were having a Funnel cake and a chocolate apple from Mrs. Klaus' Kitchen candy shop and my son bit into the chocolate apple and thought he bit into a seed so he proceeded to go over and spit his "seed" into the trash can.

Well, needless to say the "seed " was his first baby tooth lost and I started to dig through the trash can.

I had to find that tooth!



Lauren and Amanda came out, gave me some gloves, and helped me sludge through the trash and goop of funnel cake and soda.

We finally found it at the bottom of the goop. They were awesome and it was sweet that they realized how important it was to me and my son.

Thank you again, I very much appreciated them.

Sincerely, Kimberlee & Bryce B.
Brentwood, Tennessee