Smile and say "cheese pizza"

Those who stop by the park this afternoon to get their Season Pass photos taken will probably chuckle when they look at their photos all season long.

It's quite chilly out again today, so no doubt we'll have photos of folks in turtlenecks, sweaters and hoodies.

Let's try to draw the line at fur-trimmed parkas, though.

My mother-in-law, Rita (rest her soul), used to call this late-spring cold snap The Ice Man. And she was right. Once you get out the shorts and the sunscreen, there is always a nasty cold front to remind us who is really in charge.

Two days ago, I saw an Icee truck in the park.

It gave me a chill.

But I guess The Ice Man has to get around somehow...

Blogging with an international flair

Here's a new website for you: BlooLoop.com.

What the heck kind of a name is that?

I asked Charlie at BlooLoop for an explanation, but I still don't really understand (and I don't think it was the English accent, but it did make it hard to concentrate).

He told me they were trying to come up with a truly original name and when Blue Loop was already taken (go figure) they opted for BlooLoop.

It's an industry site, so if you're really into learning everything there is to know about parks worldwide, you might enjoy taking a look.

They even have a blog.

Charlie and his mates (remember they're in England) were brilliant (ditto) in assembling a group of industry stars to blog for them.

Including Will.

Here's his first post.

I'll be sure to post a link here whenever Will posts there (he's committed to once a month).

Mea gulpa

Have you ever made a teeny, tiny error -- and gotten clobbered for it?

Happened the other day.

Around here, we take our hard hats seriously.

When construction is ongoing, the hats are on. And the swath is wide.

Heck, even the Big Guy wears one.


(You thought I meant Will, didn't you? Well, he wears one, too.)

The other day Lisa and Rachel took a walk down to Kima Bay to take some photos of Kima Bay's final construction days.

When they delivered the memory card to me, I remember thinking that all the shots were taken from very far away.

But not quite far enough, apparently.

When they got to the construction site, they suddenly remembered that they'd forgotten to bring hard hats.

So they stayed very far away.

But not quite far enough.

Out came the shout: "Hey! Where are your hard hats?!"

Apparently the "hard hat area" had just been breached.

The photo session was over.

Our Safety Director (you remember Craig) came for a visit the next day.

Wanting to support his efforts, I blurted out, "We should make cookies for your crew ... and deliver them in hard hats!"

And so a batch of chocolate chip cookies was baked and delivered a few days later.


I tried to get everyone to pose holding a cookie, but by the time I'd retrieved the left-behind camera battery, it was too late. Nary a crumb remained.

Just add water

Who you callin' cheap?!

Cheap is not usually meant as a compliment.

No wonder your shoes wore out fast -- they're cheap.

That cheap so-and-so made me pay for half the gas money on our date last night. (Which will be, by the way, our last date!)

Oh, she's so cheap.

Okay, you know what I mean.

But when USA Today calls you "cheap," it's a good thing.

If you read this today (Friday, Christmas in April), you can head over to their website and scroll down a bit to see a picture of The Raven.

You can call me a lot more than "cheap" if you put a Raven photo on the front page of USA Today's website.

If you are one of the 2.3 million people who have a copy of the actual paper, turn to page 2 of section D for a gander. To see the article online, click here.

The budget-minded travel expert who mentioned us is Tim Leffel. He and his family visited us last summer on assignment with a national magazine.

We emailed each other a month or so ago and he broke the news that the magazine had cut way back on the article and several parks ended up on the cutting-room floor.

Including us.

So when he got another chance to mention us, he did.

But we won't mention that particular magazine here ... or the name of the woman whose face and name are on the cover.

...but I bet she's cheap.

Ticket contest that may drive you bananas

Want to enter a contest to try to win a pair of tickets?

Then head on over WFIE-TV's website.

Okay, here comes the tricky part: You have to find the Kima Bay monkey.

And that critter moves from day to day.

I can't (well, I won't ... John has threatened me with unrepeatable claims) tell you where Mr. Monkey is hanging around on the site today, but I will show you which simian is lurking:



When you find this dude (with the Holiday World logo), click on him and it will take you to the sign-up page.

The contest will last until June 1, with five pairs of ticket awarded each week.

Just one question

Sounds like the title of the next Mitch Albom book, doesn't it?

Anyway ... if you had the opportunity to ask Will Koch just one question about our coasters, what would it be?

We're starting something new in the next few weeks and your questions will come in handy.

Simply click on the "Comments" link just below this post and type away.

Oh, and coaster geeks? Kindly use words a "commoner" will understand.

Where there's smoke, there's fire ... and Bill

Three years ago -- almost to the day, we blogged about our fire extinguisher training.

Snapped a shot of Bill putting out a fire.

During this year's training, Craig (our Safety Director) took a photo for me.

Same guy.


There's Bill again.

What are the chances?

We've got 80 full-time employees and we all took the training.

I embarrassed myself this time around. The trainer called out "good job!" as I attacked my fire. Assuming that meant the fire was completely out, I stopped squeezing the extinguisher and stepped back.

Poof!

Just like those rotten candles I always get for my boys' birthday cakes--the ones that blow out easily but then puff back into flame over and over.

Serves me right, I guess.

"Kindest, gentlest park"

This article is several years old, but I just discovered it online, so here it is.

It's nice to be called kind and gentle.

...and it's obvious they need to come back and ride The Voyage.

Shaken, but some weren't stirred

I've been wanting to post for the past hour, but keep getting derailed by all the emails asking about The Earthquake.

Thanks for caring. The coasters are fine. (Oh, and we are, too.)

It was 4:36 this morning. The rattling began.

Later, I thought of the ratty motels featured in movies and sitcoms -- those with the "Magic Fingers" on the beds? For 50 cents? Well, let's just say the magic was in overdrive.

Gary, my husband, woke up for about a minute. I told him I thought we were in the middle of an earthquake.

Ohhh... yeah...

He rolled over and went back to sleep.

When I teased him a few hours later about how safe I felt that my big strong man was on top of the emergency, he was ready with an answer:

Well, if we were going to have a crisis, I should be well-rested, right?

Our 16-year-old son John says the earthquake didn't awaken him.

But the call at 4:37 am from his buddy Philip did.

"Dude, we just had an earthquake!"

Huhhhh? Whaaaa?

Apparently John takes after his dad in all the important ways.

I just talked to Will. He's deeply disappointed in his foo-foo doggy.

"Aren't dogs supposed to know ahead of time and warn the family? We have to have a serious talk this evening..."

Apparently Will watched too many Lassie reruns growing up.

Also heard from Korey of The Gravity Group (they're in Cincinnati). He says two of them awakened and three didn't.

I want names.

Meanwhile, we do have a set emergency procedure for earthquakes. Our crews are carefully inspecting the rides and buildings. So far, so good.

As I prepare to push the "publish post" button, I feel the rumble of an aftershock. And thank God that all are safe.

Time to talk back

We've been talking to you via the HoliBlog for more than three years.

Now you can talk back. (Just don't interrupt, okay? Your momma taught you better than that.)

Simply look at the end of each blog posting and you'll see a little "0 Comments" link just to the right of the time the post was made. Just click on that and follow the easy instructions to send us your comment. As long as you follow the directions to keep it "Clean, Friendly and Fun," we'll most probably post your comment.

And that's not only for the HoliBlog, but also our Shared Memories blog. This second blog has been around for a few years, with the less-than-clever name of "What Our Guests Are Saying."

So, we changed the name and the look. And we also added a direct link to the TripAdvisor.com page that shows visitor reviews about Holiday World so you can read what else people are saying about us.

Meanwhile, what do you think of these rough and ready gents?


They're heading out for the first rides of the season on The Legend.


Nathan from our maintenance department took these photos from the station.

This one's sort of artsy. In a mathematical sort of way.


Alas, all good things must come to an end.


Not to worry, the front panel has yet to be added back on the train.

Meanwhile, our countdown clock says 15 days.

Tick ... tick ... tick ...

Walk this way

I'm not going to write much in this post, as this slide show says it all. (It also makes me cry.)

As always, click on the arrow in order to stay on this website.



Holiday World & Splashin' Safari will host the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes again this year.

Last year, our Walk raised $225,000. On May 17, Logan, his family and friends will be here to Walk along with so many other caring people. He'd sure like you to come Walk with him.

Grumble, grumble, grumble...

Grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble.

Growl.

It is tax day, after all.

Got pretty loud down here at Bahari, what with all the grumbling.


But isn't the water pretty?

Do these men look happy?

Oh for heaven's sake, Eric and Matt! You're about to get the first ride of the season on the #1 Wooden Coaster on the Planet!

In the front seat, no less!

What in heck are you talking about -- budgets?!


Off they go.

That's Tori and Will in the back seat.


We had thunderstorms last night, but today turned out to be gorgeous.

Up we go, into the wild blue yonder...


Ride after ride.

After ride.

Apparently Will and Tori got bumped out of the back seat.


They didn't seem to mind one bit.

Holiday World Heist

What a nice email (including the subject line, above) from a new friend from across the pond:

Good Evening/Afternoon Paula!

It is Friday night over here and after a hard day's work I am relaxing at home as I am traveling 2 hours at 7am in the morning to get to Alton Towers for a day of themepark goodness. Being an enthusiast I have just been watching Extreme Rides, a double episode programme repeating on Sky 3. The programme is a couple of years old and is filmed at the time when Holiday World debuted The Legend and features an interview with Will and then a coaster enthusiast is filmed riding. But who is riding, sorry screaming, next to him... You!

What a scream you have, and all the way round, relentlessly!

Hot on the heals of Extreme Rides, I'm sat here with my laptop and thought I would check out HoliBlog having not updated myself for a couple of days. Here I find your entry relating to Voyage's first test run. The SplashCam is showing 13.26 and I cannot believe the coincidence. So my laptop has remained open sat on the coffee table whilst I continue to channel hop keeping one eye on the laptop and one on the telly...... for an hour and ten minutes!!!

At first I thought there might have been a technical problem and I may have spotted somebody brave, if not stupid, walking down the lifthill. I resided myself to the fact that it wasn't going to be happening. Perhaps, just perhaps your American time zone differentials might have a bearing on the SplashCam which was now showing 14.25.

Three minutes later and at 14.28, what do I see? A navy blue train climbing the lift hill. After just over an hour I saw the train climb up and quickly drop over the top of the hill and then to return across the bottom of the splash cam on its return journey to the station.

A relaxing hour of anticipation, well worth it as I prepare for my own voyage 100 miles for my own rollercoaster fun tomorrow.

Keep up the great work on the HoliBlog. I hope to visit one day soon.

Best wishes,
Jonathon
Blackpool, England

Voyage test rides

If you're around this afternoon at 1:30 pm CDT, take a look at our SplashCam to see the first test runs of The Voyage this season.

The new phone book's here!

Wow, what a week.

First, new phone books (if you don't catch the silly gag, rent this movie for the weekend) and now our new park map.

Top 29?

Top 29?

Who goes out and determines the top 29 of ... anything?

Apparently these folks do.

Call for riders

Happens every spring right about this time.

Time for the coasters to reawaken and for employees to demonstrate their loyalty.

Time to ride.

We started with The Raven.


Later on at a meeting, someone asked who had gotten to ride.

Quite honestly, all you had to do was look around the conference table and check out the tousled hair.


Here's the train coming back into the station after the first ride.


There's Will in the back seat. Eric, in the front, gives the ride a thumbs-up. Poor Kristine, right behind Eric, opted out after the first ride.

Are you admiring the groovy eyewear? Those are safety glasses, as the earliest rides of the season are accompanied by the occasional flying grit from the graphite that is used to prep the track.

And speaking of trendy accessories, look at this fellow:


The bucket for Kima Bay has at last arrived.

They're swinging it into place.


This fellow looks a little nervous...


But these rascals don't have a care in the world...


Up four stories the bucket flew and landed safely in place.


One step closer to opening.

Who do you think got the first ride?

You didn't really need to think about it too long, did you?

Cranes and monkeys and buckets, oh my!

If you happen to check the HoliBlog on Monday afternoon, head over to our SplashCam and you might just catch the action as the Very Tall Crane swings the Very Large Bucket into place at Kima Bay.

What the heck is this?

Looks like some sort of sea serpent has made itself at home on our carousel.


At first I wondered if this creature would be a tad scary to little ones...


...but there appears to be enough bling that surely the "oooooh ... pretties!" instinct will kick in first.

You know the clock is ticking...

You know the clock is ticking when a crew is out power-washing the park's walkways.

...in the pouring rain.

So, who's in charge here?

Is it this fellow?


Or maybe ... ?


Looks like the monkeys are just supervising.

These guys are doing all the real work...


For all of you who've emailed to ask exactly where Kima Bay will be located, this tells the whole story.


That's The Voyage looming in the background.

For real-time updates of our Kima Bay construction project, be sure to head over to our SplashCam.