Ho-Ho-Foley-O

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Today is National Carousel Day and Christmas in July!

So let’s roll back the clock and watch Jolly Ol’ Saint Mick as he takes a ride on our Star Spangled Carousel:

Wrestling great Mick Foley was in town last fall, working on his “Saint Mick” Santa memoir, which he announced on this episode of the Holiday World Podcast.

Mick & Santa Statue

Here he sat – in Santa’s chair – working on his book, which comes out this fall.

Mick Foley

And to all a good write.

 

Podcast: Phone a Friend

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As you may know, Leah Koch has been missing from the podcast for nearly every episode over the better part of a year.

First it was because she was working on her MBA at Indiana University and now … a big-city internship.

And so, we rang her up at her – gasp! – non-air-conditioned dwelling in the city so nice they named it twice:

Two smiling Koch siblings, who prove that good things come to those who wait:

Leah & William at Hamilton

And here’s Matt and his BFF, NPH, at DAK:

Matt & Doogie

Friday Night Fireworks? Tonight and next Friday and that’s it for 2017. Here’s a preview:

Mmmmm … Peanut Butter & Chocolate Day:

Reese's Pieces Funnel Cake  

Be sure to enter our Cool It! Sweepstakes by July 31! Ah, the Trash Impactors:

Trash Impactors - Bahari Wave

The Coaster Crew stepped up to the plate yet again: 

Thanks for listening! Hope to see you around the park soon!

Sweepstakes: Cool it!

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Congratulations to Marlin S. from Westview, Kentucky, and Christie L. from Troy, Missouri. They each win a pair of one-day tickets to Holiday World! Thanks to all who entered and helped us keep cool these past few weeks!
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No doubt about it, we’re in the Holidog Days of Summer.

Holidog on Raven

Our playful pup knows how to keep cool on even the toastiest of days.

How can you keep cool and still have a fun day at the park?

Girl on slide

Here are some tips:

  • Eat breakfast! Get a little something in your stomach before you start your day. And don’t skip meals, even when it’s hot out.
  • Start hydrated and stay hydrated. Water is your best bet – four cups an hour is the recommendation. Gatorade is great, too, but balance with lots of water. (Both are free, along with lemonade, ice tea, and carbonated beverages, throughout both parks.) If you aren’t needing to visit the restroom as usual, you’re not drinking enough.
  • Pace yourself. In Splashin’ Safari, we have large water slides (you’ll stand in line for these), and also attractions where you can get right into the water with minimal or no wait: Bahari Wave Pool, The Wave, Bahari River and, for smaller children, Safari Sam’s SplashLand, Hyena Springs, Kima Bay and Monsoon Lagoon.
  • Apply sunscreen thoroughly and often. Our free sunscreen is 30 SPF; if you need a higher level of protection, please bring your own.
  • Super-short haircut (or a little thin on top)? Be sure to run sunscreen on your scalp. Or wear a cap.
  • Wear swim shoes. They may not be the most stylish of footwear, but they’ll protect your feet from hot pavement.

What is your best tip? Post it below and you could win two free tickets to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari!

Before you enter, please read through these instructions and rules:

  • You must be at least 18 years old to enter and you must not have won tickets from Holiday World in the past 12 months. Employees of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari and Koch Development Corporation  (and the immediate family members of employees) are not eligible to enter.
  • By entering, you agree to be added to our e-newsletter list (you may unsubscribe at any time by following the directions in your email).
  • Use the widget, below, to enter daily. There are lots of options, so you can earn extra entries by posting here on our HoliBlog, tweeting about this contest, and visiting us on our Facebook page.
  • For the “post a comment on the blog” entry option, simply tell us your best tip for keeping cool. (Our comments are moderated, so as long as the content is HoliFriendly, it will appear soon.)
  • Tickets are non-transferable and not for re-sale. Each winner is solely responsible for reporting and paying any and all applicable taxes related to the prize(s).
  • Did you know you can subscribe to our HoliBlog so that you receive all of our posts (including contests) by email? If you’re using a desktop computer or tablet, look for the “Subscribe to Blog” sidebar at the top-right corner of this page. On a smartphone? Just scroll down a tiny bit more to find it.

Ready to enter? Simply enter our sweepstakes here from a mobile device; or if you’re on a desktop, enter by using the widget, below. And not just today – enter daily through Monday, July 31, 2017, at 2:30pm CDT, when we’ll choose two winners at random.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks in advance for all the great tips for keeping cool – and good luck to all!

Podcast: Christmas in July

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It’s sort of hard to believe it took us till our 37th episode to invite Santa to join us.

But he’s a busy guy, after all …

Santa’s a snazzy dresser – he reveals who creates his wardrobe:

We were tickled with Mammoth’s appearance this week in the New York Times:

Our cheeky little hashtag got more attention than the question it asked:

As always, The Coaster Crew awes us:

Here’s that mesmerizing drone footage of Mammoth:

Thanks, as always, for joining us! Be sure to enter our Batter Up! Sweepstakes before July 17.

And we’ll see you around the park!

On the Cuteness Scale …

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… you can’t get much better than this:

But this has to be a close second, right?

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the 4th of July! More fireworks are coming up in just a few days with Friday Night Fireworks, which run through the end of July.

Christmas in July Sweepstakes!

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Santa Outside of Mrs. Klaus' Kitchen

Congratulations to Melinda P. from Bloomington, Indiana, who was selected at random to be our winner. Thanks to all who entered!
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Is there anyone else out there who’ll admit to leaving just a few Christmas decorations up year ’round – just because you can’t quite let go of the holiday spirit?

I know you’re out there …

Let’s join together and celebrate a little Christmas in July with a new sweepstakes!

Santa Outside of Mrs. Klaus' Kitchen

What’s the prize? Four one-day tickets to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, plus two nights in a Rudolph’s Christmas Cabin at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort!

Before you enter, please read through these instructions and rules:

  • You must be at least 18 years old to enter and you must not have won tickets from Holiday World in the past 12 months.
  • Employees of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Koch Development Corporation, Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort, Sun Communities, and Sun RV Resort (and the immediate family members of employees) are not eligible to enter.
  • By entering, you agree to be added to our e-newsletter list (you may unsubscribe at any time by following the directions in your email).
  • Use the widget, below, to enter daily. There are lots of options, so you can earn extra entries by posting here on our HoliBlog, tweeting about this sweepstakes, following us on Pinterest, and visiting us on our Facebook pages. If you win, please note you must be at least 21 to phone in your two-night Rudolph’s Christmas Cabin reservation at Lake Rudolph. Here are the dates the cabin will be available for reservation: Sunday nights through Thursday nights only, from July 9 through August 10, 2017.
  • All prizes are non-transferable and not for re-sale. Each winner is solely responsible for reporting and paying any and all applicable taxes related to the prize(s). Each sponsor will distribute respective prizes.
  • For the “post a comment on the blog” entry option, simply tell us your best-ever Christmas surprise. (Our comments are moderated, so as long as the content is HoliFriendly, it will appear soon.)
  • Did you know you can subscribe to our HoliBlog so that you receive all of our posts (including contests) by email? If you’re using a desktop computer or tablet, look for the “Subscribe to Blog” sidebar at the top-right corner of this page. On a smartphone? Just scroll down a tiny bit more to find it.

Ready to enter? Simply enter our sweepstakes here from a mobile device; or if you’re on a desktop, enter by using the widget, below. And not just today – enter daily through Thursday, July 6, 2017, at 2:30pm CDT, when we’ll choose one winner at random.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Merry Christmas in July to All! And good luck, too!

Podcast: The newlywed

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The #PodSquad started off this episode welcoming guest Andy Imlay – the park’s first IT intern and current Easterseals Adult Ambassador.


… and newlywed.

Andy and Megan got married during Metropolis, Illinois’ annual Superman Celebration.

I can just picture Andy sweet-talking the mayor out of a prime hour of Superman statue time for the nuptials.

He’s a charmer.

Here are Andy and his groomsmen, revealing their true identities: 

After the wedding we revealed our true identities #supermancelebration #superwedding #justice A post shared by Andy Imlay (@palsypositive) on

And later, with wife, Megan, and actor Dean Cain:

Got to meet Dean Cain with my beautiful bride #supermancelebration #deancain #metropolis #wheelchairlife #superman

A post shared by Andy Imlay (@palsypositive) on

We got way off topic talking about Santa’s wardrobe during our Batter Up! Sweepstakes segment.

But, all you want is the link to the sweepstakes, right?

Still – you’ve got to admit – Santa is pretty handy with a needle and thread!

Santa in Baseball Jersey with Bat

Our visit with the Koaster Kids was pretty special. Logan’s story is remarkable.  

Here he is, riding with Matt.

Next, we minimally taste-tested these bacon treats. (Thanks, Nathan – you know we love you!)

bacon treats

Santa got some stern feedback following his fun with one of those new-fangled fidget spinners:

And, finally, every day is Groundhog Day for Foster the Intern.

Here’s the Theme Park Family Podcast crew with identically named Ride Ops:

And the Coaster Crew does is again:

Thanks for listening! We hope to see you around the park soon!