It’s no secret that my husband, Paul, does a great deal of the grunt work when taking our family on trips and outings. While we usually “divide and conquer” our tasks, he doesn’t get enough credit for all he does. There are several guides on the internet for visiting an amusement park, but few from a dad’s point of view. This is why I went straight to the source for writing a dad’s guide to Holiday World.

So I’d like to introduce Paul – a seasoned, minivan-driving, dad-joking, cargo shorts and dad-hat wearing, father and stepfather of four.

Here are a few of his tips.

Work smarter not harder.

Going to a theme park with the family is always a blast, but it’s also going to include some work. Such as packing for the trip, loading and unloading the vehicle, planning, etc. Don’t make it harder on you or anyone else. Work smarter from the beginning with these tips to guarantee the best fun with your family, the least amount of stress, and the most minimal amount of ibuprofen.

Prepare with the appropriate attire.

Having a good hat, sunglasses, comfortable clothing, and backpack is essential. Skip the skinny jeans and polos, and opt for shorts and loose-fit clothing. Wear comfortable shoes for walking and/or water shoes for the waterpark. If you have younger children, you’ll want to bring a stroller or wagon (or rent one at the park). Ponchos and lanyards are a great idea for the entire family. In case of rain, and if you are a season passholder, the lanyards minimize the risk of a lost pass.

Prioritize the essentials.

Whether you’re going for just a day or the entire week, make sure you have the essentials handy. We’ve experienced a flat tire in the parking lot, motion sickness, driving for hours with stinky teenagers, and even getting lost without a cell phone signal when traveling to Holiday World. These are things that you can be easily prepared for by keeping a few essentials in your vehicle.

• Car emergency kit (tire gauge, jumper cables, spare tire and jack, flashlight, etc.)
• Insurance information (auto and health)
• Beach towels (for Splashin’ Safari)
• Cell phone battery charger
• Road atlas (for travel areas without a GPS signal)
• Car air fresheners (after a long day at the park, you’ll want these)
• An extra change of clothing for everyone

Assess and plan.

Before arriving, check the park hours and weather to plan accordingly. When you arrive at the park, grab a map and check for ride closures. Locate the First Aid station, sunscreen stations, free Oasis drink locations, and bathrooms. These are essential dad locations. The family will ask where these are throughout the day. There are five Family Restroom locations in Holiday World and three in Splashin’ Safari.

Make a plan of where to go first, get the younger kids’ height wristbands at the Height Measurement Station (located at the entrance of each park), and have everyone lather up with sunscreen before heading to the attractions.

For the older kids who are too cool to hang out with their dad, plan designated check-in times and locations. Teens ages 14 and up can visit the park without parental supervision.

Rest when you can.

There’s no reason to wear your feet (or back) out. Enjoy every opportunity to take a quick break and sit down. By the end of the day, your body will thank you.

If you’re overheating, the kids are too. Encourage indoor things when you’re getting too hot. It might be the perfect time to grab a drink or food at an indoor restaurant or check out a shop.

Take advantage of Holiday World’s parent benefits.

A few of the amazing benefits include these perks:

• Stroller and wagon rentals are affordable and easier than bringing your own to the park.
• Locker rentals are available and also an affordable way to avoid carrying around your stuff all day.
• Splashin’ Safari offers free U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket rentals in sizes for kids, youth, and adults. They are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at all three wave pools.
• The “Parent Swap” option is beneficial if both parents want to ride and can’t at the same time. Parents can swap waiting in line without waiting multiple times in line while the other rides.
• Free Phone Find wristbands are an added layer of safety for younger kids. The Holiday World map shows multiple locations where you can get free wristbands for your children. There’s a place to put your cell phone number on the wristbands for children to wear in case they wander off. Park staff are trained to use the wristbands to contact parents.
• Free Package Pickup service is available for up to two hours before the park closes. Anything you purchase can be picked up later at Holiday World Services so that you don’t have to carry your packages around the park.

Have a few jokes up your sleeve.

“What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?”
A rebel without a Claus.

Nothing makes a trip to Holiday World with dad more complete than a few dad jokes. Whether you are helping the kids patiently wait in line for a ride or road tripping to the park, a little bit of fun and humor will go a long way.

Bring a festive spirit.

Holiday World brings out the kid in every adult. Take a picture with Santa, sing along to the Christmas music, feast on a Thanksgiving meal in July, and go on a thrill ride.

Have fun being a big kid, with the kids.

This blog post was written by HoliBlogger Jamie W.

Jamie Ward is a travel writer and published author. She founded Cornfields & High Heels, a travel and lifestyle blog, over five years ago and travels throughout the Midwest sharing her travel stories and adventures. She wrote 100 Things To Do In Indiana Before You Die and co-authored Midwest Road Trip Adventures. Jamie resides in Central Indiana with her husband, Paul, and their four teenagers. She was born and raised in Indiana and enjoys road trips, coffee, thrifting, historic places, and spending time with her family.

Want to go visit Santa Claus? You can – anytime of year!

Just head to Southern Indiana where you’ll find holiday – and Santa Claus-themed fun – everywhere. The best part? Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari  is there at the heart of the town for all your family fun this year. We have been already this Summer – and LOVED it, so I wanted to share some tips for road tripping from Cincinnati to Santa Claus, IN.

You’ve got to head down Kentucky and around Louisville to get over to Santa Claus. It can be a quick two-and-a-half hour road trip from Cincy, but all of us from the area know that 71/75 can throw you some curveballs, whether it be construction or accidents. On our way down, the highway was closed about a half hour from Louisville. We had to all be diverted through a small town and then reconnected to the highway a bit farther down. It took us an hour and a half to go 7 miles. Here’s where tip #1 comes into play – DON’T WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE HAS TO PEE TO ACTUALLY STOP! 

I was so glad we took a quick break while traffic had still been moving nicely, even though the family didn’t think they had to go to the bathroom. We were able to empty our bladders and fill our tummies with that pit stop. We would have been in trouble if we had waited even ten more minutes on that part of the road trip! (The trip home was a breeze with traffic, though.) Bonus tip: When you stop, let the little ones RUN and get some energy out before you’re cooped back up in the car again. 

Tip #2: Bring a spare potty if you have small ones out of diapers. The portable potties for potty training work well, and don’t forget toilet paper and disinfectant wipes!

Tip #3: Always have an insulated water bottle for everyone. Keeping water (or whatever drinks) cool, especially in the hot parts of the year, will keep everyone happy and hydrated. Plus, Cincinnati Mom Collective has awesome insulated water bottles that fit great in car cup holders on their Swag Shop!

You may be tempted to overpack, but tip #4: Less can often be more. We always think we need more than we actually do.

Tip #5: Give each person their own backpack for a spare change of clothes, toiletries, snacks, and activities. It will make life so much easier than trying to hand out or divvy things up while in movement on the road. While it’s a short road trip to Holiday World, you never know when you might get stuck in traffic or need things on hand quickly without the irritation of rummaging through packed suitcases en route.

Tip #6: Screen time is okay! Yes, it’s a good idea to play all the fun car and I-spy games, but at some point, you’re just going to want some peace. Maybe your vehicle has built-in DVD players, maybe the kids are using tablets… make sure you have a couple options, headphones, headphone splitters, and charging cables and cords just in case.

To go with screen time, remember tip #7: Pack lots of snacks! Now, don’t bring the whole kitchen pantry, but make sure there’s a little bit of variety and there’s enough for everyone to make it in between the main meals while you’re on the road for 2-3 hours at a time.

On the line of snacks… tip #8: Bring trash bags! These can even be plastic grocery bags you want to reuse. You can either give a bigger bag to each row of the car, or each person can get their own small bag to be responsible for throwing their own garbage away. You’ll definitely want these if there are diaper changes. Also, you can use some of these in case someone gets carsick on the way. Keeping the car as clean as possible will save you a lot of irritation/stress after the road trip is over.

There are many road trip mom personalities. Cincinnati Mom Collective contributing writer and local comedian, Kate Mock Elliott, coined a few: The Oprah, The Norma Desmond, The Simon & Garfunkel, and the Rihanna. I think I fall somewhere between the latter two. You can read her article here to see which you are.

Whatever your personality and however you survive your road tripping with your crew, when you finally make it past a stretch of farmland and all of a sudden see roller coasters in the sky, signs for Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, and their own water tower, the road trip will all be worth it!

Plus, if you stop in the Halloween part of the park and pick up a silly hat, like my daughter’s squid hat, the road trip home will be that much more entertaining.

This blog post was written by HoliBlogger Courtney S.

A Cincinnati mom that spent my teen years in Indianapolis, I remember Summers at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari fondly. My family and I love travel and theme parks. I own the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Louisville Mom Collectives where we provide the best in trusted recommendations, tips, tricks, and resources to families in our communities. In my rare free moments, I like to write, read, draw, paint, game, go to the park, go to art museums, and try new foods.