HOLIDAY WORLD WINS INDUSTRY AWARD, INTRODUCES NEW TWILIGHT TICKET

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SANTA CLAUS, IND—Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari’s Mammoth water coaster took top honors at the 2023 Golden Ticket Awards ceremony, held recently at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN. At the industry awards ceremony, it was announced that three of the top five water park attractions in the world call Splashin’ Safari home, with Wildebeest and Cheetah Chase earning second and fifth place, respectively. 

“This is a huge achievement,” says President & CEO Matt Eckert. “We’re the self-declared Water Coaster Capital of the World, and it means the world to us to have a community of industry fans agree. It’s an honor to have had one of our water coasters named as the best of the best since 2010.” 

While Splashin’ Safari has closed for the season, Happy Halloween Weekends return this Saturday, September 23 and run through October 29. 

New for 2023, the park has introduced the Twilight Ticket for Happy Halloween Weekends. At no additional cost, Guests who purchase Pick Your Date Tickets online for Sundays during the event may enter the park the Saturday evening before their visit, starting at 5 p.m CDT. 

Earlier this year, Holiday World officials announced that the Halloween in the Sky Drone Show will be all-new this year with 400 drones every Saturday night through Happy Halloween weekends. 

“Halloween in the Sky is a sight to behold,” adds Eckert. “And our new Twilight Ticket ensures our Sunday Guests won’t miss a moment of the fun of Happy Halloween Weekends.”

Happy Halloween Weekends include all of the rides Guests love at Holiday World, plus new Halloween-themed shows, and special Halloween attractions, including Holidog’s 3-D Adventure, Carnival Chaos, and a 12-acre corn maze PLUS hay ride. In addition, each year, the park introduces a special fall menu, which this year includes S’mores Funnel Cake, Candy Corn Ice Cream, and a BBQ Pork bowl with pepper jack macaroni and cheese. 

Sweepstakes: Race over to win a family vacation package!

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Fun soars to new heights this summer with the return of  Holidays in the Sky, drone and fireworks spectacular!

We shared images of the show last year, but you have to see it to believe it!

The 15-minute drone and fireworks spectacular will be at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari from June 17 – July 30. Now with 400 drones!

To celebrate, we’re giving away incredible prizes, including a family vacation package with 4 Any Day tickets to Holiday World, two nights in a Holiday Cottage at Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph, and Starry merch!


There are SO many chances to win!

Dozens will win a free pair of tickets and thousands more will receive an exclusive ticket discount.

Only the fastest will win the top prizes, but the catch is you don’t know when these prizes will go up for grabs.

Now is the time to sign up!

Want a better chance at winning the vacation for your family? Share with your friends, get them to participate, and we’ll give you a heads-up so you’ll know ahead of time when these prizes go live.

Are you ready to enter? You can sign up to get started.

If you have questions about the sweepstakes, keep reading.

How do these sweepstakes work?

Sign up to enter and start sharing the sweepstakes! The more your friends and family enter, the earlier you’ll find out what time our grand prize will be up for grabs!

The fastest to click once the Grand Prize is live will win. The next 25 will win a pair of Holiday World tickets. Thousands more will receive a promo code for an exclusive ticket discount.

What does a “heads up” mean?

Your “heads up” is how early you’ll be notified that our top prize is about to be available. You can build your “heads up” by getting friends and family to share the sweepstakes.

What time will the top prize be available to win?

That’s the secret. We can’t say.

Build your “heads up” to be one of the first to know when you can claim the Grand Prize. You can choose to be notified by text or email when you sign up.

Be the fastest and win the biggest prize!

Podcast: Season 5, Episode 1: The One with the Commons Ground

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Click here to listen and subscribe to The Official Holiday World Podcast.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to take our survey!

We already implemented some of the great feedback by sharing interviews from our team. 
Listen to the podcast here or anywhere that podcasts are found:

First, we had Andrew B. our Director of Projects and Planning and Lauren C. who makes 
many of the design and color choices for our buildings and are part of the “Pretty Committee”. 

They share about their new process of how they worked together to create a building that is both functional and
welcoming for our Team Members to call home for the summer. 

Here are some updated photos of their progress:

Next up we had Shelley B. our Director of Human Resources chat with Leah about the operational impact
that Compass Commons will have on our company, upcoming hiring events, and what’s new for our 
Team Members in 2023!

Here is our beautiful new hiring website where you can learn about seasonal and full-time opportunities: https://www.holidayworld.com/jobs/
Those who’ve applied may be part of our virtual hiring events on Friday, February 24, 3:30-7:30 pm and Saturday,  February 25, 8am-4 pm. 

Below we have Cooper celebrating his second birthday, notice that Matt E. didn’t jump
in the birthday boy’s photo!

What did you think of our new game and format?
Share your feedback, reach out here:
Email us: podcast@holidayworld.com
Leave a voicemail: Phone (812)-937-4401 Ext. 8081
Reach out on social media: @holidayworld using #HoWoPo

Subscribe Links:

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Sweepstakes: Countdown to Opening Day!

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Summer is just around the corner, and we’re only a short couple of days until we open for the season.

In anticipation of the upcoming fun, we’re giving away six tickets to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, as well as two overnights in a Rudolph’s Christmas Cabin at Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph, (valid April 29 – June 23, 2022 ONLY). 

Sweepstakes is open until 7pm Central Time on Sunday, May 15, 2022.

But first, 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, Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph, 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 and tweeting about this contest. You can also follow us on Pinterest, and visit us on our Facebook page.
  • 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). Tickets to Holiday World must be picked up at Holiday World.
  • If you win our Countdown to Opening Day Sweepstakes, 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 cottage will be available: April 29 – June 23, 2022 ONLY.

 

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2023 Extra Passholder Deals & Discounts

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Mammoth | The World's Longest Water Coaster

With just a few weeks until we open for the 2023 season, things couldn’t look brighter.

And we’re not just saying that because Holidays in the Sky will light up the sky above the Holiday World skyline nightly from June 17 to July 30.
In 2023, 400 drones will take to the sky over the German American Bank Plaza. Each show will end with a firework finale!

Our Passholders are invited to visit the park early again this season, with an exclusive Platinum Passholder date on Saturday, May 6, and a Passholder day for all Season Pass types on Sunday, May 7.

Platinum Passholders also get the first opportunity to see Holidays in the Sky with a preview night on Friday, June 16!

In addition to all the great perks that a Season Pass entitles you to all season long, we’ve loaded a few extra perks onto your Pass that can be used once in 2023. Each Season Passholder and Platinum Season Passholder can take advantage of these.

Extra Passholder Deals & Discounts Include:

  • $1 Off Deep Fried Oreos at Funnel Cake Factory or Christmas Cupboard
  • $1 Off a Float at Sweet Stuff
  • 10 Balls for $5 at Milk Cans
  • $7 “Fedora Full o’ Rings” at The Raven’s Ring Toss
  • 5 Balls for $3 at Wacky Cats

*Item subject to change based on availability.

To claim each deal, just mention it to the cashier and present your Season Pass to be scanned.

Each deal is available once for each Passholder this year.

And don’t forget about our Daily Deals that are available each day that we’re open during the season. The discounts on those apply automatically! Plus, Platinum Passholders get a monthly $1 Deal Foods Special.

If you haven’t purchased a 2023 Season Pass, don’t wait. You can see the full list of Passholder benefits for each Pass type now to see which one is best for you. If you already have your Pass and want to upgrade, you can do so for $30 for each level. Passes can be upgraded at the park by visiting Guest Relations or by calling 1-800-467-2682.

Plus, join the Holiday World community online. We have two Facebook groups: our Official Season Passholder Group and our Holiday World Fan Group.

Subscribe to our Season Pass Insider Newsletter

And be sure to sign up for our Season Pass Insider Newsletter if you haven’t already:
Email*
 

We look forward to seeing you all back in the park this season!

These deals are available once per passholder per season and are subject to change. We’ll keep this post updated with any permanent changes to these offers.

We need your votes!

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Two young girls giving Holidog a kiss

It’s time to vote for America’s First Theme Park!USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards logo

USA Today has launched its “Readers’ Choice” campaign and we’re thrilled to be nominated in three categories:

Best Theme Park: Holiday World

Best Outdoor Water Park: Splashin’ Safari

Best Rollercoaster: The Voyage

If you’d like Holiday World, Splashin’ Safari, and The Voyage to take top honors, please click on each link, above, and click “Vote.”

USA Today’s travel experts chose twenty parks or attractions were chosen in contests covering food, lodging, destinations, and more.
There’s no need to sign up or create an account, all it takes is one click for each vote!

We’ll try to remind you through our social channels, but we’ll keep this page available if you
want to save it in your tabs.

Thank you for voting!

 

Podcast: Season 4, Episode 3 – The One With Goodbye Nell, Part 1

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You could say that drones were on the brain during Episode 3 of our 4th Season,
but before we jump to that, as the title implies, we are saying “see you later” to Nell.

Nell has been our Museum Director, podcast regular, our town historian and SO MUCH MORE.
We will miss having her on her team, but we are so excited for her family and their next chapter. 

 

As promised here are the videos we mention in the episode!
First off, we are very excited that Holidays in the Sky will be premiering in the park from June 18-July 31!

You can watch the video below or click here to learn more!

 

The firework and drone show brought up memories from Holiday Worlds’ very early 
years in drone photography. Like the time Eric attempted to add drone footage to the Ice Bucket Challenge video.

Next, we move on to Matt B’s drone footage contribution!

It’s safe to say we’ll leave the high-power drone action to the professionals like Stephen
and our friends at Coasting Thunder! We brag about them in the podcast episode, 
but you have to check out the incredible footage they captured in the Fall of 2021!

 

Have something to share with us or feedback, reach out here:
Email us: podcast@holidayworld.com
Leave a voicemail: Phone (812)-937-4401 Ext. 8081
Reach out on social media: @holidayworld using #HoWoPo

Subscribe Links:

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Sweepstakes: Last Splash Family Getaway

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As schools start back up, it may feel like summer is coming to an end, but we’re not finished yet! Splashin’ Safari’s last scheduled day for the season is September 19, and there’s still tons of fun waiting for families with Kids World weekends August 21-September 19 and Happy Halloween Weekends September 25-October 31. 

And next door to us, Lake Rudolph has a cabin ready for one lucky family during their first Halloween Weekend: September 17-18. 

Three young girls making silly faces on Liberty Launch

Here’s what you’ll win:

  • Four tickets to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in 2021 [ARV $220]
  • Two overnights in a Holiday Cottage* at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort [ARV $428] Valid September 17-18 ONLY

But first, please read through these instructions and rules:

  • You must be at least 21 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 tweeting about this contest. You can also follow us on Pinterest, and visit us on our Facebook page. (We’d love it if you’d leave us a Facebook Recommendation while you’re there!)
  • If you win our Last Splash Sweepstakes, please note you must be at least 21 to phone in your two-night Holiday Cottage reservation at Lake Rudolph. *Here are the dates the cottage will be available: September 17-18, 2021 ONLY.
  • 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). Tickets to Holiday World must be picked up at Holiday World. 

Ready to enter?

Be sure to enter by Friday September 3, at 10:00am CDT, when we’ll choose a winner at random.

Good luck to all!
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Podcast: Season 3, Episode 15: The One With the Amusing Historian

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Young girl posing while Kitty Claws is in the background

In honor of our 75th, it’s time for a REAL historian.

Enjoy our interview with IAAPA historian Jim Futrell about the early days of Santa Claus Land.

Stick around, because he answers who America’s First Theme Park really is,
and grab your calendar because we’ve got some holidays for you.

Do you have a favorite holiday this month?
Roller Coaster day and black cat appreciation rank pretty highly for us!

Young girl posing while Kitty Claws is in the background

 

 

We hope you enjoy the podcast and love it when you share your memories with us on social media!
Be sure to tag Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube posts.

We LOVE to hear back from our podcast listeners, you can submit questions and feedback in the following ways:
Email us: podcast@holidayworld.com
Leave a voicemail: Phone (812)-937-4401 Ext. 8081
Reach out on social media: @holidayworld using #HoWoPo

Subscribe to the HoWoPo from any of these Links:

Is it national irony day yet?

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National Water Coaster Day

Warning: This blog post contains some inside jokes from The Official Holiday World Podcast. I’ll do my best to explain, but I make no promises. 

Hi, I’m Director of Communications and Fourth-Generation Owner Leah Koch. I have previously taken strong stances on silly or made-up holidays, and I still stand by that. There are too many overly-specific days dedicated to cats and dogs. 

And I’m here to confess that I created a holiday.National Water Coaster Day

Actually technically I’ve done it twice before today. When “Make up Your Own Holiday Day” came up early in the podcast, I declared that my made-up holiday would be “National Remove a Holiday Day.” The year after, I declared it would be “National Consolidate Holidays Day.” 

But today isn’t “Make up Your Own Holiday Day” and I declared a silly holiday: National Water Coaster Day. 

Here’s the backstory: 

Right after we announced Cheetah Chase, and that adding the new attraction would make us the Water Coaster Capital of the World, I started trying to think of something fun we could do to celebrate that. 

When the idea of creating a holiday for water coasters hit me, I was filled with immediate joy and dread. I went to tell our creative team about the idea… praying they would tell me it wasn’t worth our time, or that it was just flat-out bad. 

Instead, they LOVED it. 

So it was determined that the first-ever National Water Coaster Day would be sometime in 2020. And those plans quickly changed last year, so I gleefully declared National Water Coaster Day wouldn’t happen last year.

But it came back up this spring. And I ran out of reasons not to declare it. And Wildebeest was going to hit 1,000,000 cycles. 

Look. Nobody dislikes me for creating this holiday more than I.

Today, we celebrated Wildebeest’s millionth boat, and I was there to announce National Water Coaster Day. 

And it was a little bit fun.

We took photos with the family on the millionth boat, gave them small signs to remember the day, and gave them Quick Access Passes to skip the line at more water coasters throughout the day. And it just so happened to be Carter’s birthday–which made it even more special. I had a GREAT TIME making a big event out of something small.

Maybe I’ll keep my mouth shut next year on “Make up Your Own Holiday Day.” 

In the meantime, Happy National Water Coaster Day!