As another calendar year comes to a close, let’s reminisce about our top Facebook videos from 2018: A Pre-Season Flight With 100 days until opening, we launched Thunderbird and streamed the video live for fans. This pre-season launch served to swap the two trains, which were midway through off-season maintenance. Read more in this HoliBlog post. By…
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“Yep, he’s real!” is a phrase we hear pretty often here in the town of Santa Claus. And today, hundreds of thousands of YouTubers are hearing it as well, from Rhett & Link. At the very end of this Good Mythical Morning episode, our very own Santa statue gets a cameo: The rest of the…
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For the last podcast episode of 2018, Lori Koch (Lauren and Leah’s mom) joined us as we delved into the history of the town of Santa Claus: A visit from The Today Show last weekend resulted in a wonderful feature story that aired this week. Here’s that link to the Santa Claus Visitors Bureau,…
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The other morning, when the frost was on the pumpkin-colored coaster, Stephen and Josh bundled up first thing and took some gorgeous photos. Including this panoramic view: I remember standing in the doorway that connects our three offices and asking: How can we possibly use this photo? It is so lovely. Breathtaking, even. But so ……
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As Christmas fast approaches, we pause to celebrate the season of Claus. Last Friday’s full-time staff breakfast was the celebration of a job well done. Our HR Team even rewrote and recited this Christmas poem to those gathered: ‘Twas the Night before break and all through the park Our teams were scurrying, not losing their…
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It probably comes as no surprise to hear that our town gets a lot of attention this time of year. Over the weekend, a crew from The Today Show paid a visit. Their holly-jolly feature aired this morning: And yes, that’s our marketing director, Ashley, interviewed mid-way through: … plus a lovely scene with the Santa’s…
Read More » When Jack Frost visits, he doesn’t just decorate the windows. He goes a little crazy out in the park. We hope you enjoy these springlike photos, taken by Josh and Stephen on this chilly morn. Is that frost … or cotton candy? Mammoth seems to enjoy the return to the Ice Age. The sun soon…
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Mike Johannes has certainly never been thought of as a retiring sort of person. But after 26 years with us, it seems our Director of Sales is heading off to make some new adventures. We invited Mike to join us for this podcast episode, and he brought with him tales of golfing with Santa, chasing escaped…
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Demolition work is underway in preparation for the new Santa’s Merry Marketplace. As fast-paced as this work is, we occasionally pause. That’s Tom, who’s our Carpenter & Facilities Manager, proudly holding a piece of wood. That’s a two-by-four, right? Whatever the measure, it’s a piece of history. #HoWoHistory Because, like all great artists, Tom likes…
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“Absorbant and yellow and porous is he” has to be one of the best cartoon theme-song lines ever written. It was so sad to hear that SpongeBob SquarePants’ creator passed away yesterday. Stephen Hillenburg was just 57. Thinking of SpongeBob took me back to the summer of 2002, when a plush version of the gap-toothed…
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The first snowstorm of the season has come and gone – and it’s only November 15! Our pal Marcus Leshock found a way to warm our hearts, though, by posting this YouTube video. It’s from when he visited this summer on assignment with WGN-TV in Chicago: Be sure to un-mute the video … ’cause Marcus is a…
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And to think some people assume we just monkey around during the off-season … What does it take to get voted the #1 Cleanest Park in the World a full 19 years in a row? This sort of attention to detail: Anthony and his crew are spiffing up the bucket from Kima Bay, which includes…
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Did you know that this Veterans Day marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War? Tragically, the phrase “the war to end all wars” did not prove to be correct. And as we all wish, hope, and pray for peace, let us also take a moment to thank those who serve…
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Matt and I flew solo this episode, and were delighted to reveal the movie theme chosen for next year’s HoliWood Nights: As construction begins on Santa’s Merry Marketplace, Matt gets evicted. Here are the “before” photos: Check out how it looks now: Take a gander at how it’ll look when you visit next season:…
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It’s pretty impossible not to pay attention to a tweet like this: My freaking 74 year old grandma, who hasn’t rode a roller coaster in 50 years, decided that she was going to ride the voyage today at @HolidayWorld & she did & loved every second of it! ?? — Allie Alderson (@AllieAlderson21) October 22, 2018…
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