The first train for Thunderbird is now here! Car by car, they were lifted into Thunderbird’s Maintenance Building. At four seats per car, this train is huge! And yes, Thunderbird’s trains include what coaster enthusiasts refer to as “big boy” seats. So if you’re built a little like Santa, you’ll be happy to know the middle row of each train will include four seats which offer more room for the big-and-tall among us. Here’s a look at what we got for Christmas (a little bit early) – including our two front seats! Thunderbird opens April 25 – Merry Christmas to…

Well, you figured it out, didn’t you? We moved Sparkler this week from 4th of July to Thanksgiving and re-named it Crow’s Nest. Before we move any further with this, we’re not talking about a physical nest where Mama Crow lays her eggs. No. We’re speaking in nautical terms. See that bucket-looking gold-rimmed brown cone beneath Crow’s Nest’s flag? That’s a crow’s nest. It’s a lookout point near the top of the main mast of a ship. And lookout! What a view! Since we revealed Sparkler’s move, we’ve been asked a number of questions. So here’s a Crow’s Nest FAQ:…

If you are one of the rabid fans who counted down the days with us before we announced Thunderbird in late July, you’ll either laugh – or more likely grit your teeth – when you read the subject line of this post. We. Just. Can’t. Help. Ourselves. In last week’s edition of the Hard Hat Chronicles, Leah let slip that we have at least two more surprises concerning the Thunderbird ride experience. She mentioned that we’re taking an existing ride in the park and moving it close by to Thunderbird’s launchpad. You know, here: Regarding the existing ride, it will…

As a rule, I don’t do mushy. Especially not in front of others. And especially not while blogging. It’s like I always say, “Friends don’t let friends blog and get sentimental.” Okay, I’m kidding. I think we all know I’ve had a few sappy blog posts. So, what’s one more mushy story? Let me set the scene for you: Yesterday we placed the final piece of track for our new Thunderbird steel roller coaster. (Fun Fact: yesterday was also the one-year HoliVersary of James, our VP of Development & Maintenance. We think he intentionally scheduled that one.) James did his…

There’s no denying, Thunderbird is getting a lot of love and attention this fall. It’s the new coaster on the block, and there’s lots of interest in how construction is coming along. (Spoiler alert: it’s coming along really, really well – stay tuned for more next week. Maybe even watch the Thunderbird ConstructionCams. On Monday.) And so, the “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” wail from Jan Brady echoes in my head. Keeping in mind that we’re already planning two more Hard Hat Chronicles in the next two weeks – both about Thunderbird – we just had to first turn our attention (and…

Deanna from 14News in Evansville is an early riser. She sort of has to be; it’s her job. We met up with VP James at 5am to check out what goes on here during the off-season. First in the Maintenance Shop … Our Turkey Whirl turkey sure looks happy to be on camera. Or maybe just to be inside and warm. (We had snow flurries last night. Already!) Next we stopped by our Paint Shop … How’s this for a unique setting? Deanna is swimming with the seahorses: At long last, the sun came up and we headed down the…

We just finished up two hours of “live shots” with Deanna from WFIE-TV and boy, is it cold out there today! After a look inside our Maintenance Shop and then the Paint Shop, the sun came up and we visited the Thunderbird construction site. Anyone who works outdoors for a living has my undying respect and admiration. This gentleman is cutting rebar for the Thunderbird Pepsi Oasis building. God bless construction workers everywhere. Stay safe and stay warm. pic.twitter.com/zSnVBhx2aO — Holiday World (@HolidayWorld) November 14, 2014 As my fingers slowly thaw and that cup of coffee does its magic (sorry…

We’ve heard many comments about how fast Thunderbird construction is coming along. How fast? This fast: Watch us create Thunderbird’s “elevated horseshoe” in this timelapse #video. #holidayworld A video posted by Holiday World (@holidayworld) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:13pm PST

Well here’s a different view of Thunderbird: These photos were taken by our Paint Shop Manager. He and Joe were up in a 150′ manlift yesterday morning. Painting. That’s right. Here’s why: After Thunderbird track pieces are joined and bolted together, the next step is to smooth that area so that the transition from one track piece to the next won’t be felt by riders. Once the steel is nice and smooth it’s time for a paint touch-up; and that’s where our paint shop enters the picture. They painted Thunderbird’s highest spot yesterday – at the top of the Immelmann…

We’ve received a number of emails from VTPs. That would be Very Tall People. These VTPs really want to ride Thunderbird and are wondering about height limits. Oh, and we’re hearing from the other end of the scale, too: How tall does my child have to be to ride Thunderbird? Before we reveal those numbers, here’s a look of the two managers who will supervise our Thunderbird crew. Meet our Theme Park Attractions Managers: My goodness, Andy is quite tall, is he not? Or is Lori quite untall? Well, both will be able to ride Thunderbird in the spring. As…