So yes, the dates are correct. I know usually you don’t need two days at Holiday World but we had a little trip planned for Santa Claus, IN and decided to just go ahead and buy the flex day package and we were lucky we did. Originally we were going to get into town and do the local shops on Saturday the 24th. If you didn’t know they have a few Christmas shops that are worth checking out. The Chirstmas Shoppe, Santa’s Candy Castle and the Santa Claus Museum are all definitely worth your time, especially if you are travelling with children. All of those are located within a mile of the park and can be hit up if you plan correctly. So as the weekend approached there was the threat of severe weather on Sunday so we decided to do the Park Saturday and Monday.
Saturday was kind of a cluster. We arrived at the park at about 11:15 am an hour after it had opened. A very long line to get in which also ended up with an even longer line at our first pick The Voyage. We waited two hours to get on. Was it worth it? Hell yes. I am inexperienced compared to most but I have had a few rides on The Beast at Kings Island and really was looking forward to this. I went in pretty much blind. I didn’t read about the ride or watch any POV. It was fantastic. Those hard banks came as a surprise and boy was I glad I went in blind. Amazing coaster, I got in two rides that day as the lines were just so, so long. After my first ride we decided to go to Thunderbird. Closed. So then we went to The Legend. Closed. Then the Raven. Closed. So the rest of the day we rode the log ride and just kinda played around. Major bummer for 3 of the 4 coasters to be down. I had read the Raven was down at different times so I expected that but I didn’t expect the others to be down as well. Luckily since they were in such a bad way Holiday World enacted the “90 minute shutdown replay”….or whatever it’s called, I am misremembering. In short, we can redeem this day any day we wish.
Sunday we went around town and did the shops I spoke about before. If you love Christmas, make some time for this. You maybe need half a day max but it was a really nice change of pace. Santa Claus, IN is a quaint town. There is not much else besides the parks and those Christmas shops. So be aware there are no late night food options and really by late night I mean anything after 9pm. So plan ahead.
Monday the 26th we went back and we directly to The Legend. We arrive a little after 12 and I was surpsied to see a line. Like an hour long line, so we decided to just go to the water park and hit what we could then do the coasters in the afternoon. We rode Zoombabewa, Jungle Racer, Wildebeast and then Mammtoth. Zoom and Jungle Racer was fine, they are fun. Wildebeast was an absolute thrill and would ride it again. Mammoth was REALLY fun…..until I took one of the drops in the front and messed up that stack of dimes I call a neck kinda bad. I felt and heard a crunch. I am 39 and have some neck issues already and am currently dealing with a partial torn rotator cuff and bicep tendon so regardless to say I am still in pain today as I write this. Major bummer. My ride stopped there and I never got to take on The Raven, The Legend and Thunderbird. Regardless, It was a great trip and I could say that because of The Voyage alone. It’s only two hours away from me so maybe I can still cash in on that rain day but with a very likely surgery upcoming for my bicep tear that may need to wait until next year.
Overall impressions of the park are good sans the rides being down. Lots of staff, very friendly. They were handing out water left and right saturday as it was above 90 degrees. The park is wildly clean. I would literally just kinda stop in my tracks at some points and think “This is a damn clean place.” Trash cans are literally about every 10 feet in the park. The free soft drinks is such a great value as well. This saves families so much and I commend HW for this. Also free parking was great. The park food is not great, so between that and what the town has to offer….plan for food. Please plan for food. This was my first trip to Holiday World since I was a very small child, some time in the 80’s. it won’t be my last, but if I ever do two days again, i will probably stay in a different place that Santa Claus itself.