Raven Maven

I should have cropped it before posting. Was still bleary-eyed from the long announcement day and didn't scrutinize the way I usually would.

Momentarily.

^ Track delivery at 8am CDT tomorrow (Monday). Some will be viewable from the ConstructionCam.

I told the Club TPR group this morning that was part of our theming for Thunderbird.

Thank you for your kind words. Here's a good life-lesson from Captain Jones of the Mayflower. When the winds blew furiously, he would reef the sails. That would keep the harshness of the storm from capsizing the ship. On another topic ... I wanted to share that last night as the animation played and Thunderbird's orange track appeared for the first time, the 1,000+ in attendance let out a giant roar. "That's it!" I shouted to whoever would listen. "It's the 'B&M roar' I've read about - that was the B&M roar!" Okay, so no one knew what I was so excited about - they knew I'd had very little sleep and just sort of nodded and half smiled, then turned away. Look what you've done to me, TPR!

About the legend? You know we made it up, right? (Although researching history is always a good thing, so don't stop looking on my account.) I enjoyed the heck out of researching the Pilgrims' experience on board Mayflower. It was harrowing and Thanksgiving will never, ever mean the same to me. The challenge of the Thanksgiving holiday is that architecture of the time is just not pretty, interesting, or exciting. So we didn't stay in 1620. If you remember back on May 15, we hosted a free day for coaster enthusiasts. During our Voyage walkback, a little boy noticed an old wooden box poking out of the dirt near an access road. We dug it out, opened it, and found an old diary. That diary was the journal kept by our 66 Days at Sea mother back in 1620. It was preserved for generations by her descendants, one of whom eventually settled in southern Indiana, circa 1820. The farmer reaped the rewards of bountiful crops some seasons but also suffered the results of extreme weather, including lightning strikes to his barn and outbuildings and strong winds knocking over corn, wheat and other grain crops, rendering them nothing more than cattle feed. This farmer knew well his family's stories of a shadowy creature of the skies. Although skeptical at first, he sensed this moody creature was somehow connected with his ancestor's journal and in his old age buried it in the earth to protect future generations from the unbridled energy of this Thunderbird. When we opened that wooden box on May 15, Thunderbird's powers were again unleashed. Those photos posted on Day 65 and Day 66? They were taken by different staff members this summer. Thunderbird is back.

Yes, we sure do: Police, Fire & EMS Discount As a special thank you to police, firefighters and EMS, we’re offering a discounted ticket price all season long. Simply show your official i.d. at the ticket booth and save $5 off the price of General Admission tickets (save $2 off Guests-under-54” and Senior tickets). If you arrive after 3pm CDT, the savings are $11 for General Admission and $7 for Guests-under-54″/Seniors (60+). This discount applies to up to four tickets per visit.

To clarify, I did not say "anal." Out loud, anyway. And while we're on the subject, for those who thought Oceanus would be a good name, I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was on my list of favorites for when we were naming Voyage. It was only during this naming process that VP Eric pointed out that, well, there might be those who would pronounce the name with emphasis on the last two syllables. I was crestfallen. (Crestfallen that I hadn't caught that - I usually delight in shocking the younger members of our staff by "Oh, but that rhymes with ." Sigh.

"They?" Who's "they"?

Yes, but at least we won't get as hungry in the afternoon ...

On behalf of the Kochs, Matt, our VPs, and every last one of us here at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, THANK YOU for the incredible fun over these 66 days! Your enthusiasm, knowledge, creativity and snark drove us to be even more determined to keep the secret until Day 67. And so we have. ... unless, that is, someone has broken into the trunk of my car, where the press kits now reside. I'd better go. Just be sure to logon to http://HolidayWorld2015.com at 8pm CDT (9pm EDT) to catch our little tribute to all of your efforts. Oh, and only a few of you annoyed me. Enjoy the announcement! Paula

^ Nope. No leaks in our Mayflower. Must have been someone in town - there are a few enthusiasts (who don't work here) who like to squeal to Lance. Here's a hot-off-the-press article from this afternoon's Hard Hat Tour for reporters: http://www.courierpress.com/news/local-news/big-brother-is-watching-but-giving-up-no-details-of-holiday-world-secret_68029259

If you're worried about the servers holding up tomorrow evening, don't miss this HoliBlog post: http://www.holidayworld.com/holiblog/2014/07/23/servers-dont-fail-us-now/ Our guy has everything taken care of ... The streaming starts at 8:15pm CDT with some interactive polling. The announcement is at 8:30pm. That's when ... wait for it ... our ship hits the fans. Here's the link: http://HolidayWorld2015.com A post-announcement podcast with a 66 Days-recap will start at 9:15pm CDT on CoasterRadio.com - send them all your questions about the various hints. There are a couple no one caught, believe it or not! Thanks for all the fun the past 66 days.

^ And we presented the cleaned-up version. Really, it must have been dreadful ... and really, really stinky!

Yes, we'll have corn mazes again this year for Happy Halloween Weekends. With a really cool design ...

^ VP Eric sent that screen grab to VP James last night, teasing him for "making such a mess." We like to tease a lot around here.

You're located in the Evansville area, correct? If so, check the business section of today's local paper. We dropped an important fact for the first time. Just for you.

Be sure to watch the animation carefully. When it's released on Thursday, that is ...

^ I see you've discovered my new office.

^ I grew up in the '60s with three brothers. I have a feeling this disturbing behavior began long ago ...

^ Isn't it amazing what I can talk those guys into doing? Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

A few weeks ago, I started timing each post to publish about 20 minutes later than the day before. So try not to fret ... it's all part of my evil plan.

Nope. And I probably need to stop answering this question, just in case someone does figure it out. You've caught a few of my clues, though. Eight more days!

Thanks! Please be sure to check our FAQ page: http://www.holidayworld.com/help-information/faqs/ and "Why Holiday World?" http://www.holidayworld.com/park-tickets/why-holiday-world/ on our website. Have a fun visit with us!

^ Nope. No one's caught the clue yet. Did you see CoasterRadio is planning a live re-cap of the 66 Days At Sea hints about a half hour after the announcement next Thursday? Be sure to submit any questions you might have to them ... Meanwhile, we will stream the announcement on our website - and you're all invited! (If you're at the park that day, you're welcome to stay for the announcement - down by Hyena Falls.) We'll get started with the pre-announcement at about 8:15pm CDT. Thanks for all the compliments. I'll be sure to tell Tony he's a big ol' #2.