Holiday World (HW) Discussion Thread

[aaron88stang]

If you are looking for somewhere outside of Holiday World to eat in the area, Venture north about 30 minutes to Jasper and go to Schnitzelbank. They have some great German food.

[thrillrider]

If you are looking for somewhere outside of Holiday World to eat in the area, Venture north about 30 minutes to Jasper and go to Schnitzelbank. They have some great German food.

 

I will have to remember this for our next visit. I love German food, and there are not many German restaurant's around.

 

Btw....I believe there is a subway restaurant about a block away from the park.

[Koasterking48]

If you are looking for somewhere outside of Holiday World to eat in the area, Venture north about 30 minutes to Jasper and go to Schnitzelbank. They have some great German food.

 

I will have to remember this for our next visit. I love German food, and there are not many German restaurant's around.

 

Btw....I believe there is a subway restaurant about a block away from the park.

Yes there is, also, there is a Wendy's, McDonalds, and Denny's I believe just 5-10 min from the park next to the I-64/162 junction. Evansville is about 45 minutes west of the park with a lot more food options. Schnitzelbank is a favorite for locals in Jasper, although I have only ate there a few times.

It's official! I'll be traveling from NYC to the midwest to visit Holiday World and Six Flags St. Louis in July. Never been to this part of the country and I'm psyched. I'm most curious about food.

 

(1) Any can't miss food items in the park? I'm intrigued by Fried Reeses Peanut Butter Cups at "Funnel Cake Factory". What about for meals though?

 

(2) Good places to eat surrounding the park or is everything good in the park?

 

(3) Anything worthwhile food-wise (e.g. good BBQ) on trip between Indiana and St. Louis?

1) Fried Oreos and Reese peanut butter cups are classic choices. I personally favor the funnel cakes and blue ice cream.

2) As stated earlier, The Smokehouse and Plymouth Rock Cafe are great choices. Other good ones are The Alamo, Kringle Cafe, Jungle Jake's, and Wildebeestro.

3) Answered above

 

Enjoy your visit!

[markysharky17]

Is the drive from Cincinnati to Holiday World bad? I'm thinking about adding it to my summer kings island and cedar point trip. And also what order should I hit these parks? I'm coming from Florida.

[HWLover]

Re: Holiday World (HW) Discussion Thread

I'm not sure about the drive from Louisville to Cincy, I think it is like 2 hours. If you are coming from Florida, once you get into Nashville take 24 up and then get on I 69 to pennyrile parkway up to Evansville, then get on 64. it is not far from HW, and then goes into Louisville. If it was any way possible you should also hit up Dollywood , but that may get too far out of the way.

[anonymouscactus]

First, here is the video I filmed at Holiwood Nights 2015!!

 

 

OUR FIRST NIGHT...

 

WATUBEE

Gave a pretty good ride. They had a tough time at the top pushing all 4 of us down in one raft. I apologize to the staff for being so large. She says it's OK [with a smile!]. This was just the start of the craziness that would be the rest of the night.

 

ZOOMBABWE

An enclosed family raft ride. It was like a crazy time warp tunnel. Crazy intense. Flying up the sides just wanting to throw us off the raft. Things were flying by on the walls like the crazy boat ride in Willy Wonka. We all walk off dizzy and wonder what the hell just happened. I have never felt so disoriented after a ride before, let alone a waterslide.

 

ZINGA

A tornado slide. My girlfriend hits the tornado backwards and she felt pure terror as she almost flips off. (or feels like it, anyways)

 

We take a break on the lazy river to amend the pains of all the stairs.

 

Next we go to the picnic grove as we wait for ERT to start in the water park for the water coasters. 'Back to the Future' references are everywhere (the theme was Track to the Future). The dance scene banner. Our itinerary sheet in reference to the sports almanac. Holidog is dressed up as Marty McFly. Music from the movie is playing throughout the park and on the water coaster lift hills.

 

They surprise us with an array of food that left us in a haze. Boneless wings. Pretzel bites. Sliders. Mashed potatoes. Chips and salsa and guacamole, and other snacks. All on the beach of the wave pool.

 

MAMMOTH

The first water coaster (no stairs!) we tackle is Mammoth and it was absolutely insane. Magnetic launches take you up a series of 6+ hills. We laughed and screamed the entire time. The water falls and surprise tunnels cover you in water. You get airtime over the hills. Such a fun ride, though it was a bit freezing. We try to warm up in the wave pool and have an awesome time crashing against the waves in the perfect spot.

 

WILDEBEEST

Next up was the water coaster Wildebeest (no stairs!). More insanity and so much fun. More airtime on a waterslide and more magnetic launches. We ride twice and go back to Mammoth for a night ride. We wonder what the hell just happened in the darkness of the tunnels where we get pumbled with water seemingly out of nowhere. Simply the best water slides in the world.

 

Now it was time to tackle the coasters.... all in the dark. My girlfriend hasn't been on any of the 4 coasters yet. She had no idea what she was getting into.

 

RAVEN

Raven at night was pure bliss. I hear my girlfriend make screams and sounds i have never heard before. The lateral Gs whip us around like ragdolls. The airtime in the dark catches us offguard. I was impressed with our backseat ride and we are all breathless on the brake run.

 

 

LEGEND

Legend was next. Has never been my favorite coaster, as the ride whips you sideways out of your seat and take you through several tunnels. Intense, but somewhat uncomfortable for me due to the side to side jarring. I still enjoyed it. Another back seat ride.

 

VOYAGE

Now it was time for the Voyage, the third wooden coaster. Insanity. Not nearly as rough as I remember last time. I've been on this so many times and it still always catches me off guard. I love this thing and I still think it's the most intense coaster I've EVER been on. My girlfriend says that Raven took her more by surprise, probably since it was her first coaster ride and they are all insane.

 

THUNDERBIRD

Now the long hike to Thunderbird, a launched Wing Coaster. The station on this guy is themed beautifully. The rumble of the thunder and the launch set off ALL the lights to flicker in the queue and station. We start in the back seat. The launch is great. The zero-g roll is amazing and feels like it lasts for two rolls. The sense of soaring like a bird is definitely felt. I thought it was a pretty fun ride, but didn't blow me away. Now we take the front seat and everything changes. The launch through the fog is great. There is a greater sense of speed in the front. Much like Dragster I feel like this is a front seat ride for sure. FRONT LEFT!

 

We circle back to Voyage for a front seat ride and while it was obviously forceful it is a bit gentler in the front. Still an awesome ride. Lastly we head to Raven for the last ride of the day in the front seat. Great ride as always but I will always prefer the back. Our first night was absolutely amazing. Even the water park ERT alone was worth the 9 hour drive. The rest was just an awesome awesome bonus.

 

Day 2: Tired, hurting, walkback, tired, hurting, more fun, hurting, dead, want to go back for more

 

SUGGESTION:

I think next year they should create the "TURKEY TAXI" which is a golf cart that takes guests from Raven to Thunderbird. It costs $10-20 to ride but benefits go to charity. They could even put a giant turkey on top! They would raise an amazing amount of money from me alone the walks can be brutal!

 

IN SUMMARY...

The park was awesome. Fantastic staff, fantastic food, and fantastic event. My girlfriend said to me "this is the friendliest park I have ever been to" and I completely agree. Her favorite movie is BTTF and this was her first time to the park and she loved every little detail. Although I wasn't able to get a zillion rides in and I was battered and bruised (in a good way), it is an event I will always enjoy. A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

[kyleparks77]

^ excellent report. Provides a lot of unique perspectives.

 

I think your suggestion about a "Turkey Taxi" just further points to the need for a transportation ride (I.e. Train). While I personally don't feel the walk is unbearable, I can understand how it can be difficult for other people or families with kids and a stroller and bags and so on. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I DO NOT think there should be another entrance added as it will take away from the classic feel of the Christmas entrance

[prozach626]

If you are looking for somewhere outside of Holiday World to eat in the area, Venture north about 30 minutes to Jasper and go to Schnitzelbank. They have some great German food.

 

I will have to remember this for our next visit. I love German food, and there are not many German restaurant's around.

 

Btw....I believe there is a subway restaurant about a block away from the park.

 

The German restaurant is great. We look forward to a couple cold German brews and some good food to break up the middle of the day. However... it will drive you somewhat nuts if you're fitness conscious like we are.

 

First, here is the video I filmed at Holiwood Nights 2015!!

 

THUNDERBIRD

Now the long hike to Thunderbird, a launched Wing Coaster. The station on this guy is themed beautifully. The rumble of the thunder and the launch set off ALL the lights to flicker in the queue and station. We start in the back seat. The launch is great. The zero-g roll is amazing and feels like it lasts for two rolls. The sense of soaring like a bird is definitely felt. I thought it was a pretty fun ride, but didn't blow me away. Now we take the front seat and everything changes. The launch through the fog is great. There is a greater sense of speed in the front. Much like Dragster I feel like this is a front seat ride for sure. FRONT LEFT!

 

I really enjoyed the video. Great shots/editing. Question about Thunderbird: I don't think anyone expected it to blow them away, but did you find it better or worse than expected? I'm just hoping for something at least slightly more inspiring than Wild Eagle and distinctly more exciting than X-Flight.

[nannerdw]

I was surprised by Thunderbird, especially the forcefulness of the launch, and the speed of the 0g roll.

 

Scenery: Thunderbird > Wild Eagle > X-Flight

(Though Wild Eagle still has the best view at the top of its lift, Thunderbird has the best interaction with the surrounding area.)

 

Comfort: Thunderbird > X-Flight > Wild Eagle

(The lap restraint is still way too tight and feels like it's stabbing into my hip socket, but at least the vest doesn't lock down.)

 

Pacing: Thunderbird > Wild Eagle > X-Flight

 

Intensity: Thunderbird > Wild Eagle > X-Flight

[anonymouscactus]

Question about Thunderbird: I don't think anyone expected it to blow them away, but did you find it better or worse than expected? I'm just hoping for something at least slightly more inspiring than Wild Eagle and distinctly more exciting than X-Flight.

 

The pacing in videos I saw, mainly after the loop, looked a little underwhelming but after riding it a few times it's definitely more exciting than Gatekeeper was from start to finish. There are parts of gatekeeper I really like, mainly the keyhole, but overall I think Thunderbird is a much bigger hit. I definitely felt front left was THE seat to be in. Your milage may vary. I have not been on any other wing coaster (does x2 count?) so I can't really compare, but I definitely prefer the launch over a lift hill

[Woodie Warrior]

Thunderbird is a great ride. It's loop is one of the most forceful I've been on, and the rest of the inversions provide lots of airtime and hang time. I personally like GateKeeper, but Thunderbird is far better. Better inversions, it's launch is awesome, there are some moments of airtime, and the themeing is a lot better. Like what others have said, front left is incredible.

[ZeroGravity55]

The launch is what makes the ride, imo. It's so much better than anyone ever could have imagined. As for the rest of the ride, the loop has some good positive g's, as do some of the valley's in between the elements. The overbanks accomplish what the whole wing rider concept is about, which is to make you feel as though you're riding on the wings of a plane or bird. The zero-G roll was good. I liked it a lot more in the left-outside backseat. You do get some airtime in the s-curve. It would be a lot better if the restraints were not so tight. Fly-through barn is a good near miss, as is the left side the second time through. I really loved the inline twist to finish the ride. It's taken at a slow enough speed that you get some really good hang-time, but fast enough that it isn't uncomfortable in those restraints. All in all, if you want forces, ride in the back. If you want to get the full experience of the launch, ride in the front.

 

It really is a great ride and a great addition to HW. The biggest think I took away from my 15+ rides last Monday is that the ride is just a lot of fun. I didn't have a single ride where I wasn't laughing, smiling, or just having a good time during the ride. The GP absolutely loves it. My friends thought it was the best thing they've ever ridden. If you follow HW on social media, much of the reaction is the same. I've had all my co-workers asking me about the ride. I've had a conversation about TB almost everyday this week with someone at work and I didn't even start the conversation about it! There is a lot of buzz right now and if weather stays hot, HW is in for a record season.

[markysharky17]

^ that sounds good. Gatekeeper didn't excite me that much but I hope this one will. And is the Voyage better then El Toro? From people's Opinions.

[Midgetman82]

I had mid to high expectations for Thunderbird before going into Holiwood Nights to try it for the first time, and it absolutely exceeded them! The launch and the elements were all quite forceful, and the roll at the end was super sweet! Every single seat gives a totally different experience (my favorite ended up being the back right, outside seat). Even though the ride isn't the fastest of all the wing-riders, the closeness of the trees give a MUCH better sensation of speed both on and off the ride. I'm a big fan of rides (and parks) with theming, so it was also great seeing how much theming was put into ride and the surrounding plaza it sits in.

 

Thunderbird sits somewhere within my top 15 favorite coasters. Having ridden both this and Gatekeeper, I feel comfortable jumping on the bandwagon with others in saying that I enjoyed Thunderbird much more (though, I do still think Gatekeeper is a fun coaster as well).

 

Also, those nights rides were almost unreal. Seeing it glow from off-ride as it flew past the trees made it look like a flying saucer was invading Voyage! After having 15 rides on it total, my mind still has a hard time believing it's at Holiday World. Coming to that area feels like stepping into a totally different park!

Some of you guys probably already saw this in the Holiwood Nights thread.

[RollerManic]

I'm collecting that Thunderbird is actually a FORCEFULL wingrider? And that the launch wasn't really a gimmick, but a great part of the experience? That's great!

[Midgetman82]

I'm collecting that Thunderbird is actually a FORCEFULL wingrider? And that the launch wasn't really a gimmick, but a great part of the experience? That's great!

Nothing to the likes of, say, Banshee. But the forces are very much present!

[neil009]

^ that sounds good. Gatekeeper didn't excite me that much but I hope this one will. And is the Voyage better then El Toro? From people's Opinions.

 

That depends completely on personal reference as they're both very different. Personally, with the way the Voyage is currently running, I would give El Toro the slight edge, but that's mostly because I prefer extreme forces. The power of El Toro's ejector airtime is very unique, if you go into the Voyage expecting forces like that, you'll be disappointed. However, Voyage is much, much longer, and instead of relying on only about four moments of extreme force like El Toro does, there's tons and tons of floater airtime all along the course, even where you'd least expect it. Both rides are very fast and "out of control", but Voyage feels much more like a traditional wooden coaster because that's what it is, so you get jostled around a lot more, and there's also tons of lateral forces to go with the airtime whereas El Toro has almost no laterals to speak of. Voyage also has looser restraints and a better setting (going through the woods), and lots of tunnels. In all you'd think I'd like Voyage more, but I simply didn't react to it emotionally as strongly as I do El Toro.

 

The other thing that has to be considered is the other rides at the park. El Toro is the only wooden coaster at SFGA, and the only coaster there that does what it does. The Voyage is competing against two other world-class wooden coasters that have a lot of the same great qualities that the Voyage does. This means it just doesn't stand out to quite the same degree that El Toro does, at least how it's running now.

 

I'm collecting that Thunderbird is actually a FORCEFULL wingrider? And that the launch wasn't really a gimmick, but a great part of the experience? That's great!

 

It's not as forceful as the old inverts, but the forces it does have are surprising and exciting because they're so unique. In the outer left seats going around the zero G roll, instead of getting pushed straight down into your seat like you are on an invert, you're pushed to the side due to the distance between yourself and the track. At nighttime this is extremely disorienting and because it leads straight into the next turn you can hardly tell when you're rightside-up again. It also feels much faster because of how closely you're cutting through the trees.

 

I only had two criticisms for Thunderbird: I was also not a fan of how tight the restraints are. I can't say whether I would've preferred the old style of restraints, but gosh darn it, why do they have to be so #$*&%*@ tight?? The other thing is the very obvious chainlink fence kind of upsets the visuals of flying through the barn, I guess because you come so close to it. It must be to keep animals away or something, but I really wish it hadn't been necessary. Maybe after some plants grown in around it and it gets more weathered and less shiny, it'll be less distracting.

[kyleparks77]

The other thing is the very obvious chainlink fence kind of upsets the visuals of flying through the barn, I guess because you come so close to it. It must be to keep animals away or something, but I really wish it hadn't been necessary. Maybe after some plants grown in around it and it gets more weathered and less shiny, it'll be less distracting.

 

I'm glad you mentioned that because that somewhat bugged me as well. I understand why it has to be there for safety purposes, but with the theming put into the entire ride I expected a wooden fence of sorts. However, for safety purposes, it would have to be nearly solid and that would block the view while watching off-ride. Maybe a dark green coating on the chain-link would make it blend in more?

[parkjunkie]

I'm going to apologize now because I'm sure someone has already asked and I just overlooked it, but where can you find the best Holiday World coupon deals?... is there a local restaurant, store, or hotel chain that has discount coupons? I get in free, but I have some friends coming with me.

Edited May 16, 2016 by parkjunkie

[ZeroGravity55]

Give them some time on some of this stuff. There is still some stuff they haven't completed yet. For example, some of the fence posts leading up to TB plaza haven't been painted yet. If I had to bet, they're probably going to let the grass and weeds grow up around those chain-link fences so it will have a more natural look. They could paint them too at some point. Remember, they do all their painting in house, so it might take them a bit to get back there and do it, as they have other stuff (like getting the fences going along TB plaza painted) to complete.

[Koasterking48]

I'm going to apologize now because I'm sure someone has already asked and I just overlooked it, but where can you find the best Holiday World coupon deals?... is there a local restaurant, store, or hotel chain that has discount coupons?

McDonalds, Subway, Taco Bell, as well as a few others that I don't know of, have coupons for online promo codes. Im not too sure on grocery stores or supermarkets since the only one in my town (Walmart, ugh) does not have them. Also, the park's website itself runs pretty good deals. If you have a coaster club membership you may get a deeper discount.

[mikeykaise]

I'm going to apologize now because I'm sure someone has already asked and I just overlooked it, but where can you find the best Holiday World coupon deals?... is there a local restaurant, store, or hotel chain that has discount coupons?

McDonalds, Subway, Taco Bell, as well as a few others that I don't know of, have coupons for online promo codes. Im not too sure on grocery stores or supermarkets since the only one in my town (Walmart, ugh) does not have them. Also, the park's website itself runs pretty good deals. If you have a coaster club membership you may get a deeper discount.

 

I have yet to find a better discount than what we get when we show our tpr cards at guest services. If I remember right it drops the ticket price down to 28 dollars or so.

[nannerdw]

Yeah, they've got all the club discount info on their Holiwood Nights page under "Partner Club Discounts."

http://www.holidayworld.com/shows-events/holiwood-nights/

[Guy T. Koepp]

Thinking about doing a HW, KK new credit run on Friday or Sunday. Any suggestions?

[nannerdw]

^I'd stop by Beech Bend for the Zamperla Air Race credit, but that's just me