Holiday World 5/29/24-Best Day Ever

So inspired by recent trip reports I feel I need to share one, I have always had a great time in Santa Claus (including the legendary Fall Affair in 2009 where I got my enthusiast card punched for a nighttime, trimless, thunderstorm/pouring rain ride on Voyage) but (due to the fall affair being a Splashin Safari-less affair) this truely was the best day I’ve ever had down here. The temperature was low 70s, partly sunny, and next to no crowds (I waited 20 min for Good Gravy everything else was under 15 min and I even got 2 double rides (total of 4) on Raven due to empty stations. Let’s go down my rides:

Voyage (6 rides): It’s only because of sentiment and the regular night rides I get on Beast that keeps this coaster from being my top wooden coaster. She’s running really good this year, the opening airtime hills are butter smooth, as is everything after the first 90 degree bank on the far turnaround to the midcourse. The home stretch is in good shape too, only problem areas are everything on the far turnaround before the first overbanked turn, and a pretty severe jackhammer at the bottom of the tunnel triple down (this will likely be brutal on trimless rides Holliwood Nighters, be prepared) what a ride! Count me as the rare enthusiast who prefers a trimmed Voyage, it gives you a break after that insane spaghetti bowl and dials down the intensity just a little on the return ride to make the thing marathonable. Speaking of that, knowing Holliday Worlds Hard close policy I dutifully made my way to Voyage an hour before close to make sure I got a final ride but was hoping for 2; thanks to crowds I got 4. Twas a great way to end my epic day.

After my first ride word reached lower Thanksgiving that Thunderbird was down so I got my ride on Gobbler Getaway (Master Turkey Caller thank you very much) and headed to Splashin Safari for opening, first up the new to me:

Cheetah Chase (1 ride): Holiday World has been home to my favorite two water coasters ever since Mammoth opened, and now, it’s also home to my least favorite one. Next to no air and way too short. It’s not that it’s a bad ride it just seems like that at this water park. Won’t do it again unless I’m with a first timer.

Mammoth (2 rides): This for years has been my favorite water slide anywhere, and it still is, particularly if you get lucky to spin through some of the roller coaster hills which gives you a sensation not dissimilar to a Disk-O coaster but without the lap bar. I got one of those rides today, so much fun. Those spin rides are why this ride beats Willdebeast.

Then I made my way to Willdebeast to find it closed, so off I went to get my rides on Zinga, Zoombabwe, Jungle Racer, and Ottorongo. Getting quite winded from the stairs I just climbed I jumped in the lazy river for a lap and then after checking to see Willdebeast was down grabbed a shirt and went back to Thanksgiving, enjoyed some brisket at Plymouth Rock Cafe and got in line for the new hotness…

Good Gravy! (1 ride): If I had to keep my review to one word, that word would be adorable; the trains are adorable, the queue is adorable, the giant milk jug, wire wisk and cranberry sauce can are adorable. This ride is a perfect fit for this park, and a ridiculous theme that could only happen here. That said, it’s not much of a coaster, just a 90 degree turn small airtime hill and 90 degree run into the spike. Soap Box Derby looks to have the better layout. Still great addition for the novice coaster riders.

After that I looked across the pathway and saw a Voyage wait that wasn’t fully down the stairs so I took a quick diversion before going up to Thunderbird hill but on the lift I saw Willdebeast opened up so I backtracked the water park.

Willdebeast (2 rides): My second favorite water slide, did not disappoint, I had forgotten that on this ride the heaviest riders ride in the front. That was fun, love this ride and love its SRL.

It was now about 1:45 and high time I did Halloween so I headed up the hill to…

Legend (3 rides): This ride is always overshadowed for not being the first or the best in the park but I still think this ride is the second best in the park, for the criticism this ride has no airtime, I question how they forget the ejector air on the bunny hop and then huge airtime hill by the water park. She ran the fastest I ever ridden her and was in pretty good shape smoothness wise. Just a fantastic ride. Did it always have a covered bridge under Frightful Falls? I don’t remember it and I love the extra bit of storytelling letting you know you beat the Horseman. Love it, and having only a two train wait everytime I got in line.

Then I got two laps on Frightful Falls (love the dark tunnel at the beginning, wish it did more after that) it was time to pay respects to the coaster that started it all…

The Raven (4 rides): As I stated at the beginning both times I rode this ride I got a reride due to an empty station. This flat out was the best rides I’ve gotten on the bird, it is running so fast and so smooth. Other times it’s seemed like it just prodded along the track but it run as aggressive as the Voyage this trip, Hill 6 was insane, and everytime you hit the breaks you still felt the up stops spinning like crazy under you. Fantastic, this ride may be going up on the rank list.

After that it was time for some 4th of July flats, blue ice cream, t-shirt purchases, and before I knew it it was 5:30. It was time to do the coaster progression to end the night. Did Raven (x2,) Legend, and then Voyage (x4) I elected to not head up to Thunderbird because I was having too much fun on Voyage. I don’t regret my choice. I’m not going to wait 9 years to come back, I had been worried the family civil war was going to ruin this park but it’s now clear Lori is running the place just like Will did and the park is in great hands. I’ll just end with some random nitpicks and observations:

-Splashin Safari is lacking a good river attraction, their current river is too short and not exciting. My dream addition would be a Whitewater Endless raging river ala Schlitterbahn but I know it’s unrealistic seeing as that park is a proslide park. Getting a Fearless River at Volcano Bay type attraction would be fantastic and nearly as good.

-The walls around the old raft ride are partially covered by art depicting a jazz band, the station, western town, and some of the ride track remains, I assume that’s the addition next year? Hoping it’s still a water ride, doesn’t need to be a raft ride, could be a Shoot the Chutes too.

-The firecracker Calypso ride looks amazing, but it’s so slow, compared to Cedar Point’s, please HW turn up the RPM on this.

-Sad to see the turkey at Plymouth Rock is now shredded instead of slices. Thanksgiving dinner to me is never shredded, however the brisket was fantastic and made up for my disappointment in the turkey.

-They ruined Zoombabwe, they cut holes in the top of the slide such that it’s no longer dark and swapped the giant round raft for the cloverleaf tubes (that I never sit properly in and end up feeling like I’m just laying flat.) Turned a five star ride into a 4 star one.