Holiday World attendance up 14% over last year

Congrats to Holiday World. This is awesome new indeed! And makes me wonder if it may prompt more to be added than what was already announced. Although I suspect they may be thinking next year might not see as large an increase since Kentucky Kingdom is supposed to reopen.

Disneyland actually had an attendance increase.

It's all that free pop and sunscreen! All aside, HW is a fantastic place and I'm glad to hear this as it will bring a good future. A decent way to end a sad year.

I just hope for something big in 2012...it was very crowded this season and capacity is now needed. But it's crazy how in the Indy market HW seems to be the fav choice over KI!

It goes to show you that if you have a great product, mission statement and customer service, you can actually make yourself recession-proof.

I applaud Holiday World, the families and team members who run it and the great people of Santa Clause, Indiana who all work hard to create a fun, safe and memorable experience.

Thank you to everyone at Holiday World for making the Amusement Industry something that can still grow and evolve, not in height and speed, but in quality and integrity! Dan Koch has some very large shoes to fill and I hope the direction the company is going in will continue to be the path that it follows for years and generations to come!

I know this park, for myself at least, has reclaimed my interest in the Amusement Industry as a whole, after years of becoming bored with the bigger taller faster blah blah blah-ness we have experienced over the last 20 years.

I know that the Park is something the Koch Family truly holds near to their hearts and it continues to show in the numbers, polls, and awards year after year.

God Bless all of you there and again, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication, and congratulations on another tremendously successful year!

beast7369 said:
Although I suspect they may be thinking next year might not see as large an increase since Kentucky Kingdom is supposed to reopen.

I feel differently about that. I want to think that the guests who were at Holiday World for the first time this year because they previously went to Kentucky Kingdom were overwhelmed with the family atmosphere enough to not want to return to KK, but instead go to HW annually. There really is (was, will be) a huge difference in operations between the two. Especially the bottom line. I think Holiday World may be slightly more to get in, but they don't get you with the Locker Fees, Paid Soft Drinks, Expensive food, Parking, etc. I think HW will have even bigger attendance next year!

I don't know how much this plays in, but Holiday World might actually see an increase in attendance if KK opens. Ever notice how CVS's and Walgreen's are always across the street from each other? They actually BOTH do more business when they're next to each other than when they're randomly scattered around.

I really like how Holiday World ignores industry trends and simply says...Sorry, but we're not going to do what everyone else is doing. Instead, we're gonna do what we feel is best for our park and our guests and WHOLLA! Now we have a new industry leader. I think alot of companies should take a hint and "chart their own course" instead of getting tied up in what analysts say, or Wall Street, or the media.

CPcyclone said:
WHOLLA!

I think you meant to say 'voilà!' as Wholla is an Hindi term for worker.

CPcyclone said:
I really like how Holiday World ignores industry trends and simply says...Sorry, but we're not going to do what everyone else is doing. Instead, we're gonna do what we feel is best for our park and our guests and WHOLLA! Now we have a new industry leader. I think alot of companies should take a hint and "chart their own course" instead of getting tied up in what analysts say, or Wall Street, or the media.

That's nice and all when you don't have to answer to shareholders.

CPcyclone said:
instead of getting tied up in what analysts say, or Wall Street, or the media.

Or Maverick. Or Fahrenheit.

No, no, I think we should get tied up in Maverick.

Tekwardo said:
No, no, I think we should get tied up in Maverick.

Kinky.

I think it may will be a large impact on Holiday World. Many people around the Louisville area are excited about Ed Hart taken over. most people who remember the park when it was in his hands before want to see the kingdom return to what it used to be, cheap, fun, with newer rides every season, etc. I do however believe since Holiday World isn't getting anything thrilling next season, that Kentucky Kingdom will be the park to go to next season if its open in the Ohio valley.