Holiwood Nights 2013

So how was the event this year? We could not make it but wanted to know? I did see the temps were about 40+ degrees warmer than last year when we froze our butts off on Mammoth :-) That was a blast however.

Weather was good Fri night. We arrived at 6 so no comment on Friday daytime operations. Sat AM had steady rain and high 60s during morning ERT. We skipped it to save sleep for the night. I heard the ERT was a blast despite (or because of) the poor weather, and that 1/2 to 1/3 of HWN showed up. Regardless, Splashin Safari was basically ERT in the afternoon.. we showed up around 1:30... no more than 5-10 min wait for wildebeest and mammoth the first time around 2pm, and by 4 mammoth was walk on and reridable... there were maybe 20 people in the station as we got three laps. Zoombabwe, Hyena falls, zinga were all walk on when we rode them in the afternoon. Point of interest: Mammoth's water is noticeably colder than any other SS ride, at least on Sat.

Rain stayed away after 1pm and the clouds started clearing up towards the evening. We switched to dry park around 5:30. Coasters were running great, one train operation on Legend and Raven, but no real lines. Voyage was 2 trains, generally empty station and almost always had shorter front-seat lines than those found during the HWN ERT. Obviously no night rides though. Views into SS from Voyage lift hill showed a deserted park around 5:30..

If you were OK with damp and slightly chilly conditions, but tiny crowds, the day(s) rocked. If you are a sun worshipper, not so good.

We did the Splashin' Safari ERT, and although cold at first, we acclimated to the water after the first Mammoth ride. It was only chilly if the wind picked up in-between rides, but nothing unbearable. But yes, the constant spritzing rain was a little annoying. In spite of that, we spent over 4 hours there (mainly the water coasters) since lines were so short and someone in our group had never been there. From 11 to noon it was actually sunny and warmed up a bit.

Mammoth was awesome, and different enough from Wildebeest that I think it's worth having both in the same park. Once it opened to the public, we rode it one last time, with 3 adults on one side and 2 teenagers on the other side -- THAT was by far the best, because we spun on every turn, and kicked up some nice waves.

Considering the forecast, I'm amazed at how nice the weather was for nighttime ERT. Saturday especially was my ideal amusement park weather -- just perfectly comfortable, not too hot or cold or humid, not buggy. And there was no moon, so those Voyage rides were *really* dark!

I thought Raven and Legend were running about like they did last year, which is fine, but I'm still longing for those incredibly smooth rides I had 2 years ago. Voyage was... interesting. It seemed to bounce up and down like a galloping horse in spots, but it was re-rideable. I found myself riding the last and 2nd-to-last rows without a problem Friday night; Saturday it was rougher. The front, as usual, was great.

I'll just add that it was certainly... different... to be greeted by bag-checking security in the front plaza rather than Pat Koch. Did they have this before and I just missed it? Or maybe they were stationed inside the gate rather than out by the parking lot?

Bah, sounds like HW's coasters aren't running their best. Are they like all the other PTC-trained coasters in that if you take the front seat and lean forward to avoid touching the seat back, you're safe for a smooth ride? I've never even had a problem with Mean Streak when riding this style.

I was looking forward to trying my first Coastermania on Friday, but the stars have finally aligned (been waiting 4 years) with a couple friends to potentially take my first-ever trip to Holiday World on the same day. I've been debating which to choose.

I've never been on a water coaster, and Mammoth/Wildebeest look awesome. Can anyone give me an idea of how long I might have to wait for the water and wooden coasters this coming Friday assuming nice weather? This might make my Coastermania decision easier...

I usually started out with my back away from the seat, but didn't mindfully keep it that way, so I'm not sure if it made a difference. On those 3, I'm more concerning myself with the laterals. :) And while I wouldn't say they're at their best, I wouldn't put any of them in the category of Mean Streak a few years ago (MS is certainly smoother now, but still slow and boring).

Personal preference: for first-timers I'd wait for the front on all 3, or maybe the back car on Raven. If possible, the left side on Legend (you'll see why about halfway through!).

I can't speak to the crowdedness of the dry park on a regular operating Friday, but my understanding is that on nice days, the dry side isn't too bad while the water park is busy. But if you get in right at 9:30, you could probably take a spin on each coaster then go change into water park attire for the 10:30 open and get in line right away for the water coasters. Not speaking from experience since my visits are primarily during HWN. :)

I will say that all 3 woodies were running the best they have in years! Our first ride on Raven on Friday morning, it was running smooth as glass. Then Legend was running smooth as well. Finally to Voyage, which last year was major improvement over previous year. More work was done to it this past winter and it really showed. Rode twice Friday morning and then once more in afternoon. Friday nights ERT scored me 52 rides without getting off. Saturday night was 36 rides with only getting off once when they emptied trains to remove an item that was wedged down in seat.

As for weather, it rained off and on most of Friday's operating hours. All our coaster rides that morning were in the rain.

It was odd to see the bag check tables. It's understandable in today's times. Just sad to see. Also missed seeing Pat. But understand she is taking a more behind-the-scenes roll.

Another great event by the best park on the planet! Plus it's always our anniversary trip. So, it is always something special for us!

Wow, 52 and 36?! I'm impressed. Where were you sitting?

I remember having some truly blissful rides on Voyage last year, but mainly in the front row. I didn't think this year was quite as good up front, but further back was actually re-rideable for me this time.

Heck, I even did the last row on Legend a few times, which was something I couldn't stand before. Could be the rides, the weather, or just me giving things another chance.

Last year was the poo. I go every other year, usually. I'm glad this one wasn't a total rain out.

Holiday Worlds coasters at their worst are better than most wooden coasters at their best. YMMV

I rode all three and thought that Legend and Raven were running pretty well, if a just a tad on the slow side. Voyage was running well too. The Scrambler is giving amazingly beautiful rides.

I was just curious..does HW's Scrambler have/enforce the NO SINGLE RIDERS rule ala Dorney? Singles are permitted on GAdv's Deja Vu, so it varies park to park.

If the line is not long, I don't believe so.

Voyage was running very well IMO. It appeared that the last crossover and preceding valley were completely rebuilt from the ledger boards up, and the ride through this section was much improved over last year, although still pretty intense. Also some smaller repairs here and there... lots of new wood visible if you looked. I noticed a bit of a 'pothole' about halfway up the second hill, but it wasn't too bad... no other roughness complaints from me.

Honestly, my biggest concern on Voyage is the leaky northernmost tunnel. I got nailed with drips on about a third of my rides, including one right in the eye. Started covering my face briefly through this section. I occasionally got dripped on during the return on the east side of the tunnel, but the outbound side was worse. Dunno if they can fix it without excavating the roof.. this tunnel does have dirt on top of a fair bit of it. At least the rotten corn is gone :)

Friday night, I felt Raven and Legend were running about average and Voyage was back to 2007 greatness. Then Saturday's rides on Voyage seemed rougher. I am ready for the Timberliners.

Mammoth and Wildebeest were my favorite rides of the weekend. The airtime on both is so much fun!

I sat everywhere! I just grabbed empty seats where available not caring where.

Raven was underwhelming when I arrived Friday night. Legend was surprisingly smooth, seemed much faster and had REALLY good airtime on the airtime hill, and even a little on the hill just after. Voyage was very smooth. Then when I rode Voyage at night it didn't seem as smooth.

What we figured out, was that one Voyage train was running better than the other. If you look at the bottom left of the rear of each car you will see a letter and a number. The "A" Train was running much better than the "B" train. I found car 5, row 1 to be very enjoyable, but pretty much any seat was good on the A train.

The second night, Raven was sped up considerably, due to some recent oiling. There were parts of it that reminded me of Voyage, and parts of it that reminded me of Legend.

Both water coasters were, as always, amazing. My favorite still, though, is riding alone in the front row of Wildebeest, some of the best airtime around. At one point during ERT, we rode Mammoth 4 times in a row without ever needing to stand up and exit the tube. The only Hyena Falls slide we rode was laughs (the Half Pipe one), and it was one scary ride! But thrilling none the less. The expansion looks great, and the new lockers worked REALLY well, which was a great idea as well. As always, thanks so much to the entire Holiday World Staff for yet another amazing trip down there. They really make the 6 hour drive worth it!

PS- We stayed in Santa's Lodge for the first time (discounted rate for HWN), and while we weren't impressed, it was fine. The convenient location made it a real winner. The beds were firm, and clean, the room cool, and the shower had pressure. The rooms in some of the other wings looked nicer, but it was all we needed. Who spends time in the hotel when there are coasters to ride anyways?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Hyena Falls. We tried each slide, and the half-pipe one was by far the best. It's just a shame that it's such a long walk and so far removed from the rest of the water park.

The "smart lockers" were nice too -- two of us could have wristbands, and the locker pops open automatically when you scan your code.

I'm also glad they moved Saturday's breakfast into a nice warm room for us. :)

I agree that Laughs was a pleasant surprise.. that little slide packs some great elements in it. Best is when you approach the top of the "half pipe" and begin to slide back down... very good free-fall effect here! Good capacity across all four slides as well.. makes up for Giraffica (Pilgrims Plunge new name) being down.

For those who haven't been to SS this year, they nuked the old blue and beige slides near the entrance, along with some buildings and the older lazy river, and HUGELY expanded the locker area. Complaints about cramped locker space were heard and dealt with in massive fashion.. there's what, a half-acre of lockers now? The small ones are bigger than the originals, and there are new large lockers the size of small refrigerators available. Cost went up a bit.. still $10, but no deposit/refund, but honestly, it's well worth it for the smart wristband system they invested in. They also added a new cut-thru from SS to Thanksgiving where the tube pickup for the defunct slides used to be, saving some walking if you're headed to/from Voyage or parts nearby.

I did notice, and I don't remember what Spence County publication I saw this in, that the two defunct slides will be going to Lake Rudolph. Here is a link to their site about it: http://www.lakerudolph.com/santas-splash-down/