When given the chance to visit Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, The Kid and I jumped at the chance. Not only is the theme park the first theme park in the US, the waterpark is a great option for cooling off on those hot, Southern Indiana days. Think they’re are only for little kids? Think again. Here’s six reasons why teens will love Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari!
No matter what time of year, my family is one of those families that loves theme parks. Sure, we love to visit the ones closest to us or even make road trips to Florida to hang, but it’s always fun to broaden our horizons and test drive a few new ones. So, in late spring, The Kid and I hit the road to Santa Claus, Indiana, to check out why teens love Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari. I’m happy to report back that there’s plenty of reasons. Read on.
Two for One Admission
I, personally, loved the fact that we could enjoy Holiday World and then hit Splashin’ Safari in the heat of the afternoon if we wanted. Each ticket comes with the ability to enjoy both parks each day and a great bounce back offer. At the time this post as published, purchasing a second day admission is only $30.
The Freebies
In all of my theme park travels I’ve never seen this many freebies at one park. And, while we like to budget for all of these when we visit theme parks, it’s a great way to save some cash. Here’s the lowdown:
Sunscreen – There are sunscreen stations all over both the theme park and waterpark to make sure teens, kids, and their parents avoid harmful rays.
Fountain Drinks – My mind was seriously blown when I learned that there’s a ton of spots called “Pepsi Oasis” in HW and SS. You can visit the stations as many times as you’d like during your visit and there’s plenty of non-soda options including water, peach tea, and electrolyte replacement beverages.
Parking – You’ll never pay a parking fee when visiting HW and SS. That’s refreshing, if the free fountain beverages wasn’t refreshing enough.
Wifi – What teen doesn’t love free wifi?
The Classic Rides
Here’s what surprised me about visiting with my teen the most: she wanted to ride the old school-style rides first! Think carnival rides with a much safer feel, add in theme park standards like old-fashioned cars and Tilt-a-Whirl, and then offer holiday theming? She was in theme park heaven. True, she does have a soft spot for the nostalgia that theme parks offer, but even without that, she loved those classic rides. Her fave ride was the Halloswings in the Halloween-themed area of the park.
The Thrill Rides
There’s no way to not enjoy the thrill rides if you’re an adrenaline junkie. The park has plenty of coasters and two of its best are in the Thanksgiving area. The Voyage, a traditional wooded coaster has been named “Best Wooden Roller Coaster” from 2007-2011 by Amusement Today. Then there’s Thunderbird, America’s first launched wing coaster. It goes from 0 to 60 MPG in 3.5 seconds. Hit the Halloween area of the park and they’ll find two additional coasters to keep them entertained: Raven and the Legend.
The Meal Options
True, we found the classic theme park foods at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, but we were also found spots to dine that aren’t the norm. One that really caught our eye was Plymouth Rock Cafe in Thanksgiving – a full Thanksgiving meal. If it hadn’t have been in the upper 90’s when we visited (an appetite killer for us) we would have jumped at the chance to enjoy a Thanksgiving-style meal. Instead, we hit Kringle’s Cafe in the Christmas area and had Chicken Salads and pizza.
And Santa
Once we scanned our tickets and entered the park, there’s a life-sized Santa Claus Statue to take photos with – and we did. But, Santa himself makes rounds in the Christmas area of the park and, man is he fun. The Kid loved chatting with him, along with park mascots Hollidog and Safari Sam.
Where to Stay
It turns out there’s an amazing campground, Lake Rudolph, that’s literally next door to the parks. There’s plenty of camping options, too, including everything from tenting to luxury Christmas Cabins. It has an activities center, onsite swimming pool (we loved it!), and even free mini golf. Here’s the full scoop on our visit to Lake Rudolph. Alternatively, you could stay at an RV park, which offers full hookups and easy access to all the amenities.
Disclosure: I was hosted by Lake Rudolph and Holiday World to give you fine folks the scoop on what make sit so amazing. All opinions are my own!
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