Holiday World experience

[kymom99]

We went to holiday world in Santa Claus Indiana today. It's about 2.5 hours from us. We drove there and back today. Thought I would share since I have seen folks on here ask about it. This was actually our second time there but the first was about 7 years ago.

The good:
Parking is free, drinks are free, sunscreen is free.
The park is extremely family friendly. They have bracelets for kids where if they were to get lost, park staff will call the parents. They have a mixture of rides in each "land." Some thrill rides, some family rides, and some for little ones.
I thought the tickets were kind of expensive but the price does include the water park. And with the free parking and drinks, it ends up a pretty good deal.

The bad:
It was very crowded on a Saturday. Normally I wouldn't go near these places on a weekend but we met family there and this was when they are off work.
It was HOT. Like, melting hot. It sapped the life out of us. Thank goodness free water was readily available.
This was the worst part. Holiday World advertises on their website that they have special menus for dietary needs. They specifically have a food booth with all gluten free items. You are not permitted to bring food into the park. My husband has allergies so he was happy to know they had things he could eat there. We did bring some things in the cooler that we kept in the car, thankfully. We went to the gluten free food stand and it was closed! A sign stated gluten free options could be had at Kringle cafe. So we went there and stood in line for at least 30 minutes. When we go to the counter my husband asked what they had that was gluten free. The employee got us a menu. But she informed us they had no salad, and no GF pizza. My husband asked if they had GF soft pretzels and cheese and she said yes. So he ordered that. She came back out and said the cheese isn't GF. Seriously, how do you eat a tasteless, gummy pretzel without cheese? He dipped it in marinara sauce. The girl who prepared the pretzel did change gloves and made it right there. She put it in a foam container that closed. I was fairly impressed by that. But not impressed by their selection given the fact that they advertise a fairly extensive menu.

Overall, this is a good place to go with groups of various ages. There is plenty for everyone to do. The park is fairly compact. I didn't find the food to be too expensive. It's in the middle of nowhere but it draws big crowds. Just make sure if you have special needs that you have a backup plan.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I see advertisements for this place all the time. Thanks for posting a review!

 

[Patches Lee]

How did you feel about all the hills there? I seem to avoid going except once a year because it feels like hiking part of the time. Normally I can hit a solid 2-3 days at Kings Island, but Holiday World half way through day 2 and I'm ready to leave.

 

[kymom99]

How did you feel about all the hills there? I seem to avoid going except once a year because it feels like hiking part of the time. Normally I can hit a solid 2-3 days at Kings Island, but Holiday World half way through day 2 and I'm ready to leave.

Oh gosh the hills were brutal. I was thinking the same thing. Kings island is flat. Walking up to the coasters in thanksgiving land was rough. And walking up out of the waterpark area is bad too

 

[Patches Lee]

Oh gosh the hills were brutal. I was thinking the same thing. Kings island is flat. Walking up to the coasters in thanksgiving land was rough. And walking up out of the waterpark area is bad too

Maybe install a gondola to the top?

 

[kymom99]

Maybe install a gondola to the top?

Good idea. I don't know how people with strollers can do it.

 

[mdsouth]

Thanks for the review. I have seen and heard about the park but have never been. It would be about a four hour drive for us. But there were a few times when family went there and we thought about joining them. So, it might be something we do in the future.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Thanks so much for the review! We are thinking of taking DS there in a year or two. It's a good place to meet my some family where we'd all have to drive the same distance.

 

[kymom99]

I got an email asking me to do a survey. I was glad to be able to give feedback about the food issue.
Santa Claus is really in the middle of nowhere. There are a couple chain hotels and they are pretty expensive I suppose because they have no competition. They have a campground with cabins but the price is pretty steep. Supply and demand, I suppose. There are a couple restaurants, a Wendy's for sure. So if you go, pack a cooler. If you stay in a hotel, as we did the first time we went, pack some games or something because there is nothing to do around there other than a couple Christmas themed shops.

 

[Alesia]

I recommend staying in Evansville. It's about 45 minutes away, but there are a lot more hotels to choose from and there's more to do in general.