FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4 October, 2001
MEDIA CONTACT: Paula Werne, 812-937-5209; JPWerne@holidayworld.com

NEW FOR '02: WORLD'S LARGEST ENCLOSED WATERSLIDE

SANTA CLAUS, IN-----Holiday World & Splashin' Safari will build the world's largest enclosed waterslide for the 2002 season.

"We're calling this huge new ride ZOOMbabwe*," says the parks' president and general manager, Will Koch. "It's the largest expansion project ever for Splashin' Safari water park."

ZOOMbabwe, a gigantic purple enclosed waterslide, will be 102-feet tall, making it the largest ride of its kind in the world. It will be 887-feet long, ranging in diameter from nine to 12 feet.

"Plus," says Koch, "ZOOMbabwe will be completely in the dark. Twisting and turning and dropping more than 10 stories in utter darkness will be an amazing thrill. This is a water ride families can enjoy together."

ZOOMbabwe rafts will hold up to four family members each, with hourly capacity expected to top 1,000 riders. Covering four acres, the new ride will increase the size of Indiana's largest water park to 22 acres.

Koch says the $1.7 million ZOOMbabwe will be packed with surprises. "Our top-ranked roller coasters are full of twists and turns and unexpected features. We wanted to incorporate as many of these surprisesÑplus total darknessÑas possible into ZOOMbabwe's design."

The park plans to hire an additional 50 seasonal employees for next season; Koch expects the new ride to increase the parks' attendance by 10 percent in 2002.

Holiday World will be open this weekend, October 6 and 7, and will then be closed for the season. Season Passes for 2002 are now on sale, with the deepest discounts expiring after October 7. For more information, call 1-877-Go-FAMILY, or visit the parks' website at www.holidayworld.com.