Our Favorite Rides & Slides
Last summer, I made the 5-hour drive from Memphis, Tennessee to visit Holiday World in Santa Claus for the first time!
It was a short, easy drive for me and my kids, Leighton (9) and Grayson (3).
Not only did I have a blast, but the kids did too.
They have raved nonstop about Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari ever since getting back, and I have too!
The amusement park is HUGE and has so much to offer no matter your age. And if that wasn’t enough, they have a waterpark too!
We spent 2 full days at the park and could have spent even more time. There was just SO much fun to be had!
We spent the first half of the first day exploring all that Holiday World had to offer, grabbed iced coffees, lunch, some sweet treats, and even did a fun little shopping spree in a few gift shops.
The second half of the day, we cooled down in Splashin’ Safari!
On our second day, we went back to Holiday World to ride even MORE roller coasters to get our coaster fix in.
Here are some of our favorite rides and slides that you’ll want to make sure to add to your list.
Starting in Holiday World
Doggone Trail – Hop aboard the Jeep ride and take a couple of laps around the Doggone Trail. It weaves through the woods and is a nice way to cool off on a warm afternoon. We all loved this ride, and it is definitely great for people of all ages.
Reindeer Games – This fun ride lifts up to the top and then quickly drops down! It repeats over and over, and you just never know when or how much it will drop. Both of my kids loved this one.
Tippecanoes – Sit in your canoe and enjoy this relaxing, gentle ride along the water. Grayson loved getting to ride in his own little canoe!
Prancer’s Merry-Go-Round – This child-sized merry-go-round is perfect for little ones who want to try out a smaller ride before riding the larger Star Spangled Carousel. It is located in Rudolph’s Reindeer Ranch in the Christmas section. Grayson could have ridden this one all day!
And finally.
Magic Waters – this splash pad is located within Holidog’s FunTown in the 4th of July section and is a great way to cool down while having plenty of fun.
Onto the coasters!
This was definitely our favorite part of our visit – getting to ride so many fun and thrilling roller coasters!
The Legend – The most dramatic drops measure 113 feet, 77 feet, and 64 feet (the 77-foot drop features the world’s first spiral drop). The double helix throws riders from side to side. This ride seems to just go on and on forever, and it was my favorite ride hands down! Such a fun roller coaster.
Good Gravy! – This ride quickly rockets down the first hill and then goes backwards after the spike in the middle of the ride. I love that is a family friendly coaster for everyone. Grayson absolutely loved it and made us ride twice. We all loved it and would have ridden it all day if we could!
The Voyage – The Voyage is 1.2 miles long, placing it among the planet’s top two longest wooden coasters. The Voyage also has three sections of extreme, 90-degree banking. Leighton and I both loved this coaster.
Thunderbird – Get ready for a fun, fast ride! Thunderbird launches riders from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds. Then multiple loops, rolls, twists, and turns begin: including a 14-story Immelmann loop, Zero-g roll, barrel roll, and the tallest vertical loop on any wing coaster! This was Leighton’s favorite coaster.
The Raven – The Raven wooden roller coaster flies wildly through the thickly wooded hillside of Holiday World’s Halloween section. Although it’s not the tallest or longest coaster at Holiday World, it is a fan favorite for its low swoop over Lake Rudolph, surprise fifth drop and extreme finish. The coaster features a 120-foot tunnel, drops of 85 and 61 feet. This was the first coaster Leighton and I rode, and it was such a fun one to start our morning with!
On to Splashin’ Safari!
Now we move into the water park!
We loved relaxing in the water and cooling down. We loved it all, but I’m sharing some of our favorites.
Jungle Racer – Jungle Racer is a five-story-tall complex of 10 racing water slides. Racers ride on toboggan-style foam mats in individual lanes and compete to be the first to cross the finish line. With 10 lanes, you can compete against all your friends and family to see who finishes first!
Mammoth – This water coaster was absolutely incredible! Leighton and I rode it together, and it was a blast! You get pulled along a large float in the water on this coaster. And you get sprayed along the way too! This ride keeps going and going, and it was my favorite ride.
ZOOMBabwe – This is the World’s Largest Enclosed Waterslide. An in-the-dark thrill ride, ZOOMbabwe transports families down 10 stories with steep drops, fast back-and-forth action, banked curves, and a huge splash back into the sunlight. Nearly 900-feet long, the purple ZOOMbabwe provides unexpected twists, sudden drops and the thrill of riding in complete darkness. This water slide was an absolute blast! You will definitely want to add it to your list!
Bahari Wave Pool – is a giant family wave pool with geysers, sprays, and jets. It makes waves for 10 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of no waves. This is the perfect way to relax, have some fun and cool over together with the family.
You could visit Holiday World for an entire week and still have a blast trying out new rides! We cannot wait to come back again soon to add even more rides to our list of favorites.
Which are your favorite rides at Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari?
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