Growing up in Southern Indiana, summer trips to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari were a summer tradition. This little theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana is one of the best parks in the Midwest – if not the United States! With four major roller coasters, a water park like no other and plenty of FREE soft drinks, Holiday World should be on every theme park enthusiast’s list to visit.

This year, I was accepted into their 2024 Holiblogger program and am so excited to be blogging and vlogging for the park. We made our first trip over the weekend and got to ride Good Gravy!, their newest family coaster before the park even opened.

Much like Disney rides, Good Gravy! boasts a TON of great theming in the ride queue.

Right off the bat, you’ll want to grab a selfie or family photo at the entrance sign. How cool is it that the 3D coaster name and gravy boat pop off at you from a cutting board? Everything about this amazing queue leans into the Thanksgiving theme and fits in so well with the rest of the rides in the Thanksgiving section of the park.

As you enter the air conditioned line, you’re welcomed right into Grandma Gracy and Grandpa Gavin’s house.  (Yes you read that correctly – you can wait for your ride on Good Gravy! comfortably, which is especially nice on a hot and humid Indiana summer day.)

What a retro house they have too! You’ll be transported back to a different time with the bright stylings of mid-century modern aesthetics when shag carpet was cool and the Beatles ruled the airways. 

Just as you’re about to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma, Grandpa and the rest of the family, the gravy runs out. From here, you’ll board the gravy boat shaped train and it’s up to you to help make more to save the holiday dinner!

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari generously allowed us to be the first to ride Good Gravy! that morning before the park had even opened. There is a special ticket add on experience that you can purchase if you’d like to do that too.

We had a blast riding in the very front AND the very back of the gravy boat. As a roller coaster enthusiast who has ridden some pretty intense rides at Kings Island and Cedar Point, I can honestly say that this family coaster offers up a thrilling experience for coaster fans of all ages. 

My favorite part was launching forward after going backwards up the track spike, then speeding toward the can of cranberry sauce. The theming on the ride is just as fun as the queue line and you’ll soar past a giant wooden rolling pin, Ruth’s Stuffing (named after Ruth Siems, a Hoosier who invented Stove Top Stuffing) and other kitchen accessories.

The rest of the day we split our time between the two parks, riding Thunderbird, Frightful Falls, the bumper cars, The Raven, Gobbler Getaway, The Howler, Cheetah Racer, Bakuli, Wildebeest, Zinga and the Wave Pool.

Are you planning to visit Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari this summer? Be sure to enter to win a pair of tickets. See the details below to enter and check out my post on the Holiblog too!