Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari Ladles Out Good Gravy

Traditionally used to express surprise, the exclamation “Good Gravy!” now has a new meaning with the opening of an attraction under the same name at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana. The new Vekoma family boomerang coaster brings a charming addition to the 78-year-old park, providing an immersive experience that marks the full utilization of Holiday World’s Thanksgiving-themed area.

Optimal Timing

Following a successful 2021 season, Holiday World decided that the timing was right to evaluate options for the high-profile parcel. At IAAPA Expo, they met with numerous manufacturers, including Vekoma Rides. According to Leah Koch-Blumhardt, fourth-generation owner and director of communications, the positive social media reviews about some of Vekoma’s newer attractions in Europe caught their attention.

That initial meeting led to a visit by Vekoma officials in the summer of 2022.  While Holiday World was initially considering a water attraction, Vekoma’s Family Boomerang caught their attention as a cost-effective way to add a major attraction and fill a gap in their roller coaster lineup.  Not long after the visit, the contract was signed.

Dishing Out Strategy

According to Holiday World, the ride’s unique name was largely an organic creation derived from the code name the Holiday World team used for the project. “It started as Project Gravy Boat, and an offhanded comment led to the ride name, and the storyline grew from there,” says Holiday World President & CEO Matt Eckert. “There was not a lightning ‘aha’ moment,” relays Koch-Blumhardt, who even unsuccessfully experimented with ChatGPT to determine a fitting name for the attraction.

The cost-effective ride solution from Vekoma and the ability to reuse existing infrastructure from a previous attraction located on the same site gave Holiday World the ability to devote extra resources to creating a truly immersive experience.

The Scoop on Social Sharing

The custom Vekoma layout surrounds a plaza dubbed Stuffing Springs, which is home to what Holiday World calls an “Instagram Garden” filled with oversized kitchen items.  According to Koch-Blumhardt, “Instagram moments are as powerful as the attraction. People want that photo moment.”

“People want to linger in an immersive environment, it increases the length of stay,” says Mark Rosenzweig, principal, chief business officer of 3dxScenic, who teamed up with Holiday World to create the 20-foot-tall whisk, 18-foot-tall rolling pin, milk bottle, stuffing box, and kitchen timer.

Family-Style Storytelling

Nearby is a gravy boat-shaped planter and a playground inspired by a visit to Legoland Florida by Lauren Crosby, fourth generation owner and director of entertainment and events, where play areas for smaller guests complement larger nearby attractions.

The queue takes guests through the home of Grandma Gracy, who is known for her gravy and where the table is set for Thanksgiving dinner. All of Holiday World’s staff worked to create an authentic vintage living room, bathroom, teen bedroom, kitchen, and dining room, even going as far as to donate family heirlooms to infuse the queue with character and high-quality pieces.  Holiday World’s IT team even built a replica of an antique television that plays vintage park commercials. “The whole team was involved at every level,” says Eckert.

The home tour ends in the garage, where riders board the one-of-a-kind gravy boat-themed train for the journey along a 1,500-foot-long, cranberry-colored track backwards and forwards up a 77-foot-tall vertical spike and through a 17-foot-long cranberry sauce can tunnel. “The theming makes it a marquee attraction,” says Eckert.

As the unique attraction opens to guests for the first time, everyone at Holiday World is thrilled by the results. “We raised the bar very high for ourselves,” says Eckert. “Every project will now have to meet the Good Gravy level.”