| Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | |
|---|---|
| Location | Santa Claus, Indiana, U.S.A. |
| Website | Official website |
| Owner | The Koch Family |
| General Manager | Daniel L. Koch |
| Operated By | Koch Development Corporation |
| Opened | August 3, 1946 |
| Previous names | Santa Claus Land |
| Operating season | May through October |
| Visitors (per annum) | 1,100,000+ |
| Area | 120 acres (0.49 km2) |
| Rides | 50 total
|
| Slogan | #1 for Family Fun! |
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari (previously known as Santa Claus Land) is a family owned and operated combination theme park and water park, located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. The theme park is divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July with rides, live entertainment, games, and attractions. Holiday World is known for its three wooden roller coasters: The Raven, The Legend, and The Voyage. The safari-themed water park includes the world's longest water coaster, numerous family raft slides and water slides, two wave pools, two lazy rivers, two family "tipping bucket" water-play attractions, plus dedicated children's slides and play areas. Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers guests free unlimited soft drinks, free parking, free use of inner tubes and life jackets, free sunscreen, and free Wi-Fi hotspots. Admission to Holiday World also includes free admission to Splashin' Safari.
Contents |
Plans for what would become Santa Claus Land, and later Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, were first conceived as a retirement project by Louis J. Koch, a retired industrialist from Evansville, Indiana. In 1941, Koch visited the town of Santa Claus, Indiana. A family man and father of nine children, it bothered him that children traveled to the town only to be disappointed when they discovered Santa Claus was not there. In response, Koch developed the idea for a park where children could have fun and visit Santa year-round. Although initial construction plans were delayed by World War II, construction of Santa Claus Land eventually began on August 4, 1945.[1][2]
Santa Claus Land opened on August 3, 1946. At no cost, the park offered a Santa, a toy shop, toy displays, a restaurant, and themed children's rides, one of which was The Freedom Train that continues to operate today. After overcoming doubts about the park's ability for success, Louis Koch's son, William A. "Bill" Koch, Sr., took over as head of Santa Claus Land. In the following years, Bill Koch continued to add to the park, including the first Jeep-Go-Round ever manufactured, a new restaurant, and a deer farm which was eventually home to fourteen European white fallow deer.[1][2][3]
Beginning in 1955, Santa Claus Land charged admission for the first time; adults were charged 50 cents while children continued to be admitted for free. Despite the new cost of admission, attendance continued to grow with the park. The Pleasureland ride section, which exists today as Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch, debuted in 1955. In the early 1970s, additional children's rides, including Dasher's Seahorses, Comet's Rockets, Blitzen's Airplanes, and Prancer's Merry-Go-Round, were added to this section. From 1959 to 1961, the first live entertainment, the Willie Bartley Water Ski Thrill Show, performed on Lake Rudolph each summer. A Santa Claus Choir composed of local children also performed at the park in 1970 and 1971.[2]
In 1960, Bill Koch married Patricia "Pat" Yellig, the daughter of Jim Yellig, the park's Santa Claus. Bill and Pat Koch would have five children: Will, Kristi, Daniel, Philip, and Natalie.[1]
In 1976, Santa Claus Land shifted its focus, along with its entrance, which was moved from State Road 162 to its present location on State Road 245. The park began to focus on the entire family, rather than just children. The park added eight new rides by 1984, seven of which they hoped would appeal to older children and adults alike. Eagle's Flight, Roundhouse, Virgina Reel, Scarecrow Scrambler, Lewis & Clark Trail, Paul Revere's Midnight Ride, and Thunder Bumpers on Chesapeake Bay were all targeted towards families, while Dancer's Thunder Bumpers Junior was built for children who weren't quite ready for the larger version of the ride.[2]
By 1984, the Koch Family had realized the theming possibilities beyond Christmas. Santa Claus Land soon saw the first major expansion in park history with the addition of a Halloween section and a Fourth of July section. With the inclusion of more than just Christmas, Santa Claus Land formally changed its name to Holiday World. In the following years, Frightful Falls and Banshee were added to the Halloween section, Raging Rapids was added to the Fourth of July section, and Kringle's Kafé restaurant was built in the Christmas section.[1][2]
It was also during this time period that Holiday World saw a change in leadership. Will Koch, the eldest of Bill Koch's children, took over as President of the park. Another of Bill Koch's children, Daniel "Dan" Koch, became chairman of the board.[4]
The addition of Splashin' Safari in 1993 welcomed a new era for the theme park. In its first year of operation, Splashin' Safari operated with Congo River, Crocodile Isle, AmaZOOM, and Bamboo Chute. The Wave was added the following year.
The addition of The Raven wooden roller coaster to the Halloween section in 1995 gained the park national attention. The roller coaster was named "Ride of the Year" and was voted as the world's second best wooden roller coaster. In 2000, The Raven was ranked as the #1 wooden roller coaster in the world by Amusement Today magazine. It held the top spot for a total of four years.[2] As of the 2011 awards, The Raven has remained ranked among the top twenty wooden roller coasters in the world.[5]
Over the next four years, the park made only two additions. The first was the addition of Monsoon Lagoon in Splashin' Safari. The second was the replacement of Firecracker with Holidog's FunTown, a children's play area featuring Holidog's Treehouse, The Howler, Doggone Trail, and Magic Waters.
Another major addition was not seen until 2000. In 2000, the park added The Legend, a wooden roller coaster based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". The Legend's ranking reached its peak in 2002, when it was voted the fourth best wooden roller coaster in the world.[2] Much like The Raven, The Legend continues to be ranked among the top twenty wooden roller coasters in the world, as of the 2011 awards.[5] In 2000, the park also began offering its guests free unlimited soft drinks, a service which brought international attention to the park.[6] Holiday World was the first park in the world to offer this service to its guests.[1]
For the next five years, the park's additions grew steadily. In 2002, ZOOMbabwe, the world's largest enclosed water slide, was added to Splashin' Safari.[7] In 2003, Splashin' Safari added Zinga, while Holiday World replaced Banshee with Hallowswings and the Hall of Famous Americans wax museum with Liberty Launch. In 2004, the park continued to add on to the water park, adding Jungle Racer and Jungle Jets. Bahari Wave Pool was added in 2005, which marked the beginning of an expansion project that would double the size of Splashin' Safari.[2]
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari received its most sought after award in 2004, when it earned the Applause Award from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. To win the award, awarded every two years, a park must show "foresight, originality and creativity, plus sound business development and profitability." With an attendance of 883,000 that year, Holiday World was the smallest park to ever receive the award.[8]
The 2006 season marked the 60th anniversary of Holiday World. To celebrate, the park added a brand new section: Thanksgiving. To complement the section, the park added two new rides. The first was Gobbler Getaway, a Sally Corporation interactive dark ride. The second was The Voyage wooden roller coaster. The addition of The Voyage gained the park national attention once again, as the roller coaster claimed the record for most air-time of any wooden roller coaster at 24.2 seconds.[9] In its first year of operation, The Voyage was awarded the title of "Best New Ride" and #2 wooden roller coaster in the world. Since 2007, and as of the 2011 awards, The Voyage has been awarded the title of #1 wooden roller coaster in the world by the readers of Amusement Today magazine.[5] Also added in 2006 was Bahari River in Splashin' Safari. It was named the "Best New Waterpark Ride" by Amusement Today magazine.[10][2]
Over the next two years, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari would open several new additions. Bakuli and Kima Bay were added to Splashin' Safari, Turkey Whirl and Plymouth Rock Café were added to the Thanksgiving section, the Star Spangled Carousel replaced Thunder Bumpers on Chesapeake Bay in the Fourth of July section, and Reindeer Games replaced Kids Castle in the Christmas section.[2]
In 2009, Holiday World continued to break records by opening the world's tallest water ride, Pilgrim's Plunge, in the Thanksgiving section of the park. Pligrim's Plunge deviated from the standard of using a sloped lift hill, instead opting for an open-air elevator system that takes riders to a height of 135 feet (41 m) before dropping them at a forty-five degree angle. Pilgrim's Plunge is the only ride in the park whose queue is directly accessible from both the theme park and the water park.[2]
Splashin' Safari broke another record in 2010, when Wildebeest was opened. When Wildebeest opened, it was the world's longest water coaster at 1,710 feet (520 m) long. It was also among the first water coasters to use linear induction motors, rather than water jets or conveyor belts, to propel riders up hills. Wildebeest was named "Best New Waterpark Ride" in 2010, as well as "Best Waterpark Ride" in 2010 and 2011.[11][2]
The park suffered a sudden loss in June 2010 when President and C.E.O. Will Koch died while swimming at his home. Although the Spencer County coroner listed the official cause of death as drowning, family and park officials believe Koch's type 1 diabetes played a factor in his death. Soon after his death, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari named Will's younger brother, Dan Koch, as the park's new President.[12]
In 2011, the park chose to replace two of its existing rides with newer, larger rides. In Holiday World, Blitzen's Airplanes was replaced with Rudolph's Round-Up. In Splashin' Safari, Jungle Jets was replaced with Safari Sam's Splashland, an expanded version of Jungle Jets featuring eight children's water slides and many of the same water features as the attraction it replaced.[2]
On August 3, 2011, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari announced that they will open a new ProSlide HydroMagnetic Water Coaster, Mammoth, in 2012. It will be 1,763 feet (537 m) long, which will make it the longest water coaster in the world, moving Holiday World's current holder of this record, Wildebeest, into second place. Differing from Wildebeest's four passenger toboggan-style boats, riders will board six passenger round boats and navigate through a course featuring eight hydromagnetic lifts.[13]
In addition to Mammoth, Holiday World will be removing Paul Revere's Midnight Ride for the 2012 season, citing reliability issues as the reason for removal. In its place, the park will be adding Sparkler, a 65 feet (20 m) tall Zamperla Vertical Swing ride. Unlike Hallowswings, which has a minimum height restriction of 48 inches (120 cm), Sparkler will allow children at least 36 inches (91 cm) tall to ride with an adult. Due to limited vertical clearance in the current position of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride, the park will instead relocate Star Spangled Carousel there, building Sparkler in Star Spangled Carousel's current spot.[14]
Holiday World is divided into four holiday-themed sections: Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving. Each of the sections features rides, games, food, and other attractions that follow the theme of that section's respective holiday. The music that plays over the loud speakers in each section is also themed to that section's respective holiday; guests will often notice the music change as they enter a different section. Splashin' Safari, which is connected to the theme park via entrances in the Halloween and Thanksgiving sections, takes the general theme of a safari.
Upon admission to Holiday World, guests immediately enter the Christmas section. The Christmas section is the oldest section of Holiday World, dating back to 1946. Until 1984, it was also the only themed area of the park. Notable landmarks in this section include a Santa Claus statue, a Christmas tree, a nativity scene, and the Applause fountain, which was added after the park was awarded the IAAPA Applause Award in 2004. Since the park's opening in 1946, Santa Claus has been available daily throughout the season to chat with children.
Rides:
See: Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch
Food and Beverage:
In addition to the food options listed below, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers its guests free, unlimited, Pepsi brand soft drinks. In the Christmas section, these free soft drinks are available in self-serve machines inside Kringle's Kafé.[15]
Games:
Shops:
The Christmas section is home to a sub-section called Rudolph's Reindeer ranch. Added in 1955 as Pleasureland, Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch is composed of several children's rides; it is also home to all of the rides in the Christmas section. Each of the rides in this area is named after Santa Claus's reindeer.
Rides:
See: Current Rides and Attractions
The Halloween section was one of two new holidays added in 1984. Notable landmarks in this area include The Raven roller coaster, with its Gothic-themed station; The Legend roller coaster, with its school house-themed station; Goblin Burgers restaurant, which resembles what a witch's house might look like; and the main entrance to Splashin' Safari water park. Apart from the architecture, guests will hear The Legend's school bell ringing ominously throughout the section.
Rides:
See: Current Rides and Attractions
Food and Beverage:
In addition to the food options listed below, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers its guests free, unlimited, Pepsi brand soft drinks. To efficiently offer this service, Holiday World has created "Pepsi Oasis" buildings which guests may utilize at any time, for free, to serve themselves a drink from the several beverage options offered. In the Halloween section, the Pepsi Oasis is located across from The Legend's entrance.[15]
Games:
Shops:
The Fourth of July section was the second of the two holidays that were added in 1984. This area features more attractions than any of the four sections in the theme park. Landmarks in this section include the Hoosier Celebration Theater, where many live shows are performed; the Good Old Days Picnic Grove, where numerous shelter houses may be rented out for company picnics; and the Betsy Ross Doll House, a walk-through attraction with a collection of antique dolls. Keeping with the Fourth of July theme, there is also a monument with many American flags located right across from The Alamo restaurant.
Rides:
See: Current Rides and Attractions
Food and Beverage:
In addition to the food options listed below, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers its guests free, unlimited, Pepsi brand soft drinks. To efficiently offer this service, Holiday World has created "Pepsi Oasis" buildings which guests may utilize at any time, for free, to serve themselves a drink from the several beverage options offered. In the Fourth of July section, there are two Pepsi Oases. One is located between Rough Riders and The Alamo, while the other is located between Raging Rapids and Revolution.[15]
Games:
Shops:
The Fourth of July section is also home to a sub-section called Holidog's FunTown, which was added in its entirety in 1999. Holidog's FunTown is a children's play area located in the southeasternmost corner of the park. This sub-section is completely encircled by The Freedom Train.
Rides:
See: Current Rides and Attractions
Food and Beverage:
The Thanksgiving section is the newest section of the park, added in 2006 to commemorate Holiday World's 60th anniversary. Towering over this area is The Voyage roller coaster, which wraps around parts of the midway; guests walk under the roller coaster's brake run when they enter the section through Fourth of July.
Rides:
See: Current Rides and Attractions
Food and Beverage:
In addition to the food options listed below, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers its guests free, unlimited, Pepsi brand soft drinks. To efficiently offer this service, Holiday World has created "Pepsi Oasis" buildings which guests may utilize at any time, for free, to serve themselves a drink from the several beverage options offered. In the Thanksgiving section, the Pepsi Oasis is located across from The Voyage. Free soft drinks are also available in self-serve machines inside Plymouth Rock Café[15]
Games:
Shops:
Splashin' Safari, the water park Holiday World added in 1993, has been consistently ranked as one of the best water parks in the world by Amusement Today magazine.[5] The water park takes the general theme of a safari, with ride names featuring various animals, rivers, and Swahili words. Entry to Splashin' Safari is included with admission to Holiday World.
Rides:
See: Current Rides and Attractions
Food and Beverage:
In addition to the food options listed below, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers its guests free, unlimited, Pepsi brand soft drinks. To efficiently offer this service, Holiday World has created "Pepsi Oasis" buildings which guests may utilize at any time, for free, to serve themselves a drink from the several beverage options offered. In Splashin' Safari, there are four Pepsi Oases. The first is located between The Wave and Watubee, the second is located next to ZOOMbabwe Grill, the third is located next to Bahari Snacks, and the last is located between Bahari Wave Pool and Bakuli.[15]
Shops:
| Ride | Added | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comet's Rockets | 1970s | Christmas | Children's rocket ride |
| Dasher's Seahorses | 1970s | Christmas | Children's seahorse ride |
| Prancer's Merry-Go-Round | 1970s | Christmas | Children's carousel |
| Dancer's Thunder Bumpers Junior | 1982 | Christmas | Children's bumper boats |
| Reindeer Games | 2008 | Christmas | Three-story family drop ride |
| Rudolph's Round-Up | 2011 | Christmas | Family sleigh ride |
| Scarecrow Scrambler | 1976 | Halloween | Classic scrambler ride |
| Frightful Falls | 1984 | Halloween | Log flume |
| The Raven | 1995 | Halloween | Wooden roller coaster themed after Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" |
| The Legend | 2000 | Halloween | Wooden roller coaster themed after Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" |
| HallowSwings | 2003 | Halloween | Custom-made Zamperla flying carousel swing ride |
| The Freedom Train | 1946 | Fourth of July | Ridable miniature train whose engine is a ¼ scale model of a Baltimore and Ohio locomotive |
| Salmon Run | 1970s | Fourth of July | Children's fish-go-round |
| Eagle's Flight | 1976 | Fourth of July | Flying Scooter |
| Rough Riders | 1976 | Fourth of July | Bumper cars themed after former President Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders |
| Lewis & Clark Trail | 1978 | Fourth of July | Tin Lizzie antique car ride |
| Indian River Canoes | 1988 | Fourth of July | Children's canoe ride |
| Raging Rapids in Boulder Canyon | 1990 | Fourth of July | White water rapids raft ride |
| Liberty Launch | 2003 | Fourth of July | Seven-story S&S Double Shot |
| Revolution | 2005 | Fourth of July | Dartron Zero Gravity Round Up ride |
| Star Spangled Carousel | 2008 | Fourth of July | Carousel |
| Sparkler | 2012 | Fourth of July | 65 feet (20 m) tall Zamperla vertical swing ride |
| Holidog's Treehouse | 1999 | Holidog's FunTown | Three-story play structure |
| Just for Pups | 1999 | Holidog's FunTown | Smaller version of Holidog's Treehouse that is designed for small children |
| The Howler | 1999 | Holidog's FunTown | Family steel roller coaster |
| Doggone Trail | 1999 | Holidog's FunTown | Children's jeep ride |
| Magic Waters | 1999 | Holidog's FunTown | Spray park area |
| The Voyage | 2006 | Thanksgiving | Wooden roller coaster themed after the voyage the Pilgrims made to America in 1620 |
| Gobbler Getaway | 2006 | Thanksgiving | Sally Corporation interactive dark ride |
| Turkey Whirl | 2007 | Thanksgiving | Turkey-themed Tilt-A-Whirl |
| Pilgrims Plunge | 2009 | Thanksgiving | Intamin shoot-the-chute ride featuring an open-air elevator |
| AmaZOOM | 1993 | Splashin' Safari | Enclosed inline tube slide allowing single riders only |
| Bamboo Chute | 1993 | Splashin' Safari | Inline tube slide with both open and enclosed sections allowing both single and double riders |
| Congo River | 1993 | Splashin' Safari | Lazy river [Depth: 28 inches (71 cm)] |
| Crocodile Isle | 1993 | Splashin' Safari | Children's play area featuring two pools [Depth: 12 inches (30 cm)] connected by two body slides |
| The Wave | 1994 | Splashin' Safari | Zero-entry-depth wave pool [Maximum depth: 6 feet (1.8 m)] |
| Butterfly Bay | 1994 | Splashin' Safari | Smaller zero-entry-depth wave pool for children [Maximum depth: 18 inches (46 cm)] |
| Watubee | 1996 | Splashin' Safari | Open family rafting water slide allowing up to five riders |
| Otorongo | 1997 | Splashin' Safari | Collection of three intertwining enclosed inline tube slides named "Otto", "Ron", and "Go" |
| Monsoon Lagoon | 1998 | Splashin' Safari | Interactive waterplay complex [Average depth: 18 inches (46 cm)] featuring four body slides and a tipping bucket containing 1,000 US gallons (3,800 L) of water |
| ZOOMbabwe | 2002 | Splashin' Safari | Enclosed family rafting water slide allowing up to four riders |
| Zinga | 2003 | Splashin' Safari | Eight-story ProSlide Tornado allowing up to four riders |
| Jungle Racer | 2004 | Splashin' Safari | Five-story ProSlide ProRacer with ten lanes |
| Bahari Wave Pool | 2005 | Splashin' Safari | Zero-entry-depth wave pool [Maximum depth: 6 feet (1.8 m)] featuring geysers and water jets |
| Bahari River | 2006 | Splashin' Safari | Lazy river [Depth: 28 inches (71 cm)] |
| Bakuli | 2007 | Splashin' Safari | ProSlide Behemoth Bowl allowing up to four riders |
| Kima Bay | 2008 | Splashin' Safari | WhiteWater West AquaPlay RainFortress [Average depth: 18 inches (46 cm)] featuring seven body slides, 125 water jets, and a tipping bucket containing 1,200 US gallons (4,500 L) of water |
| Wildebeest | 2010 | Splashin' Safari | 1,710 feet (520 m) long ProSlide HydroMagnetic Rocket water coaster allowing up to four riders who sit toboggan-style |
| Safari Sam's SplashLand | 2011 | Splashin' Safari | Children's play area featuring an activity pool [Maximum depth: 18 inches (46 cm)] with interactive water elements and eight open and enclosed body slides |
| Mammoth | 2012 | Splashin' Safari | 1,763 feet (537 m) long ProSlide HydroMagnetic Rocket water coaster allowing up to six riders who sit facing each other |
| Ride | Added | Removed | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep-Go-Round | 1947 | Unknown | Christmas | Children's jeep ride; it was the first of its kind ever manufactured |
| Bungee Jump | 1992 | 1992 | Halloween | Crane-based bungee jump show; temporarily replaced the high dive show |
| Stormin' Norman's Tank Tag | 1992 | 1996 | Fourth of July | Series of miniature tanks that up to three guests could ride; replaced by The Alamo |
| Firecracker | 1981 | 1997 | Fourth of July | Pinfari Zyklon Z47 steel roller coaster; replaced by Holidog's FunTown |
| Frontier Farm | 1948 | 1999 | Fourth of July | Petting zoo with a collection of animals, including baby goats, lambs, and 14 reindeer named after Santa Claus's reindeer |
| Banshee | 1986 | 2002 | Halloween | Chance Falling Star; replaced by Hallowswings |
| Hall of Famous Americans | 1950s | 2002 | Fourth of July | Wax museum with an emphasis on American Presidents and American History; replaced by Liberty Launch |
| Roundhouse | 1976 | 2004 | Fourth of July | Round Up; replaced by Revolution, a larger version of the same ride |
| Virginia Reel | 1976 | 2005 | Fourth of July | Tilt-A-Whirl; removed to make room for an additional path to the Thanksgiving section; replaced by Turkey Whirl, a new and relocated version of the same ride |
| Kids' Castle | 1992 | 2007 | Christmas | Children's soft play structure, including a slide, trampoline, and ball pit; replaced by Reindeer Games |
| Deer Playground | 1992 | 2007 | Christmas | Smaller version of Kids' Castle, including a crawl-through train and small ball pit for younger children; replaced by Reindeer Games |
| Thunder Bumpers on Chesapeake Bay | 1980 | 2007 | Fourth of July | Bumper boats; replaced by Star Spangled Carousel |
| Jungle Jets | 2004 | 2010 | Splashin' Safari | Family spray area, featuring numerous water features; replaced by Safari Sam's SplashLand |
| Blitzen's Airplanes | 1970s | 2010 | Christmas | Children's airplane ride; replaced by Rudolph's Round-Up |
| Paul Revere's Midnight Ride | 1978 | 2011 | Fourth of July | Eyerly Spider; replaced by Sparkler, which switched locations with Star Spangled Carousel so that the carousel is now located in Paul Revere's Midnight Ride's old location |
Rather than sign licensed characters for the park, Holiday World has developed several mascots and characters including:
The Holidazzles are kid themed group featuring characters that represent each section of the park. The group sings and dances in various sections of the park (prior to 2010 they performed at the Holiday Theater in the Christmas section). Characters include:
Before 2010, the Christmas section was represented by Berry
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers a variety of live entertainment, including singing, dancing, and diving. All shows are performed at least six days per week when the park is in daily operation.
In 2004, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari earned the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Applause Award. To win the award, awarded every two years, a park must show "foresight, originality and creativity, plus sound business development and profitability." With an attendance of 883,000 that year, Holiday World was the smallest park to ever receive the award. The park celebrated the award by installing a large replica of the award's trophy as well as commemorative plaques naming other recipients of the award as part of a fountain in the Christmas section.[8]
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari has also received numerous Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented by Amusement Today magazine to the best of the best in the amusement park industry. At 41, Holiday World has received more Golden Ticket Awards than any other amusement park in the world, as of 2011.[5]
| Golden Ticket Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | Year | Recipient |
| Friendliest Park | 1998–2008, 2010–2011 | Entire Park |
| Cleanest Park | 2000–2011 | Entire Park |
| Best Wooden Roller Coaster | 2000–2003 | The Raven |
| Best Wooden Roller Coaster | 2007–2011 | The Voyage |
| Best New Ride | 2006 | The Voyage |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2006 | Bahari River |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2007 | Bakuli |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2010 | Wildebeest |
| Best Waterpark Ride | 2003 | Zinga |
| Best Waterpark Ride | 2010–2011 | Wildebeest |
| Publisher's Pick: Park of the Year | 2004 | Entire Park |
| Publisher's Pick: Legends Series | 2010 | Will Koch |
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