While many are familiar with Holiday World after it began building its incredible roller coasters in the mid 90s, the Santa Claus, Indiana, park has been around for much longer. In fact, it’s celebrating its 70th birthday season this year. I made...
Continue reading...thunderbird
Our Favorite Moments from 2015, Part One
It’s that time of year again — 2015 is coming to a close and 2016 is just around the corner. Every year we take a look back and reflect on the past year. In this two-part series, each member of...
Continue reading...Our Thoughts on Thunderbird at Holiday World
Last month, five members of the Coaster101 team met (for the first time in person!) at Holiday World for CoasterBuzz’s “Fall Affair” event which gave us extended ride time (ERT) on the park’s new Bolliger & Mabillard launched wing coaster, Thunderbird —...
Continue reading...Thunderbird Wing Coaster Takes Inaugural Launch
Holiday World shared an exciting moment yesterday of the park’s Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) wing coaster, Thunderbird, taking its first launch. The 0-62 mph, 3.5-second launch is B&M’s first in-house launch system. The Incredible Hulk’s (Islands of Adventure) launch system was...
Continue reading...Q&A With Matt Eckert, President and CEO of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari
This offseason, Coaster101 wants to take you behind the scenes of the theme park industry and talk to some key personnel at various parks around the country, not only to find out a little more about their respective parks, but about them...
Continue reading...Our 2015 Coaster Resolutions
In our recent two part series we shared with you all our top theme park related moments from 2014. Today, we’re going to share our goals for 2015, our “coaster resolutions.” John 2014 was an exciting year full of many...
Continue reading...Thunderbird Track Completed at Holiday World
Holiday World’s new-for-2015 Thunderbird wing coaster is complete. Yesterday, the final piece of the 3,035-foot-long track was put into place. “Thunderbird track piece #77, ready to fly,” the park revealed in a Facebook post. The piece placed appears to be...
Continue reading...IAAPA Expo 2014 Highlights, Part One
This week, more than 27,000 amusement industry professionals and fanatics gathered in Orlando for the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo. Great view of the #IAE14 show floor from atop the Themeing and Animatronics Industries display...
Continue reading...Holiday World Blanketed with Early Snow
Winter hasn’t officially arrived, but much of the United States is facing below-average temperatures and earlier-than-usual snowfall. Earlier in the week, Holiday World and its coasters were coated in a layer of snow, and the park fortunately took full advantage...
Continue reading...Thunderbird Continues to Hatch at Holiday World
The off season has begun, but luckily parks like Holiday World are keeping us in the coaster spirit by sharing amazing photographs of their new-for-2015 coasters under construction. Holiday World’s Thunderbird — B&M’s first launched wing coaster — is already well...
Continue reading...Thunderbird’s Vertical Loop Completed
Holiday World’s Thunderbird wing coaster continues to grow with each passing day. Last week, the B&M wing coaster’s highest point, the Immelmann inversion, was completed. And now, it’s the vertical loop’s turn. The 11-ton section of the vertical loop prepares...
Continue reading...Holiday World’s Thunderbird Topped Off
Construction crews at Holiday World are wasting no time in erecting the Bolliger & Mabillard launched wing coaster. A few days ago, crews hoisted the top piece of the coaster’s Immelmann inversion into place. The pinnacle moment was also captured...
Continue reading...
Recent Discussion