If you’re looking for a great place to take your young child for some summer fun, Holiday World is the perfect spot for you! There are several attractions for everyone in your travel party, especially little ones!
If you have not heard about Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari yet, you are missing out! Holiday World is located in Santa Claus, Indiana, approximately one hour west of Louisville, Kentucky off I-64. Holiday World is an amusement park with attractions themed after various holidays, such as Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving! Splashin’ Safari is the water park at Holiday World.
I have been a season pass holder at Holiday World for about 20 years. I’ve enjoyed taking my children there when they were younger!
Now, I’m getting to experience that joy again with my grandchildren.
Here are some of their best and our favorite activities for young children at Holiday World!
Christmas Section
The Christmas section at Holiday World is the first section that you enter when you arrive at Holiday World.
This section is made up mostly of children’s rides, especially rides for young children.
Rudolph’s Reindeer Ranch is an area of rides that is only for children under 54 inches tall! This section offers small carnival-type rides that are perfect for the little ones!
Added bonus: Santa Claus spends his summers in Santa Claus, Indiana! Since he is close, he often stops by Holiday World to visit with the kids! Santa even takes time to read stories to the children every day!
Fourth of July Section
The Fourth of July section at Holiday World has two rides for young children, as well as carnival-type games.
First, there is a carousel!
Their carousel is unique because it has many more animals to ride than just horses!
There are plenty of horses to choose from, as well as more exotic animals like zebras and dragons! My grandson’s favorite is this adorable blue dragon! We’ve learned that if another guest gets to the dragon first, we just get in line again and ride it a second time that day! Win-win situation!
In addition to the carousel, there are also canoes in the Fourth of July section! Tippecanoes is one of my kids’ favorite rides when they were little and one of my grandchildren’s favorite rides now!
Thanksgiving Section
The Thanksgiving section at Holiday World hosts the two best roller coasters in the park. Though, they are definitely NOT little kid-friendly.
However, there are other activities for the little ones to enjoy!
The Gobbler Getaway is a super fun ride for all ages!
You get a “turkey caller” to call lost turkeys and round them up for Thanksgiving. However, we lovingly refer to it as “turkey shooting” …. because the “turkey caller” does not look like a “turkey caller.”
Holidog’s Fun Town
In addition to the various holiday-themed areas, there is Holidog’s Fun Town! Holidog is Holiday World’s mascot and he has a special area in the back of the park that has a wide variety of activities for young children.
The main difference between the rides in this section and the rides in the Christmas section is that parents and older siblings can join the little ones in the fun too!
Holidog’s Express is a train ride that circles the entire Holidog area. You get to hear nursery rhymes and see life-size statues that represent those nursery rhymes!
Kitty’s Tea Party is a spinning tea cup ride for children and adults, bringing spins and smiles to all!
Doggone Trail is a Jeep ride for little ones that their parents can ride with them! One great bonus of this ride is that the little ones can “drive” the jeep themselves!
There is also a small roller coaster, the Howler, in this section. This roller coaster is perfect if you are unsure whether or not your young child is ready for the big roller coasters.
And…saving the best for last…Holidog’s Fun Town has a playground (Holidog’s Treehouse) and a splash pad (Magic Waters)! I’ve always been a big fan of splash pads!
Free Stuff!
Free things are fun for all, but they make a family trip a little less financially challenging!
Free sunscreen! Yes! Free sunscreen is located throughout the theme park and water park and is available to all!
FREE unlimited drinks! They have several “Pepsi Oasis” spots located throughout the park, as well as free fountain drinks in the restaurants.
One of the best parts of the free drinks is that they have more than just soda! There is lemonade, fruit punch, and Gatorade! The fact that Gatorade is available and free on those hot summer days is amazing!
Even more fun!
In addition to the rides and other attractions at Holiday World itself, there is also an amazing waterpark on the property! The water park, Splashin’ Safari, is included with your admission to Holiday World.
You can find out more about Splashin’ Safari on our website here!
You May Also Enjoy:
Holiday World’s Special Halloween Activities
Top Family-Friendly Activities in the Gatlinburg Area
