Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, a theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana, is opening a unique gravy-themed coaster in May 2024.
Called ‘Good Gravy!’, the coaster will be located in the park’s Thanksgiving area and is made by Vekoma Rides, the Dutch roller coaster specialist.
The new family boomerang, the first of its kind in North America, will feature a train shaped like a giant gravy boat. This will be pulled backwards uphill before speeding through the station onto a cranberry-coloured track.
At maximum speeds of 37 miles per hour on the 1,500-foot journey, guests will fly through a huge cranberry jelly can and past giant kitchen utensils – including a 20-foot-tall whisk and an 18-foot-tall rolling pin. After heading up a 77-foot-tall spike, riders will repeat the journey backwards.
“We’ve been family-owned since 1946, and we value good, clean family fun,” said park owner Leah Koch-Blumhardt. “Here at Holiday World, families are our bread and butter.”
“As for the theme, this coaster might be a little corny, but that’s exactly who we are. We’ve always been as cheesy as grandma’s potatoes au gratin. We’re stuffing this ride full of puns and giving families pumpkin new to talk about,” she added.
“We’re making a meal out of this Thanksgiving-themed coaster,” said park owner Lauren Crosby. “This coaster is guaranteed to be the graviest coaster anyone has ever seen, and the queue will take you back in time to Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s house.”
Ride in a giant gravy boat
Alongside the new gravy ride, Holiday World is opening the Stuffing Springs section with a children’s play area and a Dippin’ Dots stand
Ricardo Tonding Etges, vice president of sales and marketing for Vekoma Rides in the Americas region, said the new coaster offers “a fantastic blend of elements”.
Holiday World started out as Santa Claus Land in 1946 before expanding to include Halloween, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving sections.
Good Gravy! will open to the public on 11 May 2024.
