Holiday World to launch 73rd season when park opens on May 4

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Holiday World is preparing to launch its 73rd season when the Santa Claus, Indiana, theme park opens on Saturday, May 4.

Splashin' Safari, the venue's water park, opens the following weekend on Saturday, May 11.

This season comes as the park was rated one of the most affordable nationwide on HomeToGo.com's annual Theme Park Price Index.

Holiday World 'Hallow Swings' ride — Image courtesy: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari

"We kick off the season this weekend with another year of free parking, our 20th season of free soft drinks for everyone, plus free sunscreen," said Matt Eckert, the park's president, in a statement. "It's a great feeling to see we're ranked #1 in the Midwest and #2 in the national when it comes to affordability. Add that to our lineup of world-class attractions, clean grounds, friendly Team Members and our new Santa's Merry Marketplace, and we're off to another fantastic season!"

The park recently invested $5.5 million for improvements and additions for the 2019 season. These include:

Santa's Merry Marketplace, with five serving stations offering varying menus, plus the Candy Cane Confectionery, the Sugarplum Scoop Shoppe, and the Polar Expresso.
A new "Kids World" festival that lasts for five weekends beginning in mid-August.
Special "Keys to the World Tours" which involve tours of the theme park and rides.
Improvements to 720 feet of track to "The Voyage" -- the world's second-longest wooden roller coaster.
On-ride photos for the "Gobbler Getaway" dark ride.
The Candy Cornucopia store and the Dippin' Dots Sundae Shop in the Thanksgiving section.
Four additional Cabanas.

"With Santa's Merry Marketplace, we'll start a new tradition at Holiday World, as Santa Claus greets park guests each morning from the tower's balcony," said Eckert, in a statement. "We also preserved our iconic Santa murals from the past restaurant to help decorate Santa's Merry Marketplace.

The park will offer 110 new menu items. Half of them will are offered at Santa's Merry Marketplace, which will feature Asian cuisine, pizza and pasta, deli sandwiches, kids favorites, grilled items and a kitchen where visitors can watch candy being made. Vegetarian, gluten-free and allergen-friendly options.