Santa Claus, Indiana, USA
May 3, 2024 – It was the talk of the IAAPA Expo and we couldn’t wait to see Holiday World’s new Vekoma custom family boomerang coaster first hand. Today’s media event gave us a preview before it opens to the public next Saturday.
The coaster is themed to Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Gracy’s house and features many unique details, including a gravy boat train, a giant milk bottle, a huge whisk, a large chicken timer, and a cranberry sauce tin can tunnel! It’s 77 foot (23.5 m) tall spike propels the shuttle coaster at speeds up to 37 mph (60 km/h), and with a 38-inch (96 cm) minimum height requirement, the ride provides thrills for the young and old alike.
America’s Graviest Coaster is the first to open at Holiday World since Thunderbird, the B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) wing coaster, debuted in 2015 and is the park’s second family coaster along with Howler, which opened in 1999. It replaces Giraffica/Pilgrim’s Plunge, the Intamin Shoot The Chutes water ride that closed in 2013. Perfectly themed to its location in the park’s Thanksgiving section, it was no surprise that the event’s meal offered the traditional holiday fixings.
And Scott did his usual thing for us, providing the best POVs and rider reaction videos of the coaster on YouTube.
Here’s what he filmed for us, including an interview with Leah Koch-Blumhardt, Holiday World’s Director of Communications.