Our Ranking of Roller Coasters at Holiday World

We think that Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari is an underrated theme park in the Midwest. Located around three hours from St. Louis, the park advertises “free parking, free soft drinks, and free sunscreen,” but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Holiday World has incredible theming, decent food, cool shows, and a festive atmosphere.

If you’re a coaster fan, Holiday World also offers an array of coasters — on land and on water — to fit just about any taste. They’re all well maintained and smooth, making for many good options. But which ones are the best?

Here we offer our ranking of coasters at Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari. Note that we aren’t including kiddie coasters or rides that aren’t true coasters at all. No Comet’s Rockets or Liberty Launches, for instance. Also, we don’t think there are really any truly bad coasters in the park, so being at the bottom doesn’t mean it’s a bad ride — just not as good as the ones above it.

So here we go.

1. The Voyage

The Voyage is one of the most epic coasters we’ve ever had the privilege to ride. It runs more than a mile, a journey of ups, downs, and turns that is fast and scenic. It’s also shockingly smooth, a tribute to the careful maintenance Holiday World has kept up with on this enormous ride.

2. Mammoth Water Coaster

The flagship water coaster in the park, Mammoth puts up to six people in a giant raft and launches them up and down over the course of 1/3 of a mile, making it the longest water coaster in the world. It accomplishes this feat by using a linear induction motor (LIM), pushing the raft upward using electromagnetic force via a metal plate on the bottom of the raft. (Fun fact: Mr. Freeze in Six Flags St. Louis also uses this technology.) Mammoth is the Voyage of Splashin’ Safari.

3. Wildebeast Water Coaster

Wildebeast sits in the shadow of Mammoth, but it’s really a stellar ride in its own right. It’s almost as long as Mammoth, and uses the same LIM technology, putting up to four people on a collision course with destiny as the raft surges up and down. From the ride up the first hill to the many twists and tunnels, it’s a scenic ride and an essential experience in Splashin’ Safari.

4. Thunderbird

Thunderbird is the only land-based launch coaster in Holiday World, and the only one with loops. That makes it one of the most intense rides in the park, and one that’s not for everyone. Even the more seasoned roller coaster riders in our group didn’t love the restraints, which were tighter and less comfortable than other coasters like this we’ve ridden. Despite that, Thunderbird’s design makes riders feel like they’re actually flying, something you don’t get on many coasters.

5. Cheetah Chase Water Coaster

Cheetah Chase is a water coaster similar in principle to Wildebeast, but with two distinct differences: 1) it uses water jets instead of LIM and 2) it involves two competing rafts. Some members of our group liked it more than Wildebeast, while others did not. It definitely will blast you with plenty of water, and can be especially fun if your party is broken up among two teams vying to finish first. It’s a little less fun otherwise, if still a cool water coaster.

6. The Legend

The Legend is another wooden coaster in the park. Not as long as The Voyage, The Legend makes up for it with a comparably smooth ride, several bits of airtime, and some sweet turns that make you feel like you’re trying to evade the Headless Horseman. Even this far down the list, it’s a great ride that’s worth doing.

7. The Howler

The Howler is easy to miss, as it sits at the back of the kid’s section of 4th of July. It doesn’t do much for thrills, but it does fill an important place in the park as an entry coaster with no height maximums. If you’re trying to get younger ones acclimated to coaster life, you won’t go wrong starting here. Just don’t expect high thrills.

8. Good Gravy! Family Coaster

Holiday World’s newest coaster was a mixed bag for us. On one hand, it’s a family coaster that’s smooth, different, and accessible to a range of ages. Also, the queue line is well done. Despite it’s modest height requirements, though, it’s a little intense in ways that are not so cool on coasters, including that first pull back that is creepy and not all that satisfying. The backwards return trip is okay, but the total package didn’t do it for us the way we’d hoped.

9. The Raven

The Raven is a serviceable coaster, and in other parks might be higher on the list. But it’s rougher and less exciting than other wooden coasters in Holiday World. Park goers seem to know that, too, which might explain why its lines tend to be shorter. It’s not a bad trip, but it’s no Voyage, either.