Splashin’ Safari

Santa Claus, Indiana; USA

In the little town of Santa Claus, Indiana, sits one of the highest ranked amusement and water parks in North America. Holiday World is best known for their super-friendly staff, free soft-drinks, free parking, and free sunscreen. But the main pull for the park are their rides; including the four main roller coasters: Raven, Legend, Voyage, and Thunderbird.

Holiday World’s water park, Splashin’ Safari, is free with admission and holds an amazing lineup of fun, thrilling, world-class and award winning water slides; the majority of which were designed by ProSlide company from Ontario, Canada.

Along the extensive lineup are two of the world’s longest hydromagnetic water coasters, Mammoth and Wildebeest, that propels riders uphill via linear induction motors at very quick speeds, as well as the new for 2020 Cheetah Chase water coaster that launches riders using water propulsion! Other special water attractions include one of the largest dark family raft slides in the world (ZOOMbabwe), a large funnel slide (Zinga), a large bowl slide (Bakuli), three wave pools, two children’s slide areas, and a water playground.

Body Slides
- Safari Sam’s Splash Land (8 kids slides)
- Tembo Falls (8 kids slides)
- Kima Bay (water playground with 6 slides)
Inner Tube Slides
- Otorongo (3 slides, enclosed)
Mat Slides
- Jungle Racer (10 lanes)
Raft Slides
- Bakuli (4-seat cloverleaf raft, large bowl)
- Watubee
- Zinga (4-seat cloverleaf raft, large funnel)
- ZOOMbabwe (Enclosed)
Water Coasters
- Cheetah Chase (3-seat inline raft)
- Mammoth (6-seat cloverleaf raft)
- Wildebeest (4-seat Inline raft)

Bakuli

Type: Family raft bowl
Make: ProSlide
Model: BehemothBOWL 60

Description: Riders start their journey 73 feet up with multiple enclosed slalom curves, before entering a large drop and shooting out into the massive 60 foot wide bowl, making multiple rotations before exiting into a drop in the center and into a pool below.

Cheetah Chase

Type: Water coaster
Make: ProSlide
Model: Launched Dueling RocketBLAST
Elements: Dueling, water propelled horizontal and uphill launches, FlyingSAUCER 30’s
Opened: July 4, 2020

Description: New for 2020, Cheetah Chase is Holiday World and Splashin Safari’s third ProSlide water coaster. Two 3-person rafts exit the station parallel to each other to enter a spectacular horizontal and upward launch propelled by water. Riders’ rafts then maneuver multiple tight turns and more jets for a very quick flume experience before coming to a splash at the end and being carried right back into the station where riders had boarded.

Review: Speed and tons of water! Those are the best ways to describe experiencing this new for 2020 one-of-a-kind dual racing water coaster.

The spectacular launch via water jets easily carrying riders horizontal then up the slope feels almost magical, before having it all dump onto you at the top of the hill. Riders then proceed through more drops and uphill sections, and some tight curves within ProSlide’s SAUCER elements producing some nice G-forces. Another winner in Splashin’ Safari’s already-stellar lineup of water attractions, and a must-ride for families and thrill seekers alike!
-Marcus

Filmed under supervision of park management outside of normal park hours.

Jungle Racer

Type: 10-lane mat racer
Make: ProSlide
Model: ProRACER

Description: 10 riders race each other head-first down a three-drop toboggan slide.

Review: A brief but very fun rush with a spectacular splash finale!
-Marcus

Mammoth

Type: Water coaster
Make: ProSlide
Model: HydroMAGNETIC MAMMOTH
Elements: Rideable conveyor lift, electro magnetic uphill elements.
Opened: May 11, 2012

Description: Riders are brought up the side of a hill on their 6-person rafts via conveyor belt before being sent on their 3 minute, 1/3 mile (1,763 feet) long journey through 7 large drops, 6 magnetically propelled uphill sections, and numerous moments of large water splashes on this unique water coaster. Guinness Book of World Records certified Mammoth as the world’s longest water coaster in 2016.

Review: Holiday World could not have chosen a better name for this monstrosity. First time sliders may not be prepared for the adventure to share with fellow riders that this very long water coaster is capable of. Many large drops and uphill sections with misters and splashes along the way, complete with a finale that gives one of the biggest soakings I think I’ve ever experienced on a water slide; just shy of practically dunking riders into a pool.

A viewing deck gives a great vantage point of this great finale, and I’ve hardly seen riders (adults and kids alike) without a big smile on their faces as they gently float back to the station where they began their journey while absolutely soaked to the bone.

I cannot give enough praise for this water coaster. It remains as my personal #1 water slide in the world and it alone is worth the visit to Holiday World’s water park.
-Marcus

Otorongo

Type: 3 enclosed inner-tube slides

Description: Three separate enclosed flumes take riders down many tight curves or large drops before plunging them through a water curtain and into the pool at the end.

Review: Worth doing three times to try out each unique flume due to their different natures. While short, the center slide with two large drops is certainly the most exciting.
-Marcus

Safari Sam’s Splash Land

Type: 8 children’s body slides
Make: ProSlide
Model: KIDZ Rides

Description: A children’s area with 8 unique body slides for riders under 54″ or those accompanied by sliders under 54″.

While not featured on this page, Splashin’ Safari also offers a separate children’s slide area called Tembo Falls (opened 2018) with similar slides. Safari Sam’s Splash Land’s slides end into a pool (18″ deep with zero-depth entry) and Tembo Falls having a runout at the end of each slide.

Watubee

Type: Family Raft
Make: ProSlide
Opened: May, 1996

Description: A standard family raft water slided with many large curves and small dips before ending into a pool.

Review: A very casual raft slide with moments of exciting high bankings on some curves if your raft has many riders!
-Marcus

Wildebeest

Type: Water coaster
Make: ProSlide
Model: HydroMAGNETIC ROCKET
Elements: Rideable conveyor lift, electro magnetic uphill elements
Opened: 2010

Description: Holiday World’s first water coaster that claimed the record for being the world’s longest when it opened in 2010. Riders are brought up the side of a hill on their 4-person inline rafts via conveyor belt before being sent on their 3 minute, 1/3 mile (1,710 feet) long journey through 7 large airtime-induced drops, 8 magnetically propelled uphill sections, and numerous moments of large water splashes on this fast water coaster.

Review: Wildebeest has been a fan favorite of thrill seekers for its roller coaster-like layout, complete with several fast uphill sections, tight curves, and many large drops that produce a commendable amount of airtime throughout the course! A very speedy and long water coaster that’s a must-do when coming to the water park!
-Marcus

The following POV footage was shot with the express written permission of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari management during a private event.

Zinga

Type: Water coaster
Make: ProSlide
Model: TORNADO 60
Opened: 2003

Description: The world’s first ProSlide TORNADO water slide! Riders start 78 feet up with a large drop that enters a large enclosed helix, then drop again to enter the 60 foot wide funnel to complete multiple oscillations up both sides of the wall, then exit out to a pool.

Review: A very thrilling family raft slide with two very large drops and an exciting moment scaling the walls of the massive funnel, producing some fun feelings of floating!
-Marcus

ZOOMbabwe

Type: Enclosed family raft

Description: Riders walk up a hill that weaves through the structure of The Legend wooden roller coaster before climbing the stairs tot he 102 foot tall ZOOMbabwe slide. Riders board a circular raft and pass through a water curtain before zooming around wide curves and many large downward slopes for the 887 foot long slide.

Review: The scale of this family raft slide is virtually unmatched! Climbing the steps takes you under and over The Legend wooden roller coaster, giving great views of trains roaring by. The slide has several large sloped drops giving brief moments of speed before entering wide gentle curves in the massive tunnel. The flume isn’t completely dark inside, as there are air holes punched in the ceiling in the form of various tiki faces and give moments of light through this incredibly long slide.
-Marcus