Travel

Indiana theme park welcomes food allergy families

by on November 23rd, 2010

After my family’s own disappointing experience at Six Flags New England this past Summer (which I documented on the AllergyEats Blog under “Six Flags food service – another thrill ride”), it was nice to read about a theme park that openly welcomes food-allergic guests and their families.  Granted, the information is coming from a press release that was put out by the park itself; nevertheless, the fact that they recognize the importance of telling the world about their expanding allergy-friendly food offerings says something positive in and of itself.

Located in Santa Claus, IN (a water park in Santa Claus???), Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari says that next season “families will be able to enjoy meals together, even when one of the family members has severe food allergies or other strict dietary needs.”

“Several of the park’s restaurants offer an expanded menu of pre-packaged food items which do not contain eight of the most common food allergens, namely: wheat, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, soy and eggs.”

The park says that the reaction to their limited allergen-friendly food introductions a few years ago was so good that they decided to add some vegetarian and sugar-free items, too.  This is clearly a park that realizes the guest experience is more than just rides.  Everyone has got to eat too!  The more comfortable, the better.

Offered at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari are allergen-free (of the big eight) pizza, chicken nuggets, and turkey corn dogs, as well as gluten-free sandwich bread.  Further, the specified restaurants in the park that serve this food have designated equipment for preparing gluten-free and dairy-free items.

For dessert, those with allergies to the big eight can still enjoy snickerdoodle cookies, as well as gluten- and wheat-free brownies, and dairy-free ice cream bars.

The park’s website has a page called “Food & Restaurants” that lists the allergen-friendly items served.  Guests can also speak to members of the food department’s management about ingredients, etc.

While I’m not quite ready to compare Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari to DisneyWorld, I am encouraged by management’s obvious efforts to make food allergy families feel welcomed at this park.  Now how long is the drive from Boston?

Have any of you been to this park?  Do you have a local/regional theme park near you that is similarly “aware” of food allergies?  It would be great to start a dialogue here about which theme parks we know “get it” and which don’t.  (For the moment, we can leave Disney out – they’re been well-covered as outstanding.)  Please share your thoughts and stories by clicking Comment or Reply below.

Also, please remember to rate any restaurants you’ve recently patronized by clicking over to the core AllergyEats site at www.allergyeats.com.  The power and value of this site in helping our community find allergy-friendly restaurants is driven by, and depends on, you!  All it takes is a minute or less to rate a restaurant.  If you’re new to AllergyEats, please join our growing list of raters adding more value for fellow food-allergic diners every day.  If you’re an AllergyEats “veteran,” please remember to rate every dining experience.

Comments

    Author:
    Liz
    Written:


    Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, had vendors that used peanuts fairly well marked with a peanut and a slash over it and all the information was online to read about before.

    Author:
    Caryn
    Written:


    Hm….
    Grandma and Grandpa just bought a retirement home in TN, and this theme park is about halfway from our place to their place. We will definitely check it out when we travel there to visit them. Thanks for the heads up.

    Author:
    Stacey
    Written:


    Yes! My daughter can’t have dairy and while there with lots of young family members she was able to have ice cream just like them and not be left out. HW is great for dealing with allergies!

    Author:
    Mandy
    Written:


    I do have to say that out of all the theme parks that I have ever been to Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari is my absolute favorite. The main reason for this is that the park is geared towards everyone from 1-99, it is all about family fun, and they have continually addressed family needs over the years, from free soft drinks & suntan lotion, to food items avaliable for everyone. They pride themselves on being a family run park that’s geared towards the needs of every family. Everytime my family and I go, we are greeted by almost 95% of the employee’s we pass with a smile, they realize that it’s not the biggest and best rides out there (although Holiday World has some amazing rides), but instead about the little details that keep families coming back to enjoy time together and have fun at this amazing park surounded by corn fields in a small town in Southern Indiana, year after year. 🙂

    Author:
    Paula Werne, Holiday World
    Written:


    Thanks for blogging about our Allergen Friendly Menu. Just wanted to add that FAAN awarded us their “Mariel C. Furlong Award for Making a Difference” in 2009 (http://www.foodallergy.org/page/mariel-c-furlong-award-winners-announced). We encourage other parks to offer a similar menu, as the feedback from our Guests shows how needed and appreciated it is.

    Author:
    Jacqui
    Written:


    I love Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari. We get season passes and go frequently throughout the summer. The park is known for family fun and for being extremely friendly and clean. I cannot have sugar because my stomach does not process it. The special foods menu allows me to eat with my family and not have to worry about carrying in items for my snacks and such. We took a young guest with us this past year who could not have gluten. She was thrilled when we bought her cookies she could eat. There’s just something very special about being able to purchase something where you are. Especially to kids. She was only 3 and was so happy that she got to stand in line and buy something sweet to eat (just like the rest of the kids). I believe Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari do their best to make everyone feel included. The owners and management are the BEST! You should visit-even all the way from Boston. You won’t be disappointed.

    Author:
    Lora Ross
    Written:


    Let me begin by saying I do not have food allergies, nor do my children and I have no affiliation to the park other than some of my son’s friends have worked there over the years.

    I live about 40 minutes from the park, which is MUCH cleaner than the bigger parks and lines are shorter too. A friend of mine lives about 4 hours away and planned their trip around the park simply because his children have food allergies. They had done some research and discovered it. They, too, were a little skeptical, but were completely WOWed by just HOW allergy friendly they were. The bonuses were free unlimited soft drinks and free sunscreen as well…not just a little packet, but gallon size (or bigger) jugs with pumps like a condiment stand. Yes, their ads may seem a little corny compared to others, but when Pat Koch, the matriarch, greets you at the door in the morning and is in the park cleaning all throughout the day, you really get a sense of smalltown USA and a real hometown atmosphere. I really appreciate this gem tucked away in Southern Indiana

    While in the area they toured French Lick and West Baden, visiting the beautifully restored hotels and the train station.

    The author wanted to know how far it was from Boston (I think)…Holiday World is approximately an hour from both Evansville, IN and Louisville, KY which both have airports so you can just fly in. Sorry, no sleighport in Santa Claus, IN.

    Author:
    Suzy
    Written:


    Hands down the BEST park EVER!!!! Extremely clean, Extremely friendly! They cater to their guests in EVERY area possible. I am originally from Southern Indiana now living in SC and we drive from here every year to make the trip to the park a couple times each season. Free sunscreen and Free unlimited drinks is just the icing on the cake. If you have not been, make plans to go!

    Author:
    AmyEdwards
    Written:


    We have season passes to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari. If you are ever in the Midwest you MUST visit. It is the most family friendly places ever. When we took our kids to Disney they said they liked Holiday World better! The park is clean, family friendly, and their foods are wonderful…oh and the prices are amazing. Plus, you get FREE soft drinks and sunscreen! When we go we can spend the whole day and 4 of us can eat for around $25 for the entire day. We also get a lot of their sugar free foods and allergen friendly foods. Such a great park!

    Author:
    Natalie
    Written:


    I have been to the park three times with my allergic daughter. They mean what they say. They are well-versed on food allergies and the employees are knowledgeable. Keep an eye on this park–it’s a fantastic place all around.

    Author:
    Deanna Spurlock
    Written:


    Holiday world is a fabulous park still run and managed by the original family owners. They are extremely customer oriented with free drinks, suntan lotion and now selling allergy free foods. In my opinion, although not as large as Disney, they are better in so many ways. They have won many awards for rides, cleanliness and customer service. Worth the trip to southern Indiana

    Author:
    Meg
    Written:


    We visited Holiday World this past August with our kids. My daughter is severely allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and eggs. This was such a great experience. When we arrived we stopped at one of the food service areas and were given a list of the foods she could safely eat and where in the park they could be found. We did order her food about 20 minutes before we were ready to eat since it is prepared seperately. At each meal we were greeted by a manager who personally took our order. It was SO nice to spend a day without packing foods and without worrying. The staff seem very knowledgable about food allergies.

    Author:
    Jennifer
    Written:


    My family LOVES Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN. We go every summer with a large group of friends and have never been disappointed! Holiday World is all about guest service. They go above and beyond to make sure that every guest is taken care of. The park is fantastic as are the workers. It is the cleanest amusement park we have ever been to, and hands down has the absolute friendliest and most helpful workers! The dining is wonderful. A decent selection, great prices and the allergen friendly menu is so great. They accommodate in every way that they can. Pat Koch, the wife of the late William Albert Koch, Sr., the man who developed the world’s first theme park and built the town of Santa Claus, Indiana, can often be found cleaning up trash, welcoming guests, or during a mealtime rush, taking orders and preparing meals in the main restaurant of the park. I highly recommend Holiday World for great family memories!

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