Gobbler Getaway at Holiday World - Trip Report

Most amusement parks outside the "destinations" like Southern California and Orlando don't have a lot of dark rides. And when they do have them, they are often older, or half-heartedly pulled off. So it's noticeable when you see a quality dark ride out there. Well, Holiday World has one, called Gobbler Getaway in the Thanksgiving section of the park.

It's a shooter; you are armed with a laser gun in your car, technically called a turkey caller, and it makes a gobble sound when you pull the trigger. It's hilarious. It had us giggling as the ride started, and imagine our surprise when the ride turned out to be well done. It's got good artwork, a nice variety of things to look and aim at, and it's even got good art direction. It's well-lit for a dark ride; the whole thing just screamed "professional" in a way that most non-Orlando rides fail to do.

The use of full rounded human figures and the general sense of humor reminded us of the Mr. Toad attraction.

We had to ride over and over, but not everyone in this park held the same appreciation for dark rides. It had no line pretty much all day (in contrast with the coasters, and especially the water park).

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Kevin Yee is the author of numerous independent Disney books, including the popular Walt Disney World Earbook series and Walt Disney World Hidden History.