Sunday night, Holiday World President Will Koch passed away. While I don’t know him personally, I do know what Holiday World has done in the past few decades. Since he took over the reins the park has transformed from a small regional park to an amusement park with national recognition in the enthusiast community.
On my visit to Holiday World in 2006, I not only got to experience the marathon of thrills that is The Voyage, but I also met the friendliest staff I have ever encountered. Holiday World is known to be one of the most enthusiast-friendly parks around. Their use of YouTube to make announcements, Twitter to tease Pilgrim’s Plunge, and one of the longest running official theme park blogs HoliBlog, all exhibit the park’s openness and friendliness. All of these things have to start at the top. I’d have to think that Will Koch was the driving force behind the park’s growth and he will surely be missed. More on Will Koch here.
Recent reports are that Koch drowned in his pool, but his family insists that his Type 1 diabetes were likely a contributing factor.
This year Holiday World will boast the World’s Longest Water Coaster in Wildebeest and those new game-changing coaster trains on their already amazing Voyage roller coaster. If you’ve never been out to the park, I highly recommend it. It’s a fan favorite for good reason!
What’s Your Take?
What’s you take on this sad news? Leave a comment below.