I really like Glen Holland here. He didn't make a theme park to cash in on any fads going on at the time. He just wanted to give his sister and other children out there a chance to escape reality and have happiness and adventure in their lives. I can really respect that. :)
It was a time in America where if you wanted to do something, you woke up out of bed and did it. Now you can't do shit without needing permits "regulations" money, or offending someone.
@@sumlem What I said didn't apply to theme parks. It applies to building anything anymore. There has never been any project again like the Hoover Dam, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate bridge. Any time some big project is proposed that can change the country it's shot down by 100+ different complainers. It's the same reason why Japan has a high speed rail line and we do not. People complaining about hurrdurr my land losing 10 feet of space on a 500 acre property, people complaining about noise, the electrical lines, blablabla this blablabla that.
@@MrWolfSnack Well you certainly don’t want someone to build on the property of a Native American reservation without violating the consent of said landowners. There are benefits and drawbacks to our sensitivity around American construction. On top of that, Japan also has a completely different industrial and socio-political climate than us
@@MrWolfSnack Yknow South Korea here used to have that type of lax construction/property laws about everything, and usually lead to literal hundreds of people getting buried alive or some bridge collapsing because construction companies skimmed on material. There's a fine line between unnessesary bureaucracy and regulated safety, America is still nowhere close to first. A reminder that every safety regulation law is written in blood.
'Called herself the biggest real estate owner in California because she weighed over 300 pounds.' Now that is a business woman who knows how to turn lemons into lemonade.
Had to stop just one minute in to comment. We need to give props to Defunctland for having such interesting and creative intros that change constantly. I am grateful that I get to watch cool things
The stories behind some of these are so touching to me…the lone mailman sending letters to kids from Santa, the man who just wanted a place where kids could have fun for a little bit for kids like his sister. Man
sup me Dude, non-Christian writers that lives in the *same century* as Jesus confirmed that he existed. Many of them argued that the miracles his disciples attributed to him were false. They couldn’t argue against claims about him if he never existed. Go read the works of Philo and Josephus, who were contemporary historians.
I love that there's a number of these that random local people just picked up and resuscitated for the sake of keeping the dream going. Honestly very uplifting to read about. I wanna visit some of these places someday just to support them.
"...a highly publicized court battled ensued, with the entire country on the edge of their seat, waiting to find out who would get legal authority to milk the birth of Christ in a town of less than 100 people." 😂😂😂 Amazing production values and another fantastic episode. Defunctland is only getting better and better and it started out epically so it will be fun to see where things continue to evolve in 2019 and beyond.
@@8bitorgy and what does Marxism, and the wrong definition you provided, have to do with what defunctland was talking about? He was making fun of business people missing the point of a holiday, not stating his grand communist manifesto
There's a Santa themed theme park still open from the 60s out in the middle of nowhere deep in the mountains of North Carolina called Santa's Land... It is sooo creepy and run down, can't believe it's still open
I went when I was about 12 (14 years ago). It’s was actually super busy and they seemed pretty popular, but everything seemed so dated. My mom used to go to the casino near it in Cherokee, NC all the time, so she wanted to take us to Santa’s Land after passing it so many times.
I used to go there all the time as a kid in the 90s. I remember a Rudolph roller coaster and there was hardly anyone ever there so I could just ride it for an hour if I wanted
@@coocoocavespider Well yeah, Disney is basically a Nazi Corporation. It was supposedly Walts dying wish for the company to always believe in "Mein Furher"
Santa’s village in Jefferson New Hampshire is a HUGE part of my childhood. I returned this past October with my grandmother and parents everything i loved as a small kid was still there but there was so much more new stuff it was still enjoyable for a group of adults.
Same! I went to it every summer between 1993 and 2001, and a few between 2001 and 2009, before any of the really big changes were made (same with Storyland). I can't wait to bring my kids when they're old enough
So glad it's still there. We see brochures for Story Land, but I haven't seen one for Santa's Village in a long while, so I figured it had closed. Is Jellystone still going? I have vague memories as a child driving by - or was that a campground?
Dude, your production values are so high. RU-vid is filled with video essays, some comedic, some dramatic, all looking less professional than yours. Each new video you create is like it's own little movie. You obviously love what you do, and we appreciate you for it. Happy Holidays, Kevin. And have a happy new year!
@@gabrieladerre2862 I'm from Western Ky too, We went 5 or 6 times during the summer when I was a kid. I haven't been since 1999 Im sure its changed alot since then.
West KY grown,also lol. Went to Holiday World every summer as a kid. My first memory of it it was still known as Santa Claus Land if I'm not mistaken (I've been around a while lol). I'm...much older now,but I've taken my kids there a few times and they love it. It's really cool to go back and see everything that's changed,grown,and been added to over the years. Tbh I'd rather go back there any time than go to Disneyland/world. Too much nostalgia for me.
"The most likely explanation for the name was that someone said it in a meeting as a joke and nobody could come up with anything else" Its amazing how many things get named this way. Up there with fusing words of the description (MICROprocessor SOFTware), using something or someone's name, random things within eyeline on the desk, misreading a sheet of paper Sometimes all of them at the same time.
@@theorangeofallahpbuh1840 These are some examples I could think of. Most car manufacturers are named after their founders so Ferruccio Lamborghini, Enzo Ferrari, Henry Ford, Ferdinand Porsche, Cleveland, Ohio was named after General Moses Cleaveland but someone fucked up so now it's Cleveland. Google is just a misspelling of googol. Motorola is a portmanteau of Motorcar and Victrola (an old word for phonograph) as Motorola's first products were car radios.
Ulysses S. Grant’s real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. When he arrived at West Point the registrar had made a major typo on his application. Rather than go through the slog of fixing the problem, he changed his name
As a professional Santa Claus, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I have visited the park in Colorado and the one in Cherokee NC. I hope at some point to visit the park above the arctic circle.
This video is amazing! Proud to see my footage from Santa Claus, AZ used. I was unaware of several of these parks and I am making a point to go visit all of them.
@@Defunctland not too far from Santa Claus AZ is Bedrock City AZ a few minutes NW of Flagstaff. However Bedrock City / Flinststone AZ is still active. Maybe less so due to Covid, but not dead like Santa Claus.
Santa's Enchanted Forest in Miami should probably not be on your list... It's more of a fair than an actual amusement park, since it's seasonal, operating on land that's usually just a normal park. They dig out the rides and displays every year around Christmas, and MAN can you tell that they've been sitting in dusty warehouses... it basically only looks decent in the dark. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but not worth its own trip.
yeah, video essays absolutely dominated youtube this year, it's weird that I don't see any videos talking about it. it seems every recommended feed has at least two video essays in itthese days.
samseriesinc Recommendations are tailored to each user independently. What you noticed is literally sampling bias. If you spend time watching video essays, then RU-vid recommends then to you more.
@@vinceo5296 Bullshit. How come my retarded girlfriend gets recommended the exact same things that I watch independently of her on my own time? Google is listening to my iphone and shit i need to move into the desert
I have wonderful memories of visiting Holiday World as a little kid, as it was the closest theme park to where I grew up. My mom also has childhood memories of going back when it was Santa Claus Land. I'm glad you covered it, I've always been curious of it's history.
Still a great park overall. Definitely spoiled having it as my home park, the first time I went to a different park as a kid I was outraged that it’s water park cost an extra entry to get into xD. Splashin safari is free with admission to Hw.
I actually live about 10-15 miles away from Santa Claus, Indiana, so I'm able to go to Holiday World at least once every year, especially since I've been able to go there constantly ever since I was a baby. ^^
Yes he seems to be the one everyone tries to blame even though he brought some of the best things to Disneyland and the movies like the little mermaid and so on
I love how a theme park about a guy who lives in a land of snow was opened by a man called Coke. Another great episode. Great research, presentation and delivery. Thanks again Kevin.
I must admit, bless the man who saved exhibit F (Santa’s land). Amusement parks are meant to bring joy and happiness to people, especially Christmas themed parks
I forgot what the place is called but there used to be a santa theme park near me that was shut down and bought by a paintball company. Paintballing in the abandoned remnants of my childhood nostalgia is truly one of the best things ever Edit: Okay so it's Santa's Village in East Dundee, it only reopened because half of it was bought and turned into Paintball Explosion.
I went to Santa's Village in Lake Arrowhead in the '90s and it was magical and terrifying. My mom also wants me to mention that they had a really quality Santa
Production on your videos has become so good I find it hard to believe that it isn't like 20+ people working on this. Like this is better quality than 90% of stuff on say the History channel.
History channel has to compete with the internet for ratings, so its degenerated heavily to put up content which is less focused. It's like a slower version of what happened to The Learning Channel
“In the 1950s, it was possible that a 13 year old might still believe in Santa. Now, it’s uncommon for a child older than 7 or 8 to believe in Santa. There’s a pressure to rush kids over before they age out”. Wow! That very literally says something about society. I don’t know what it says, but it says something!
The street signs to Santa's Village in Scott's Valley, Ca. were still there when I moved to California in the 20th century. Even up to 5 years ago, there was an exhibit in the Los Gatos town museum for Santa's Village. They were gathering remembrances from people who visited as a child, or had worked there. The signs on Rt 17 are gone but people in the area remember Santa's Village.
I always watch your videos on the TV version of RU-vid and it feels like watching a professionally made show, hook it up to surround sound and it's like a movie. Best RU-vid documentary channel by far!
PointDelta every time I watch this channel I wonder why it is not so popular. It troubles me how something so professionally made and interesting isn’t as rewarded on this site
@@ajsollecito4236 Defunctland is popular when compared with its peers of theme park history channels. It's an esoteric topic with a limited audience, but this channel has about four times the subscribers of other major players in the space. That's an achievement!
God, I flipping love the creative intros you make! To be honest I love this entire video, this may be my new favorite Defuntland video! (The one on Jaws The Ride was my old fav, so it's my second favorite now)
This is amazing. Never did I guess Defunctland would talk about my home state, nor would they talk about the theme park I attended so much when I was younger. Holiday World was my second favorite park to go to, next to Walt Disney World of course. Whenever my school year ended, it was a tradition for our schools to take us to Holiday World, as it was only an hour away.
I only went with my school once but I used to go there a lot as a kid. Mom's credit union had discounted tickets for local theme parks and Holiday World was our favorites. I don't know bout y'all but it doesn't feel like summer until all the McDonald's has the Holiday World coupons on the counters.
I'm so sad I live a mere 3 hours away from Santa Claus, IN and have been to Holiday World multiple times during my childhood, but only now have I learned the hilarious history of the place.
The second this video stepped into my office, I knew it would be trouble. Sure, it talked a good game, but I had nightmare visions of "Christmas Stalkings" and "St. Nick Noir"becoming a fad genre dancing in my head.
I grew up going to the Santa's Village park in NH!! We would go every summer and make a stop at Storyland on the way. It was so nice to see one of my home parks shown on this page!!
There's a Santa's Village in NH that I went to in the 90's. Also, what a rollercoaster this video was! The deer shooting & animal abuse made me so sad, and then your Humpty Dumpty comment about "nobody could put it back together again" made me bust out laughing. Great job on the video!
I went to the NH Santa’s Village when I was a kid in the 1990s (it’s the “G” one in the video. I also went to Santa’s Land in VT when I was little and also visited last year.
I went to Santa"a Village in Bracebridge when I was 3 years old so, 1969. My dad put me on the big Jack O Lantern, not knowing that there was a wasps nest inside. They came out and stung me around my mouth and I had to go to the ER. I've never been back. ✌🏻
I live just an hour from Holiday World, I'd like to share a quick Santa related update. From those around here, this is old news. The fiberglass Santa that was once on display at Christmas for a downtown court house display, had been abandoned for quite a few years in a junk yard, has been restored and is up on display on US41 North in Evansville, IN. Great info as always, Kevin! I will also share that the Lewis J. Koch (pronounced Cook) family still run Holiday World and can be found roaming the park all season long. If you want to visit, the Lake Ruldoph Campgroud is very close and has very economical rates for your stay.
I passed that Statue every time I went back and forth to college. It was really cool to hear about my home state and the theme park I visited so much as a child.
Holiday world is by far the cleanest and nicest theme park. I live 30 mins from Kentucky kingdom but I would much rather drive the two hours to Holiday World!! Plus free sodas
I used to go to the East Dundee Santa's Village when I was a kid!!! I live far away now but hearing about it made me nostalgic. So sad it was a bad business move, I loved it as a child
Shout out to North Pole, Alaska, not an amusement park, but still a pretty cool, distinctly Christmas themed town a couple miles north Fairbanks. My family visited there a long time ago, back when we lived in AK. They had it all, big Santa statue, red & white paint on everything, cool shops, the works.
My parents used The North Pole in NY to convince me for a few extra years that Santa was real. I have so many fond memories of that place and I only ever went once.
I actually work at Holiday World as a Ride Operator! (Also you pronounced Koch wrong, it's pronounced like Cook. My family is friends with theirs!) So happy to see my little beautiful place of work got noticed!!
I know it's been like 4 years since this video, but I used to go to Holiday World every summer back when the Kochs owned the place. It was an exceptionally well-managed park, and one year when I had gotten season passes, I found that Pat Koch, the mother of the owner of Holiday World at the time and the single person that made the most appearances in commercials, was often out in the park cleaning tables and managing crowds. I don't know about the rest of her family, but she was a damn beloved celebrity for me.
My family visited HoldayWorld in Indiana about ten years ago. It was excellent. Affordable prices, fun rides, very clean and well taken care of, a definite slant toward younger kids but still great. A super fun water area for those hot days that was an absolute blast. If you bought a cup of soda, you could refill it all day long at drink stations spread around the park for free.
Oh my god. The perfect detective-like intro, the extensive detail, the mystery of it all. One of my favourite RU-vid videos. Period. Edit: Isn’t it ironic that both you and Expedition Theme Park uploaded videos on these theme parks on Christmas Eve (at least, here in NZ)?
Well, now that Santa’s Enchanted Forest in Miami has closed... I think it deserves its own Defunctland episode if there’s enough juicy details throughout its lifespan
That is right by Attitash I stay there every year as a tradition with my homeboys (sometimes go to story land to fuck around) I went to Santa’s village in 2014 I was only 18 at that time and now i wonder what happened to that park
My Dad use to take my brother and I to Santa's Village in IL. I had almost forgotten the place existed, I'm glad those fading memories weren't fever dreams being remembered. I always use to wonder why on earth they went with a Santa theme for a park only open in summer lol. Now I know, thank you for shinning some light on this :-)
I grew up not far from Santa Claus, Indiana. I’m no stranger to Holiday World, but had no idea about the drama that lead to my childhood stomping grounds. This is what I love about this channel.
I love it that a couple of these parks seemed to be started or purchased by people who genuinely wanted to share some Christmas sparkle and good cheer with people (OK, for an admission fee, but that’s literally modern Christmas). I grew up with Santa’s Village Arrowhead TV ads in the background - I can still remember them - and as a grown and cynical adult it’s actually moved me to know the story behind its creation and that its creator might have been one of the decent ones who really wanted to build something nice for kids to enjoy a little magic.
Weird, I always thought the New Hampshire Santa’s Village was the only one. Loved that place. Got a bunch of free tickets because my grandma worked there, she would operate the Rudolph animatronic in the front. The animatronic had a speaker and a microphone.
I got so excited when you included Santa's Village in Jefferson NH!! I grew up going there and just went this past summer with my mom to reminisce and see what has changed!
I live near Santa’s Village in Jefferson NH, and this is such a cool video because I never new there were others! I still go with my younger sister and have a genuinely fun time
I watched the fastpass video and since then have been binge-watching this channel - this episode makes me think of Santa’s Village up in New Hampshire, which is still operating-as a new englander, my personal local theme-park-slash-fun-place vacation destination was New Hampshire, so it’s fun to see others in the comments with that same experience, lol :) great work as always!!! Edit: I didn’t realize it would be mentioned in the video but LOL
Why don’t you have a million views?! Your videos are more entertaining and informative then even the most expensive documentary! These videos provided more info then any enthusiast or professional of theme park or entertainment craft. So much so it actually helps me with writing a story about entertainment media hiding dark secrets,
I met Santa at that park in Finland when I was 5 and I still remember it, santa's beard went all the way down to his legs!!! It really was the real santa lol
My family and I visited Santa’s workshop in Wilmington NY every summer when I was a kid (mid 90s-early 00s) and I remember _loving_ that place. We would get personalized Christmas ornaments and Santa hats and spend way too much time being fascinated by that giant ice pole that never melted even in the middle of summer. Thinking about that place now feels so weird as a concept but as a little kid I literally thought that place was magic. Seriously that ice pole had me absolutely convinced that Santa himself had cast some magic Christmas spell on that place. I haven’t visited in at least 16 years but I can imagine it being a lot less popular than it was 20+ years ago. It still made me excited when it popped up in this video though.
The quality of these videos is astounding and I'm blown away that someone can make Santa-themed Christmas parks entertaining. These videos are always grade-A.
Never knew there was this many “Christmas themed” amusement parks. The only Christmas themed thing I ever been to is Bronnors in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Bronners is one of those places you remember being the coolest place in the world as a kid and then you go back and you wonder why the world needs an IKEA for Christmas decorations.
I'm actually from Bracebridge, Ontario. Thanks for giving Santa's Village a shoutout. It just had its 68th season. The Rudolph coaster does rock, incidentally. Great video!
An interesting subject matter for your channel, as by your own admission many of the properties are still operating. Holiday World is one of the most successful independent theme parks in the US. The Raven, The Legend, and The Voyage are all widely considered among the best wooden roller coasters in the world, and the park is famous among coaster enthusiasts because of them.
