Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Theme Park Meals

Dateline: Santa Claus, Indiana.

Holy family values, Batman.

While I posted before about Special Diet Meals Available from Disney, you don't get much more family friendly than Santa Claus Land in Santa Claus, IN. The theme park was founded nine years before Disneyland, too.

Amusement Today magazine named Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari friendliest, cleanest, and the No. 1 Wooden Coaster on the Planet. Again.

Elizabeth Granger of the Noblesville Daily Times reported that:

Santa Claus Land has definitely come of age. The theme park hoopla all began in 1946 when Evansville industrialist Louis Koch created the theme park – nine years before Disneyland – as his retirement project. The father of nine didn't like the idea of children finding no Santa when they went to Santa Claus, so he opened Santa Claus Land with a toy shop, children’s rides and, naturally, Santa Claus himself. To this day Santa is at the park every day it’s open.

"This is Santa’s summer home," said Paula Werne, director of public relations for the park.

In 1984, Halloween and 4th of July sections were added, along with rides for bigger kids, and the name of the park was changed to Holiday World. In 1993 the water park, Splashin' Safari, came along. It’s what the company’s president calls "the single best decision the company has ever made."

More to our special needs point:

There’s an allergen-friendly menu with foods that don’t contain the eight most common food allergens. It’s also possible to get gluten-free and dairy-free foods.

Go to the HolidayWorld.com site for more information.