Indiana Beach Amusement Resort.... An Oasis in Corn Country

The Norway Dam that creates Lake Shafer

Indiana Beach Amusement Resort, maybe you have heard of it, maybe you haven't. It has been in  Indiana's corn country and out in the middle of nowhere since the 1920's. It sits next to and on top of Lake Shafer, an artificial lake that was formed with the creation of the Norway Dam on the Tippecanoe River. With the formation of this lake, an oasis rose in an area full of corn farms, drawing many families to the area to snap up this newly created waterfront property for summer vacation homes. Back then one family saw the potential of this newly created water front property and literally built a beach to provide a place for people to enjoy water activities. This was the modest beginnings of Indiana Beach, which since then has grown into "Indiana's largest Resort and Vacation Playground" advertising over 40 rides and attractions, games, fine dining, dancing, an exciting Waterpark, and six roller coasters.

One of the few highlights of the trip to Indiana beach

As mentioned before, Indiana Beach is in the middle of nowhere, making it a boring trip through corn country on two lane roads and through small towns. Occasionally in the small towns there will be interesting sites or signs. One that stood out was near Knox, Indiana  pointed out it was 1080 miles to DisneyWorld. Wish we would have gotten a picture, but we were on limited time and on a mission to see what has made Indiana Beach thrive in the middle of corn country.  Adding to fuel the desire to visit this amusement resort is that this park could easily be on the verge of extinction.

Corn as far as the eye can see

This assumption  is based on the sudden closure at the end of the season of 2011 and protest by former employees claiming the new owners are being lax on safety and maintenance of the rides. I will get to that more later.

After making our voyage through the back country roads and small towns we arrived at Indiana Beach about an hour after opening and had no issues finding parking. As matter of fact, we had our choice of parking spots on this sunny and hot Saturday Morning. The empty parking lot lead us to believe this place was going to be deserted, but as we were stepping out of the truck, buses began to arrive. My  wife quickly got sun-blocked up and we made a bee line for the ticket booths.

Nice picture spot, love the t-shirt

We were warmly greeted  near the ticket booths and directed to specific lines because certain booths could  take cash only due to debit/credit card machines not working. Machines like that go down all the time so no big issue. A major issue we found out later in the day, there are no working ATM machines at Indiana beach, there haven't been for sometime. So if you want to play the carnival games, bring cash.
 Stepping up to the ticket window,  there was a sign posted that The Splash Battle was not working along with the parks signature coaster, the Hurricane Hoosier. So in theory, there were 38 other rides and attractions and 5 other roller coasters we could challenge. We had decided earlier in trip that we were not going to go to the water park because of time constraints and really wanted to explore the rest of the park because there was the real of threat thunderstorms ending the day even earlier than we had hoped. So we purchased our pay one price for rides only wristband which was decent value of $24.95. To include the water park the price would have been $34.95 or if you didn't want to do either the rides or water park, you could purchase a $2.00 boardwalk admission. Wristband on, we head through the south entrance to the park.

The south entrance to the park is across a suspension bridge(the longest in Indiana, or so Indiana Beach claims)  making for a very picturesque view with the Hurricane Hoosier roller coaster that dominates the shoreline. As a matter of fact, this is the view given in  brochures making the park look amazing. The Hurricane Hoosier looked like a fantastic out and back roller coaster over the water making  it unique, but as the sign stated at the ticket booth, it was closed.  After crossing the bridge, it became obvious how old the park was and we got  our first glimpse of how it would prove very difficult for people with mobility problems to enjoy the park. In our opinion, this park needs to work harder on being ADA compliant, it looks like the very minimum has been done just to pass guidelines. To reach the park from the south entrance over the bridge there is very steep slope on to the ground of the park.This would be very difficult for someone in a wheel chair or on crutches.

This picturesque view from the south entracnce

We did quick size up about the lay out of the park heading from the south end to the north end and the layout is a jumbled mess. Space is limited and rides are shoe horned into odd places. It felt and looked like a carnival came to town and this was were the rides came to die. A coat of paint can go a long way. We began to think the former protesting employees were right about there being safety issues in the park. Rides were rusty and signage out of date. It literally looked like a project was started and left unfinished.

A solitary hole from a golf course that has vanished.

To cement this opinion, a few of  the biggest signs were, signage laying all over the place, one hole, presumably the last hole, of a miniature golf course, just left to sit all by itself, and also signs that could have been easily painted over that had old information stating in order to ride the ride proceed "across the street to purchase tickets". There have been no single ticket sales in nearly 2 years.

The Hurricane Hoosier  is built over the water in places.

In all, there were some really decent hidden gems in this park. The Cornball express and Steel Hawg where very nice roller coasters. The Cornball Express has some great pops of airtime in its tight configuration. This would easily be a great wooden coaster if it were maintained better, it was by far one of the roughest roller coaster I have ridden, but not the roughest in the park. The Hurricane Hoosier did indeed open later in the day, but besides it being scenic and unique by being built over the water, it was very rough(the roughest in the park) and boring.  Steel Hawg was short, but enjoyable steel coaster with an fun 111 degree beyond vertical first drop. It definitely is re-rideable but with it's relativity short ride time and lack of excitement after the first drop, it could get boring quickly. A classic and must see attraction here is Dr. Frankenstein's Haunted Castle. This is a very nicely done haunted house that uses black light and the element of surprise to send chills, giggles, and screams through this haunt. The downsize to Dr. Frankenstein's Haunted Castle it is an up charge attraction.

Dr. Frankenstein's Haunted Castle it is worth the up charge to experience

The largest attraction to Indiana Beach is by far it's location on and over Lake Shafer. Now that we have been here, we won't make a special trip out of our way to go back. If for some reason when we are traveling somewhere and this is somehow on the way(it is out in the middle of nowhere), we would stop because it could make a nice break in the day. I must mention, based on what we saw. We would never pay for the water park. It was very small, the slides looked beat up, and lack variety. We easily did this park in a few hours and missed out on two of the six coasters because of thunderstorms. The thunderstorms also brought to our attention that there may be poor policy for weather. We saw lighting and it took them over 15 minutes to spread the word to all of the rides to close.We were in line for a coaster and were the last ride shut down, the other coasters and rides had closed long before the one we were at did. Instead of the employees seeking shelter from the intensifying storm, they huddled together in the middle of the street to talk. Not much longer after our ride was closed, lighting hit so close to the boardwalk, it took out their security radios and computer systems for the stores, it also had people screaming and hitting the deck. I would agree that this park could use some better maintenance on their rides which could increase safety. There is potential here to be a great small town amusement park as is there the equal potential of this park closing it doors forever.

 Here are some more photos for your enjoyment of Indiana beach

It's not every day you can have a party in the water next to
a roller coaster.

Welcome

Steel Hawg's beyond Vertical drop

The kiddie area at the water park.

Could someone please fix this sign,it is supposed to be a historic place to eat

This must be in the doghouse,
 it was separated from the rest of the park

Cabanas for purchase.

Na, I will pass.

The Original since 1975...and good

Bumper Cars

Tilt-a-Whirl

Nice old fashioned dark ride, updated with a shooter game.

Inside the Den of Thieves 

Backside of the water park.

The Sea Dragon

Rides out over the water.

Skeleton Band From the haunted house

There is a restaurant under that coaster.

Flume in between Cornball Express and Hurricane Hoosier

The beach at Indian beach, ith the water park in the background.

Steel Hawg. Nice Drop

Tilt-a-whirl from up above.

more aerial views

aerial view of part of the park.

How many roller coasters can you count?

very nice, unique family antique cars over the water. 

Aerial view of Splash Battle that  has not operated in some time. 

carnival bi-planes for kids.

Kiddie ride cars...paint please?

Kiddie Ride shoe horned under a roller coaster, some steps and behind a cookie vendor.

Kiddie land stuck under the coasters.

Kiddie ride

The train, there really is no line here just some paint  to show you  where you should stand.

It is a pizza place, no its a hot dog place, oh forget it  just leave the sign we will get it next year.

Up charge Ropes course at the south end.

Hope you enjoyed our photo journey, tell us what you think about Indiana Beach.

The Disney Dining Plan...Is it worth it?

The views in this post are based Dining plans that have been offered in the past at Disney World. Disney does reserve the right to change a dining plan option or restaurants included in the dining plan at anytime. 


"Is the Disney Dining Plan worth it?" The simple answer is yes, but there are pros and cons to each dining plan and here I will try to explain all of those that I have encountered.

Back in the day, when I was a wee lad, I would visit Disney World with the Boy Scout Troop that I was apart of. The Leaders of the Troop budgeted money for each scout to have a food allowance each day as part of the trip cost and would distribute it each morning to each scout. This is was my first introduction to a food budget and a very primitive dining plan. That food allowance per day was $10 and over the years would be raised as the cost of food rose. By the last trip I took as a scout, the food allowance per day was $20. I could eat like a king on that food allowance back then, not so much now at Disney or other theme parks for that matter. Yes, one can still plan a food allowance per person, per day which some people enjoy doing. At the same time, opting into a Disney Dining plan can take care of the budgeting and offer you a fairly decent amount of freedom and selections of food while on your vacation at Disney World. You have to eat and drink while on vacation; this is pretty straight forward. Eating and drinking is also something that can break the budget on a vacation. Choosing how you will dine at Disney World depends on several factors that should include your dining style, the amount of food that you are accustomed to eating, and the amount of research you have done on the pricing of food on and off the Disney Resort Property. Disney has taken those factors into consideration and offers a few different dining plans that can be a part of your stay at Disney World.(Disneyland offers a different type of dining plan not discussed here.)

In order to understand the Disney Dining plans, I will break down what Disney considers a food type or restaurant style. This is a general overview and specifics can be provided upon request and are provided to you in advance of booking a package with a dining plan and is explained at check in as well.

Quick Service- This is going to be your no frills basic fast food type style of food with some nice surprises thrown in(waffle sandwiches) but generally include food from soups, sandwiches, salads, pastas, fish, chicken, and meat entrées. Think of this as a walk up to a counter and order just like you would at fast food type restaurant and in most cases, but not all, larger portions of food.

Table Service- This is a type of meal you will have a waiter or waitress serve you at a table. The name is kind of straight forward and at this level the food will be like  standard chain restaurant offerings but much better quality with preparation and cooking generally supervised by a real live breathing chef.Character dining(well worth it) and buffets are in this category

Signature Dining- Signature Dining is going to be the upscale(some have a dress code, most don't) extremely popular restaurants that come with larger price tags. There are some Character Dining options at this level because of popularity and location( think Cinderella's Royal Table).

Snacks - There is plenty of junk food and other food stands spread out serving ice cream, funnel cakes, candy apples, turkey legs,etc.     The brochures for the dining plans will outline what you can use as a snack if you are on a dining plan and those stands will be marked with signage also.

Now comes the more difficult aspect of the Dining plans. How do you choose if you should have a dining plan and which plan is for you? That will be based on how much you want to pay, what you want to eat, and how much you think is too much or too little food for you and your family. This is all in the eye of the beholder and only you know your family and their eating habits. Disney understand one size doesn't fit all and to help you with this, Disney offers a couple of different plans. Note if there is a free dining plan promotion taking place, it may or may not be the best deal out there, this is where a travel agent, like myself, comes in handy.

The plans are: 

Quick-Service Dining Plan
Standard Dining Plan( my recommendation)
Deluxe Dining Plan

Breaking down each plan based on the 2012 options for an adult

Quick Service Dining Plan-
For each NIGHT of your stay you will receive a credit(non-cash value) for:
2 Quick-Service Meals per person on the plan, used per person, at quick service restaurants that honor the dining plan.
On the dining plan a quick service meal would be:

For Breakfast -1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal and 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
For Lunch and Dinner- 1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal 1 dessert 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
1 Snack per person on the dining plan, per night of stay.
1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

Use them any way you like to until you use your credits up, if you don't use them, you lose um.

Standard Dining Plan-My recommendation

For each NIGHT of your stay you will receive a credit(non-cash value) for:
1 Quick-Service Meal per person on the plan, used per person, at quick service restaurants that honor the dining plan.
1 Snack per person on the dining plan, per night of stay.
1 Table-Service Meal per person on the dining plan, per night of stay. Which would  include1 entrée,1 dessert (lunch and dinner only),1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage or 1 full buffet(character meals are table service meals)

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

Deluxe Dining Plan- This is a lot of food!
This option offers 3 meals per person, per night of stay for those on the plan
Those meals can be either table service meals or Quick Service meals, your choice!( but they must be on the list of restaurants that honor the dining plan)
2 Snack per person on the dining plan, per night of stay
1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person

This is a basic breakdown of the 3 most common Dining plans that Disney has offered over the years, there are a couple of other package options but those include other upcharge items on top of the dining options.


Now that you see what the options are, here is a general list of pros and cons I have come across.

Major PROS for all of the dining plans is that it is paid for already once you have checked in and each person on the plan gets a resort refillable mug,a great souvenir.( The mug was added to the dining plan in 2012 and is a much welcomed addition)

Major Cons for all the Dining Plans are if you don't use it, you lose it! The price can be a con but you are going to pay for food one way or another why not in advance?

Major Pros of the Quick Service Dining Plan are that even for picky eaters, there is a wide selection of options. You can get in and out of locations quickly. All of the Food Courts in the resorts accept the quick service plan because they are quick service locations and you can use snack credits here as well.(Makes for a nice quick breakfast before the parks or nice after park snack) It's a decent amount of food because the portions are bigger than most fast food places. Cheapest of the plans!

Major Cons of the Quick Service Dining Plan  include that it might not be enough food for you. You are on vacation and might want a nicer meal, that will have to come out of your pocket(A Table Service Meal for a family of 4 can easily cost $150).

Major Pros of the Standard Dining Plan  are that some character meals are participants in the dining plan and the memories that come from this type of  meal last a lifetime.To super-size this pro, if you choose a participating character meal, it is paid for and character meals are expensive! Some buffets are a part of the table service meals, offering a wide variety and vast amounts of food! Signature dining meals can be a part of this dining plan, they use 2 table service credits, but again, it is paid for already. Finally,there is a lot of food with this plan, the snacks might even prove to much.

Major Cons of the Standard Dining Plan could include that  you could have dining options for table meals limited if you don't make advanced dinner reservations. You may have to end up paying for another meal if you use 2 credits on a signature dining option.Table service meals will eat up time in the parks, plan at least at the minimum of 1 hour for table service meals. Tips at some table meals are not included read the fine print, don't stiff the waiter or waitress, that is just not cool.


Major Pros of the Deluxe Dining Plan are that this plan has more than enough food for most people and allow for more flexibility in how dining credits options can be distributed between the types of food/restaurant types than the other two plans discussed. You can have a table service meal for every meal if you like and shoot for more signature dining meals if that is what you desire. You are less likely to run out of meal and snack credits. You could technically try to have every meal be a character meal.

Major Cons of the Deluxe Dining plan are that it is expensive. If you don't make advance dining reservations, your options can become limited, especially for the signature dining locations. Most signature dining locations fill up180 days in advance! You are more likely to have meal and snack credits lost if you don't use them. If you only use the meals for quick service meals, you might be better off just using the quick service plan and buying that extra meal a day. This is expensive but you may come out ahead in the long run depending how you use your credits!


As you can see, Disney has some great options for you when it comes to Dining plans. Based on my experience with the dining plans, this is something I will include on my family trips whenever staying at the Disney World Resort. It makes budgeting for a trip much easier and gives me a piece of mind while on vacation that my food is paid for in advance. This lead to less stress and more time to enjoy the park! So, tell us what has your experience been with the dining plans Disney offers?