Worlds of Fun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Worlds of Fun

A view of Worlds of Fun from outside the park.
Location	Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Coordinates	39°10′38.4″N 94°29′20.5″W / 39.177333°N 94.489028°W / 39.177333; -94.489028
Status	Operating
Opened	May 26, 1973 (1973-05-26)
Owner	Cedar Fair
General manager	Rick Fiedler
Theme	Jules Verne's novel "Around the World in Eighty Days"
Slogan	It's Amazing in Here
Operating season	April through November
Area	More than 235 acres (0.95 km2) (~0.90 km²)
Attractions
Total	43
Roller coasters	8
Water rides	2

Worlds of Fun is a huge fun park in Kansas City, Missouri. It covers more than 235 acres! It's the biggest amusement park and water park in the Midwest. Two American businessmen, Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman, started the park. It first opened in 1973.

In 1982, a water park called Oceans of Fun was added right next to it. Now, when you buy a ticket to Worlds of Fun, your ticket also includes Oceans of Fun! In 1995, both parks were sold to a company called Cedar Fair.

History of Worlds of Fun

Lamar Hunt, who owned the Kansas City Chiefs football team, had an idea for a big amusement park. He worked with his friend Jack Steadman to make it happen. Worlds of Fun opened its doors on May 26, 1973. It was built during a time when many new things were being built in Kansas City.

In 1974, the park added the Forum Amphitheater. This was a large outdoor stage for shows. In 1976, a new area called Bicentennial Square opened. It celebrated 200 years of the United States. This new area also brought a new roller coaster called Screamroller. It was like the first modern looping coaster.

In 1982, Oceans of Fun opened next door. It was the biggest water park in the world at that time! The next year, Screamroller changed into Extremeroller. It became the first looping stand-up roller coaster in North America. In 1989, the park added Timber Wolf. This wooden roller coaster quickly became very popular.

In 1995, Cedar Fair bought Worlds of Fun. The new owners spent a lot of money to add new rides. In 1998, they added Mamba. This was a huge steel roller coaster.

Cool New Rides and Events

• 2006: Patriot opened. It was the longest, tallest, and fastest inverted roller coaster in the area. It cost $14 million to build!
• 2008: Worlds of Fun celebrated its 35th birthday with a new festival called Oktoberfest.
• 2009: A new wooden coaster, Prowler, was added. It won an award for "Best New Ride of 2009."
• 2010: "Snoopy's Hot Summer Lights" began. This was a light and sound show with over 2 million LED lights.
• 2011: Planet Snoopy opened. This was an $8-million area just for kids. It has more than 20 rides!
• 2012: "Fast Lane" was introduced. This lets you pay extra to skip the long lines for rides.
• 2013: Oceans of Fun became part of Worlds of Fun. Now, one ticket gets you into both parks!
• 2014: SteelHawk, a tall swing ride, moved to Worlds of Fun.
• 2016: Planet Snoopy got even better with five new rides.
• 2017: Mustang Runner and Falcon's Flight were added. The park also got a new entrance and started "Winterfest" in November.
• 2018: Nordic Chaser was added. The Timber Wolf roller coaster got a new, exciting turn.
• 2019: A new restaurant, Cotton Blossom BBQ, opened. It's huge and can seat over 300 people.
• 2020: Riptide Raceway, the world's longest mat racing water slide, was planned to open but was delayed to 2021.
• 2023: Zambezi Zinger opened. It's a new wooden coaster named after an old ride that used to be there.

Park Areas and Fun Rides

The park's theme is based on the book Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. Worlds of Fun has eight main areas: Scandinavia, Africa, Europa, East Asia, Wild West, International Plaza, Planet Snoopy, and Americana. The rides, shops, and restaurants in each area match its theme.

When you enter the park, you arrive at International Plaza. If you go left, you'll find Scandinavia, then Africa, and so on. Planet Snoopy is a special area just for younger kids. It used to have different names over the years, like "Aerodrome" and "Camp Snoopy," but now it's "Planet Snoopy."

Even though there isn't an Australian area, there's an Australian-themed Boomerang roller coaster in the Africa section!

Exciting Roller Coasters

Ride name	Picture	Year opened	Manufacturer	Current location	Description
Boomerang		2000	Vekoma	Africa	This coaster goes forwards and backwards! It opened where the old Zambezi Zinger used to be.
Cosmic Coaster		1993	Preston & Barbieri	Planet Snoopy	A fun, smaller roller coaster perfect for kids. It's themed after Snoopy!
Mamba		1998	Morgan	Africa	The tallest roller coaster in the park! It's a "hypercoaster," meaning it's super tall (over 200 feet!).
Patriot		2006	Bolliger & Mabillard	Americana	An "inverted" roller coaster, which means your feet dangle! It has four loops and is very fast.
Prowler		2009	Great Coasters International	Africa	This wooden coaster was voted the "Best New Ride" in 2009!
Spinning Dragons		2004	Gerstlauer	East Asia	This roller coaster spins as you ride! It was only the second ride of its kind in the world.
Timber Wolf		1989	Dinn Corporation	Wild West	Timber Wolf is a classic wooden roller coaster. It was once voted one of the best in the world!
Zambezi Zinger		2023	Great Coasters International	Africa	Named after an old favorite, this new wooden coaster is the first of its kind with special "Titan Track."

Africa Rides

Americana Rides

Europa Rides

International Plaza Rides

East Asia Rides

Planet Snoopy Rides

Scandinavia Rides

Wild West Rides

• + Means you pay extra for this ride or attraction.
• * On August 11, 2022, Worlds of Fun announced the Zambezi Zinger. This new wooden roller coaster is named after the original Zambezi Zinger. It is set to open in 2023.

Former Rides and Attractions

Some rides that used to be at Worlds of Fun include:

• Schussboomer (1973–1984): A ski-themed steel roller coaster.
• Screamroller/Extremeroller (1976–1988): The first stand-up roller coaster in the Western Hemisphere.
• Zambezi Zinger (1973–1997): A fast roller coaster that went through the woods. It moved to a park in Colombia.
• Orient Express (1980–2003): This was the first roller coaster in the world to have a "batwing" loop.
• Silly Serpent/Funicular (1973-1987): A children's coaster that moved to different parts of the park.
• Incred-O-Dome (1981–1997): A special theater where you could experience virtual rides.
• Omegatron (1986–2001): A six-story tall ride.
• Grand Prix Raceway (1997-2014): A go-kart racing track.
• Octopus (1973-2014): A classic spinning "octopus" ride.
• Thunderhawk (2002-2015): A ride that flipped riders many times.
• Finnish Fling (1973-2017): A spinning ride called a "Rotor."
• Diamond Head (1982-2019): A water slide complex at Oceans of Fun.

Oceans of Fun Water Park

Oceans of Fun is the water park right next to Worlds of Fun. It opened in 1982 and was once the biggest water park in the world! Since 2013, your ticket to Worlds of Fun also lets you into Oceans of Fun.

Fast Lane Pass

Fast Lane is a special pass you can buy at Worlds of Fun. It was started in 2012. If you have this wristband, you can use a separate line to get on rides faster. This means less waiting! There's also "Fast Lane Plus" for even more rides.

During Halloween, they have "Fright Lane." This pass helps you skip lines at haunted houses. "Fright Lane+" gives you a "Skeleton Key" for secret rooms in the haunted houses.

Worlds of Fun Village Resort

In 2005, Worlds of Fun opened its own resort called Worlds of Fun Village. It's right next to the park. The Village has cabins, cottages, and RV spots. It's a great place to stay if you want to be close to the fun!

Snoopy's Hot Summer Lights Show

"Snoopy's Hot Summer Lights" started in 2010. It was a cool show with lights and music. It featured the Peanuts characters. Over 2 million LED lights lit up parts of the park. There were also statues of Snoopy and his friends. This show was a big investment to make the park even more magical at night.

Halloween Haunt Event

Halloween Haunt logo.

Halloween Haunt is a special event that happens around Halloween time. It's included with your regular park ticket.

Current Haunt Attractions

As of 2022, Halloween Haunt has 11 "Extreme Haunts." These include six mazes and five scare zones. There are also four live shows.

Past Haunt Attractions

Games at the Park

The person who used to manage the games at Worlds of Fun, Cole Lindbergh, was even on a radio show! He talked about how he made the games fun for everyone.

Images for kids

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  Finnish Fling and Octopus rides.

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  Le Taxi Tour's line queue in Europa.

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  Le Taxi Tour in action.

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  The Sea Dragon in Scandinavia

• 

  The Flying Dutchman is reported to be founder Lamar Hunt's favorite ride.

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  Zulu at night

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  Thunderhawk

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  The Skyliner Ferris wheel at Worlds of Fun.

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  Nighttime at Worlds of Fun.

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  Boomerang's full profile

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  Prowler's main drop.

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  Prowler's queue line.

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  Mamba and Timber Wolf.

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  Coaster's Diner near Mamba.

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  Prowler's train ascending the lift hill.

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  Fury of the Nile in action.

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  Fury of the Nile's signature turnstile dock.

See also

• Old rides and attractions at Worlds of Fun
• Things that have happened at Worlds of Fun