Worlds of Fun

Infobox Amusement park
name =Worlds of Fun


caption=
location = 4545 Worlds of Fun Avenue • Kansas City, Missouri 64161 flagicon|USA
area = convert|235|acre|km2 (~0.90 km²)
opening_date = May 26, 1973
season = April through October
rides = 43
coasters = 7
water_rides = 3
owner = Cedar Fair Entertainment Company
homepage = http://www.worldsoffun.com

Worlds of Fun (WOF) is an amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The park opened in 1973 and was originally built by Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman. In 1995 Hunt-Midwest sold Worlds of Fun to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., who currently owns the park. Worlds of Fun has an attached water park called Oceans of Fun.

History

Worlds of Fun opened on May 26, 1973, at a cost of 25 million dollars. It was situated at the northern edge of a vast industrial complex developed by Hunt in the bluffs above the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. Immediately south of the park is Hunt's SubTropolis underground business complex.

At the time, numerous modernization projects were transforming Kansas City including the opening of Kansas City International Airport, Bartle Hall and Kemper Arena. In 1976, a new section opened for America's Bicentennial called Bicentennial Square. Three mascots also accompanied Worlds of Fun in the early days: Sam Panda, Grrrtrude the Lovable Gorilla, and Dan'l Coon.

In 1982, ten years after Worlds of Fun's opening, Oceans of Fun (at the time the largest water park in the world) opened next door. However, it would take another ten years before the two parks were linked.

In 2008 Worlds of Fun at a fake press conference using a "mystery crate with a mystery animal inside" Chad of IWO stated. The details of the suspected new ride should be revealed later on in 2008.

When Coaster Mayhem was at Worlds of Fun, they had announced their new 2009 attraction's name, and it was known as the Prowler. The ride layout and specs. are to be released on Labor Day at 11am in the Tivoli Music Hall. The event was be open to the public. [ [http://www.worldsoffun.com/public/news/special_events.cfm?mode=story&current_root=149&story_id=221 Thrill Ride Announcement September 1, 2008] Worldsoffun.com]

Park layout

The park is themed around the Jules Verne book, "Around the World in Eighty Days". Worlds of Fun is divided into five major sections (Scandinavia, Africa, Europa, the Orient, and Americana). Rides, attractions, shops, shows, and restaurants are named according to the area theme. Within Americana, Camp Snoopy (the area of the park specifically for young children), could be considered the sixth major section. Originally added as an expansion of Americana, over the years the ground currently occupied by Camp Snoopy has changed its identity several times. Initially it was called "Aerodrome" (1978-86) with futuristic rides for adults, it then became a children's area called "Pandamonium!" (1987-97), then "Berenstain Bear Country" (1997–2000), and currently "Camp Snoopy" (2001–present)).

There is no part of the park themed for Oceania, or Australia, so two Australian-themed rides are fit into other sections. They are Boomerang in Africa, and Bounce-A-Roos in Europa.

Worlds of Fun Village

In 2005 Worlds of Fun opened the first on site resort. The camp ground is adjacent to the park, and is located "behind" the Mamba. The Village has 22 cabins and 20 cottages and 82 sites for RVs, complete with electric and TV cable hook ups. Each cabin or cottage can fit from 6-8 people.

Rides

Roller coasters

* Timber Wolf (1989), a classic wooden roller coaster with a convert|95|ft|m|sing=on drop and an upward-spiraling 560° helix. Voted world's best coaster in 1991 by Inside Track magazine. Made by Dinn Corporation.
* Wacky Worm (1993), a coaster for kids. Made by Preston.
* Mamba (1998), a convert|205|ft|m|sing=on-tall hypercoaster. Made by D.H. Morgan Manufacturing
* Boomerang (2000), a shuttle roller coaster. Made by Vekoma.
* Spinning Dragons (2004), a dragon-themed spinning roller coaster, the second of its kind in the world. Made by Gerstlauer.
* Patriot (2006), an inverted roller coaster. Made by Bolliger & Mabillard.
* Prowler (opens 2009), a 51 mph, 3,074-foot wooden coaster. Made by Great Coasters International.

Other notable rides

* Viking Voyager (1973), a classic log-flume ride, but themed with Viking-style boats.
* Fury of the Nile (1984), the first and only river rafting ride whose water is stored in a trough instead of a river or stream every night. It also was the first to have a turnstile-type loading dock.

* Detonator (1996), the first space shot in the United States and the first in the world to have twin towers.
* RipCord (1996), a convert|190|ft|m|sing=on-tall Skycoaster.

As of 2007, only 12 of the park's original rides have weathered each season since opening in 1973, most notably the Viking Voyager, Finnish Fling, Le TaxiTour and the Flying Dutchman (which park founder Lamar Hunt once said was his favorite [ [http://www.worldsoffun.org/explore/Rides.asp?ID=3&ParkID=1 Flying Dutchman] ] ).

Complete list

List of rides as of 2007 [ [http://www.worldsoffun.com/public/inside_park/rides/ Worlds of Fun: Inside the Park - Rides] ]

* + Denotes an extra cost for the ride or attraction.

Retired rides and attractions

* Schussboomer ( [http://www.oakparkhistory.com/1979-80/1979-1980-Summer-02.jpgpicture] ), (1973–1984), a ski-themed steel roller coaster with ten separate 4-passenger cars.
* Screamroller/Extremeroller (EXT), (1976–1988), the first stand-up roller coaster in the Western Hemisphere. Its only season as a stand-up coaster was in 1983, after which it was reverted back to the original sit-down style.
* Zambezi Zinger, (1973–1997), a steel "Speedracer"-type roller coaster (one of only two in existence at the time of its removal) with an electric spiral lift and a fast-paced ride through the woods. Currently in operation at the Colombian National Coffee Park as Broca Colombia, South America. [http://www.rcdb.com/id23.htm]
* Incred-O-Dome, (1981–1997), an OMNIMAX-style theater where viewers could go on a virtual ride of, among other things, the "Orient Express" coaster. This appealed to visitors who did not want to wait in line or experience the real ride, as well as those with physical conditions which would prevent them from riding at all. The show was presented less than convert|200|yd away from the actual ride.
* Omegatron, (1986–2001), a six-story, upside-down thrill ride.
* Orient Express, (1980–2003), the first roller coaster in the world to feature a batwing (then known as a "Kamikaze Curve"), now a common element in thrill rides. Also, it was the second roller coaster in the world to have two interlocking loops.

Halloween Haunt

Every year the park is transformed during the "Halloween Haunt." During the day the park is a friendly "Halloween town" filled with pumpkins and seasonal decorations, but as night approaches fog fills the park and frightful characters roam the midway. One regular price admission ticket allows access to the year-round rides, Halloween shows and other attractions as well as the nine "Extreme Haunts":

*BloodShed — An evil meat processing plant.
*CarnEvil — A twisted sideshow filled with freaks and evil clowns.
*Asylum Island — A haunted mental hospital for the criminally insane.
*Dominion of Doom — A ghostly gothic cemetery.
*Lore of the Vampire — An ancient catacomb inhabited by vampires.
*Camp Gonnagitcha Witchahatchet — A summer camp gone terribly wrong.
*The Fright Zone — A walkway where characters lurk in the shadows.
*Outlaw's Revenge: The ghosts of an old town haunt the night. New for 2008.
*Master McCarthey's Doll Factory: A serial killer turns his beautiful victims into living dolls. New for 2008.

References

ee also

*Incidents at Cedar Fair parks

External links

* [http://www.worldsoffun.com Worlds of Fun official website]
* [http://www.worldsoffun.org Unofficial Worlds of Fun website]
* [http://www.cedarfair.com Cedar Fair, L.P. Official Website]
* [http://www.rcdb.com/pd5.htm Worlds Of Fun page on the Roller Coaster Database]
* [http://www.coasterimage.com/pictures/worldsoffun/index.htm Worlds Of Fun Photo Gallery]