Five Rides Removed for the 2023 50th Anniversary Season

 With the beginning of the 2023 season fast approaching we have received news that Worlds of Fun is retiring not one, not two, but five rides. Though we do not have official announcement from Worlds of Fun on the removals, all five attractions have been removed from the 2023 Map, and many have already been removed from the park. While it's easy just to create a social media post I believe that no ride or attraction should simply "vanish" into the night, so I determined a blog post was in order.  A quick look at the five rides that appear to be making the trip down the "mortal coil" to memories only.

Monsoon in recent years

Monsoon in 1993

Monsoon when it opened April 17, 1992

1) Monsoon

Monsoon is still standing as of the time of this writing, but it does appear that Monsoon's time has come. Monsoon was added as part of the 20th Anniversary 1992 park expansion and was manufactured by Intamin Rides (same as Fury of the Nile). More than just one ride, it represents, historically, a fundamental change in the park or parks. With the addition of Monsoon and the Same Day Gateway, Hunt Midwest started the process that would eventually combine Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun into the same park that they are today. In the early years, Monsoon literally had a border wall separating the two separate parks queue lines, and guests loaded separate boats. The part that terrified me about Monsoon, but that others loved is that it had no restraints to speak of, only a grab bar. It made for quite a thrilling ride and will be missed. I am hoping that with the removal of Monsoon that means another attraction will be added to replace it, simply due to the sheer size of Monsoon's footprint, but only time will tell.

2) Falcon's Flight

This one doesn't come as big of a surprise as Monsoon as Falcon's Flight has spent much more time non-operational than operational. It,  like Monsoon, is also still standing and also has no official confirmation of removal. Falcon's Flight was added for the 2017 season along with Mustang Runner, to replace Le Carousel and is a Condor-type ride manufactured by Huss Rides of Germany. Falcon's Flight did not operate through the 2020 or 2021 seasons, and only sporadically during the 2017-2019 and 2022 seasons. It's a sad loss not so much for its history with the park, but for the fact that Huss Condor rides are becoming extremely rare.

Turn Tyke from 2022

Turn Tyke in 1987

3) Turn Tyke

Turn Tyke is our first kid's ride of three, it is also the only one of three that hasn't moved in its entire existence. Like Monsoon, Turn Tyke was added as part of an anniversary season, in this case, the 15th in 1987 as part of the Pandamonium expansion. This leaves only one ride left from the Pandamonium expansion, Charlie's Wind-Up or Swing-A-Ling. Turn Tyke was manufactured by Zamperla Rides. It is confirmed that it has been removed from the park.

Linus's Beetle Bugs from 2001

Beetle Bumps in the Orient, photo by John Middleton

4) Beetle Bumps

These last two hit a little harder than you would expect for a kiddie ride. I don't recall riding Beetle Bumps, though I am sure I did, I do remember operating it in the Orient section of the park. The Orient was the original home for Beetle Bumps added as part of the 1979 expansion. This makes Zulu the last remaining ride left from the 1979 expansion. Beetle Bumps was manufactured by Royal Cascade, and was located where the Coca-Cola Refresh station is in the Orient today. In fact, the structure for the Coca-Cola stand was built originally for Beetle Bumps. Beetle Bumps was moved to Pandamonium in 1998 and was renamed Linus' Beetle Bumps in 2001. It is confirmed that it has been removed from the park.

5) Tot's Yachts

This is the hardest for me, as Tot's Yachts was one of only two rides still operating in the park that I remembered riding as a kid. Now we are down to one, Scrambler.  I remember riding it in its original location, Scandinavia, where Fjord Fjarlane is today. Tot's Yacht's was added as part of the 1978 expansion and was manufactured by Allen Herschell. It was removed from Scandinavia in 1991, to make way for the re-located River City Rampage (Fjord Fjarlane). It reappeared two years later in 1993 in Pandamonium. In 2001 its name was changed to Peanut's Yacht Club. It is confirmed that it has been removed from the park.