Happy New Year 2024!

 Happy 2024! Where have the years gone? It feels like only yesterday we were in 2020 discussing when the park would re-open, and to even contemplate some of the anniversaries coming up in 2024 blows my mind. For those not familiar with this, every New Years Day for the last five years or so I have published a blog looking at the different attractions celebrating a 5 year anniversary in that coming season. The idea originated with CP Food Blog, so check them out if you have a chance. For 2024 what I am looking forward to most in this blog is how many existing rides will celebrate anniversaries! Red Baron, Worlds of Fun's oldest kiddie ride, turns 50, Zulu turns 45, and Fury of the Nile, the World's largest rapids ride when it opened in 1984, turns 40 years old! And many more!

So, without further ado.

Red Baron in Scandinavia in 1976

Red Baron again thought in 2001. 

1974 - 50th Anniversary

Red Baron and Forum Amphitheater

After opening on May 26th for the inaugural season in 1973, Worlds of Fun would have its first April opening day on April 13, 1974. The park would remain very much the same as it did in 1973, but with two additions. The first being an Allan Herschell/Chance Rides kiddie bi-plane ride to Scandinavia. Named Red Baron, it would be the first step towards creating the park's first children's area in Scandinavia, which would debut in 1977. In 1978, Red Baron moved to the new Aerodrome, where it stayed and is in the same spot today. The World would change around it with Aerodrome transitioning to Pandamonium, Berenstain Bear Country, and Planet Snoopy today. Because of its 50 years of history, multiple generations have experienced Red Baron!

The second attraction to debut in 1974 didn't premier until June 16, 1974, and that was the famous and vastly memorable Forum Amphitheater. Designed by Randall Duell and Associates, it would accommodate 4,100 spectators and host a multitude of live entertainment and concerts over the next 20+ years. The Forum would debut to the sounds of Harper Valley PTA and Red River Symphony but would host the top names of the time, including Paul Revere and the Raiders, Roy Clark, Chuck Berry, Bill Cosby, Ray Charles, Rick Nelson, and many more. We have an incomplete schedule online here: http://www.worldsoffun.org/1974/forum.html

Rick Nelson at the Forum Amphitheater in 1975. 

In 1999, the Forum had its name changed to Heart of America Theater and featured the popular Summer Spectacular laser light and pyrotechnics show from 1997 until 2002. It was also host to a short-lived re-boot of the concert series in 2008 and 2009 and finally, All Wheel Sports in 2014 and 2015. Today, the theater still stands, but it is no longer in use. 

1979 - 45th Anniversary 

Zulu, Le Carousel, Beetle Bumps, Wing Ding, Sunken Fountain

Zulu in 1979-1980

By 1979, the opening day had moved back to the first week of April, with 1979 seeing its opening day on April 7, 1979. 1979 itself would see several new attractions and expansions to the park. Still operating today (well in 2023) is the Huss Rides Enterprise model known at Worlds of Fun as Zulu. A popular ride model, the Enterprise, showed up at various parks across the country, but few are left today. From just a Worlds of Fun angle, Zulu is one of the park's oldest flat rides still in its original location with its original name. 

Also introduced in 1979 was Worlds of Fun's first carousel, Le Carousel, manufactured by Bradley and Kaye of Long Beach, CA (which would be acquired by Chance Rides in 1986). Le Carousel would be Europa's last addition for nearly 40 years and would be replaced by Europa's next ride addition, Falcon's Flight, in 2017. Today, Le Carousel continues on its life at Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch in Liberty, Mo. Beetle Bumps, a kid's ride manufactured by Royal Cascade, was introduced in the Orient and would operate until 2022, having been moved to Pandamonium/Kiddy Kingdom in 1998. 

The last ride addition for 1979 wasn't new; it would also prove to be the park's shortest-lived ride, Wing Ding. Wing Ding was an addition to the Aerodrome and would be a relocated ride from the recently defunct Fairyland Amusement Park. Manufactured by Eyerly Aircraft Company, it was an incredibly rare Fly-O-Plane ride. It would only operate for two seasons at Worlds of Fun and be removed after the 1980 season and replaced by Incred-O-Dome. 

The last attraction introduced in 1979 wasn't a ride at all but is well remembered, and that is the Americana Sunken Fountain. For many, it comes as a surprise that the Sunken Fountain wasn't original to the park, and it's true that the first six years of operation would feature a Sunken Garden instead. The 1979 fountain would be replaced by a new fountain in 2018.

1984 - 40th Anniversary

Fury of the Nile

Fury of the Nile opens on May 26, 1984

Driving Fury of the Nile in the 1980's

Turning 40 years old this year is Worlds of Fun's rapids ride, Fury of the Nile. Though the season opened on March 31st (the earliest opening date in the park's history), Fury of the Nile opened on May 26th, which would have been the park's 12th anniversary. Manufactured by Intamin AG of Switzerland and Burns and McDonnell of Kansas City, Nile was the largest rapids ride in the world when it opened. Containing 1,000,000 gallons of churning white water rapids over a 1,800-foot course, guests experienced its 4-5 minute experience aboard one of the ride's 23 fiberglass rafts. Statistics aside, Nile was incredibly popular when it first opened, and while the line was long, it moved fast, with an actual, all-time capacity of over 1,700 guests in one hour (As of 1985).

1989 - 35th Anniversary

Timber Wolf

Timber Wolf in 1998

Our first existing coaster to have an anniversary, Timber Wolf, turns 35 years old as of April 1, 2024, as it gave its first public rides on April 1, 1989. Much has been said about Timber Wolf over the last 35 years, but Timber Wolf is critical to the World of amusement parks for more reasons than the fact it was voted #1 in the World in 1991. Timber Wolf, along with a few other notable early 1990s wooden coasters, ushered in the age of the modern wooden coaster. Designed by Curtis Summers and built by Charlie Dinn it is also one of the few Dinn/Summers coasters still operating in a mostly intact (non-RMC'd) state. 

A similar view but in 2018

One of my favorite stories with Timber Wolf is how its design was determined. Like Orient Express, Worlds of Fun management traveled across the country for "field research," riding a variety of different coasters. Timber Wolf, like Orient Express, incorporated the best of the best, from the psychotic Harry Traver-inspired first half to the quasi Beast-like 560-degree helix, Timber Wolf, like its decade-earlier steel cousin, was an immediate hit.

1994 - 30th Anniversary

Sea Dragon

While Timber Wolf is one of the earlier rides I can specifically recall details of its opening, Sea Dragon was the first ride that opened at Worlds of Fun the first year I worked there as an ambassador. The 1994 season would begin only a day after the 1989 season on April 2, 1994. While there was nothing specifically revolutionary about Sea Dragon, a ride doesn't have to be record-breaking to be still fun. Sea Dragon has that in spades. Manufactured by Chance Rides of Wichita Ks. Sea Dragon was their standard model, manufactured in both a portable carnival model and the stationary model that Worlds of Fun employees. 

1999 - 25th Anniversary

Grand Prix

One of the very few rides I would respond to "good riddance." Grand Prix was the major attraction for what I call the "hangover" year of 1999, which followed the introduction of Mamba in 1998. Opening Day had by this time been moved to mid-April by new owners Cedar Fair, and in 1999 the park opened on April 17, 1999. Grand Prix was a pay-extra-go-cart attraction located where Steelhawk is today. While some people enjoyed this attraction, I could never get beyond the fact that it had "replaced" the Henrietta and the original main Americana gate. Grand Prix would be replaced by Steelhawk in 2014. 

2004 - 20th Anniversary

Spinning Dragons

Fifteen years separate Timber Wolf and Spinning Dragons, but it feels far longer than that, as while Timber Wolf reflected the twilight years of Hunt Midwest, Spinning Dragons was Cedar Fair's third coaster added to Worlds of Fun since it took over in 1995. It boggles my mind that Spinning Dragons is turning 20 years old; it feels like it was only yesterday. Manufactured by Gerstlauer of Germany, a direct descendant of Schwarzkopf industries, Spinning Dragons was, at the time, an attempt to repopulate the park with a family-style coaster. Unfairly and inaccurately seen as a "replacement" for Orient Express, it was always intended to be more of a replacement for the original Zambezi Zinger. A free spinning coaster, Spinning Dragons offers a unique experience where every ride can differ in experience and thrill level. It's one of only two coasters I've ridden that I was seriously concerned that I would get sick. (The other being Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot). It was also the first coaster at Worlds of Fun I experienced on its opening day, which wasn't the 2004 season opening day of April 3rd. Spinning Dragons would open two weeks later, on April 17th. 

2009 - 15th Anniversary

Prowler

Yes, Prowler turns 15 years old in 2024, like Spinning Dragons being 20 years old, which seems crazy to me; for the 2009 season, Worlds of Fun had moved back (again) to mid-April opening with opening day on April 18th. But like Spinning Dragons, Prowler wouldn't open until May 1st. Also, like Spinning Dragons, I rode Prowler the day it opened (actually the day before, thanks to a Passholder preview event). 

As many will point out, with this being Prowler's 15th anniversary, there was a 14-year gap between Prowler and the following new coaster (Zambezi Zinger in 2023). It is the longest gap between any two new coasters in park history. A detail many overlook though, is that Prowler bookend what I call The Coaster Decade, in that it was the 5th coaster in a little over 10 years at Worlds of Fun. Prowler bookended a decade after Mamba, in much the same way that Timber Wolf bookended a decade after Orient Express. History once again rhymes as often happens.  15 years after it opened Prowler continues to be one of the best if not the best of all Great Coasters International coasters. 

2014 - 10th Anniversary

Steelhawk

Ten years ago, the local news stations were all playing stories about a "new" ride with a storied past, in 2024 that same ride celebrates its 10th anniversary with the park. The 2014 season would begin on April 12th, but Steelhawk wouldn't open until July 8th.  There was no official annouincement of Steelhawk's opening, meaning while there was no official media fan fare there was still a great deal of FAN fare as news spread like wildfire online and fans showed up at the park in droves, even though it was a weekday!

Steelhawk started out its life in 2012 at Knott's Berry Farm in California known as Windseeker, manufactured by Mondial. In 2013 after Windseeker experienced technical difficulties leaving riders stranded for 3 hours, it was decided to move the ride to a new location, leaving it at Worlds of Fun for the 2014 season. In 2024 it celebrates its 10th anniversary and I still feel lucky to have this great, towering ride at Worlds of Fun. 

2019 - 5th Anniversary

Five years ago was 2019 and while there were no major new attractions for the 2019 season to celebrate its worth mentioning due to its memorable nature. 2019 was the last "normal" season for 2-3 years, it was the last season for Winterfest, and I still feel that Worlds of Fun and the rest of the World is still racing to recapture the normality lost after 2019 ended. In April 2020, one of the darkest days of the entire COVID event, for what would have been the 40th anniversary of Orient Express I wrote:

"With everything going on in the World it's hard to see past today. However, I believe, I hope, tomorrow will come. Tomorrow, the sun will rise on a day when Worlds of Fun is once again open, and we will all see Mamba, Patriot, even the Worlds of Fun Railroad running once again."

I smile reading that today, recalling so much hope in a dark, uncertain world. Things are not back to normal, but let us remember where we have been, and realize how far we have come. Here is to an amazing 52nd season, and 51st year of Worlds of Fun!