A look forward at the 2021 Park Anniversaries!

 2020 is finally coming to an end, and while it feels like 2019 ended decades ago, and there is no guarantee that 2021 will be an improvement, I like to keep positive and hope that it will be. We can also hope that Worlds of Fun will have a slightly longer season than it did last year. I believe the 2020 season was maybe just a slight bit over two months long? So let’s look forward to 2021 and with 2021 we have several anniversaries!  Just a quite note, we are celebrating the anniversaries of those attractions on the “every five year anniversary” mark.

Cyclone Sam's Cloudpoofer 2000 turned 25 years old in 2020, but as it never operated in 2020 it gets an honorable mention here.

Before we go any further I would like to recognize the two rides that should have had their 20th and 25th anniversary in 2020… but because neither of them operated at all in 2020, and hopefully will in 2021, they deserve mention. That honor belongs to both Boomerang (20th anniversary) and to Cyclone Sams: Cloudpoofer 2000 (25th anniversary).  Boomerang, I think we can suffice to say is a Vekoma Boomerang. However Cyclone Sam’s  is unique, the ride itself was built by Chance Rides of Wichita. Ks. with its enclosed building designed and built by Burns and McDonnell. It can never be said enough, Cyclone Sams was NEW when it was added in 1995. Many confuse it for being Wobble Wheel, its very similar predecessor. Sam’s is a Chance Wipeout, a updated version of the Chance Trabant, which is what Wobble Wheel was. Similar but not the same.  Say it with me… Similar but NOT the same.  But hopefully we will see both Boomerang and Sam’s in operation this year.  

Same thing with Boomerang.

So drum roll please the rides celebrating five year anniversaries this year are (or were):

1971: 50th Anniversary Worlds of Fun Announcement and Park Ground Breaking

1976: 45th Anniversary Screamroller

1981: 40th Anniversary: Incred-O-Dome

1986: 35th Anniversary: Omegatron

1991: 30th Anniversary: Beat Street, Skyliner and Rockin’ Reeler

1996: 25th Anniversary Detonator & Ripcord

2001: 20th Anniversary: Camp Snoopy, Snoopy Bounce, Woodstock’s Airmail and Camp Bus

2006: 15th Anniversary: Patriot

2011: 10th Anniversary: Planet Snoopy, Woodstock Whirlybirds, Lucy’s Tugboat, Sally’s Swing Set, Peanut’s Road Rally, Flying Ace Balloon Race, Peanuts 500, and Snoopy’s Rocket Express.  Grand Carrousel.

2016: 5th Anniversary: Planet Snoopy Expansion: Woodstock Gliders, Beagle Brigade Airfield, Snoopy Space Buggies, Linus Launcher, Snoopy Junction.

Worlds of Fun Ground Breaking occurred in November 1971, this November will be 50 years.

1971: 50th Anniversary Worlds of Fun Announcement & Ground Breaking

Yes, we have made it to the very beginning of the official 50th anniversary activities when it comes to Worlds of Fun. We have awhile yet until the park’s actual 50th anniversary which will be May 26, 2023, (or the 50th season which will be 2022). The original idea for what would become Worlds of Fun was announced in 1969 when the original plans had the park located next to the Truman Sports Complex. However by 1971 that original idea had been abandoned, and the current site had been chosen. The park would be announced, named, and celebrate its ground breaking ceremony in late 1971. Since both the official announcement and ground breaking are such major benchmarks in park history there will be separate, individual blogs written on both events later this year.

We’ll have to skip twenty years in the future to find an existing attraction celebrating an anniversary with the three attractions 1976, 1981 and 1986 all being defunct.

Beat Street Concept Art from the Kansas City Star, March 1991.

A brand new Skyliner peaks out from behind Cotton Blossom.

1991: 30th Anniversary Beat Street

Of all the anniversaries this one boggles my mind as as I can personally remember its announcement and opening as a teenager which for me doesn't seem all that long ago.  Beat Street wasn’t actually “new” more so it followed the long outstanding Worlds of Fun tradition of “reuse, re-theme and call it new”.  Beat Street was the re-themed River City which was introduced in 1982 next to Cotton Blossom. The rides themselves while also “new” to the park were actually bought used, Rockin’ Reeler a Reverchon Himalaya, and Skyliner an ELI Bridge BIG ELI Wheel.  Reeler was removed following the 2005 season, Skyliner though continues to operate and win the award for being quite possibly the most pain in the butt ride to operate in the park.  Those who have operated it know exactly what I mean. 

Detonator in 1997, you can also see Orient Express and Ripcord in the background.

I always found the concept art of Detonator rather funny, no one really knew exactly what it was going to look like.

1996: 25th Anniversary Detonator & Ripcord

It’s hard to imagine a world of amusement parks without S&S drop or launch towers, especially 15-20 years ago when they were being added seemingly by the dozens at parks across the country. Back in 1996 though, no one had ever seen anything quite like Detonator. Leslie Kuske Worlds of Fun’s director of PR at the time described it to the Kansas City Star as “sitting on the outside of a rocket at liftoff” (Campbell, 1996) and it’s telling how unique Detonator was when you realize there was only a concept drawing to use for its announcement in the paper.  Detonator would open on April 13th with the park for it’s 24th season, and would be the world’s first twin-tower Space Shot, and the first permanent installation of a Space Shot at any amusement park anywhere.  

That funny 1996 map with the three-tower Detonator.

Detonator then as now takes 12 riders per tower straight up at speeds of 45 MPH with a force of 4.5 G’s, and then drops passenger, faster than a free fall at negative 1 G. Probably one of my favorite stories about Detonator revolve around the park map, which if you were to pay attention to the 1996 map you would notice Detonator had THREE towers not two as it was built.  It was drawn that way as it was originally planned to have three towers.

Ripcord under construction in April 1996, you can see the grid pattern left over from Cotton Blossom.

Ripcord right after it opened in 1996.

Opening the same season, but not at the same time was Ripcord, the 180-foot SkyCoaster.  Ripcord is remembered well for replacing Cotton Blossom.  Unlike Detonator, Ripcord opened in May 1996, and was then as today a pay extra attraction $24.95 for a solo flight, $19.95 for two and $14.95 for three. The concept of the ride over the last twenty-five years is unchanged, with a basic principle of free flight, or as I call it free falling.

Camp Snoopy opened with the park in April 2001.

Today it's the Kite Eating Tree, but back in 2001 it was Woodstock's Airmail.  I loved the little topper on this ride.

2001: 20th Anniversary Camp Snoopy

It’s easy for those old enough to remember how drastically the park changed in a short span of time, and another one of those changes occurred in 2001.  While Worlds of Fun had introduced Bearenstain Bear Country in 1997, replacing a portion of Pandamonium, Camp Snoopy would be the first expansion that would revitalize the ENTIRE area and not only replace the short-lived Bear Country but also the rest of Pandamonium.  Out went the colored block lights and Bear Country Tree and in came red-wood queue lines and benches and lantern lights.  Camp Snoopy would also introduce two new rides, Woodstock’s Airmail, built by S&S (same as Detonator), and the Camp Bus, along with the inflatable Snoopy Bounce play area.  Interesting enough there was a twist with Camp Snoopy too, since while it did introduce the whole Peanut’s gang to Worlds of Fun, it would RE-INTRODUCE Snoopy, since Snoopy had made his original introduction at Worlds of Fun way back in 1978.  

Ribbon Cutting for Patriot on April 8, 2006, the red tulle ribbon is still preserved in our living room. 

2006: 15th Anniversary Patriot

Quite possibly the most major attraction celebrating an anniversary in 2021 is Patriot, which turns 15 years old this year!  Remembering back to when Patriot was announced it wasn’t really a surprise to anyone, track had already been spotted in Ohio with the “W.O.F” letters attached firmly to it. Then there was the multitude of teaser eagle statues, the entire shut down of Beat Street, and of course the need for a replacement for Orient Express all pretty much pointed to a B&M inverted coaster coming to Worlds of Fun. Announced on September 8th, 2005, construction had already begun in earnest, with the lift hill and first loop completed before the close out of the 2005 season in October.  

Patriot in 2007, you can see tram road in the foreground, Orient Express's lift would have been just out of the photo on the right. 

When researching this blog I ran into the article published by The Kansas City Star at the time of Patriot’s announcement and Jeff always laughs that the one quote they used from him was “This is a biggie” (Alm, 2005) and for Worlds of Fun at the time it was.  Of course, Patriot wasn’t alone either, as it was joined by four other new coasters in nearly the same decade.  (Mamba, Boomerang, Spinning Dragons, Prowler). Still, then and even today Patriot is still thought of in the same breath as Orient Express. Funny enough it doesn’t overlap any of the territory occupied by Express, being firmly on the opposite side of the old tram road.

Patriot under construction, this is how it appeared in late October 2005.

Patriot for Patriot’s sake was then and still is today a great coaster, offering a great thrill, and is a fantastic addition to a truly great coaster collection. It also, especially thanks to its very recent new paint job, is just as striking today as it was the day it opened. One of my favorite stories about Patriot since we are in the story telling arc is from an interview with Rob Decker, then senior director of planning and design for Cedar Fair. Originally, when Patriot was designed it was designed not just with the white stripe on red track but with white stars that covered the lower blue supports of the coaster too. Though its easy to say that it was yet another budget cut, I don’t think this one was, it was cut because it made the coaster design feel too cluttered, and I rather have to agree with that opinion. Plus, can you imagine having to re-paint the stripe AND the stars?!

Ribbon Cutting for the opening of Planet Snoopy on May 28, 2011.

Looks a little different than it does today.

2011:  10th Anniversary Planet Snoopy and Grand Carrousel

If you haven’t already noticed many benchmark changes to the park are being celebrated in 2021, and yet another one, actually another two are celebrating their 10th anniversary. Planet Snoopy would replace Camp Snoopy in 2011, and completely, once again, revitalize the area, replacing the woodsy theme with a bright and colorful new take on Snoopy. With Camp Snoopy’s retirement so went three of the park’s children’s rides.  Seven more though were added brand new, so much so that it makes both 2011 and 2016 feel like a Zamperla Rides free for all (I sure hope Cedar Fair got a bulk discount!). Woodstock Whirlybirds, Lucy’s Tugboat, Sally’s Swing Set, Peanut’s Road Rally, Flying ACE Balloon Race, Peanuts 500, and Snoopy’s Rocket Express were all added, with Road Rally (Micro Moto Bahn), Head over Wheels (Viking Vheel) and Bouce-A-Roos removed after the 2010 season. 

Restoration of a carousel horse by Carousel Works.

The Grand Carrousel on Grand Re-Opening Day, May 28, 2011.

Grand Carrousel was the other major addition for 2011, and unlike all the brand new Zamperla Rides, Grand Carrousel wasn’t what anyone would consider “new” and was in fact actually by far the oldest attraction ever added to the park, originally built in either 1918 (according to Painted Ponies) or 1926 (according to the National Carousel Association). 

The workshop of M.C. Illions in 1912, this is where the horses and decorations for Grand Carrousel were originally created.  Photo from The Art of the Carousel, by Charlotte Dinger. 

According to the National Carousel Association it was built by M.C. Illions of Coney Island for the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial in 1926. It would go on to operate in Birmingham Al. from 1926 until 1937 and finally at its long time home of Geauga Lake from 1937 until 2007 when the park was permanently closed. With the park’s closure the carousel was put in storage, and then sent in 2010 to Carousel Works for a full restoration, and installed at Worlds of Fun in spring of 2011. Though the carousel and its band organ were meticulously and beautifully restored by Cedar Fair one faucet of the ride was altered, originally the horses were mounted so they would rock while the carousel turned. With a new installation it was determined that in order to keep that slight thrill a seat belt would have had to be have been added to each horse. The decision was made to remove the rocking mechanism and instead make each horse a more traditional jumper in order to keep the attraction seatbelt free.  

2016: 5th Anniversary Planet Snoopy Expansion

Five years ago doesn’t seem all that long ago, but let me be the first to say that I can recall when we were celebrating the 5th anniversary of Mamba, and now its 23 years old. Time passes in a blink of an eye. In 2016, five new rides were added to Planet Snoopy, and as mentioned prior it really did extend the Zamperla ride free for all with four MORE new rides from Zamperla Rides, Beagle Bay Airfield, Snoopy Space Buggies, Linus Launcher and Snoopy Junction were all added to Planet Snoopy along with the Larson Flying Scooters ride, Woodstock Gliders. Fascinatingly enough the Gliders was the first ride at that specific location in 20 years, since Octopus had been removed in 1996. Woodstock Gilder’s also occupies the same land once home to the Barnstormer, a unique and thrilling, yet short lived bi-plane ride. So it seems only appropriate that another airplane-like ride would occupy its land.  

Screamroller would be 45 years old this year if it was still in operation.

Incred-O-Dome would have been 40 years old.

And Omegatron would have been 35, fairly old but still seven years younger than Zulu is today.

The first time I ever wrote a blog on park ride anniversaries was two seasons ago when we celebrated the anniversary of rides like Timber Wolf, Spinning Dragons, Prowler, and Steelhawk. It is necessary in my mind to thank the writer that I originally borrowed the idea from too, which was CP Food Blog (http://www.cpfoodblog.com). It’s also interesting to think back on last year, before the pandemic, and that there were only two existing rides that had anniversaries, Cyclone Sam's and Boomerang.  All the other rides that had anniversaries, especially the big one, Orient Express, were gone. It gives me time to be thankful that I have more than just a handful of existing rides with anniversaries this year. Still, there are many rides that could have had anniversaries this year, Screamroller would have been 45 years old, Omegatron would have been 35, and Incred-O-Dome would have been 40, making that twist from old relic to cool old retro, but it was not to be. I’m also 100% sure I made at least one person feel really old with that Screamroller comment, you’re welcome. So here’s to a new year, may 2021 be far more worth remembering than 2020, and hopefully we can all get out and ride both the rides mentioned here and all of them a lot more than we did in 2020!

Alm, R. (2005, Sept. 8).  A New Spin on Fun. The Kansas City Star. p. C1.

Campbell, M. (1996, Apr. 9). A Frenzy of Speed, Gravity. The Kansas City Star. . A1.

Dinger, C. (1983). Art of the Carousel. Carousel Art, Inc. 

Triplett, W. (1991, Mar. 21).  The Beat Goes On.  The Kansas City Star. p. 45.

What's Old is New Again

Zambezi Zinger at Worlds of Fun

Back in 2017 I wrote a blog on how the park could bring back Zinger as a Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) Raptor track coaster, I never really expected it to happen, but that’s not the point. It’s fun to think about and maybe if we do more “let’s imagine if” we might someday have a “wow they did it!” Maybe.  

the RMC Raptor "Golden Lasso" Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas

One thing that is 100% true with amusement park rides, with a lot of things actually, is what is old will at some point become new again. Case in point, wooden coasters have been built, relatively speaking, pretty much exactly how they were built almost 100 years ago. During the1980’s few wooden coasters were built as the new hotness in the coaster world was the STEEL coaster (hence Worlds of Fun added Orient Express). By the 1990s that trend was changing and hundreds of wooden coasters burst on the scene over the next decade. Case in point… Timber Wolf. Another good example, in the 1970’s Chance Rides introduced the Trabant Ride (Wobble Wheel) in the ’90’s they introduced an updated version, The Wipeout (Cyclone Sams), almost the same. I could go on and on and on on this, even just at Worlds of Fun but I think we can all agree on the concept. 

Sky Hi at Worlds of Fun going over Viking Voyager.

SO we have our dream of a Zinger Raptor coaster what’s next to dream up? And for all us WOF fangirls and boys this is when it finally pays to have a laundry list of awesome defunct rides.

The Bambusario Cable Car ride at Parque del Cafe.

Another look, the cars are very similar to the Skyliner cars at Walt Disney World.  Both attractions are manufactured by Doppelmayr.

Let’s Start with Sky Hi, or Ski Heis in Scandinavia, the aerial gondola ride that connected Scandinavia with Americana and gave guests a bird's eye view of the park (and some awesome photos that just can’t be replicated). Sky Hi was a Von Roll Sky Ride 101, and EVERY park had one at one time or another even Walt Disney World and Disneyland! As the story goes back in the summer of 1987 insurance adjustors came to Worlds of Fun and ended up condemning all but 6 cars on Sky Hi for surface rust. Many, if not most Von Roll Sky Rides share similar fates, and today there are only 11 left in the country, and Von Roll the parent company is gone right? RIGHT?! Nope. Von Roll was bought by Doppelmayr. If you are confused a bit by all the weird sounding names, yes that was a Swiss company (Von Roll) bought by an Austrian company (Doppelmayr). Doppelmayr went right on producing the ski lifts and cable cars that Von Roll was famous for but no one really thought about it as an amusement park ride anymore… Then what was old became new again. Disney World hired Doppelmayr to build a transportation system for them called Skyliner, and the moment it was announced the comparisons between it and its predecessor the Von Roll Sky Ride began. The summer before Skyliner’s introduction, Jeff and I had been down in South America to visit the REAL Zinger, and noticed that that park, Parque del Cafe operated not only a traditional Von Roll Sky Ride 101 but also had a new ride, a Doppelmayr Sky Ride waiting in the wings to open too. These two details made me think that if a park in South America can do it and Disney can do it, then sure Cedar Fair and Worlds of Fun could do it too. Let’s say Worlds of Fun for real would consider it (not likely), they would get A) A new ride B) A new family ride C) A throwback retro ride. All In One. A poster on Facebook, Chris Knight, also added to the perfect storm saying that the park would then have one-way FAMILY transportation from the International Plaza to Planet Snoopy, assuming they use the two original locations, or nearby.

The famous Kamikaze Kurve, or Boomerang element on Orient Express.  Orient Express was the first time this element was ever used on a roller coaster. 

So what’s next? Well, if we can re-build Zinger let’s re-build another coaster… Orient Express. Now while I am a proponent of building Zinger exactly or almost exactly how Zinger was, because let’s be honest that was (is) one frickin’ awesome little ride, Orient Express had its problems, twenty-eight of them exactly. Big black harnesses. That liked to hit rider's heads a lot. Plus, the manufacturer of Orient Express, Arrow Development is gone, and the company that bought it, S&S isn’t likely to re-build a coaster anywhere similar to Orient Express. But there is a direct descendant of Arrow Development/Dynamics that does, and its name has been 100% guaranteed to put a cringe on any coaster enthusiasts’ face for the last few decades, Vekoma. Vekoma International is a Dutch firm that started as the European distributor for Arrow. This is why, until recently that is, their coasters looked just like old Arrows. Boomerang at Worlds of Fun is a Vekoma for example. And for anyone who has ridden Boomerang, or one of the dreaded Vekoma SLC’s can attest, they are rough just like the old Arrows. They were rough that is until the last few years.  Recently, a new breed of Vekoma has begun appearing. Not in the United States, but Poland of all places. They are crazy, loopy monstrosities, just like the old Arrows. But with one very important difference. They are smooth. Imagine a new Orient Express, one that doesn’t give you a headache after a ride, maybe one that has a few new elements, a launch, but still incorporates all the classic elements of Orient Express. That first drop, the interlocking loops, the boomerang or Kamikaze Kurve, and it would be the first of the new breed of Vekoma’s in the United States too. To top it off they aren’t near as expensive as say a B&M or Intamin, at least not yet.  

Lech Coaster at Energylandia, by Vekoma.

Abyssus At Energylandia also by Vekoma.  Take a look at this one as it has a Boomerang element just like Express!  It has recently just tested: https://youtu.be/HXjMQ-_Amag

Like I mentioned above the timeline of Worlds of Fun’s history is LITTERED with rides and attractions that would be relatively easy to bring back but I think only a few that would have a big enough “bang for your buck” as both a nod to history and as an attraction that would be marketable to current audiences. For example, Safari would be easy but there aren’t that many people that remember it, it was only in the park for five years, and a coaster is sitting on part of its location too. There there are those that would be extremely difficult to bring back simply because so extremely few remain, and are no longer manufactured, Octopus and Finnish Fling fall into this category, same thing with Wing Ding and Omegatron.

Cotton Blossom from 1995.

One attraction Jeff and I disagree on, but he makes a good enough point that it's worthy of consideration is Cotton Blossom. Yeah, that big old model boat that was used in several MGM movies and commercials including “Show Boat”. My primary argument is that there is no way to bring the historical aspect of Cotton Blossom back, but I also have to wonder how many ever cared about its history, and just remember the big white boat that was such an icon you could almost see it anywhere in the park. How do you rebuild THAT?! Easy actually. If you look at Paddlefish at Disney Springs, it's a square building fancied up to look like an old paddlewheel boat, just like Cotton Blossom. The visual similarity to Cotton Blossom is undeniable, and before anyone goes… but that’s Disney…. It’s a building. And if the amusement industry had said that about Arrow, which did get its jump start with Disney, where would the amusement industry be? After all, Arrow built Matterhorn, and many other great Disney attractions before they built Orient Express and Screamroller.  

Paddlefish at Disney Springs, looks a little bit like Cotton Blossom, yes?

I am fairly sure everyone who has ever held a job has been told “think outside the box” but as I am sure most have also experienced… it never seems to be appreciated in reality. Still, I respect the honest desire behind the overused catchphrase, that to be successful you have to do something that is both unexpected but also the unspoken and sometimes unverbalized desire of the audience the company is trying to attract. While not every answer is in the past, I believe with the park’s history re-living a bit of the past, instead of destroying it, would be only a benefit to the park.  

A Haunted World

Editor's note: I wrote this about a year and a half ago in March 2019, and for some unknown reason I never published it.  I thought it would be a good time to do so now.   Please be aware I have made a few corrections but have mostly left the story as it was originally written.

An attraction I get asked quite a bit about is Haunted Theatre, which was located at the Tivoli Music Hall from 1985 until 1986.  It never fails to surprise me that for an attraction that lasted only two seasons, it hasn’t been so easily forgotten, and in fact in many ways has its own small cult following.  For me, I have never held any attachment to it, other than the fact that it is part of Worlds of Fun history. I don’t personally remember it in the slightest, and that is probably why I have not made any significant attempt to cover its history over the last 23 years.  I have only just recently started to realize how massive a slight I have given it.  A fascinating side note is that the first time I ever heard the name Haunted Theatre was in an old Rand McNally Kansas City atlas from 1994 that still mentioned Haunted Theatre as a current attraction!  I have a very good friend who remembers it, and my husband also does and since multitudes have asked for more information on it I figured I would give it my best shot.  I am hoping this blog will open up the memories of those that remember it well and who can share their own experiences with this short-lived, but no less memorable Worlds of Fun attraction.

“With a thundering last note from the organ, the house lights in the already gloomy theater fade to black.  In the half-light of the stage, two hunchbacked figures in filthy rags carry a pallet on which lies a skeleton with a stake protruding from its rib cage.  Approaching the bright red coffin that sits isolated in a pool of brightness they place the corpse inside. The two hulking gnomes pause a moment then reopen the casket, yank out the stake and stand back as the music swells and a Byronic figure in long sideburns, black riding boots, and short jacket emerges and surveys the audience with a disdainful smile.” (Robert, 1985).

That is how the world was introduced to an entirely new macabre experience.  A friend of mine who quite vividly remembers both seeing and being terrified of Haunted Theatre attests to the show starting by everything going dark.  My husband who also saw the show in his late teens, recalls two show openings, which initially involved two bantering skeletons, but was later changed to a large, back-lit floating skull that hovered over the audience just prior to the show start.

Designed by legendary illusionist Mark Wilson, the Haunted Theatre was the headline attraction for the 1985 season and part of the season’s 2.1 million expansion investment.  A component of Haunted Theatre included major renovations to the Tivoli Music Hall itself which involved painting the theater walls black along with several massive installations,  a  “long-abandoned Victorian-era theater”  stage proscenium* that measured 20 feet by 70 feet,  four major sets, mechanical gargoyles, and audio-animatronic characters.  Very little work was actually done in house, with settings designed by Hollywood designer Brian Bartholomew (responsible for sets on the 1984 Summer Olympics), and costuming by Pete Menefee (from the Shirley MacLaine TV specials), which rounded out the efforts of a total of 155 designers, painters, electricians and builders used to complete the project.

Overall the show attempted to capture the 1980’s version of terror, seen and heard today in the cult classics such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Nightmare on Elm Street, but also walking the careful balance between entertainment and terror.  No one wanted screaming kids running out of the theater (though from second-hand experience that definitely did happen).

Haunted Theatre was hosted by a “monster of ceremonies” portrayed in1985 by Hollywood performer Vernon Willett.  The park hoping the character would be a memorable, slightly tantalizing, vampire host. Instead of the host though, most remember the elaborate magical routines.  Jeff describes it best as a magic show gone wrong, but one that was elaborately dressed up and suited for Hollywood. Ballroom dancing skeletons, a trip to a torture chamber where the host precariously balances on a floating sword and is then impaled,  a women passes through a glass mirror to exit as a walking skeleton instead, even a gigantic spider played a role at some point in Haunted Theatre’s run.  All the effects were relatively mild-mannered, and the show even had a few moments geared towards kids with a delightful dancing glowing skeletons set to “We’re gonna Getcha”.  Overall, Haunted Theatre was a massive undertaking on the park, and on its premiere, the park was already in early planning stages to lease the concept to parks across the country.

Mark Wilson stated to the Kansas City Star at its premiere that “right now the show is about 50 percent of what I want it to be” (Robert, 1985).  One has to wonder if it ever even came closer than the 100% that Mark had originally intended.  This is reflected in the other story I often hear when it comes to Haunted Theatre, in that it never quite worked exactly the way it seems to have been intended to, so much so that in 1986 the show was heavily modified, and then discontinued after the 1986 season returning the theater to its “singing and dancing extravaganza” a tradition that would continue until even those shows were discontinued after 2011.  Like so many aspects of Worlds of Fun in the 1980s, Haunted Theatre probably is most remembered for being both amazing and spectacular, but also a failure.  Amazing and Spectacular in the pure show quality realm, a failure in that it never seemed to reach the pinnacle the park had planned for it.

Robert, B. (1985, April 9). Ghoulish Pleasures: Haunted Theatre conjures up a blend of thrill and chill. Kansas City Star, p. 1B. 

The 7 Wonders of Worlds (of Fun)

 A month or so ago discussion popped up on our Facebook group regarding the famous Worlds of Fun water tower, how it’s always been one of the iconic Worlds of Fun structures, and I thought it would be fun to create a “7 Wonders of the Worlds of Fun World”. So began the art of creating the list, defining the attractions that were historical AND iconic. Attractions that might not be the biggest or shiniest but we couldn’t imagine Worlds of Fun without, and that we look forward to seeing, and in one case only realize how important it is to our experience when it goes missing. You the reader may or may not agree with our list, and that’s fine,  disagreement here is all part of the fun.

And in no particular order:

THE Gorilla. 

African Animals: I’m not talking about real animals here, I am not even talking about my husband or those coasters that are named after wild animals either. No, I am talking about those fiberglass and topiary animals scattered throughout the African section.  

Hippo that was over by Zinger's station, circa 1999.

The oldest of these is the most easily identifiable, the black gorilla located by Gorilla Grill, which also shares its family tree with the crane over by the Fury of the Nile turntable. Both creatures “originated” with The Safari, a drive-yourself car ride, very similar to Le Taxi Tour, which only lasted until the 1978 season. The animals preceded even Worlds of Fun and were bought used from a miniature golf course! Originally, there was also a Hippo and Tiger but those both vanished following the 1999 season.

Fury of the Nile crane

The other animals are much more recent and those are the topiary Rhino, Giraffe, and Elephant also near Gorilla Grill that was added to the park by the park’s landscaping team in 2017.

Elephant Topiary circa 2020.

Due to the numerous photos and posts related to the gorilla at Worlds of Fun over the years, it should require no explanation as to why this virtual zoo belongs on this list, but you have to wonder… after all these years shouldn’t the gorilla finally get a name?!

Gertrude?

ELI/Worlds of Fun Railroad:

ELI out in Yumma Yucca Mesa.

This was a tough one. Not tough so much choosing ELI or the Worlds of Fun Railroad as a wonder of Worlds of Fun, or recognizing its value to the park, but difficult because it hasn’t been there for two full seasons. We all listen for the sound of the whistle, or its “chug chug chug” as it makes its way past Prowler, or up Taxi’s hill. But those sounds have been missing for a while and we all miss it.  

Jeff took this back when the "miniature" photo style was popular, I can't remember the exact year.

ELI and its supposed brother, LEVI are both Crown Metal engines, built to look like their 1800’s counterparts, but built in the early 1970s. Many see the propane tanks on the tender and think ELI isn’t a real steam engine, but appearances can be deceiving. Most Crown Metal engines DO burn propane but do so only to heat the water, to create steam, and it’s the steam that gives the engine its power. In essence, the propane has replaced the more traditional wood or coal. The fact that ELI is a steam engine has made it iconic to the park, and that’s pretty standard for the few parks that still operate steam engines. Cedar Point and its CP & LE Railway (Lake Erie), Kings Island’s KI and MV (Miami Valley), Railway, and then of course there are the two domestic Magic Kingdom Disney park’s which require zero explanation. The funny thing is… the Florida version of the Magic Kingdom railroad has been down and out about as long as Worlds of Fun’s has been. I still have faith that ELI will be back, with Worlds of Fun hope is and always will be strong.

ELI fresh with a re-paint in 2018.

Floral Clock:

Floral Clock from 1991, notice no date, that will be an important detail on the next photo.

There are two attractions on this list that while technically new, could also be argued to be “original”. Both the old and new versions of the floral clock are in the same location (Africa, but on the hillside by Moulin Rouge) and incredibly similar except that the new version is slightly larger. The original has many photos associated with it, and one of the earliest photos I remember ever finding of it online had a family complete with striped bell-bottom pants and other ’70’s attire! It also has many great stories, one of my favorites is that of a young Worlds of Fun landscaper that would go onto bigger and better places who strived to improve the park, and recalled that at one time the floral clock had a month and date in topiary letters and numbers too. By the time the young man worked at the park the daily changing of the date had been discontinued as part of budgetary cuts. He not only found the old number and letter molds but personally restarted the daily date changes himself and continued the tradition until he too left the park. The entire floral clock would vanish after the 1996 season. The small plot would go on to be remembered for its “You’re the King of the World!” High-Striker game, and a few picnic tables, though for many years the basic shape of the floral clock was still visible in the grass on the hillside.

Floral Clock from 1996, notice though it has the day's date on it (July 30), that's different than the 1991 posted above.

Everything changed in late 2017 when I received a Facebook message from a friend who told me the floral clock was coming back, at first I didn’t believe him, I had heard that line just a few times already. Then he sent me a photo of the actual construction work being done and I wanted to meltdown and cry. I think I did shed a few tears of happiness in the IKEA return lane, and yes it was such a memory I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I found out. Today, the floral clock is back at Worlds of Fun, right where it belongs, and hopefully, it will stay that way for many years to come. 

New Floral Clock, circa 2018

Front Street Fountains:

Old Front Street Fountain, not entirely sure on the year taken.

As the City of Fountains, it's unimaginable for a park to be located in Kansas City and NOT have a fountain, but that was the case until 1979. Before 1979 it wasn’t a sunken fountain it was the sunken garden… complete with a compass at the center. For the 1979 season, the fountain was introduced and remained there for almost 40 years, until it was replaced by today’s star fountain in 2018. Truth be told, if your family didn’t have a photo in front of the Floral Clock or African Gorilla you probably had one in front of the Americana fountain, like everything mentioned prior its iconic status is undeniable.

Close up on the old Front Street Fountain, from a Worlds of Fun postcard no exact date (1980's)

Of course, a big part of that is that it was originally part of the park’s main entrance, and the sunken fountain, for twenty years was the first and last thing most people saw when they entered and exited the park. Then there was of course the ‘if you or a member of your party have become lost or separated we recommend at this time that you meet at the sunken fountain located next to the main entrance to the park” (or in later years… next to the Grand Prix Raceway). An interesting aspect of all history is that sometimes though an object’s original purpose is long gone, its status created by that original purpose is retained. So true is the main gate long gone… but the Americana fountain still retains its original iconic status.  

New Front Street Fountain, Circa 2018.

Mamba:

Mamba at Sunset circa 1998.

In the HBO Mini-Series “John Adams” Benjamin Franklin commented that Col. George Washington was so tall he was bound to lead something at some point. So too with Mamba, which literally lords over the entire park and is almost destined by its sure size to be iconic. However, that’s not the whole story as there are far more coasters these days that are taller and faster and longer that DON’T carry the same status at their home parks that Mamba does at Worlds of Fun, and we may wonder why.

Mamba Plaza, notice the flags still hanging in the station!  Circa 1999.

I like to think that it all resides on the time for which Mamba debuted, which was during a period of drastic change for the park. Zinger and Express were both removed within five years of its introduction. Simply put, it not only had to be the biggest flashiest new attraction at the park, but it also had to fill the shoes of the many legacy attractions that were removed at the same time. Mamba amazingly accomplished that feat and has become beloved because it has for many, always been there.  

Mamba goes through its final camelback's, not entirely sure what year this was taken.

Today, those of us who were there when Mamba opened for the first time still love Mamba, but there is now also a whole new generation, and possibly now even two that don’t remember a Worlds of Fun without it. To further cement its iconic status Mamba is due in 2021 to tie with its cousin Orient Express in its number of years of operation (22 years) and the following year in 2022 match the operational years of Zinger.  

Mamba roars into the final brake run.  Circa 2020.

Torii Gate:

The old Torii Gate circa 1998.

The Torii Gate is unique in that like the Floral Clock there is the old version and the new version, but unlike the floral clock, they are located in two different spots. However, LIKE the floral clock fans have unanimously adopted the new version to be the equivalent or better than its predecessor. The original once stood at the division of Americana and Orient, about where the Coca-Cola Refresh is today. The official/unofficial explanation for its removal is that it blocked vehicle traffic in the park during non-operational hours. In 2019, the Torii Gate returned, on the opposite side of the Orient, on the S/O Bridge (Scandi/Orient), looking a great deal like the original though this one was designed so as not to impede traffic.  

The new Torii gate on the S/O Bridge circa 2019.

One of my favorite stories about the Torii Gate (and I am by far NOT the only one!) is the urban legend that tells ambassadors for all generations that it is bad luck to walk under the Torii Gate, Take it for what you want, but many past ambassadors even today refuse to walk under the new Torii gate for this very reason.

Water Tower/The Hot Air Balloons:

The Original Worlds of Fun Hot Air Balloon circa 1979

Yes, here it is. The ultimate wonder and icon of Worlds of Fun isn’t a ride, or even an attraction in the park at all, but is still absolutely, indisputably deserving of the title. That dang hot air balloon. Jack Steadman’s quote from 1971 pretty much says everything: “We chose the large, multicolored ascension balloon for our symbol because it represents fun, adventure and travel reminiscent of the movie “Around the World in 80 Days” These are the things we want Worlds of Fun to represent” Roberts, Joe (1971, Nov 11), “Gala Start to Fun World” Kansas City Times, p. 1a

The not-so-owned-by-Worlds of Fun, but still Worlds of Fun water tower.

I remember when I was a kid, back in the’80’s, and I lived in the Northland, every time I saw the water tower I knew I was near Worlds of Fun. I was surprised recently (and I guess I really shouldn’t have been) that I wasn’t the only one that thought that way. Back in 2007 Worlds of Fun did the unthinkable, they changed the official park logo from that iconic hot air balloon with partridge font for the first time in their 35+ year history at the time. Funny enough… it came back not long afterward, and the park even included a new version of the hot air balloon in the park’s new entrance in 2017. A fascinating detail about the balloon that a friend helped me realize is that of all the variations of the balloon out there, the water tower, the one at the park toll plaza, at the park gate, even the logo all share the same color pattern, yellow/blue, purple/pink and green/orange, every single one was designed and intended to look like the original park logo introduced now almost fifty years ago. One thing is true through it all, the hot air balloon and Worlds of Fun are unquestionably synonymous with each other. Thanks, Jack.  

And the new Worlds of Fun Balloon at the main gate circa 2017.