Aerodrome: Then and Today

Twenty years ago, when I was much younger, and had no gray hair, I started an organization for folks that had met on www.worldsoffun.org called WOFFA.  Among the several people I met and made friends with was a guy named Michael Parsons.  A few years younger than me he seemed to remember a lot of aspects of Worlds of Fun that quite frankly, I just couldn't remember, one of those was the Aerodrome.  Now before I get into the Aerodrome, and what it was, and where it was, one other point remains.  Michael had an idea for several years to re-create photos of the Aerodrome and Barnstormer, or more a "before and after" of what the areas look like today.

Last year (2018) Mike did an awesome job shooting before and after photos of the Aerodrome during Haunt.  Funny enough Mike is "the friend" in the Haunt Review if you have read that.  I thought the photos were fabulous and I thought we should do more than just share them on Facebook, so I decided to write a blog about it which you are now reading.  (and man the guy that said I was too wordy was right...)

Aerodrome, which was Worlds of Fun's fourth large land expansion (following The Forum, Screamroller, and the 1977 "A new attraction in every world" expansions), was a 3.5 acres expansion that we today know as Planet Snoopy.  It was introduced for the 1978 season, and unlike today where it is known as a kid's section, Aerodrome was decidedly not just for kids, and included one of Worlds of Fun's probably most thrilling rides up to that point, The Barnstormer.  At a little over a 100 feet tall, it was not only the tallest ride in the park up to that point, but probably offered the biggest thrill in the park too as once aboard the planes would dive up to 45 feet down which circling the central hub, or at least they did when it first opened.  Barnstormer was quite ahead of its time, powered entirely by hydraulics, it was infamous for its July 1978 crash that literally sprayed hydraulic fluid halfway across the park, and put a stop to its more thrilling aerial aerobatics.  The problems with Barnstormer were many, it wouldn't operate in high winds either (which might sound familiar to other CURRENT Worlds of Fun ride).  To make to fine a point Barnstormer was one of only three "Barnstormer" rides produced by Bradley & Kaye, the first being at Old Chicago, the third and by in large most successful installation was at the also defunct Opryland which operated until the park closed for good in 1997.  Barnstormer at Worlds of Fun wouldn't last near as long, and was finally removed from the park in June 1983, to be replaced the next year by Octopus which had been not only moved and re-painted, but also renamed to Tailspinner.

Barnstormer wasn't all that when it came to the Aerodrome either though, Aerodrome boasted a new theater, the Flying Circus Theater (which became the Bear County Museum, and is now roughly where the Snoopy Boutique is today), which was home to Dolores Hadley's Marionette show in the daytime and a 1970's style disco at night.  Lunch could be found at the tall flight tower up the hill, known as Lucky Lindy's Lunch Counter which would live on into Pandamonium, and then become an employee break area, and the finally serve as the location for House on Boo Hill before it was finally demolished.  (after the 2015 season).  In fact, what made Mike's before and after shots so hard was the very lack of structures that have remained the same over the last forty years.  So few that there are only a handful.  First, Red Baron is not only the same location but the same ride that it was forty years ago and second, the Barnstormer's old pump house still remains and is most likely now only used for storage, but is painted to appear as a Peanut's Schoolhouse. The last two are really of almost no use when it comes to recreation shots, are the Planet Snoopy Bathroom (which to this day retains its original "airplane hanger" appearance) and the Family Care Center, which opened originally as Great Waldo's Crankshaft Prop Shop. So let's take a look at the before and after and of course, it will be far more fun to have something to look at right?

As mentioned previously, Red Baron, with all the variety of name changes its been through hasn't moved since it was relocated to the Aerodrome in 1978 (it was added to Scandinavia in 1974), it is excepting for mechanical and structural updates, exactly the same ride.  This is shot looking roughly the same direction, and its amazing that if you look its the same trees in the background, only much larger!

Here is the Barnstormer pump house I was referring to.  It was built for Barnstormer and except for very minor theming detail has changed very little.  It allows for an almost exact location marker for where Barnstormer was.

House on Boo Hill was the final use for the basic structure that was Lucky Lindy's Lunch Counter, it originally had a large tower on top which you can see in the photo below.

If you look in the background, Lucky Lindy's is the white tower in the background (left) with yellow trim.  

Funny enough, a plane themed attraction (Beagle Brigade Airfield) sits in its place today.

 These two are actually shot in opposite directions, but shows that Woodstock Gliders today is in roughly the same location as Barnstormer was.  It is the first aeronautical-themed ride to share the same space in almost thirty-five years. After the removal of Barnstormer mid-season 1983, as I previously mentioned Octopus was moved to this location in 1984.  Octopus was kicked out by the arrival of the Bearenstein Bear Family Tree in 1997, which was displaced in 2001 by Snoopy Bounce.  Woodstock Gliders is currently in this location today and was added in 2016.

This is the view today looking in the same direction.  I believe the same "stick" trees that are apparent in the first photo also appear in the second photo but in a much more mature state.  

Last one and this is my favorite, since it features Sky Hi, the ride with the key to my heart.  It appears that Detonator and Barnstormer appear to line up, but just an FYI Detonator was built at a much lower elevation than Barnstormer.  (which is why it always appears so much shorter than Mamba, though it really is very close in overall height).  The red barn in Americana is the exact same building that once housed the Ski Hi and its queue line.  You can even see that at least one of the Ponderosa Pines have survived from the original photo forty years prior.  

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.