Foam Mountains to Outer Space: The Evolution of Worlds of Fun's Children's areas: Part I

The first thing that comes to mind when people think of Worlds of Fun isn’t usually the kiddie rides, but for many it’s the first thing many remember about Worlds of Fun from their childhood.  I distinctly remember riding Tot’s Yachts when it was in Scandinavia, and it’s one of my earliest WOF memories. 

The 1975 map, where you can see the three original kid's rides (Funicular, Kopter, Crashem Bashem and near-original, 1974 addition of Red Baron. 

The original Alpine Petting Zoo.

Like any good story this one will start from the very beginning. And in the beginning, Worlds of Fun had no defined children’s area or kiddieland as they are commonly known. Instead, the plan was to have a mixture of rides throughout, and the three original children’s rides were located in different areas of the park. Crashem Bashem (Krazy Kars), the kiddie bumper cars was in Americana, Europa was home to the kiddie coaster, Funicular (Silly Serpent), and Kopter, the ride that would become Bounce a Roos in 1977, was located in Scandinavia. Adjacent to Kopter was the Alpine Petting Zoo.  

  

Red Baron in Scandinavia, this is about where Fjord Fjarlane is today.

And here is the same ride, where it is located today.

The first glimmer that Scandinavia would become the kiddie focal point came the very next season, 1974 with the addition of Red Baron, today the park’s oldest operating kiddie ride.  (today located in Planet Snoopy). But if Red Baron was a glimmer the 1977 and 1978 seasons really would define the northeast corner of Scandinavia as the place to be for kids from the late 1970s until 1986.  

Kopter in 1973  

And it's greatly altered self as Bounce a Roos.

The 1977 season was a large expansion season and included several new additions to the park including Wobble Wheel and Singapore Sling (Bamboozler), but also included several new additions to Scandinavia too, namely Half Pint’s Peak, Kinder Garden play area and Micro Moto Bahn car ride. Half Pint’s Peak would be built right next to the Alpine Petting Zoo, and would feature a large yellow foam climbing mountain, suspended hang glider (zip line), squirrel cage (spinning barrel) and a multi-level commando climbing net area. A few steps below it, and right behind Baltic Bazaar would be Micro Moto Bahn, replacing Kopter which would be heavily altered into Bounce a Roos in Europa. Micro Moto Bahn would outlive any other Scandinavian kiddie attraction lasting in the same very spot, with the same small kiddie play area until 1996.  In 1997 Micro Moto Bahn would be one of the last kiddie rides to be moved up to Pandamonium.  

Kinder Garden as it appeared in the late 1970s. This would have been located right behind the old Baltic Bazaar shopping area. 

Micro Moto Bahn in Scandinavia, you can see it in the above photo too, just look for the yellow and white awning in the background.

1978 would continue the Scandinavian expansion, replacing the petting zoo with Humpty’s Haven, a second children’s play area. Humpty’s Haven would feature a 21-foot tall Humpty Dumpty statue bought from a charity auction and previously used in a Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. The play area itself would include a slide, ball crawl and punching bag area, and in 1979 a small puppet theater, Humpty’s Show Chateau with shows and puppets created by DoLores Hadley herself.  

Humpty sitting on his wall.  

Half Pint's Peak with Humpty's Haven behind it. 

Humpty's Show Chateau, puppet theater.

The often mentioned 1978 expansion which was highlighted by Barnstormer and the Aerodrome affected the Scandinavian kiddie area too.  Red Baron, originally added to Scandinavia in 1974 was moved to the Aerodrome and opened up a prime spot for a new children’s ride, one that strikes terror in ride operators everywhere… Tot’s Yachts.  

Tot's Yachts in Scandinavia, which replaced Red Baron.  This is again about where Fjord Fjarlane is today.

Today's It's the Peanut's Yacht Club, but still the same ride.

In 1979 Humpty’s Haven and Half Pint’s Peak would be fully formed as the children of Generation X would know it throughout the early 1980s.  One more ride would come to the Scandinavian children’s area over the next seven years, Viking Vheel (Head over Wheels), a small kiddie ferris wheel added in 1982.  

Viking Vheel when it was originally added to Scandinavia in 1982. You can even see the 1974 Scandinavian gate in the background. 

Commando Climbing Nets in Half Pint's Peak (you can even see the sign in the lower left corner)

Scandinavia’s Humpty’s Haven/Half Pint’s Peak were in many ways proto-kiddie areas. It’s important to note that neither were intended to be an all encompassing “kiddieland”, as the park would continue to add kiddie rides and attractions outside of Scandinavia during the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Red Baron which was located in the Aerodrome starting in 1978, Funicular was moved to Africa and became Silly Serpent in 1979.  In the Orient, Beetle Bumps was added in 1979 and Pony Promenade was added to Americana in 1982.  As a comparison, at it’s peak in 1982 Scandinavia was home to three total kiddie rides. 

Zipline at Half Pint's Peak

And the 1986 map, which was the last to show both Half Pint's Peak and Humpty's Haven.

The 1986 season would be the last for Humpty’s Haven and Half Pint’s Peak.  In 1987 Pandamonium would open in Americana replacing the Aerodrome and would be the first “centrally located” kiddie area in the park. In our next blog we will look at how the park’s focus on children’s ares and rides changed yet still in many ways remained the same for the next decade.  However, there is no doubt that Scandinavia’s legacy as hosting the first centralized kiddie area in the park continues to this day.  

 

Up, Up and Away with Sky Hi

A very early photo of Sky Hi with nothing beyond it. 

 Whenever I ask, “What past ride should Worlds of Fun bring back?” The first answers are usually either Zambezi Zinger or Orient Express. But the first non-coaster ride most people suggest is a ride that has been gone far longer than either Zinger or Express - the Sky Hi.  

The Ski Heis station under construction in 1972. From the Independence Examiner. 

Sky Hi pylon under construction, if I was to take an educated guess I would say this was the pylon by Der Fender Bender. 

It surprises me that in nearly 24 years of writing editorials and blogs, I have never once written about  the ride that for me started both my great love of Worlds of Fun but also my foray into researching Worlds of Fun history. In 1983 when I first visited the park, one of the last rides we rode was the Sky Hi. I would only ever ride it this one time. When we  boarded in Americana it  was already dark, and I can still remember the yellow incandescent light casting the shadows inside the barn queue area, and the painted handrails (I think they were green). I also remember being absolutely terrified of the ride. I was five years old  (almost 6) and scared of everything - especially heights. But for some reason, halfway through the ride, I peeked out and saw the most beautiful view I had ever seen -  Worlds of Fun literally glowing at night. There was something truly magical about it. 

Worlds of Fun at night from 1980-1981.  From the 1984 Press Kit. 

That  story, and the millions just like it, are the reason why I feel preserving Worlds of Fun history is so vital. The rides make the stories and the stories make our lives. 

Loading a cabin on Ski Heis in Scandinavia. 

 

But what about the ride?  Sky Hi (or as it was known in Scandinavia, “Ski Heis”) was a common ride in the theme park world of the 1960s and 1970s.  Sky Hi was a Von Roll SkyRide 101 (or VR101). Von Roll Holding AG is a Swiss company known more commonly for its ski lifts, which is, for all intents and purposes, what Sky Hi was.  Disneyland opened the first VR101 in 1956, and the trend spread to every major city and state that tried to copy Disneyland in their local municipalities. Astroworld, Six Flags over Texas, Marriott’s Great America, and Worlds of Fun all had them -  Cedar Point originally had two!  There were 38 total operating in the United States at the VR101 peak - today  there are only 10. 

On the Americana side (Sky Hi).  You can see the large drive or bull wheel in the background. 

On the Scandinavian (Ski Heis) side, you can notice the distinct difference in ambassador costumes. 

In terms of comparison to other VR101’s, Worlds of Fun’s Sky Hi was pretty average. Sky Hi had four towers (the tallest standing 70 feet high) and a total length stretching  1,160 feet long.  The ride incorporated a total of 25, four-seat gondola cabins that could be stored on either the Americana or Scandinavia sides of the park. The motor for the ride was housed in  Scandinavia, with the counterweight and bull (drive) wheel in  Americana. By  comparison, the San Diego Zoo Skyfari’s tallest tower is 190 feet tall, and the longest VR101 is at Busch Gardens Tampa which has eight towers and operates 62 cabins. Both are still in operation today!

The unusual orb-shaped cabins at Six Flags New England. This Von Roll is no longer in operation.  These cabins were also manufactured by Gangloff. 

The Skyride at Six Flags Mid-America (St. Louis) from 1972.  Six Flags Mid-America's Sky ride operated CWA cabins. 

One of the more fascinating details of Sky Hi is that on the 1971 concept art it shows the cabins as hot air balloons. That may not seem entirely feasible, but the unusual orb-shaped cabins that operated at Six Flags New England makes it seem not completely out of the realm of possibility. I am sure logistics factored into the choice to use the typical four-seat cabins that ran on many of the other VR101’s across the country. While  VR101 cabins may all seem identical -  they are not. Worlds of Fun’s cabins specifically were manufactured by Gangloff A.G. of Bern Switzerland. Many other VR101’s operated with cabins manufactured by CWA or Carrosseriewerke Aarburg (also of Switzerland) which produced the cabins at nearby Six Flags Mid-America. To the average  rider the differences between the two types of cabins is negligible, but it’s an interesting footnote. 

 

Side by side it's obvious the difference between the CWA cabins (at Cedar Point, above), and Worlds of Fun's Gangloff cabin (below). 

The Gangloff cabins at Worlds of Fun. 

Regardless of the manufacturer, it was the Von Roll cabins in general that would cause the eventual demise of Sky Hi. By the 1980’s insurance companies were getting nervous about Von Roll SkyRides - too many accidents. An accident at Six Flags Mid-America in 1978 killed three guests when a cabin detached from the wire and fell to the ground.   My husband, Jeff Mast, was working as manager of Le Taxi Tour (today’s modern lead)  one day in the summer of 1987, while a friend of his, Kelly (remember him from two blogs ago?), was manager of Sky Hi. That was the day the insurance adjusters came to condemn the  Sky Hi cabins. Jeff recalls receiving several calls from Kelly as the number of total cabins dwindled down to six. Six total cabins. On a ride that could operate 25. Worlds of Fun didn’t immediately give up the ship; they looked for safe replacements, but when none were to be found Sky Hi closed for good the summer of 1987.  

It is amazing how so many things in our lives that we depend on and love one day can be almost entirely forgotten the next day.. So it is with Sky Hi. The world forgot it. Quickly.  In 1988 the Scandinavian station became a picnic pavilion, Tivoli East (which it still is today). In 1988 the Americana station became a short-lived arcade, then a Season Pass holder renewal booth, then a midway games location (which it remains  today). 

The original Scandinavian Ski Heis station back in 2019, today it's Tivoli East.

Sky Hi cabins heading in and out of the Ski Heis station in the 1980's. 

When I went to work at the park in 1994 I questioned whether the ride I remembered as a child had even existed at all, or had it all been simply a dream? The only evidence I could find was the concrete footer that was next to the bumper cars (Der Fender Bender). The footer was there then, but no longer . No one I talked to that summer knew what I was talking about. In 1996 when I went back with my senior class trip I asked the ambassador working at the Icicle stand (an old tiny snack stand near Tivoli) and she, no surprise, didn’t know either. 

That’s when I started researching Worlds of Fun history. I combed every local Mid-Continent library vertical file. Finally my dad took me to the Missouri Valley Room at the Downtown Library which had a 1973 souvenir map in it’s collection and I rediscovered the Sky Hi.

Americana midway games today (photo from 2019)

Same view in 2000, notice a few change to the Sky Hi building over the last 20 years.

The same building in the late 1970's.

Then I begin rediscovering Sky Hi in the park. Like so many past rides it left its own gigantic footprints that 30+ years haven’t been able to erase. Both stations are still there. Two of the concrete pylon footers, one under Voyager and one near the Train depot, are still there. The 70-foot pylons themselves, and brightly colored cabins are long gone, but the memories remain.  

Sky Hi over Depot, the concrete footer for this pylon still exists. 

The concrete Sky Hi footer sticking out of the mulch. You can see how it lined up with the station in this photo. 

Sky Hi heading over Viking Voyager.

The footer for the Voyager pylon is still there too under lift one.  You can just barely see it here sticking out from behind the shrubs.

Outside of Worlds of Fun Sky Hi lives on too.  Like used cars, rides when they are removed are parted out too.  Sea World San Diego has the vast majority of the remnants, the tower sheaves (see below), hanger arms and drive motor all are currently still in active use there, or are stored as spares.  The cars themselves were mostly crushed for scrap metal, but a handful survived as either cherry pickers in the park, or in private collections.  

Photo by Robbie Von Roll, the sheaves on the Sea World San Diego Sky Ride.  These could very well be from Worlds of Fun. 

 

The sheaves as they appeared at Worlds of Fun. 

One fascinating detail a recent reader mentioned about Sky Hi is that the cars would detach from the cable when they entered the station and then reattach on the way out. Once inside the station they were controlled exclusively by the ambassadors working the ride. There were three ambassador positions in each station. The first was “Catch” - the ambassador  would catch the car as it came in and unload it. The second was “Swing” - swinging  the car around the track and starting the loading process. The third and last was “Trip” - the ambassador  would finish loading the car, lock it, and roll the cabin into the trip. The trip was a metal bar that would stop each cabin, it would then automatically release each cabin allowing safe spacing between the release of each cabin. The trip could also be manually controlled by the ambassador in that position. Once the trip was released the cabin would roll onto the cable, reattach and be sent airborne. While in the station the cars were on a track, but there was no motor to move them around the station itself except for human hands and arms - so as you can imagine it was a very physically demanding job! 

The trip is visible in this photo as the horizontal metal rod in this photo.  You can also see the rope tied to it where it could be controlled by the Ride Ambassador. 

Jeff Mast, who worked both the Sky Hi and Ski Heis, recalls how they could also control the number of cabins based on the size of the line of guests. Since the Scandinavia Ski Heis station was located next to Tivoli they would frequently add more cabins on when a show let out, neglecting to inform the Americana sky Hi station that more cabins than usual were inbound. I’m sure that led to quite a scramble!

A "cherry picker" Sky Hi cabin, this photo was taken during Thunderhawk construction in 2002, so most likely the car itself is long gone. 

A Sky Hi cabin in private collection, this photo was taken in 2019. 

The Gangloff A.G. manufacturer plate on the cabin above. 

Sky Hi was removed mid-season 1987 -  it is gone and it was forgotten (by many) but no longer. Von Roll hasn’t completely gone the way of the dodo either. In 1996 Doppelmayr (an international manufacturer of ropeways and people movers) bought Von Roll’s gondola lifts and cable car division. In 2020 Doppelmayr would bring the VR101 into the 21st century with Skyliner, a gondola transportation system at the Walt Disney World resort. Are we seeing history repeat itself? Will a whole new batch of cable car rides make it to theme parks across the country like they did when Disneyland opened the first Von Roll SkyRide 101 in 1954? I doubt it. There is no mass millionaire frenzy to build Disneyland-esque parks like there was back in the 60s and 70s. But who knows, maybe Sky Hi could fly at Worlds of Fun again someday. Here’s hoping!

Skyliner at Walt Disney World

A special Thank you to Clare Mac for proofreading this blog for me, as well as Robbie Von Roll for both providing details on various Von Roll rides, and fact checking this blog for me.  Visit his Von Roll Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vonrollmodelropeways

So why Ski HI?  Writing every blog I’ve ever written has been fun, but this one was written as a therapeutic “getting my mind off stuff” kind of project. Sky Hi has ALWAYS been my favorite memory at Worlds of Fun. A few days before I starting writing this I was diagnosed, a second time, with breast cancer.  I am going in for surgery possibly as this blog is being read.  Recently, I was told how amazing all the work and research I’ve done on Worlds of Fun is, and my answer was… “sure, I guess”. I am never sure how to respond, since I do all of this because it’s fun (and let’s all be honest I am not David McCullough lol).  I have never done any of this to be thanked.  Worlds of Fun has always been my happy place, even more than that, it’s made me smile when I REALLY needed to smile.  I feel I shouldn’t be thanked for anything but thanking Worlds of Fun, it’s staff and everyone else instead. Thanks for making me smile, for the memories, and for the fun. Hopefully that will continue on for years to come too!  

August 4th 1971-2021: It's a Worlds of Fun!

 August 4th, doesn’t at first strike anyone as a date of any historic importance. Especially in Kansas City where it’s so hot you can literally fry an egg on the pavement (thank Willis Carrier for his invention of air conditioning).

But for Worlds of Fun fans August 4 should be a day to remember.  

Concept Art by local artist, the late Byron Gash that was released as part of the August 4th 1971 announcement.  Gash would go on to create numerous concept art for various Worlds of Fun attractions (including Orient Express, Fury of the Nile and Barnstormer) as well as the 1973 souvenir map. 

It was this day, 50 years ago, that Lamar Hunt, Chairman of Mid-America Enterprises announced a park that would be named “Worlds of Fun”. It was the first time any member of the public had heard the description of the park that would include seperate American, European, Scandinavian, African and Oriental themed sections.

Readers may ask “but wasn’t the park really announced in 1969?” The answer is yes and no. In January 1969 Lamar Hunt did announce a small theme park to be adjacent to Truman Sports Complex in partnership with Royals-owner Ewing Kauffman. Later in June 1969, Lamar Hunt announced that plans had changed to a 418-acre tract next to the incomplete I-435 and that he would be going forward with the project alone.  

Then radio silence. There was no name for this planned park, there was no design, no concept art. For anyone knew it could have been a lark of an idea, one that would never actually happen. How many times have we heard that in Kansas City before? 

A look at a portion of the Byron Gash concept art that turned out actually fairly similar.  Cotton Blossom, Octopus, Viking Voyager and Henrietta can all be seen in this artwork.  Of course, in the end guests would cross Henrietta not actually walk through it!

And so the whole year of 1970 went without any public news about the park. Lamar Hunt later attributed the pause in publicity to unstable financial markets of the 1969-1970 recession.  Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman quietly moved forward with their plans as they attended the M.G.M. back lot auction in May 1970. During this historic auction Hunt acquired Cotton Blossom, Victrix and a number of other studio props to be used in the park.

Radio silence ended on August 4, 1971, when Mid-America Enterprises gathered over 200 local dignitaries and leaders at Commerce Tower to unveil plans for phase-one of a massive amusement complex in the Northland. It was to be called “Worlds of Fun” and not only did this “Worlds of Fun” have a theme, but the public was presented with the very first piece of concept art for the planned $20.5 million park. The 140-acre planned park would be followed by hotels, restaurants and other commercial facilities for visitors. Or at least, that was the plan.  

An aerial of Worlds of Fun construction from August 1972.  You can plainly see the vast groves of trees that were left to stand after ground cleaning.  For those not sure of what they are looking at you can plainly see the layout for Le Taxi Tour in the lower right hand corner, the bright white rectangle in the center is Autobahn (Der Fender Bender). Henrietta and Front Street are also easy to see directly to the left of Autobahn.

During the 1960s and 70s several developers were opening master-planned theme parks on large, flat sites.  But Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman were goal-driven to be unique in the crowd. They tasked famed park-designer Randal Duell to  use the rolling Clay County land’s natural features to create an amazing park immersed in beautiful landscaping. “We intend to have the most beautiful and exciting park every built.  Every effort will be made to enhance the beauty of the site: Steadman told the Kansas City Star, “In fact, we have already marked the trees so that the contractor will not accidentally remove them” (Roberts, 1971, p. 7A). 

And August 4th wasn’t just about announcing the name and  landscaping either. Park officials were ready to promise Cotton Blossom from the movie “Show Boat”, A Sky Ride (Sky Hi), a flume ride (Viking Voyager), Victrix firing range, a petting zoo, and even a dolphin show. A “Speed Racer”  ride that would  “take visitors zipping through the trees, hills and valleys of the park” foreshadowed the classic Schwarzkopf roller coaster millions of guests would come to know as Zambezi Zinger.

July 30th 1972 Jack Steadman supervises work, you can just barely see construction of Cotton Blossom in the background.

The name “Worlds of Fun” was originally the idea of Jack Steadman. And truth be told though Worlds of Fun is often considered “Lamar Hunt’s Park” it in reality was the brainchild of Jack Steadman. Steadman first visited Disneyland in 1957 and came home with the idea of a Disneyland-like park for Kansas City.  He persistently presented the idea to Lamar Hunt, who finally gave him the go-ahead in 1966. Steadman would take his family on fact-finding trips to parks across the country including Six Flags over Texas and Six Flags over Georgia. But Astroworld in Houston was arguably the most influential in Worlds of Fun’s development. Opening in 1968, Astroworld was also designed by Randal Duell and boasted an international theme. One ride, Le Taxi was nearly identical in name and in experience to Le Taxi Tour at Worlds of Fun. Most telling though is its early advertised slogan “Astroworld The Wonderful World of Fun!”.  Coincidence?  Maybe, maybe not.  One thing is known is that various members of the Lamar Hunt organization originally disliked the “classless” name, but Lamar Hunt obviously came around to the idea and the name stuck.  I would also like to think the name not only fit perfectly to a “world-themed” park, but also allowed Astroworld to live on in spirit after permanently closing in 2005. 

Surprise!  Something very few have ever seen until NOW.  Thanks to Erin Gash (daughter in law of the late Byron Gash) provided this scan of the color version of the concept art from the Kansas City Star Article from August 4th 1971! 

Worlds of Fun may have first opened its gates on May 26, 1973, but the park truly began existence 50 years ago today. And as Lamar Hunt promised in 1971, Worlds of Fun still does bring “Adventure, enjoyment and fun” (Roberts, 1971, p. 1A) to guests 50 years after it was originally conceived.

Special Thanks to Todd Swetnam for copy editing this blog as well as Erin Gash for providing the color version of the concept art!

McDonald, J. (1969, January 21). “Giant Amusement Center Proposed. The Examiner, pp. 1-2.

Roberts, J. (1971, August 4). ‘Worlds of Fun’ Work to Start. Kansas City Star, pp. 1A, 1C

Roberts, J. (1971, August 5). Fun Park as Dividend. Kansas City Times, pp. 7A.

A New Northland Attraction: Jack Steadman: A Kid At Heart. (1973, May 30). Dispatch-Tribune. 

Huge Fun Center Here: Lamar Hunt, Chief’s Owner Announces Proposed ‘Theme Park’ Similar to Disneyland to Be Built ion I-435 in Kansas City, North. (1969, June 1).  Kansas City Star, pp. 1A, 6A. 

The Kelly Files

 There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Which is true. I also like to think that every picture tells a story and is a snapshot into a world that no longer exists, even if it was simply a moment ago.

A few years ago I went through and I scanned all of Jeff’s black and white negatives that he shot and self-developed back when he worked at the park between 1986 and 1988.  They cover a lot of ground, but are for the most part just photos of friends he worked with at the time. Each series of photos tells a different story, and I thought it would be fun to share one of those stories with you.  

Among the many teenagers or ambassadors if you will that Jeff worked with was Kelly. Many of you have seen Kelly, in the Silly Serpent photo that pretty much shows up anytime anyone mentions Silly Serpent. 

But I think it's a travesty to not tell the entire story in which this one photo fits into, which is why I am creating this blog. For those interested I have reached out to Kelly and he has given me the ok to use his photos in this blog. Out of respect for his own privacy I am not sharing his last name.

So the story.

Jeff began working as a park ambassador in 1982 in food service. The following year he moved up to Ride Operations and by 1986 he was a ride manager. On this particular day in 1986, it was the middle of fall, a time of year which is, or was until Haunt came around, notoriously slow. Jeff and Kelly were both considered "extras" in that they were needed on rides in the case that extra staffing was needed. On this particular day they weren't needed as ride operators and were sent around to various rides to check on any stocking needs. Well they "officially" did that... but they also had just a little bit of fun. That included posing with many of the rides too! They were paid (as in minimum wage which was around $2.10 an hour at the time), for their travels, and were signed in for various hours at each ride they visited. It might seem just slightly devious... but otherwise we would not have had these photos to look back on!

Deep in thought pondering the Sky Hi in Americana. Behind him is the western section of Americana looking not all that different than it does today.

Looking back towards Sky Hi, and Jeff can't remember who these two are. If anyone knows please let us know!  Interesting enough, 1986 would be the last full season for Sky Hi!

Yes that's Screamroller, and Kelly is standing in the queue line beside the track. The ride is gone but the queue line is virtually unchanged!

That might look like Timber Wolf's station because it IS!  But it ISN'T! Because in 1986 it was Extremeroller's station!

They aren't locking lap bars there... but horse collars instead. I don't think they are talking about locking lap bars though, probably more about what kind of party they are going to have with the spare change from Omegatron!

Wait... aren't there supposed to be train robbers here? 

Deep thoughts about Flying Dutchman...such as, why is a Swiss company building a ride composed of tiny Dutch boats? Or I wonder if this ride will be around when I am older with grey hair?  (It will) 

And there he goes... finally working just a bit hopping taxi cars. 

Uh... testing the horses out for safety, exactly.  It's a dangerous job but someone has to do it. 

Kelly on Zulu.  Here is a thought to turn your head like Zulu... At the point this photo was taken Zulu was only seven years old.  Today it's 42. Yep I just made a bunch of people feel old, you're welcome. 

Where are we at now? 

Oh it's Omegatron!  Omegatron was new in 1986.  Yes and it was removed from the park now 20 years ago.  If you think I'm enjoying everyone feeling old, why yes, yes I am. Because if I have to feel old, so does everyone else. 

I heard on the radio today how thankful the older generations are that social media didn't exist back when they were kids. I am personally immensely thankful for reasons that we won't talk about. Funny thing is that Jeff took enough photos to at least allow us this small snap shot of what the world was like back then, and I hope you have enjoyed this brief snapshot of a moment of time in 1986.