Worlds of Fun, Kansas City

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Worlds of Fun is a nice way to spend the day with or without kids. originally opened in 1972 Worlds of Fun is a traditional amusement park themed around Jules Verne's adventure book "Around the World in Eighty Days". The park offers its guests more than 100 rides and attractions, including six world-class roller coasters, thrill rides, and award-winning live entertainment. They have some fairly decent food on premise also. The web site is chock full of information and can give you the most current specials and information on lodging nearby.

Worlds of Fun is an amusement park connected to its sister, Oceans of Fun. Each summer me and my friends head there for a day of rides. They have three great rollercoasters, a couple water rides, and a park filled with everything in between. Food here is expensive (in the fashion of overpriced amusement parks of the world) but better than trying to haul around fanny packs with snacks. My suggestions are to stay into the night when it will cool off. If you go near opening time, go straight back to the rollercoasters before the lines form. My favorite rides are: The Mamba (with a 200-foot drop it's one of the tallest, fastest rollercoasters built), The Detonator (a tower that bolts you up into the air at 45 mph), and The Fury of the Nile (a water ride).

Worlds of fun is an amusement park in the theme of Jules Verne's adventure book Around the World in Eighty Days. It opened in 1973. This place is huge and great for both kids and grown-ups.

There is also the Oceans of fun water park!

I love starting off my tan while I am takeing a relaxing float along the 800-foot Caribbean Cooler. There are the three twist slides "Maui Wowee"," Waikiki Wipout" and "Honolulu Lulu". The Typhoon is the speeders slide and then there is the huge Hurricane Falls, a 72-foot tall slide that holds up to five sliders at one time. You can definitely bring the whole family on this raft ride.

You can also relax at the Surf City Wave Pool and brand new this year is Paradise Falls, more slides and a huge bucket that dumps 1,000-gallons of water while you wait in the lines. It's like a cute little twist to the Swiss Family Robinson tree house.

My daughter always has a blast in Crocodile Isle, complete with mini water slides, spray cannons and Captain Kidd's pirate ship with more slides and spray cannons.

Right next door to the pirate ship is Castaway Cove. This pool is the perfect get-away just for adults with a swim-up cabana serving tropical refreshments, jacuzzi jets and a sun deck.

Open between May through September.
Hours are as early at 10am and closing times vary between 6-8pm.

Regular Single-Day Ticket (48 inches tall to age 59) -- $25.00
Junior (4 years old and up and under 48 inches tall) -- $13.95
Parking -- $7.00

Life jackets for kids are complementary.
Most rides requiring tubes will be complementary to that ride, otherwise there is a charge for the single and double tubes.

Small lockers, mini wagons and private and public showers are available. Food and drink vendors are everywhere and if you happen to forget something there is a large shop as you enter into the park.

I have been coming to this park since...FOREVER.

I've seen structures and games come and go. The park's strongest draw are the locals and trying to find something new and innovative each year. The newest items for the park are the Thunderhawk, where you are seated in rows and get flipped around while going through a fountain of water (sort of like you were a load of laundry going through the wash cycle), and Camp Snoop, the newly renovated family area for the kids.

Some of the rides have an additional charge. For example, The Rip Cord. With this thrilling ride, you are strapped to 1 or 2 of your thrill seeking buddies (or go solo if you are daring), hooked onto a stainless steel cable, pulled back to over 100 feet in the air and it's up to you to rip the cord and swoop and swing down like a bird catching it's prey. I've been on this numerous times. It's thrilling each and every single time. I'm usually the one that gets to pull the cord, something about putting my destiny and the destiny of others in my hands. (grin)

In addition to the thrilling rides there are carnival type games and musically themed shows. Stax of Wax, a 50/60's tribute, is one we go to each year for the audience participation. My daughter loves to go to this show and dances from start to finish. At the end of the day the park closes off with a spectacular fireworks display along with music and laser lights.

For an additional charge, you also have the option of visiting Oceans of Fun in the same day, right next door. The Monsoon ride connects both parks together.

The amuement park is only open between April and October. The park opens as early as 10am and closing times varies.
Feel free to look on the website for accurate closing times.

Tickets
48 inches and up -- $36
under 48 inches -- $13.50
3yrs old and under -- FREE
PARKING -- $7
Coupons for tickets are available on the website as well as in local grocery stores.

Worlds Of Fun is a big amusement park with lots of roller coasters and water rides. It was a place our family went almost every July when I was a boy. They have built a giant water park next to it I have not been to yet called Oceans Of Fun.
It is not Disneyland but it is as close as you will get to it in Kansas City.

Theme Park. Further details to come, but see my travelogue now.