WinterFest at Worlds of Fun

Our family enjoyed celebrating one of our favorite KC Christmas traditions with a visit to WinterFest at Worlds of Fun again this year. 

Kansas City's original theme park is transformed into a magical Christmas wonderland with amazing light displays, and warm hospitality from Christmas characters including Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, Scrooge and the Ghosts of A Christmas Carol, gingerbread cookies, Jack Frost, Christmas fairies, Santa, and more holiday friends. This tradition is a favorite for Kansas City families and we're excited to tell you why!

This festival is truly magical. With fabulous live shows, a tree lighting ceremony, music, decorations, food and rides... there is so much to see and do. 

If you're thinking of heading to WinterFest, what should you expect and what should you know before you go? Here's the Scoop:

WinterFest at Worlds of Fun Weekends thru Dec. 31. 

There are live shows and many beautiful displays throughout the park. I recommend familiarizing yourself with the map ahead of time and prioritizing the shows you want to see so you can make the most of your time. We saw the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5:30 (you don't want to miss this... the "falling snow" finale delighted the children), Charlie Brown's Christmas Spectacular (a dance and musical revue starring your favorite Peanuts characters), Tinker's Toy Factory (a musical comedy as elves prepare to help Santa with Christmas Eve), Sounds of the Nativity (live animals on display all evening with musical performances), and the Holly Jolly Trolley (musicians who travel via trolley throughout the park and carol along the way). 

In addition, we enjoyed meet and greets with holiday characters including Gingerbread Cookies, characters from A Christmas Carol, and the Peanuts Gang.

We also enjoyed the many gorgeous light displays throughout the park. Le Taxi Tour takes riders on a trip through the  12 Days of Christmas a truly magical light display. 

My favorite section is Planet Snoopy. The whimsical and fun decorations include GIANT Christmas Lights and fun photo ops with Peanuts-themed backdrops. Children will enjoy a chance to make crafts and ornaments in addition to riding many kid-friendly rides.

Throughout the park, you may purchase gifts from local artisans and crafters. Jewelry, T-Shirts, soaps, pillows, and decorative items were a few items for sale. In addition to Artisan Alley, the many gift shops throughout the park sell a variety of holiday decorations and gifts including Peanuts Christmas memorabilia. 

WinterFest at Worlds of Fun is fabulous and it has become one of our favorite family traditions for the holidays. If you're still brainstorming and trying to think of the perfect gift - season passes to Worlds of Fun and a visit to WinterFest are one of our favorite picks. Enjoy making family memories at the park all year long!

Hear what other KC Parent team members have to say about WinterFest at Worlds of Fun:

My family has never been to any of WOF special seasons so it was a new event for us.  A little demographics of our crew.  My husband and I, our son 14 and his friend 14, our daughter 13 and her friend 13, and our youngest daughter 12 and her friend 12.  Walking into the WOF Winterfest you could feel the magic in the air.  The families walking in were almost skipping with excitement.  We started our evening with the grand Christmas Tree Lighting and what a fun lighting it was.  The performance before created excitement for not only the lighting but the whole Christmas season!  The elves and other characters walking around the park really created a fun atmosphere for the kids!  And with teens a great "Selfie" opportunity!  Once we got into the park the kids all headed in different directions...as you would expect from the teen crew.  My son and his buddy walked the park enjoying the lights and then found the perfect spot to relax next to one of the fire pit areas.  There they enjoyed visiting and watching the lights.  My middle daughter and her friend I planned out their evening and had the best time.  They first decided that eating would be best while the crowd found their way thru the park and the ride lines died down.  They were able to enjoy many of the rides as well as the coffee shop and fire pits to relax and watch the light shows. My youngest daughter and her friend hung out with us for the evening.  They enjoyed many of the rides, but I think they loved seeing and petting the animals in the Live Nativity scene the best.  My husband also especially enjoyed the singing performance in that area as well.  While we were waiting for the girls to ride the rides my husband and I sampled many of the specialty culinary items as we navigated our way through the park!  My husband was a big fan of the Prime Rib (so much so he went back again).  My youngest daughter also enjoyed the prime rib and the shrimp and grits!  My favorite was the Hot Chocolate Truffle Bomb...yum! There are many places thru the park to stop and warm up and just enjoy the holiday spirit and lights.  I have to say my most favorite "moment" in the park was walking up into the Wild West area...all of the white lights as you walked under the train bridge and up the hill were magical and created a peaceful Christmas magical moment!  ~ Melissa Rieke

My family (me, my husband, and our two daughters, ages 13 and 16) visited Worlds of Fun Winterfest 2019 on opening night, Saturday, November 23rd. As we walked into the park, we were amazed with all of the beautiful lights surrounding us, and the tree-lighting ceremony was so magical. It was truly a winter wonderland! Our daughters loved seeing the rides lit up along with nearly every tree around us! The  different holiday characters roaming around the park were quite entertaining, and we loved the little shows that popped up here and there. It truly felt like Christmas! And let's not forget about the food. When we felt hungry, we found plenty of choices around the park to satisfy our grumbling stomachs. The Lucky Cat's shrimp and grits were to die for, as was the hand-carved prime rib! Our teens enjoyed the hot cocoa and brownies at Dasher's Diner and the holiday donut nachos at Sugar's Cake Factory. Our family's favorite activity (besides riding the Scrambler and Taxis) was ice skating! Our trip to Winterfest 2019 was definitely a night we will always remember.  ~ Gina Klein

On a gorgeous Sunday evening end of November, I took my family to World of Fun's Winterfest. We also took along a whole bunch of friends and met even more there, so we're talking from babies to fifties! It is incredible how the park is transformed from the perfect summer hangout into a winter wonderland and my kids are always jumping up and down to go back! Rides, cookie decorating, shows, characters around the park, food, hot chocolate, shops, and photo opps galore make us proud to have this attraction in Kansas City!  ~Kerrie McLoughlin. Read more on Kerrie's Blog.

Worlds of Fun has done it again, creating a magical winter wonderland second to none in KC. My crew of five- which includes two elementary-aged kiddos, a pre-teen, and two adults- would tell you the best aspect of Winterfest is the view. Winterfest boasts the largest lighting spectacular in Kansas City. It’s hard not to get into the Christmas spirit when your eyes hit the ginormous twinkling tree, visible through the main gates.  Second to the sights are the sounds. Each Worlds of Fun continent streams well-known Christmas tunes played in ways reminiscent to that area. It really feels like a globe-trotting holiday experience! We sampled traditional favorites like prime rib and egg rolls as well as familiar treats with a twist like holiday pizza (that’s cheese pizza with brussel sprouts, something my kids all shockingly loved) and truffle bomb hot chocolate. Three cheers for Winterfest! Tip: Wear lots of layers and don all your winterwear accessories. There are outdoor heaters and firepits as well as indoor shops and shows to enjoy. Nonetheless, you can enjoy all the outdoor fun best if you come dressed appropriately for those wintry temps! ~ Lauren Greenlee

My family consists of myself and my husband along with our 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. My family went to World's of Fun Winterfest this past Sunday. We were amazed by the way they transformed the park into a winter wonderland! There were lights everywhere, along with different themed areas like Old West Christmas and Winterfest Way. There were people walking around in amazing costumes also. I loved the snowflake lady and had to get a picture with her. My son and I loved watching the cool giant Christmas tree covered in lights coordinated to the music. We also enjoyed catching some of the music performances that were going on all over the park. One was in front of a huge nativity scene, that was beautiful. My children loved getting to check out all the beautiful scenery in between rides. We all rode the Spinning Dragon as soon as we got into the park. It's one of our favorite rides! Next, we started to check out some of the yummy food with our tasting pass. My husband loved the BBQ Seared Shrimp and Grits. My favorite was the Shepherd's Pie, so good in the warm pastry shell. My son loved the Chicken Parmesan Fries and my daughter loved the Christmas Tree Chicken and Waffles. The waffles were green and looked like Christmas Trees, so fun! Then we all enjoyed the House-made Ice Cream Sandwiches with the delicious chocolate mint ice cream in the middle. My daughter and I also enjoyed the Hot Chocolate Truffle Bomb while sitting by one of the many fire pits that are around the park to help keep you warm on these cold nights. We all loved our trip to World's of Fun Winterfest, we stayed until they closed, and plan to go back again next year! ~ Sarah Swade

Careening down the Prowler roller coaster at Worlds of Fun’s Winterfest, the cameras froze my family in a moment that still makes me smile. In the photo, my normally unfazed 12-year-old is gritting his teeth, his eyes screwed shut. Next to him, my workaholic husband has a wild-eyed, carefree grin. In the car in front of them, I’ve got one hand smashed over my knitted grey-blue hat as the other clings to the lap bar. To my right, my 14-year-old’s blue eyes twinkle with adrenaline-fueled glee. For our family of four, which lately seems to be going in separate directions and in the constant company of screens, we welcomed the chance to shrug off our normal jam-packed routine for an interactive evening at Winterfest. In between waiting for our sons to duke it out in bumper cars at the Autobahn or taking a wild spin in the Bamboozler, we wandered through cheerful holiday light displays. We poked around artisan stalls, caught an entertaining live performance of Charlie Brown’s Christmas Spectacular, and sampled a delicious Pozole Rojo, which is a lightly spiced Mexican stew. Immersing ourselves in the park’s festive atmosphere recalled the playful togetherness we’d sorely missed—creating a truly magical holiday experience. To connect with Christa visit www.christamhines.com/blog. ~ Christa Melnyk Hines

Every year my family and I make it our business to make it to Worlds of Fun! If not for the hot days and cool coaster rides, it's definitely for the heavy holiday hearts of Winter fest. Each year we gather at the entryway under the world's largest decorated Christmas tree to do a quick headcount, group photo and then we're off on our own divided adventures. This year we decided to do things a little different. After our family photos, we decided to hit each portion of the park together. My nephew the youngest (age 2) loves the carousel. We won't make it into the park without a temper tantrum if we don't make it there 1^st. The nice part about the main entrance to Winterfest is that there's so much going on that even if you broke away from the group for a split second, something is sure to grab your attention! This park and its themes are one for all ages! From the lights to the decorations, and well off to the talented performers at center stage Winter fest is the place to be! Let's not forget the food! This year, my family and I enjoyed Christmas themed delicacies: Shepard's pie, Chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, dessert nachos and tones of others, We even made our way over to the petting zoo/ Nativity scene to feed the live animals and enjoy in Christmas carols and Holiday cheer. Worlds of Fun, you and the crew have definitely outdone yourself this year!  ~ Jessica Samuel

My husband and I took our six-year-old son to WinterFest, and this was our second year of going to Worlds of Fun during the holiday season. The entertainment and performers there are top-notch. The cast of the Cool Yule Christmas under the 70-foot tall Christmas Tree and the strolling singers on the Holly Jolly Trolley set a tone for the season. Our son was able to enjoy some rides in Planet Snoopy, and we sampled various menu options. Our favorite foods were the Christmas tree chicken and waffles, the hand-carved prime rib and the holiday donut nachos. The only downside was the lines for the food were long and the service was not always the best. As a result, the amount of time it took to get the food took away from us enjoying other attractions. We’ll be back in the coming years and will be sure to check the times of all the shows when we first arrive so we can be sure to have time for them. ~Allison Gibeson

My husband, my four-year-old son and his grandma and grandpa and I attended Worlds of Fun’s Winterfest for the first time this year. Not only were we impressed with parking accommodations (they let my husband drop us off close by before parking — we brought a stroller and wheelchair), but even before we made it into the park, the lights alone were a sight to behold. We made it just in time for the big tree lighting. My son enjoyed skipping through Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree Lot before spinning on the teacups ride. He tends to experience sensory overload with loud sounds and big crowds, but there were plenty of quiet, crowd-free areas to recharge. The individual fire pit stations were a great addition. We snacked on an order of Chicken Parmesan Fries and Holiday Pizza before watching ice skaters in Tinsel Town. We sipped hot chocolate (which was delicious) and sampled the Prime Rib which had a great home-style flavor. All were a refreshing change from “carnival food.” Grandma commented on how the park’s lights were just enough without being overdone. The kiddo fell asleep on the ride home after all the excitement. ~ Emily Gummelt Morrison

Our family of 6 went to WOF Winterfest for the first time on opening night.  We only planned on staying about 2 hours since our children are young (8, 6, 5, and 2), but ended up staying for 5 instead as there was so much to do and see! There were several ride options, even for the age range of our children.  They especially loved the nativity scene and being so close to live animals. While we didn't make it to the entire Charlie Brown Christmas Show, everyone was enthralled with the bit we did see.  Food and drink options were located all over the park with the pizza and hot chocolate being big hits with our family. Walking the park was cool as it really does feel like a winter wonderland with the millions of colorful and festive lights.  The children also had a great time running around through Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree farm and Candy Cane Lane.  The park also has many heaters set up but be sure to bundle up anyway!  It was a really fun night that our family will remember for years to come! ~ Julie Collett