Summer Memories at Worlds of Fun

Worlds of Fun has been a part of my summertime memories for as long as I can remember. As a child, the Zambezi Zinger was my very first roller coaster. I remember riding the Timberwolf on its opening day. As a teen, I was a season pass holder riding coasters for days on end. And, now, as a mother of four ride-loving daughters, it is still a summer tradition I love.

Recently, a team of KC Parent writers experiences all that Worlds of Fun has to offer. Things are a little different this year due to health precautions. Staff members were all wearing masks, and Oceans of Fun (which we did not happen to visit) is requiring advanced reservations this year.

Some tips for the day:

• Enter KC Parent's Worlds of Fun Ticket Giveaway for your chance to win FREE tickets!
• If you plan to visit both Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun in one day, you will have to make advance reservations for Oceans of Fun. Also, you may rent a locker to store your things or you may get a handstamp as you come and go from your car with a bag. Bring towels and a change of clothing. You may wear a swimsuit and a swim cover-up at Worlds of Fun. Oceans of Fun requires swimwear for their attractions.
• They provide complimentary water cups at refreshment stands. When we visited, it was especially hot, so they frequently reminded guests over the loudspeakers to drink plenty of water. As a mom, I appreciated the reminder for my family.
• Worlds of Fun offers meal deals so you may get the most bang for your food buck. Look at those packages for the best value for your family. Packages include all-season or all-day meals or drink refills. This is the best value when eating at the parks. Our favorite place to eat in the park is the Cotton Blossom. The turkey legs and barbecue meals are the best bang for your buck! 
• Remember your sunscreen and apply it often.
• Children can be officially measured and receive a wristband within Guest Relations to save time and negate the need to be measured at each ride. Planet Snoopy’s 20+ attractions require a minimum of 36”.
• You may bring a stroller or wagon if needed for your family, or they have them for rent as well.
• You may bring a picnic and eat at picnic spaces in the parking lot. This requires exiting and re-entering the park with a handstamp.
• The Worlds of Fun app provides information including ride height requirements, a map, and an estimate for ride wait times.

My family includes four girls ages 15, 13, 11. and 9. The girls love the coasters throughout Worlds of Fun and I love the nostalgia of the classic rides like Viking Voyager, Le Taxi Tour, and Sea Dragon. 

During our visit, we did find that a couple of rides had delayed opening or were closed at times for maintenance. We were able to track the status using the app. 

Our family visits every theme park in Missouri each year, and one thing I really appreciate about Worlds of Fun is Planet Snoopy. When my girls were younger, we spent most of our time in Planet Snoopy. With little ones this area is the BEST kids section we've found at an amusement park because a) the kids can ride everything (a few - i.e. the kiddie coaster - require an adult passenger with them). We love that Worlds of Fun chose rides for Planet Snoopy with a consistent height requirement so the rides that are appealing to my kids, can ride. The layout in Planet Snoopy is great - when the park is not crowded, I can easily watch two kids on two rides side by side, they have lots of benches for parents, the aisles are wide and easy to navigate, they offer a great variety of attractions (kid coaster, swings, cars, moon bounce, foam blasters, kid monorail, spinning rides, and more). Planet Snoopy features a family building with large bathrooms, changing tables, a nursing/baby feeding room, and a playroom when you need a little rest in the day. The main building is home to a gift shop and the Peanuts theater. I am a big fan of Planet Snoopy for the quality of fun my little ones enjoy and the atmosphere (most relaxed at an amusement park) for parents.

In addition to Planet Snoopy, my = girls and husband LOVE all the roller coasters (Patriot is their favorite) - the number one reason to visit Worlds of Fun. 

Some memories from KC Parent Families on our Day at Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun:

KC Parent Writer: Julie McKinley: Single mom with two kids (ages 8 and 10). We had another friend with us (adult) who had their own season pass.

Highlights of visit: We visited on a Saturday afternoon. It was very warm! We found that there were many places to rest in the shade and cool off, even without riding any water rides or visiting Oceans of Fun. The restaurant patio where we ate was an awesome place to cool off, but throughout the park, we discovered spots to rest when we needed a break from the heat. We were pleasantly surprised at the wait times for rides (we never waited more than 15 minutes) and found the staff members we encountered to have positive and helpful attitudes. All staff members were masked and happily serving their customers throughout the park. Worlds of Fun is a very big place, so it was somewhat easy to spread out and take our time making our way around – we never felt like we were crowded or unable to social distance.

Child’s favorite part of Worlds of Fun: Both of my kids loved Camp Snoopy! There were some rides that they were too tall to ride, but that didn’t slow them down – everything they rode, they wanted to do over and over again. The biggest hits were the Camp Bus, Kite Eating Tree, and (both kids’ VERY favorite) Lucy’s Tugboat. The kids’ area is designed well and is all contained with one entrance/exit so that you don’t have to worry about kids running into the rest of the park from multiple exit points. We also enjoyed seeing Snoopy cruising around the streets of the park throughout our day! The kids might say that their favorite part was the free drink refills!

Would you recommend it to others: Absolutely! Worlds of Fun has done an incredible job at making the park a fun experience for the whole family. We had actually never been as a family before but all of us voted to go back and we are actually looking at purchasing season passes!

Tips for families

• If you’ll be back more than once this season, get a season pass and a meal+drink plan! It was so easy to stop by refill stations without having to take time to pay. This is something I hadn’t previously considered, but it really made the day flow more smoothly.
• Make a priority list for rides before you go. Have kids take a peek at the available rides list on the app and choose which are on their MUST RIDE list so that you can prioritize if the park is busy!-Download the park app for the map, to keep track of tickets and food vouchers, and for other helpful information!

KC Parent writer, Lauren Dreher: World Of Fun- LIttle Guy Style

What do you think of when you think Worlds of Fun? I think of sweat, hot rides, and roller coasters that fill my adrenaline need. Growing up we used to go once a year with my sister's softball team. It was hot, but it was so much fun. I had not been in years so I was excited when I received an email from KC Parent Magazine to go. I already knew what the rides were and I wasn’t just going with my friends, I was taking my small kids. I was a little nervous. Cooper my 3-year-old was tall enough to ride the rides alone if he wanted. Luke, my two-year-old, would either need my husband and me, or he would have to sit out. We ended up having a great experience, and here is why.

We normally try to do things as early as possible so we can work with our early afternoon nap time. We decided to go after nap time. We spend the first couple of hours in camp snoopy. I was quite delighted to see Cooper could ride all of them himself although he wanted us to come with him. There was an area under which said, “May ride if accompanied by an adult.” Luke got to go on the rides! Seeing the look on Luke's face to be able to be on the fun rides was great.

There is a place in the middle which looks like an open circus tent meant to give kids some shade. Benches are on the side for adults to sit while kids run around. We needed to take a bathroom break and get a drink, this was the perfect place to meet back up and get out of the sun for a brief period.

After taking a break and grabbing a bite to eat, the heat started to die down and the rides were more enjoyable. I remember as a kid waiting in line for the popular rides and getting beat by the sun. When it was just me and my own friends, not a big deal. The lines were not long for the kid rides. We may have had to watch one round go and then we got to get on the ride. Making small children stand still in line is a hard task on its own. My boys did great because we didn’t have to ask them to wait long.

We ended up closing down the park. I did not expect to do this with two small kids on a hot day. Especially after my Cooper did not take a nap and typically gets a little testy toward the end of the day. He was distracted and great. He was excited, got enough walking in to be tired but not so much that we had to stop frequently.

The things which helped me:

1. Get a cup- there are refill water stations and fountain drinks which contain Gatorade. We were able to use these to keep the kids and ourselves hydrated. They were excited because they got Gatorade and got to drink from a cool cup.

2. Locate the restrooms before they are needed. They are decently easy to get to in Camp Snoopy if you know where they are and it's not too big to go with kids.

3. Stroller- I contemplated on taking our wagon, I’m happy we didn’t. We took a small umbrella stroller for Luke. It worked well since his small little legs can only carry him so fast and he didn’t get quite as tired. The ride attendants were great at letting us leave the stroller directly by them while on the ride. I was nervous to leave our stuff outside the gate.

4. Go later in the day- it got hot but was very bearable toward the end of the day. We got lucky we got to take the kids home, give them a quick bath or shower to rinse off the sweat and sunscreen, and put them in bed.

I wasn’t sure how our trip would end up with two smaller kids. As much as the rides weren’t the exhilarating ones my husband and I would normally go on, they were perfect for our kids. They got to go up higher, go in “fast” cars, and drive the boat. We enjoyed seeing them have so much fun. Camp Snoopy did not disappoint and is a fun but different thing to do. If your hesitant to take small kids to the big amusement park, reconsider with the use of these tips.

KC Parent writer, Christian Barnes:  Where Big Kids Become Small Again

One of our favorite things to do with our teenagers is to go to Worlds of Fun.  As our kids have gotten older, it has become more challenging to find things we can all do together and enjoy.  Going to the amusement park is one of those things.  As a mom, it particularly warms my heart because I can see the genuine excitement and energy in my kids, and it reminds me of when they were little.  I don’t think I’m the only one who has faced disinterest or a half-hearted outing with their teens, but that doesn’t happen at Worlds of Fun.  In fact, we often end up going with a gaggle of friends who get invited on the special trip. This year was no exception.

We went on a Saturday and after the restrictions of 2020, it was a lot of fun to be out and unmasked among a crowd. The park was packed with people just ready to have a good time.  It’s a good idea to consider getting a Fast Pass if you are going to be going on the weekends because it seems like everyone is ready to make up for lost time.  You must remember that Kansas City, and Worlds of Fun, in particular, is a vacation destination. On our visit, we bumped into a family that had driven in from Wichita just to get away for the weekend and hit the park.   

Our day started with a ride on the Sea Dragon in Scandinavia and then we began to make our way around the park through the Orient. My kids are big on thrill rides and roller coasters.  Gone are the days when Planet Snoopy would keep them happy. Now, we are dashing from the Detonator to the Patriot to the Prowler.  Of course, their favorite coaster is the Mamba and that was a little much for me and my husband. So, we grabbed a drink and waited under one of the umbrella tables nearby.  It was perfect. We had a breeze, were shaded from the sun, and made friends with random people who shared the table with us. Not to mention, it was a great place to people watch and see all of the colorful outfits, excited kids, and stuffed animals people had won. We did get the souvenir cups with free drinks for the day.  It’s actually a really good deal and pays for itself as you can get a free drink every hour.  It’s definitely something to consider on hot summer days.  A couple of times, we just filled it up with ice water to stay hydrated. 

Worlds of Fun is a safe place to send older kids for a great afternoon or evening, but I want to encourage parents not to miss the opportunity to participate in the fun.  This truly is a place where you can come together as a family and just have a good time.  Even when you aren’t riding the rides, there are opportunities and places to relax and watch.  Plus, walking around the park is great exercise! We didn’t make it to Oceans of Fun this year but thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Truly, it makes big kids small again and reminds parents of the pleasure of simply having fun. We spent six hours in the park and it flew by.  In the end, we created memories with our teenagers and had a great time doing it!

KC Parent writer, Regan Lyons:

We took our 7-year-old daughter to World’s of Fun for the very first time this weekend. We had an amazing time! It was a nostalgic trip for my husband and I since we hadn’t been to the park since we were kids. It was a hot day, but we loved taking a trip down memory lane and sharing all the fun with our daughter, Atley. We made our way through the park and stopped anytime Atley saw something that caught her eye, which was constantly!  Her first ride of the day was the Nordic Chaser. I was a little nervous the ride would be too fast for her, but she absolutely loved it! Then we grabbed some lunch at the G’rilla Grill. Atley approved of the two hot dog meals. I would also suggest purchasing the Souvenir Bottle, so you can get free refills all day. It definitely made the heat a bit more bearable. Plus, there are fill-up stations throughout the park.

Next, we tried our luck at a few games. We had so much fun playing the games, and she even won a stuffed zebra. We stopped to ride the Flying Dutchman. This was another ride that was perfect for Atley. It was thrilling for her, but not too extreme. Then we made our way to Planet Snoopy. On our way to Planet Snoopy, we even got to take our photos with Charlie Brown and Lucy! We are big Peanuts fans, so this was a fun surprise. She wanted to ride absolutely everything in Planet Snoopy without hesitation. We found the rides to be fun, family-friendly, safe, and age-appropriate. Our favorite ride in Planet Snoopy was Lucy’s Tugboat. It even gave my husband a surprise when the boat started circling around and not just going back and forth like he thought it would. After every ride, Atley said, “Let’s just stay on and ride again.”

After Planet Snoopy, we decided to cool off a bit. We walked over to the Monsoon and got close enough to feel the massive splash of water as the ride plunged down. We were soaked, but it was just what we needed to cool off. We passed the Nordic Chaser and had to ride it just one more time. Atley said it was her favorite ride of the day! On our way out of the park, we stopped at Dippin’ Dots, which was the perfect treat to end our day and cool us off on the walk back to the car.

We had such an amazing time at Worlds of Fun! It was the perfect way to spend a hot summer day. We are already planning our next trip in a few weeks. We are also planning on checking out Oceans of Fun next time. We would suggest a trip to Worlds of Fun for anyone. There truly is something for everyone of all ages! It would be a great trip for the entire family or even a day date for a couple. Purchase your tickets at www.worldsoffun.com so you and your family can have your own amazing experience!