What's new (and worth it) at Worlds of Fun this year
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Who wants to go on a ride? Photo: Jill Toyoshiba/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Worlds of Fun reopens Saturday under new ownership, and park officials are promising new and improved experiences all season long.
Why it matters: The theme park has been a Kansas City staple since 1973, but the upgrades offer a fresh draw for both new visitors and those who know it best.
The big picture: I went to Worlds of Fun for the first time last summer, and the experience was a pleasant surprise: the park was big and thrilling and left me smiling (and sunburned).
- Here are some park updates to look forward to this year.
Rides: The Timber Wolf wooden roller coaster will reopen Memorial Day. I love a good wooden coaster — getting thrashed around is part of the fun — but it was closed when I was there last year. Thankfully, the Zambezi Zinger and Prowler made up for it.
- Fury of the Nile is getting "enhanced rapids," but on a hot day, it still might not be worth it to wait in that long line.
- My favorites were the Mamba, which rivals any major theme park coaster with its speed and magnitude, and the foot-dangling Patriot.
Retail: Turkey legs! No longer do Kansas Citians have to wait for Ren Fest to down a big, meaty leg. But the fact that they're served in the East Asia area has me raising my eyebrows.
- A new Western shop called Cyclone Sadie's will have a music show, and I desperately hope it's like the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney World.
- But let's be real: We're all going to be storming the remodeled Cinnabon and Auntie Anne's. We're only human.
Events: The park will host World Cup watch parties throughout the tournament, and they won't require a park pass — but discounted day-of tickets will let you both watch and ride.
- Celebrations for America's 250th birthday include dance parties, a food festival, and fireworks on Saturdays.
- But I'm most excited about the park's first-ever Oktoberfest on Saturdays and Sundays starting Labor Day weekend.
What's next: Oceans of Fun opens May 23.
Go deeper: We became "screamsters" for a night at Worlds of Fun's Halloween Haunt