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 Does the high cost of travel these days have you scouting for affordable family fun? Worlds of Fun is known as the premier amusement park destination in the Midwest -- offering 175 acres of excitement and fun for every member of the family. On a recent weekday, our family made the three hour drive from Omaha to Kansas City to check out the park’s attractions. Worlds of Fun is 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 seven world-class roller coasters, thrill rides, and award-winning live entertainment.
We arrived shortly after the park opened. I was thrilled to see that the parking lot had a minimal amount of cars. There were no lines at the gates- things were looking good! My daughter and a friend headed straight to the newest attraction: The PROWLER. This new roller coaster made its debut with the opening of the 2009 season. The two and a half minute high speed chase begins with the ride’s only feature above the trees’ cover, a swooping 85 foot plummet into a ravine. After the spiral plunge, the train rips through a seemingly endless amount of high speed hills and sharply banked turns that hug the wooded land below. With a top speed of 51 mph, riders grasped in the clutches of PROWLER carve a path with powerful but smooth changes of direction, speed, and elevation. Photographs are taken at key moments and available for sale to riders so that they can see how they really look as they plummet down and loop around. Not a thrill-seeker myself, it looked pretty cool! My daughter, on the other hand, returned to the ride time and time again. The park highlights definitely included the thrill rides. One of the mega-thrill rides at the park, Patriot, is the largest inverted coaster in the region. The Boomerang, Mamba, Timber Wolf and Detonator rounded out our favorites! Camp Snoopy, an area designed for the younger set, is packed full of kid friendly fun. Live entertainment lets guest of all ages enjoy song and dance revues, a new dog show, and more. The price for food was comparable to other amusement parks. We were able to get cups of ice water at no charge.
On this particular visit, we did not make it to Oceans of Fun. However, Oceans of Fun is one of the largest water parks in the Midwest. The park offers a wide variety of attractions for guests of all ages, including Paradise Falls, a four-story interactive water extravaganza that features water cannons, water slides and a 1,000-gallon bucket that empties every five minutes on guests below; the Typhoon, one of the world’s longest water speed slides; a giant wave pool; Hurricane Falls, a large water slide raft ride; and several children’s activity areas. A separate charge is required for Oceans of Fun, which is operated seasonally from May to September.
Although we chose to drive home that afternoon, families can opt to spend that night in a unique environment at the Worlds of Fun Village resort located adjacent to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun. Worlds of Fun Village features cabins, cottages, and deluxe RV sites with access to a swimming pool, hot tub, convenience store, arcade, and free Wi-Fi internet service. Worlds of Fun Village is open through Mid November, 2009.
Ways to Save on Tickets
Regular tickets run $39.99 per person at Worlds of Fun- $28.99 per person at Oceans of Fun and $53.99 per person for a Ride/Slide ticket. Parking is $10 per vehicle.
Get a Worlds of Fun Regular All-Day admission for only $31.99 plus tax at Bakers and Hy Vee.
Bring specially marked PEPSI, MOUNTAIN DEW, or DR PEPPER cans to Worlds of Fun front admission booths. Save $7--off Worlds of Fun All-Day Regular admission. Save $3--off Oceans of Fun All-Day Regular admission. Each can is good for one discounted admission. Discount offer is valid for any public operating day of the 2009 season.
Military Discount: The greatest military discount is available through participating MWR/ITT offices. Please contact the office on your base for prices, details and to purchase discounted tickets in advance. Present Your ID At The Park: A smaller discount is available to military personnel (active, reserve, veteran) everyday at any Worlds of Fun or Oceans of Fun front admission booth. Present a valid military photo ID card and save:
• Save $8--off Worlds of Fun All-Day Regular admission
• Save $3.50--off Oceans of Fun All-Day Regular admission
• Save $7--off Ride & Slide Regular admission (both parks, same day)
• ID holder must be present to receive discount. Discount is for the member of the military and their immediate family only.
For a full list of special offers, visit www.worldsoffun.com and click on special offers. Prices, policies, schedules and attraction availability are subject to change without notice.
Upcoming Events: August 8-9 Timber Wolf Birthday Party Weekend- Celebrate 20 years of thrills at Worlds of Fun at this birthday party for Timber Wolf roller coaster!
August 22nd- Royals Baseball Fanfest-Baseball fans--Meet select former Royals players at an autograph session, enjoy a full day of rides, shows, and entertainment, and enjoy an all-you-can-eat meal, all for less than the price of a Worlds of Fun Single-Day Regular Admission!
August 24-25, 28-30 Public Safety and Military Appreciation Week- Police officers, firefighters, EMT’s, and members of the armed forces present their active military (service members only) or public safety ID at the Worlds of Fun Main Entrance August 24-25, 28-30, 2009, or at the Oceans of Fun Main Entrance August 29-30, 2009, for FREE admission!
September 12-13, 19-20 OktoberFest- Join Worlds of Fun for our annual German Festival, September 12, 13, 19, & 20, 2009! Enjoy beer, brats, sausages, authentic German Foods, pretzels, Bavarian nuts, and more throughout the park!
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