Worlds of Fun (WOF) Discussion Thread

[Slides to rides]

Looks like Screamscape is now reporting it as well. GCI is retracking 1/3 of Timber Wolf and plan to re-track the entire coaster within the next couple of years! Great news!

 

Plus, the new Haunt is supposedly going to have some special effects never before seen at Worlds of Fun! Can't wait! Haunt is my favorite time of the year at WOF!

 

 

Ive been kind of spreading the word.

[Slides to rides]

Which Park did the Swans come from? I forgot....

 

 

I want to say Dorney, but not for sure.

[WOF_Fan]

Looks like Screamscape is now reporting it as well. GCI is retracking 1/3 of Timber Wolf and plan to re-track the entire coaster within the next couple of years! Great news!

 

Plus, the new Haunt is supposedly going to have some special effects never before seen at Worlds of Fun! Can't wait! Haunt is my favorite time of the year at WOF!

 

 

Ive been kind of spreading the word.

 

Also heard they are possibly removing the trim brakes from the first drop.

[PhantomNick]

ATTENTION TPR MEMBERS!!! We need your help so that we can have representatives at ALL 11 Cedar Fair parks for the Coasting for Kids event!!

 

-------------------------------------------------

Currently, we have NO participants registered for the Team TPR that is setup at Worlds of Fun!!.

 

Do you live near Worlds of Fun? Would you like to enjoy an awesome day of riding, while also supporting this fantastic charity?? If you can answer YES to these questions, then simply go to the park sign-up page here and register today: http://support.gktw.org/site/TR?fr_id=1391&pg=entry

(**BE SURE TO REGISTER UNDER TEAM TPR**)

 

For more information, just visit our Coasting for Kids 2015 thread (in the Stickies section of the forum). I'm sure you'll get some help from here to make sure you meet the $75 minimum fundraising requirement to participate! But with only 2 and a half weeks to go before the event, please don't delay!! Join Team TPR today! Thanks!

[Jaykethekid]

Id be participating if I wasn't busy as heck. I will definitely try and donate though!

I have always been wondering, but what was the best thing to ever happen to the park? I couldn't really decide between mamba or prowler.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ Cedar Fair buying it was the best thing to happen. Without that, Timber Wolf would be rotting alone in a field today.

[livai]

^ Cedar Fair buying it was the best thing to happen. Without that, Timber Wolf would be rotting alone in a field today.

mha

[Jaykethekid]

^ Cedar Fair buying it was the best thing to happen. Without that, Timber Wolf would be rotting alone in a field today.

Well you do got a great point there. I really like how they are trying to keep it alive.

[Barge84]

^ Cedar Fair buying it was the best thing to happen. Without that, Timber Wolf would be rotting alone in a field today.

Well you do got a great point there. I really like how they are trying to keep it alive.

 

I think his point was that the park wouldn't exist if Cedar Fair hadn't purchased it.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ Yes, it was going bankrupt in the early 90s. That's why the previous ownership was looking for a buyer. Likely if they hadn't found a buyer, they would have sold off all the rides except Timber Wolf (which would have been too costly to move to be worth the effort), and tried to sell the land to a real estate developer. At the time KC's officials thought that growth would be north, but instead it went south and east. A lot of North KC is sparsely populated with massive freeways as a result of this botched city planning. So the chances of a real estate developer purchasing a plot as large as Worlds of Fun in that location is very unlikely.

 

Therefore, we're it not for Cedar Fair, the park today would be Timber Wolf rotting in a field all by itself.

[Barge84]

Interesting. I'd always wondered why I-435W was so sparse.

[Jaykethekid]

Someone please tell me this is normal during testing...

[DoinItForTheFame]

Someone please tell me this is normal during testing...

Could have been a simple E-Stop test, to make sure if the ride stops at the top of the tower, it will restart properly. Not an uncommon practice during testing.

 

Did the ride continue testing after this? Also, was it testing, or was the ride "parked" at the top of the tower?

[Geauga Dog]

I wonder why CF doesn't invest more into Worlds of Fun like they have done with Carowinds and eventually Valleyfair, IIRC the two parks they singled out for having more growth potential? I'm not saying let's put in a giga coaster but considering that WoF has a larger range to draw from (IMO, figuring that there is no major park between KC and Denver though Adventureland looks to be a few hours north and not quite in the same league so to speak) that they would try to make WoF more of a destination than it already is.

 

I've only been to Worlds of Fun once, that was way back in 1989 when Timber Wolf was new, and thought the park was very nice.

 

^^BTW, that looks normal. I've seen KI's Windseeker parked at the top like that as well. Usually early morning tests have the ride carriage at the top.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I wonder why CF doesn't invest more into Worlds of Fun like they have done with Carowinds and eventually Valleyfair, IIRC the two parks they singled out for having more growth potential? I'm not saying let's put in a giga coaster but considering that WoF has a larger range to draw from (IMO, figuring that there is no major park between KC and Denver though Adventureland looks to be a few hours north and not quite in the same league so to speak) that they would try to make WoF more of a destination than it already is.

I'm guessing you've never driven through Kansas, or between KC and Des Moines. The reason there's nothing but county fairs and FECs in Kansas is that there aren't any people in Kansas. A "regional destination" only works when you have lots of people in the region who might be drawn to the park. Let me draw this out, because it's can be difficult for Easterners to understand just how sparse the West is.

 

Carowinds v. Worlds of Fun:

The population of the two-state metro area for Charlotte is about equal to Kansas CIty's two-state metro area, at 2.3 million each. So plenty of locals in both cases to support the parks. However, when we look regionally, we start to see differences. In total, VA, NC, SC, and GA have a combined population of 32,579,000. MO, KS, NE, and IA have a combined population of 13,836,000.

 

Carowinds v. Valleyfair:

The population of the Twin Cities metro area is 3.8 million, substantially larger than that of Charlotte. All of MN, however, has only 5.3 million--which is about a million less than MO. The four-state region of MN, WI, IA, and ND comes to 14,878,000.

 

So you can see that outside the cities, there really just aren't that many people. There is a LOT of open space out here, large areas where you may have 5 people per square mile. That's why most parks out here can do well as a local destination but would never cut it as a regional destination--quite simply, the locals are basically the only people in the region.

 

Souce: U.S. Census Bureau

[Jodon]

Heading to the park today, does anyone have any recommendations how to start the park? We will be getting fast lanes.

[Geauga Dog]

I'm guessing you've never driven through Kansas, or between KC and Des Moines. The reason there's nothing but county fairs and FECs in Kansas is that there aren't any people in Kansas. A "regional destination" only works when you have lots of people in the region who might be drawn to the park. Let me draw this out, because it's can be difficult for Easterners to understand just how sparse the West is.

 

Thanks for the explanation. I was always under the assumption that the Kansas City metro was on par with the likes of Minneapolis (not including St. Paul) or Charlotte. Since making Worlds of Fun more of a regional destination will not happen it would be nice to see them take the route that Kings Dominion took by at least bringing back some of the small things that the old CF regime took out and restore the park back to its original "Around The World in 80 Days" theme.

 

Also any idea as to how well the Worlds of Fun Village does for the park?

[baileybrucem]

I'm guessing you've never driven through Kansas, or between KC and Des Moines. The reason there's nothing but county fairs and FECs in Kansas is that there aren't any people in Kansas. A "regional destination" only works when you have lots of people in the region who might be drawn to the park. Let me draw this out, because it's can be difficult for Easterners to understand just how sparse the West is.

 

Thanks for the explanation. I was always under the assumption that the Kansas City metro was on par with the likes of Minneapolis (not including St. Paul) or Charlotte. Since making Worlds of Fun more of a regional destination will not happen it would be nice to see them take the route that Kings Dominion took by at least bringing back some of the small things that the old CF regime took out and restore the park back to its original "Around The World in 80 Days" theme.

 

Also any idea as to how well the Worlds of Fun Village does for the park?

 

This year the "Around the World in 80 Days" has definitely been re-implemented. There are signs everywhere. The maps are spread out by sections and they have themed music by area this year. Huge improvement from last year, I'd have to say.

[WOFanatic]

Someone please tell me this is normal during testing...

Very normal testing procedure. Nothing to worry about. I'm pretty sure that needs to happen every day in order to operate. Steelhawk has been running flawlessly except for a power outage in May where almost all of Americana's rides went down.

[Jodon]

Went to the park yesterday for the first time in over 20 years and had a really good time with a couple of "firsts" for me. Here are a few thoughts/observations/frustrations/etc.

 

Overall, they have a pretty good collection of coasters for a small park, and Mamba, Patriot, and Prowler are a nice combination of headliners.

 

I thought Mamba was a really good ride. I rode in the front once and the back twice. I liked the first drop better in the back, but I thought the rest of the ride was better in the front. The second hill and entrance into the helix had some great air time in the front seat. Mamba didn't treat us very well on the operations side of things. For the first time in my coaster riding career, I got stuck on the lift hill for about 15-20 minutes before it started back up and we got to finish our ride. Kudos to ride op Ashley who had to walk up to the train about 2/3rds up the lift. I will admit I was a tad disappointed when we got back to the station, the only thing awaiting us was a cup of water. I know that they don't have to do anything for us, but an exit pass would have been appreciated.

 

Prowler is a great ride. It was my first GCI and I really liked it and is challenging Boulder Dash in my Top 5 woodies. I loved how the ride gives you some pops of air then throws you in a different direction. I also loved the setting of the ride with all the trees. If this is a good example of what GCI has to offer, I want to ride many many more of them. One other thing I loved about the ride is how the train goes kind of quiet at the top of the hills and then just roars through the valleys. It's a really cool effect.

 

I also really liked Patriot. Not as forceful as the other B&M inverts I've been on (Batman Clones, Banshee, and Raptor), but it's a solid ride with a unique layout. I rode in the front and 6th row and noticed a significant rattle in the 6th row, but not the front.

 

Spinning Dragons was more fun than I was expecting and had a couple surprise pops of air.

 

The operations in the park were "ok." I was very frustrated at the beginning of the day when all of their major coasters started with 1 train operations. Not sure if WoF wasn't expecting very large crowds, but the park was decently busy, and it was a welcome sight when the ride ops put the other trains on the track. My party was very thankful that we had splurged for the Fast Lane as we did not have to wait long to enter the station, but I wish they would have had a grouper at the entrance to the station to help even out the lines.

 

I was a bit disappointed in the food operations at the park. My party ate lunch at Chickie's and Pete's and it was decent to good food, but my 7 year old nephew wanted pizza and for some reason, they were not serving pizza that day, though it was on the menu. Not a big deal, but not ideal either. I was also surprised that their $11 sandwiches did not come with fries. Even though we shared their crab fries, which were really good, it ended up being a fairly expensive lunch for what we got in an amusement park. Dinner was kind of frustrating as well as a lot of the Cedar Fair run restaurants were closed well before park close and seemingly with out warning. It ended up working out for us as we left the park and ate at a Waffle House on the way back home.

 

The park looks pretty, especially in the Africa area with all the trees!

 

The back part of the park by Detonator/Planet Snoopy needs another bathroom, and I was surprised at how small all of the bathrooms were. Most of them only had one stall and a couple of urinals.

 

All in all, it was a really good day with great weather. I don't have any strong desire to head back any time soon, but I was happy I was able to go.

[OrientZinger]

Excuse me for changing the flow of the conversation but some thoughts needed expressed. Concerning WOF going with GCI to re-track Timber Wolf KUDOS! Not only does it make sense, its fiscally responsible. Having another GCI on the property allows the park maintenance department depth in parts and a single manufacturer support point. One question resides...are we going to see new trains grace the Timber Wolf's track-age to complement the new re-tracking? I believe GCI previewed a chrome coaster train at an industry show Nov 18, 2014 on Facebook. Since Wolf is over 25 years old recently it would be a wonderful way to honor its heritage.

 

My other grizzly thought concerns "other" coaster additions in the near future. It seems from my often pa-rousing of the internet, the public misses "Orient Express" and "Zambezi Zinger". The likeliness of them returning even in name with roman numeral II's behind them is a shot in a million. However, simultaneously adding two family coasters comparable in essence would be an unforgettable marketing campaign.

 

Now consider the new Lightning Run, a $7 million dollar Chance Morgan Hyper-GTX model coaster. Two of these could be installed for the cost of a single B&M Dive Machine. One in Europa, and one in Scandinavia. These two areas could use family coasters.

 

I would also propose positioning the Dark Ride Complex in Europa on the south side of train tracks in-between Europa and Scandinavia. Integrated into the stations area a large main covered canopy would house merchandise kiosks, food carts, and games. Picture a pentagon building for the Dark Ride Attraction. Each side of pentagon can face the correct themed area of park integrating a proper painted theme for its wall face. Place world flags around roof perimeter with WOF ballon on pole in center. Make the Dark Ride Attraction a "Gateway Station" traveling through all five lands with mythical beasties that try to "Stop" the journey along the way.

[baileybrucem]

Now consider the new Lightning Run, a $7 million dollar Chance Morgan Hyper-GTX model coaster. Two of these could be installed for the cost of a single B&M Dive Machine. One in Europa, and one in Scandinavia. These two areas could use family coasters.

 

There are two issues with this idea:

1) Worlds of Fun already has a tall, non looping steel coaster

2) why would a park place two of the same coaster models within its gates...?

 

I could see maybe one GTX, but definitely not two. The things the park really needs (coaster-wise) are a family coaster and a sit-down launcher. A complete gutting and remodel of the Europa section would be met with open arms as well. I'm skeptical of new entrance rumors, because is that honestly something the park desperately needs? I love the idea of a Carowinds-esque gate, but let's be realistic. The inside needs attention more than the front entrance. It's pretty nice for now.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Now consider the new Lightning Run, a $7 million dollar Chance Morgan Hyper-GTX model coaster. Two of these could be installed for the cost of a single B&M Dive Machine. One in Europa, and one in Scandinavia. These two areas could use family coasters.

 

There are two issues with this idea:

1) Worlds of Fun already has a tall, non looping steel coaster

2) why would a park place two of the same coaster models within its gates...?

 

I could see maybe one GTX, but definitely not two. The things the park really needs (coaster-wise) are a family coaster and a sit-down launcher. A complete gutting and remodel of the Europa section would be met with open arms as well. I'm skeptical of new entrance rumors, because is that honestly something the park desperately needs? I love the idea of a Carowinds-esque gate, but let's be realistic. The inside needs attention more than the front entrance. It's pretty nice for now.

Yes, the park needs a new entrance. It's a hike from the parking lot all the way to the front gate. A redo of Europa and Orient both are needed. Europa hasn't had any updates basically ever; almost all the rides are original, which is pretty cool, but something new there would be nice. Orient has been encroached on so much by America that it's now literally Spinning Dragons, Bamboozler, and a Panda Express.

 

A new entrance, especially if relocated, could provide expansion room for both these areas. You won't have room for a coaster in Europa, and Orient already has a family coaster, but both could see new flats. I'm looking at the now redundant carousel as a prime spot for a new small flat.

 

Scandinavia hasn't ever had a coaster, but there's lots of room next to Prowler, and a good amount of space along the road to Africa over by the rotor where a station could be built. Lots of possibilities. .

[Jaykethekid]

I don't understand really why worlds of fun would need another family coaster. Spinning dragons is a family coaster and prowler isn't too big to scare off the little ones. I do think either a launched coaster or a sit down looping coaster would be ideal for the park but I personally see bigger things happening to the park. It's just I've seen how much more crowded it is even during the summer week days. Maybe I've gone crazy since we have had a lack of large investments to the park, or not. I'd think a giga would compliment the park perfectly and the locals would really dig the ride. They go crazy over mamba and imagine an even bigger and better ride. But then again everyone thinks their local CF park will get a giga.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ Prowler has a 48" height requirement. Not too many "little ones" are that tall. My 7-year-old just reached that this spring. WoF needs another family coaster because for the 42"-48" range, there's Spinning Dragons and a wacky worm. A non-spinning family coaster would finally truly replace Zambezi Zinger. You wouldn't remember it (if your age is correct, it was moved to Colombia before you were born), but those of us who do miss it dearly. Spinning Dragons is good, but it's not the same thing. We can dream all we want about the next big thing, but honestly, a good non-spinning family coaster, maybe something like Spacely's Sprocket Rockets, would surely be a big hit for this park.