This summer looks to be a world of fun! Whether you are a lifelong fan of Worlds of Fun in Kansas City or are bringing your littles for the first time, this guide will get you cruising the park in no time!
Plan Your Visit
Planning for your trip ahead of time is helpful so you can limit the amount of time spent backtracking around the park, which is especially helpful for small legs that get tired and grumpy easily.
Download the Mobile App ahead of time so it’s one less thing to do while wrangling kiddos and checking in. It has a convenient park map, ride wait times, special offers, and a helpful car finder feature.
Their FAQs section is a great resource for common concerns like re-entry, lost and found, security, weather concerns, etc. If you have any accessibility concerns, they have a downloadable guide to help you plan for your specific needs.
Location and Parking
The Park is located about 10 minutes north of downtown Kansas City, off of 435.
The parking lots are easy to navigate, and you can drop off and pick up without having to pay for parking. Be sure to grab a photo of your parking location or note it in the Worlds of Fun app!
Admission and Hours
Worlds of Fun is open Saturdays (11 a.m. – 9 p.m.) and Sundays (11 a.m. – 8 p.m.) in May and seven days a week starting in June.
Daily tickets start at $39.99. Military and group discounts available. More details and upgrades can be found here.
Chaperone Policy
Keep in mind during your next visit that Worlds of Fun has implemented a new
chaperone policy to keep the park family friendly and safe for all. Under this policy,
all guests ages 15 years old or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at
least 21 years old in order to be admitted to, or remain in, the park after 4 p.m. local
time to close. Visit the park’s Code of Conduct for more information on the chaperone
policy.
Membership
There are several ways to make the most of your visits with their season pass options, like the 2023 Pre-K Pass for FREE admission for children ages 3-5 all season, and the 2023 Gold Pass which has unlimited visits, free parking and access to the season’s fun events, including their 4th of July Celebration, Grand Carnivale, Halloween HAUNT®, and The Great Pumpkin Fest!
What to Bring
You can never be too prepared, especially for an all-day FUNventure. It’s best to bring a few key things with you and avoid long treks back and forth to the car or having to hunt them down at the park. And to carry it all, I like to ditch my purse and bring a backpack instead. I love this brand because it’s easy to carry all day without being too bulky.
Here’s a starter packing list for you to mix and match as needed:
- Refillable water bottle(s)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Small first aid kit, this small Welly one is great!
- All the baby things if needed
- Wipes (for sticky hands and Icee-covered faces)
- Extra hair ties
- Extra change of clothes for accidents
- Baggies to keep phones dry on water rides
- Towels for drying off or get them wet to keep you cool
- Extra battery for your phone
- Advil or Tylenol…for you
- Small stash of bribery candy…for the kids…and you
- Snacks and drinks to keep in the car for the exhausted ride home (no outside food or drink allowed in the park)
What’s New at Worlds of Fun
It’s a blast from the past that will light up the night sky! In 2023, celebrate the stories of the park’s five decades of fun with the hallmark event “50 Nights of Fire,” an amazing spectacle and party that will last all summer long.
Later this spring, welcome back Zambezi Zinger like you’ve never seen before! This beloved coaster is reimagined for 2023 as a thrilling new ride that delves into the heart of the African Serengeti. Embrace memories of the original Zinger as you revel in the new experiences served up on this galvanized steel and wood hybrid coaster.
As we embark on building new traditions and memories in 2023, guests are invited to travel the world and Worlds of Fun will be your passport to adventure! With all new theming, storylines and entertainment throughout the park, guests will be taken on an immersive journey as they explore the various countries, continents and lands in 2023 and beyond.
Worlds of Fun Mom Tips
Worlds of Fun is a big park so you’ll easily hit your 10,000 steps within a couple of hours. Comfy clothes and shoes are must-haves, and bring a stroller if you have little walkers (or bigger kids) that might get tired before the end of the day. Trust me, you do not want to be carrying a sweaty kid around the park in the July heat. Plus, it gives you a great place to stash everything.
If you have little kids, you should head directly to Planet Snoopy, which is on the far side of the park from the entrance, while everyone has lots of energy and excitement. Then work your way back across the park toward the entrance throughout the day. We like to save the Grand Carousel for last as an incentive to get across the park to exit. Makes for a nice ending to fun-filled day!
Planet Snoopy is full of kid-friendly rides that are easy to access one after another, and self-contained so there aren’t crowds of older kids rushing around. You can also find the Family Care Center by the entrance to Planet Snoopy which is air-conditioned and has family bathrooms for easy diaper changes and nursing. The Snoopy Boutique has lots of cute souvenirs and also an area with tables to take a break from the sun.
Most of the lines move quickly, especially in Planet Snoopy, but it helps to have a few tricks ready to go if it’s more crowded than normal. I like to have a few games lined up to make the line waiting pass quicker, options like, Eye Spy, Would You Rather questions, and the Alphabet Words game, where you pick a topic, like food, and then go through the alphabet coming up with corresponding words for each letter. Xanthan Gum works for X, you’re welcome. If all else fails, that’s where the bribery candy comes in…sorry, not sorry.
When you need a break from standing and walking, the Worlds of Fun Railroad is a great way to relax and see the park. And when you get hungry, hit up Gold Rush for kid-approved pizza or Prospector’s for burritos on a cute, shaded patio! Both are close to Planet Snoopy in the Wild West. There are also lots of fun photo ops around the park, this gorilla in Africa is always a hit.
If your kids are older, the Worlds of Fun website has a great guide to all the rides with filters. You can edit down to the best options so you can make the most of your time. A meet-up spot is helpful if your kids are going off on their own. The Detonator is easy to spot from anywhere in the park and there’s a convenient drink refill station nearby. Speaking of, if you are planning on several trips, the All-Season Drink Bottle pays for itself pretty quickly.
