Sit upright and hold on tight because the Mamba is about to strike! Worlds of Fun is now open and oh boy, is there a lot going on at the park. For starters, Worlds of Fun is celebrating its 50th year anniversary of providing adrenaline-filled fun. Halfway through Worlds of Fun’s life Mamba was built and has celebrated its twenty-fifth birthday this year. To put the cherry on top, after fourteen years without a new coaster, Worlds of Fun is opening a new wooden hybrid roller coaster: the Zambezi Zinger. This all sounds great, but the reality is Worlds of Fun didn’t start this time to celebrate with a bang. Only three coasters open, slow operations, and fights breaking out? If you plan to visit soon you better brace yourself, and if you’re fifteen and under make sure you have a chaperone, or else you’ll be asked to leave. What?

A fifty-year anniversary is a big deal for anybody or anything and Worlds of Fun is no exception. They are throwing a fifty-night-long birthday celebration with fireworks, food, music, and all sorts of different live entertainment. This was not the case when the gates opened on opening day. For starters only three of the eight roller coasters were open. It is unknown if the coasters were down due to technical difficulties, staffing issues, or if they were still being tested and prepared to open. It is completely understandable if there were technical difficulties with the ride or if they were short-staffed, as these problems are often out of their control. It could also have been that rides were just sitting, ready to be tested, and have final preparations done to ensure proper operation. This is done prior to opening day and seems odd that it wouldn’t have been done before opening. Whatever the case was, people were not happy with what was offered on opening day because it was simply not enough.

With only 3 rollercoasters in operation, the lines got long. To add insult to injury, Worlds of Fun has historically bad operations, which means they are slow to load, dispatch, and unload trains. Many guests were frustrated with the long wait times, but also with the staff’s complete indifference to the problem. Guests reported that Ride operators were goofing around and working at a snail’s pace. You would think with only three coasters open they would put their focus on pumping through the lines and giving guests the best possible experience amidst the circumstances.

Sit upright and hold on tight because you’re gonna get ready to fight. This was the case again on opening day when about 100 teenagers started an all-out brawl. Nothing says happy fifty years like a fight night! Many were injured including park officers who were trying to control the chaos. The Clay County sheriff’s office was also called out to assist. It took several minutes to get everything under control. All of the teenagers involved were kicked out of the park and all was at peace again. This was until the storm of outrage started roaring when videos of the fight started making their way around social media. People wanted to see the implementation of a chaperone rule and the park did just that. Guests that are 15 years old or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone or they will not be allowed into the park.

Not a good start for Worlds of Fun to say the least. Opening day is supposed to be a time to show off all of the great improvements and make people want to come back. Many people who witnessed all of this firsthand, saw it on the news, or on social media might not want to pay a visit to Worlds of Fun. I hope this is a wake-up call for Worlds of Fun leaders, and hopefully they will take more steps to ensure a safe and fun experience for everyone. I hope the rollercoaster of problems will hit the brakes and be put back into their station.