In addition to rides, Worlds of Fun has a variety of shows including music reviews and during the warmer summer months an interesting diving show that concludes with an 80-foot high dive into a relatively shallow pool. Also, you'll find a variety of concessions, of both sit down and fast food types. If you're planning on visiting during the summer months, you might be interested to know that cups of water are always free at the concession stands so you're not forced to pay $4 for a soda.

In addition, if you're a Kansas City local, it's considerably cheaper to buy a season pass for about $60 than to continually buy $30 tickets. However, if you visit Worlds of Fun after 4 PM, ticket prices are reduced to $17.50 until the park closes. In addition to the ticket, plan on spending about $5 for parking.

Overall, Worlds of Fun is a wonderful opportunity for a family outing and a nice detour for roller coaster or amusement park enthusiasts that are passing through Kansas City.

The park is about 60 acres and is one of the largest water parks in the midwest. Probably one of the most popular attractions is the Surf City Wave pool. The depth starts at zero inches and slowly graduates to eight feet. The waves come every 10 minutes and can get up to 4 feet high. A line separates the "deeper" area from the shallow area and the life guards are strict about people without rafts in the deep area.

One of the newer rides is a 72" flume ride on a circular tube. This is probably my favorite ride, and I usually only get to ride it once. The lines are terrible, even when the park first opens.

There is a group of three slides called the Diamond Head and they are great fun. The slide on the right is faster than the other two so is more enjoyable for me. There are lifeguards at the top of the slide to ensure people follow the rules and there are lifeguards standing in the landing pool at the bottom to help people get up and out of the way.

There are other slides and several other pool areas which are great fun. We try to get all the rides completed in the morning and then relax in the pools during the afternoon. As expected, the food prices are high, so we bring a lunch and eat in the picnic area just outside the entry gate.

Some suggestions on a few things.

• Rent a locker for $3. It's a great way to keep your valuables without worrying about them.
• Wear water shoes. The cement walkways are terribly hot and painful in the afternoon. It's even worse while waiting in line, even though park employees will spray down people out in the direct sun.
• Wear sunscreen. With the coolness of the water, it's difficult to know how much sun you are getting.
• Don't shower at their facility. Like WOF, the cleanliness has greatly declined with the new owners. I would not step in the showers for anything.

Two of the rollercoasters were recently rated as top rides in a national assessment. The Timberwolf was 24th of top 25 wooden rollercoasters. This ride shakes and rolls just as expected with the wooden structure. I try to get the front seat as much as possible for the best ride. The only thing holding you in is a bar across your lap. My youngest daughter bounced so hard one time while in the front seat with me that she got a bloody lip from hitting the seat. She was having so much fun that she did not even notice until the ride was over.

The Mamba was also ranked although I do not recall the exact position (8th or 10th or something). This is a mile long roller coaster with a 205 foot drop. My wife cannot sit in the outside seat for this ride. It's as if nothing is there so she has to be on the inside seat where she can at least see the support structure. We don't ride the front seat very often as the line is usually too long. After the coaster pulls up to the top of the 205" drop, the first seat hangs over the edge and pauses before the ride starts downhill. It's a killer view.

There are other rollercoasters, and we try to get at least one ride in. The Orient Express is a 2 minute ride, full of drops and loops. The shoulder harness works fine for me, but is the wrong height for my wife and girls. Their heads bump against the sides of the harness, especially when being upside-down. The newest ride, the Boomerang, is the forward and backwards ride. I definitely recommend riding this one before eating as the backwards ride can flip your stomach.

All the food in the park is expensive. Pack a lunch and just leave the park entrance to enjoy the picnic area. Be sure and have your hand stamped so you can return the same day.

Plan on waiting in line, even for the many shows. One group has to exit before the next group is admitted, so there are lines everywhere. The shows are very good, full of local talent. The diving show is probably one of my favorites.

One of my major frustrations with this park has been the downhill decline of the park condition. Back in the 70's, everything was perfectly clean. You never saw trash lying around and each restroom had people dedicated to retain a high level of cleanliness. With the sell of the park to new owners, this area no longer has the same importance. The restrooms are gross and the park is trashy.

Grab a map when you enter and plan your day. Unless you like over-priced amusement park pizza, plan to bring your lunch in a cooler. Leave at lunchtime and snack on a picnic table.

World of Fun has great rollercoasters. Whether you like the old-fashioned wooden kind (Timberwolf) or smooth hydraulics (Mamba) you won't be disappointed. And since it heats up in KC during the summer, there are plenty of water rides to cool you down. Be prepared for lines though.

Oceans of Fun is an expansive waterpark. It'll take you all day to do the fun activities. You won't be able to miss the the huge wave pool with over a million gallons of water. Hey, we don't have an ocean here in Kansas City, but at least we can create one.

You'll have fun slipping down the water slides or kayaking in a lake. Adults should leave the kids at their respective water playground area and try out the Coconut Cove (see above for description).