Pig Pen's Petting Farm - New for 2019 (WOF)

MAKE NEW FARM FRIENDS AT WORLDS OF FUN IN 2019

Kansas City, MO - December 31, 2018

Pigpen's favorite furry and feathery friends are coming to visit him at Planet Snoopy.  Debuting in 2019, is Pig Pen's Petting Farm.  Animal lovers of all ages can make some fluffly new friends and learn about their new acquaintances up close and personal.  There will be llamas, alpacas, bunnies, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, mini-horses and more.  Pigpen's Petting Farm will have an animal that everyone can love.

All of the little critters are super friendly to guests of all ages.  In addition, you are able to purchase a cup of feed for $2.00 to feed the resident animals of Pig Pen's Petting Farm (while supplies last).  The new Pig Pen's Petting Farm is a space where fun interactions create amazing moments that guests will never forget.  Little hands can feed the little mouths of animals from May 18th to September 2nd.  

Phoenix - New for 2019 (Adventureland)

December 11, 2018

Adventureland Announces New Family Spinning Roller Coaster - PHOENIX 

Altoona, Iowa -- Adventureland Park announces PHOENIX - a new family spinning roller coaster, coming in June!  The $6 million dollar addition will be be designed and manufactured by Maurer Rides from Germany.  The new addition will reach heights over 50 feet and speeds up to 40 mph.  Up to four riders at a time will board the cart seated back to back.  During the course of the new coaster, riders will reach a new level of "spin-sanity" as the cars rotate a full 360 degrees.

Adventureland officials said that Phoenix will "Rise from the Ashes" at the end of the Main Boulevard in a space that was formerly the home of the Super Screamer roller coaster and most recently the thrill ride known as Inverter.  Site work is underway and vertical construction of the new roller coaster is scheduled to begin in February.  Phoenix will open to Adventureland Park guests in June 2019.

New for 2019 (SDC)

New for 2019 - SDC Presents "The Year of Shows and Festivals" (Branson, Mo. 10/19/18)    A hallmark of Branson’s famed tourism industry is live entertainment and production shows, with Silver Dollar City having proven decades-long leadership in presenting great and unique talent.  Today’s announcement of the 2019 lineup strongly builds on that tradition, with Silver Dollar City beginning a new era of even bolder entertainment with “The Year of Shows & Festivals.” The 1880s internationally-awarded theme park is planning millions of dollars in additions with new and original productions, larger-than-life shows and festival adventures. Topline features include a new $1 million, original mega-production show for Summer, Reuben’s Swashbuckling Adventure; and new for Fall, a spectacular evening and nighttime experience, Pumpkin Nights with thousands of glowing pumpkins artfully brought to life throughout the streets of the City, creating the biggest Fall in the park’s nearly 6-decade history. Other large-scale elements include a globally-acclaimed acrobatic French-Canadian lumberjack production show; a slate of evening concerts in the Echo Hollow Amphitheater including Bluegrass Nights in Spring and then, throughout the season, legendary rock, pop and country performers; the new Kid Magicsummer show; plus The Festival of Wonder with visually-stunning, globally-inspired production shows.            Summer Mega-Productions Imagination comes to life on stage in a huge production opening with Star-Spangled Summer -- the all-new, original production, created exclusively for Silver Dollar City, Reuben’s Swashbuckling Adventure.The $1 million Broadway-style musical is a magical journey of discovery with a colorful cast, flying characters, state-of-the-art sets and special effects. Also new for summer is a show featuring the world’s youngest magician and illusionist, Kid Magic, starring Kadan Bart Rockett & Brooklyn, direct from America’s Got Talent.   Supercharging Fall The City transforms into a glowing-orange wonderland in Fall 2019 as Silver Dollar City presents Pumpkins in the City. This evening lighting event with thousands of pumpkin creations and larger-than-life icons includes giant scarecrows, cats, owls and other characters shining in the dark. A new Pumpkin Pathway leads to Pumpkin Plaza with a dance party and fall activities. The park stays open until 9 pm, with rides running too, creating a new nighttime experience for families.    All new daytime debuts a pulse-raising French-Canadian production show -- an acrobatic musical about singing and dancing lumberjacks in a high-energy internationally-acclaimed stage show. Also by day, in a setting filled with colorful pumpkins, Silver Dollar City craftsmen welcome visiting artisans, with select new crafters each week.     Spring kicks off the year with The Festival of Wonder, billed as “A Most Amazing Entertainment Experience,” designed to spark curiosity by presenting several hot-ticket shows such as Phoenix Fire which is a black-light, laser and fire production, and new circus-inspired extraordinary acts for CirqUnique.     New for Bluegrass & BBQ is Bluegrass Nights, featuring nightly concerts with top bluegrass artists in Echo Hollow Amphitheatre. Following Southern Gospel’s 12 biggest days for Southern Gospel Picnic is a new event for September: Country Music Days presents 13 back-to-back days of iconic country music and Saturday Night Celebrity Concerts with classic country stars.   The grand finale to the year is Christmas. The City transforms into one of the world’s most recognized holiday celebrations, An Old Time Christmas, with over 6.5 million lights, the dazzling Christmas In Midtown, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Christmas Light Parade, original musical productions A Dickens’ Christmas Carol and It’s A Wonderful Life, plus a towering Special Effects Christmas Tree – all for a Christmas season bigger and brighter than ever.   “We are, and always will be, respectful to our roots of presenting great crafts, unique music and family-friendly shows,” said Brad Thomas, President of Silver Dollar City Attractions. “This coming year, we will add many colorful layers, boldly building a new era of entertainment into our traditions.  Guests are seeking new adventures and always looking for something they haven’t seen before. We promise we will deliver new experiences while embracing favorites as we support our mission statement of Creating Memories Worth Repeating,” Thomas said.

SUPERGIRL Skyflyer - New for 2019 (SFSTL)

August 30, 2018

Six Flags St. Louis Announces - SUPERGIRL - A New High-Flying Thrill Ride!

Eureka, Missouri -- Six Flags St. Louis, The Coaster Capital of Missouri, today announced a breathtaking, new thrill coming in 2019. Guests will take an adrenaline-charged flight on the new SUPERGIRL attraction as they soar nearly 7-stories through the sky in open-air vehicles. Drawing on DC Super Hero SUPERGIRL's powers of stamina and strength, thrill seekers spin and tilt while suspended from the massive whirling wheel. The ride is raised into the air by a giant arm as riders are launched into a high-speed spin, feet dangling…round and round…higher and higher.

“Six Flags consistently delivers innovative, new experiences for our guests each year,” said Park President Phil Liggett. “SUPERGIRL puts a unique, state-of-the-art spin on a classic ride experience and will be a heroic addition to the park’s outstanding lineup of thrilling rides and attractions.”

SUPERGIRL heroic highlights:

• Guests fly in open air seats with feet dangling;
• Super-sized wheel begins to spin horizontally, then a giant arm lifts and tilts the wheel to a vertical position as the high-speed rotations continue throughout; and
• 24 riders will repeatedly reach maximum spinning height of 67-feet in the air.
• Located in the Britannia section of the park where Highland Fling was located
• Riders must be a minimum of 48” to ride
• Opens Spring 2019

Cotton Blossom BBQ - New for 2019 (WOF)

August 16, 2018

Worlds of Fun Announces Cotton Blossom Bar B Que - A New Dining Experience Coming Spring 2019 

Kansas City, Missouri -- Worlds of Fun is excited to announce the addition of Cotton Blossom Bar B Que, a brand-new dining concept coming in 2019. The restaurant will feature a bevy of new and improved food options that are sure to make the dining experience just as memorable as the rides.

The culinary team, led by our new executive chef Wesley Boston, is crafting a new menu that will include authentic Kansas City BBQ with homemade sauce, rotisserie chicken, home-style sides, desserts and more. Healthier options are also expected to be added.

The 9,036 square-foot restaurant will be conveniently located in the Americana section of the park and will feature porch style seating for up to 184 guests. Next door to Cotton Blossom Bar B Que and replacing Pizza Pier, an outdoor seating patio will be built to accommodate up to 132 guests. It will be the largest dining location at Worlds of Fun.

The theming, architecture and name of Cotton Blossom Bar B Que pay tribute to the early days of Worlds of Fun and the three historic boats that opened with the park in 1973 – Henrietta, Cotton Blossom and Victrix. The three boats were previously historic movie props that were purchased at MGM Studios in Hollywood. Henrietta, from the movie Around the World in 80 Days in which the park is themed after (or the novel at least), served as the former park entrance. Boathouse Grill will be located very closely to Henrietta’s former location.

Construction on the new restaurant is expected to start during the offseason. When it opens its doors in the spring of 2019, Cotton Blossom Bar B Que will be Worlds of Fun’s flagship dining location and will be included in the park’s dining plans.

Skyscraper - New for 2019 (The Tracks)

 August 3, 2018
The Tracks Family Fun Parks Announce Plans to Add New Towering Thrill Ride for 2019

Branson, MO -- The Tracks Family Fun Parks recently announced plans to add a new towering thrill ride to their Track 3 Fun Park on 76 Country Music Blvd near the entrance to the Tanger Outlet Malls.  The $600,000 addition is to stand close to 160 feet tall in the air and reach speeds of 60mph.

Described as a "ferris wheel on steroids," the ride features two propeller arms that rotate up to 10 rotations per minute.  Riders will be seated in pairs at the ends of the arms and will then be rotated around the central axis at a diameter of about 160 feet at speeds reaching 60mph.

The new ride is set to begin construction in early January and will be placed inside the footprint of the already built "Rookie Track."  The park plans to have the ride ready for the Spring Break crowds in March.