Oceans of Fun

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Oceans of Fun
Oceans of Fun logo.png
Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun Aerial (52469718251).jpg
Aerial view of the Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun parks (Oceans of Fun is the lower one)
SloganSlide On!
Location Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Coordinates 39°10′14″N94°28′57″W / 39.17058°N 94.482422°W / 39.17058; -94.482422
Owner Six Flags
OpenedMay 31, 1982;42 years ago (1982-05-31)
Operating seasonMay through Mid-September
Area64 acres (260,000 m2)
Water slides10 water slides
Website Official website

Oceans of Fun is a tropically themed water park that opened on May 31, 1982, in Kansas City, Missouri, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adjacent Worlds of Fun amusement park. When it opened, it was the largest water park in the state of Missouri. It is owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.

Contents

History

On August 31, 2012, Oceans of Fun announced the largest-ever expansion in 2013. It was also announced that Worlds of Fun will no longer be separately gated and be combined with Oceans of Fun. A new slide complex, 65 feet (20 m) tall will also be built including 6 new slides. The water park will be completely renovated, and construction began in 2012. [1] In 2015, Oceans of Fun added swan boats to Buccaneer Bay and Splash Island. [2] In 2019, the park announced that Diamond Head would be closed at the end of the season. The removal of the slide will make way for Riptide Raceway, a mat racing slide. On November 6, 2019, it was announced that Riptide Raceway will be the world's longest slide of its kind coming in at 486 feet long. [3]

On April 15, 2023, the park implemented a chaperone policy. It means that 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. [4]

Slides and attractions

RideOpenedHeight RequirementStyleRating [5]
Aruba Tuba1993Over 42" (under 60" requires a lifejacket)Inner tube slide3
Captain Kidd's1996Under 54"Interactive pirate ship for children1
Caribbean Cooler1987Over 42" (under 48" requires a lifejacket, under 42" must be accompanied by adult) Lazy river 2
Castaway Cove198221 years or olderAdult restaurant, pool, and swim-up bar1
Coconut Cove1992Over 42" (under 60" requires a lifejacket, under 42" must be accompanied by adult)Family2
Constrictor2013Over 48"Enclosed slide5
Crocodile Isle1989Under 54"Water playground for children1
Hurricane Falls1999Over 46"Inner tube slide5
Paradise Falls2003Over 40" for large slides(Between 36" and 48" for small slides)Interactive play structure2
Predator's Plunge2013Over 48" Drop-launch capsule slides 5
Riptide Raceway2021Over 42"Enclosed mat racing slide4
Shark's Revenge2013Over 48"Enclosed slide5
Splash Island2015Between 40" and 54"Interactive kid's area1
Surf City Wave Pool1982Over 42" (under 52" requires a lifejacket, under 42" must be accompanied by adult)A wave pool with a maximum depth of six feet (altered from eight feet after the 2019 season).4
Typhoon1983Over 48"Racing slide4

Incidents

Trey Wallace

On August 24, 2019, a pair of guests in the eight foot section of the one million gallon wave pool summoned lifeguards to enter the water to retrieve the submerged victim, 14-year-old Trey Wallace, who had been under water for sixteen minutes. Though EMTs were able to regain a pulse, Trey Wallace was declared brain dead a week later after his 15th birthday. His organs were donated. In the wrongful death lawsuit which followed, the park settled with the Wallace Family for an unspecified sum. No member of the Aquatics Leadership Team was held accountable for their actions that day.

Adeline Stewart

On July 5, 2022, CPR was performed after extrication on a girl, 6-year-old Adeline Stewart, pulled from Coconut Cove at Oceans of Fun. [6] One eyewitness reported foam coming from her mouth and nose during CPR. The Coconut Cove section of the park was shut down after the incident. On July 12, 2022, media reports indicated that the, "guest in distress", had died from her injuries. A "guest in distress", a term used by Ellis and Associates, the lifeguard certification system in use at Oceans of Fun, for any individual that has been brought out of the water by a lifeguard, in preference to a, "victim", or, "a drowning victim".

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References

  1. "Worlds of Fun Has Big Plans for 2013 Season". NewsPlusNotes. August 31, 2012.
  2. H, Mike (August 26, 2014). "Worlds of Fun Announces New Water Park Addition for 2015". NewsPlusNotes. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  3. "New Oceans of Fun Slide to Set World Record".
  4. "Code of Conduct & Policies | Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun". www.worldsoffun.com. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  5. Ratings assigned per Worlds of Fun's own system, where "1" is the least intense and "5" is the most. See their "Guest Assistance Guide" (PDF). Worlds of Fun. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2012. for more specific details.
  6. Cronkleton, Robert (July 18, 2022). "After young girl injured at Oceans of Fun died, the water park made this safety change". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved July 19, 2022.