Worlds of Fun is introducing two new rides to its 2017 line up, along with announcing a Winter Fest Celebration.
The “Falcon’s Flight” lifts riders up to a 100 feet in the air and spins and rides at the same time, holding more than 50 riders at a time. The “Mustang Runner” is a gondola ride, which turns one way from the base while spinning riders in the opposite direction.
The announcement of the new rides comes less than two weeks since the death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab, who died while riding the world’s tallest water slide at Schlitterbahn.
The General Manager of Worlds of Fun said there have been no changes to inspection protocol since the tragic death of Schwab, but that inspection protocol has always been top of mind.
“It’s annual inspections, it’s third-party inspections, it’s state inspections. The manufacturer specifies a lot of what we are supposed to do both on a monthly basis, bi-weekly basis, and daily basis, and we do all those. We meet all of those criteria,” said GM Frank Wilburn.
Wilburn said the two new rides have been used at parks in the past. Steelhawk had a troubled history before coming to Worlds of Fun and has broken down twice this summer, leaving riders stranded hundreds of feet in the air.
The 41 Action News Investigators read through inspection reports for the past three years. Only minor issues were found. All rides passed inspection.
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Ali Hoxie can be reached at ali.hoxie@kshb.com
