A week after Worlds of Fun brawl, teens return to park hoping to be left unsupervised

A large brawl April 20 at Worlds of Fun didn’t deter youths on Saturday from flocking back to the park, which draws crowds of tweens and teens every summer for its fun and games, stomach-lurching thrills and the sense of freedom enjoyed by those left unsupervised.

Security was stepped up at the park Saturday night, with Clay County sheriff’s deputies and security posted along pathways.

Officers occasionally had to shout at kids to stop running and responded to minor calls, such as when someone tripped and fell. But there were no signs of major trouble.

It was a much different scene from the week before, when an off-duty deputy was forced to call for help as multiple fights broke out. In the ensuing melee, a witness described 10 to 15 different fights and captured video of a rowdy scene.

Multiple police agencies responded to the park to restore order. One of them, the Kansas City Police Department, estimated 300 youths involved in the disturbance, though park officials argued the true number was smaller.

No injuries were reported. One teen was issued a citation and nine minors ended up banned from the park.

For days after, some questioned the park’s practice of allowing teens to visit unsupervised.

It’s something many teens say they don’t want to see changed. Many of them have seen the video of the fight the week before and were not worried for their safety.

Twelve-year-old Tye said the brawl was “cool but a bad thing.” Before arriving at the park, he said, his dad told him to go to the gates if a riot started.

He was among a group of kids sitting on a bench, eating and hanging out, amid the screams emanating from roller coasters and the music blaring from a Ferris wheel. The group included six middle-school friends from Kearney and Easton, Missouri.

They, like many of the park’s visitors Saturday, had been dropped off by their parents. The park doesn’t have age requirements at the gates.

Tye’s friend Brooklyn, also 12, said she was worried the park may change its rules and require visitors under a certain age to be accompanied by an adult. She didn’t like that idea because it is “cool to be without your parents.”

They can choose what they want to do and go at their own pace, she said.

Enacting such a rule would likely squelch the sense of independence many young visitors feel, especially those who hold season passes and frequent the park on a regular basis. Tye said his family has a season pass and he comes to the park nearly every day in the summer.

The basic season pass, which grants unlimited summer visits at Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun, starts at $118.

Anna, 14, spent the day at the park with two of her friends, Mia, 15, and Kate, 14, all of Overland Park. The trio was celebrating Kate’s upcoming birthday.

Kate said they come to the park for special occasions. Of security, she said, “I’ve seen a good amount from when I’ve been here,” compared to past visits.

Anna explained the fights succinctly.

“Teenagers are stupid,” she said.

Twelve-year-old Sasha bounced around the park with her cousin to hit “the big rides” like the Mamba. She said she noticed “there’s a lot more security.”

However, Sasha said, most days she visits the park is calm. She opposes any rule that would require a parent’s presence at the park.

Worlds of Fun and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said last week that they were reviewing the April 20 incident together.

The sheriff’s office said it would make recommendations, but any security changes would come from the park and its management company Cedar Fair. The park hasn’t indicated any significant policy changes will be implemented.

As dusk fell Saturday and the temperature dropped into the upper 40s, some visitors lined up for hot chocolate while others began filing out.

Sisters Becca and Brooklyn, who had been dropped off at the park earlier, walked out to the parking lot to find their ride home. They said Worlds of Fun was intended to be a family-friendly place and that they didn’t think there would be adjustments to the rules because the park would end up losing business.

Tara Dorsey exited the park with her two daughters, ages 7 and 10. Dorsey said she noticed the “amped up security.”

As a self-described overprotective parent, Dorsey said she was unsure if she would let her children come to the park unaccompanied when they are older.

At the start of the season, Worlds of Fun has been operating on a limited schedule. Starting May 10, according to the park’s calendar, it will be open every day through August 12.

This story was originally published April 28, 2019 at 2:20 PM.