Defunctland: The History of World's of Fun's Orient Express

[MahiMike]

Originally Posted by burt

I worked at Worlds of Fun from 1977 to 1983. I started out as a ride operator, and finished as a Ride Operations Supervisor. I just wonder how many of y'all I saw running around that park. We often did "doubles".. 1 shift on your daily ride then another at another ride. I had worked at almost every ride at one point.

Interestingly enough, they don't discuss the tragedies that happened there. The kid that got killed by the Scream Roller, and a head trauma on the Schushboomer, the park employee that just missed being killed but lost a leg, are the only 3 that I remember well

It was a great place to meet girls. Back then, about 3000 seasonal employees, half were young women, just out from under their parents thumb and very sexually curious. It was a glorious time!

This opened when I was a kid and was located 2 miles from our house. Both my sister and I worked there.

I worked 6 days a week/70 hrs as a "grounds squirrel", making $2.00/hr. I would go on my only day off to ride the rides for free.

I remember fondly my days working there. After the park closed we drove the dumpsters in a train of 3 using same tow vehicles as the airport. I learned how to back up trailers and all kinds of useful stuff.

It's where I learned to pick up chicks and make out behind the dumpsters. The restaurants would leave fresh bags of leftovers for us to chow down.

It's the kinds of story that only existed back in those days. I feel 'lucky' to have been alive then and make $2.00/hr. Really like a movie...

...I'm tearing up.