The Great Pumpkin Fest at Worlds of Fun and Why we LOVE It!

Worlds of Fun is one of our favorite family attractions. Autumn means it is time for The Great Pumpkin Fest... a child-friendly celebration of Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang! Snoopy is my favorite dog and, it just doesn't feel like fall without enjoying It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! as a family. As PEANUTS fans, we love celebrating the season with Snoopy and the gang at Worlds of Fun.

For the younger and/or more sensitive members of your crew, make a daytime visit to celebrate The Great Pumpkin Fest, a scare-free fun event sure to please the whole family! Throughout Saturday and Sunday from 11AM-5PM visitors trick or treat in Planet Snoopy and enjoy scare-free fun.

Note: Planet Snoopy does not open on Friday nights and operates 11am - 10pm on Saturdays through October. Through Halloween, Worlds of Fun hosts Halloween Haunt (staring at 6:30pm each evening), the Midwest’s Largest Halloween Event. This event is hauntingly frightful and not ideal for young children. Haunt is recommended for guests 14+.

The entire park is decorated for the season. Some of the decorations are spooky (for the adult guests to enjoy at night), but most of the decorations on the main paths are fun-spirited. My girls were partial to the giant Wicked Witch shoes!

My girls love the PEANUTS-themed rides in Planet Snoopy and the theme is even more fitting in the fall when the themepark pays homage to the classic It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown with themed decorations and activities. Children are encouraged to wear costumes (we opted against as the day we attended was unseasonably hot outside), and participate in Lucy's Costume Contest at 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Children gather in the Planet Snoopy HQ where the Peanuts gang votes for their favorite costumes, awarding prizes to the winners. 

More seasonal kid-friendly fun includes:

Peppermint Patty's Hay Bale Maze: This hay maze is super simple with just enough twists and turns to be fun. My five-year-old enjoyed finding her way to the finish line and meeting Snoopy the scarecrow along the way.

Linus' Great Pumpkin Patch: My girls loved this. Chidlren ages 12 and younger are invited to find their perfect miniature pumpkin in this cute candy corn themed "patch."

Sally’s Dance Spooktacular: Children are invited to sing and dance with Sally.

PigPen’s Creepy Crafts give children a chance to create crafts in the air-conditioning (we appreciated that), as they make monster paperbag puppets or spiderwebs. The crafts are free with admission.

Tricks NOT Treats: My girls loved trick-or-treating through Planet Snoopy. You'll find decorated houses for the various PEANUTS characters. Children knock on the door and a "hand" mysteriously appears handing out goodies (no one was given a rock... phew!). 

Rides, Rides, Rides! All the great Worlds of Fun rides are open to enjoy all day long. We enjoyed classics and new rides (Falcon's Flight is great for the entire family)! The steam train takes you through a ghost town... where the girls laughed at the antics of the scarecrows along the way!

Some tips for the day:

1. You may bring one sealed bottle of water per person. There are water fountains throughout the park for refills. When we visited, it was especially hot, so they frequently reminded guests over the loud speakers to drink plenty of water. As a mom, I appreciated the reminder for my family.
2. Worlds of Fun offers meal deals so you may get the most bang for your food buck. Look at those packages for the best value for your family. Packages include all season or all day meals or drink refills. This is the best value when eating at the parks.
3. Remember your sunscreen and apply often.
4. Children can be officially measured and receive a wristband within Guest Relations to save time and negate the need to be measured at each ride. Planet Snoopy’s 20+ attractions require a minimum of 36”.
5. You may bring a stroller or wagon if needed for your family, or they have them for rent as well.
6. You'll find the best value on Worlds of Fun tickets if you purchase them online in advance.
7. You may bring a picnic and eat at picnic spaces in the parking lot. This requires exiting and re-entering the park with a handstamp.
8. The Worlds of Fun app provides information including ride height requirements, a map, and show schedules.
9. Check the Worlds of Fun Calendar for special events and show times.