Fort Fun

All about the rides at Marriott's GREAT AMERICA and post-Marriott rides, too
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dth1971
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Fort Fun

Post by dth1971 »

Who remembers the kids play area Fort Fun at Marriott's Great America?
segerken
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Fort Fun

Post by segerken »

I worked the first few weeks of the first season that Fort Fun was open in Santa Clara. That is I worked there until I was able to transfer to my old ride Loggers Run.

KTVU, Channel 2, had a special event at Fort FUN either on Fort Fun's opening day or it might have been a preopening event. Pat McCormick who was the current weather person for the station and had previously hosted a little kids puppet show. I overheard a comment that he said to one of his kids that I though funny since he once had a kids show. The comment was something like, "Isn't this place stupid?".
dth1971
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Fort Fun

Post by dth1971 »

Among the things at Marriott's Great America Fort Fun:
Punching Bag Forest
Ball Crawl
Cloud Bounce
Upside Down House
King of the Hill
Cable Slides
King of the Hill
Patchwork puppet theatre
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Tanya
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Post by Tanya »

I hated working the ball crawl. The littlest kids didn't understand when time was up and you had to crawl in there and pull them out. I had the privilege (if you would call it that) to work in Kids Kingdom (what once was Fort Fun) during the season that MGA stayed open through the winter. So add sticky candy canes from Santa Claus to the ball crawl, fun! New Year's Eve brought frozen water to the boats that you sailed (can't remember what that was called). My lead forgot to rotate me and left me in that freezing water for hours.
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redfishpaw
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Post by redfishpaw »

I also recall a wooden maze that people could walk through. It was small and only lasted a couple years.
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Tanya
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Post by Tanya »

Here is a picture of Fort Fun from 1980
Image
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redfishpaw
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Post by redfishpaw »

Very cool aerial view from Sky Whirl. I can even see the maze bottom center. Thanks!
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sfgam
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by sfgam »

Where exactly was Fort Fun? My family said that i used to have so much fun there. When did it close?
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Tanya
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by Tanya »

They changed it up and renamed it Kid Kingdom (that's when I worked there). I haven't been to the park in years and don't know what's there now. The last I knew there was a Hanna Barbara merry-go-round at the entrance. It's across from the flume rides.


Wow... it's probably been 15 years since I've been there...
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sfgam
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by sfgam »

What about at the Gurnee park?
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Tanya
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by Tanya »

I've never been to the Gurnee park.
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Demonlover13
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by Demonlover13 »

Don't quote me on this but I think Gurnee's Fort Fun is now Bugs Bunny National Park
I need a great day this year, or 2, or 30!
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sfgam
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by sfgam »

That's what I'm thinking. From the picture, that's what it seems like.
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RLAiello
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by RLAiello »

The Gurnee Park's "Fort Fun" became "Bugs Bunny Land" a couple years after Six Flags bought the park in 1984. Not a whole lot changed from the original "Fort Fun," aside from a different entrance theme ("Fort Fun" looked exactly like what it sounds like.. a wooden klondike-era fort) and a few changes to the attractions-- the punching bags changed from red and blue bags to carrots, and a few of the rides changed to Looney Toons-themed names. The area was expanded in around the late 1980s when they removed the Yukon Yahoo and created more attractions in that area.

In 1997, the area was completely overhauled and became Looney Toons National Park. Most of the original Fort Fun attractions were removed and a rustic park theme was given to the area.

I just looked at the Six Flags Great America website and Looney Toons National Park is no longer listed as one of the kids areas (Camp Cartoon, formerly Camp Cartoon Network, is still there). So I wonder if the Little Dipper is actually taking over the ENTIRE area where Fort Fun/BBL/LTNP used to be?

Anyway, that's what I know!
Rick Aiello
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RLAiello
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Re: Fort Fun

Post by RLAiello »

The Gurnee Park's "Fort Fun" became "Bugs Bunny Land" a couple years after Six Flags bought the park in 1984. Not a whole lot changed from the original "Fort Fun," aside from a different entrance theme ("Fort Fun" looked exactly like what it sounds like.. a wooden klondike-era fort) and a few changes to the attractions-- the punching bags changed from red and blue bags to carrots, and a few of the rides changed to Looney Toons-themed names. The area was expanded in around the late 1980s when they removed the Yukon Yahoo and created more attractions in that area.

In 1997, the area was completely overhauled and became Looney Toons National Park. Most of the original Fort Fun attractions were removed and a rustic park theme was given to the area.

I just looked at the Six Flags Great America website and Looney Toons National Park (more recently Bugs Bunny National Park) is no longer listed as one of the kids areas (Camp Cartoon, formerly Camp Cartoon Network, is still there). So I wonder if the Little Dipper is actually taking over the ENTIRE area where Fort Fun/BBL/LTNP used to be?

Anyway, that's what I know!
Rick Aiello
SFGAm Employee 1988-1999
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