originally posted on 7/14/2023
All Photos: Paul Drabek. View full-sized image.
When Worlds of Fun’s (Kansas City, Missouri) original Zambezi Zinger was removed from the park in 1997, it left a significant hole. Gone was an iconic coaster that was a big part of the Worlds of Fun experience since the park’s opening in 1973. The original Zambezi Zinger was a Schwarzkopf custom Speed Racer with a spiral lift hill, zippy layout, low-to-the-ground turns and a tunnel. In the decades since the Zinger left the park for Colombia, where it now resides as Montaña Rusa at Parque del Café (Montenegro, Quindio), park personnel maintain it is the ride guests most wish would be brought back.
Like the original 1973 Anton Schwarzkopf Zambezi Zinger that now operates in South America, the modern incarnation of the coaster begins with a spiral lift hill.
View full-sized image.
With that in mind as Worlds of Fun began planning a ride for the park’s 50th anniversary, it was a very easy decision to recreate a modern version of the beloved Zambezi Zinger. Working with Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII) and Skyline Attractions, ground clearing began in the summer of 2022 — well before the announcement of a new ride. With the same location being used, it became obvious something connected to the Zambezi Zinger was being planned, and eventually it was announced that a new version of the ride would debut for the 2023 season.
Beginning with a first drop off the top of the lift structure, Zambezi Zinger’s Infinity Flyer trains navigate a tightly-packed course featuring many curves and directional changes.
When Worlds of Fun opened for the season, work was still ongoing to bring Zambezi Zinger to life. By May, the internet lit up with videos of Zambezi Zinger’s new Infinity Flyer trains making their way up the coaster’s spiral lift hill and speeding around the 2,428 feet of wood and steel track. The park had planned on opening the ride for Memorial Day weekend (and for the annual ACE Around the World event), but at the last minute that plan was canceled due to parts needed to open the ride at capacity being delayed half a world away. The news was disappointing, but as the old wine advertisement used to say, “We will sell no wine before its time.” In this case, GCII, Skyline Attractions and Worlds of Fun needed a little more time to get Zambezi Zinger ready.
While primarily a wood coaster – the only North American installation of one during the 2023 season – Zambezi Zinger was constructed with a significant amount of steel track that is expected to reduce maintenance needs in the future.
Friday, June 15, was set as the ride’s opening day, and with the sun rising over Worlds of Fun’s Serengeti area, enthusiasts, media, local dignitaries and those who earned the opportunity to be among the first riders on Zambezi Zinger prepared for the reimagined classic. Following speeches about the importance of bringing Zambezi Zinger back to Worlds of Fun and a presentation of checks to Children’s Mercy Kansas City and the Big Slick Kansas City charity for juvenile cancer research raised by the first riders, a few snips of the ribbon signaled it was time for Zambezi Zinger to open.
The opening of Zambezi Zinger was celebrated by the presentation of checks to two local charities: Children’s Mercy Kansas City and Big Slick Kansas City.
View full-sized image.
Quickly ascending the spiral lift gives riders a chance to take in views of the layout before speeding over the edge. Like the original, the modern incarnation of Zambezi Zinger sends trains through a turnaround after the first drop that is followed up by a section of track that wraps around the spiral lift hill. From there the train speeds toward the Worlds of Fun Railroad before popping over the track and diving down the hillside for the coaster’s second act.
Zambezi Zinger features two Great Coasters International, Inc. Infinity Flyer trains.
View full-sized image.
This section is where Zambezi Zinger really starts to shine. With a turning radius just shy of nine feet, the coaster’s Infinity Flyer trains are put through their paces with tight turn after tight turn. Zambezi Zinger whips riders back and forth as it winds downhill – a delight for fans of laterals. Paying homage to the original, a tunnel was included in the design and features a corrugated tin roof to accentuate its roar. After winding back and forth, Zambezi Zinger finally heads back toward the railroad, this time passing under a trestle and heading into the brake run.
Also like its predecessor, Zambezi Zinger’s second half is dominated by speedy low-to-the-ground maneuvers.
Zambezi Zinger is not quite the family coaster the park initially promoted, but the ride is a lot of fun and is a stellar addition to Worlds of Fun. With Zambezi Zinger now open for business, it’s time for enthusiasts to head to Worlds of Fun for their own excursions into the wilds of Africa. If a trip is not possible this year, ACE Around the World takes place next year on May 25, and Worlds of Fun will co-host ACE’s Preservation Conference on August 16-18, 2024, along with Lost Island and Adventureland In Iowa.
— Paul Drabek, ACE Heart of America Regional Representative
#ACENews