Next year Worlds of Fun will reach fifty years of business, and to celebrate it is bringing back one of its most legendary roller coasters: the Zambezi Zinger.
At the time of Worlds of Fun’s opening in 1973, the Zambezi Zinger was one of the most popular rides at the park. Now to be reimagined in its original spot in the Africa-themed section of the park, the ride will incorporate several new modernizations from its initial form.
And though the ride left Kansas City in 1997, it didn’t disappear off the face of the earth. KCUR reported that the very same coaster has shown up in the Parque Nacional del Café theme park in Quindío, Colombia. With subtle differences, now called La Broca and colored with red, blue and yellow instead of its original green. (We reported on this for our Secrets of the City package back in 2020.)
Though La Broca carries intense similarities to the ride’s original form, the reimagined Zambezi Zinger in Kansas City is looking to up the thrill factor.
The Zambezi Zinger will travel 2,428 feet at forty-five miles an hour, taking approximately two minutes. The coaster’s designers at Great Coasters International and Skyline Attractions included a Hybrid Titan Track and Infinity Flyer Trains, newer innovations that are expected to up the thrill of the ride. The coaster will also be towering seventy-four feet tall, which is seventeen feet higher than the original.
The Worlds of Fun website promises a thrilling experience, “Packed with several moments of airtime, banked turns and quick transitions.”
Designed in mind with similarities to the original coaster—like the spiral lift hill at the start, the mid-course tunnel and the low-to-the-ground track—the new ride is sure to catch the nostalgic hearts of long-time park attendees. However, it will also draw in a new generation of thrill-seekers with its brand-new features.
