I rode the new Zambezi Zinger coaster at Worlds of Fun. Here’s what you can expect

After months of construction and a three-week delay to finish final testing, the Zambezi Zinger is finally open at Worlds of Fun.

The amusement park opened the ride for winners of the Big Slick KC First Rider Expedition fundraiser and the media on Friday. Season pass holders are next in line for Saturday and Sunday, and then the general public will get to ride the reimagined roller coaster on Monday.

It’s a nod to the original Zambezi Zinger, which was one of the park’s three coasters from opening day in 1973. The original coaster was torn down in 1997 and sent to Parque Nacional del Café in Montenegro, Quindio, Colombia, where it still operates under the name La Broca.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, park mascots Snoopy and Charlie Brown appeared decked out in safari gear, setting the tone for a good time.

I could feel the energy in the air as I waited in line. Seeing the cars go up the coaster in a loop and hearing the screams as they dropped got me amped to ride and eased my nerves.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. I haven’t been on a roller coaster in about five years, and the last time I went to Worlds of Fun, my family hung around Planet Snoopy, the kids section, since we took my little sister for her first time.

In line, I met Lisa McKinzy, her husband, Ivie, and their daughter, Ally, who were there to ride with me after winning a Big Slick raffle. The trio made me even more excited. Lisa McKinzy was the most nervous because she said she hadn’t been to Worlds of Fun in 15 years.

It was about a 10-minute wait in line with a crowd of around 150 people, including many who rode the coaster as many times as possible before the park shut it down at 10 a.m.

HOW WAS THE NEW ZAMBEZI ZINGER?

I didn’t get the chance to ride the original Zambezi Zinger, since I was born one year after it closed in 1997, so this was my first experience with the ride that was some of my coworkers’ favorite growing up.

While I’m a big fan of The Patriot at Worlds of Fun, I think I have a new coaster at the top spot.

The Zambezi Zinger starts with a metal spiral lift hill, taking you upwards 74 feet in the air. I rode with Jes McAdam-Sellers, the assistant general manager and director of food and beverage at Worlds of Fun, and he told me the spiral is the only one of its kind in the world.

The drop is intense, and then the speed picks up. It didn’t give me enough time to process the fact that I just dropped around 55 feet before being lifted up by the winding course that’s low to the ground.

The ride reaches speeds of up to 45 miles per hour, but it definitely felt faster. It packed a lot of excitement – from a dramatic rise to a quick fall – in just under two minutes.

The many twists and turns, and even a few smaller lifts and drops, keep you on the edge. I held on to the secure bar not for safety, but because I was right in front of the GoPro and didn’t want to mess up the footage.

It’s not exactly one of those rides where if you blink, you’ll miss it, but I think it’s the quickest ride at Worlds of Fun. I’m sure the lines will be long for the season, but it’s a ride visitors will want to ride on multiple times. It’s a thrill seeker’s dream.

McAdam-Sellers tried to make more small talk, but all I could do was hold my breath and yell as the ride took me on a journey.

It’s safe to say I’ll be back to ride again this summer.