‘Zambezi Zinger’ name returns to Worlds of Fun as part of 50th Anniversary celebration
The Zambezi Zinger, a familiar name to many Kansas Citians, will be returning to Worlds of Fun as the amusement park celebrates its 50th anniversary next season, the theme park announced Thursday.
A re-imagined Zambezi Zinger roller coaster, built on a hybrid structure of galvanized steel and wood, will be part of the park’s rides next year. The new coaster is a nod to the original Zambezi Zinger, which was one of the park’s three coasters when Worlds of Fun opened in 1973.
The new coaster will be 2,482 feet long and will reach speeds of 45 mph. The ride will last two minutes, according to the Worlds of Fun website. Riders will drop from an “iconic spiral lift hill into a low-to-the-ground track that races through the trees and terrain of the African Serengeti.”
The ride, designed by Great Coasters International and Skyline Attractions, features several moments of airtime, banked turns and quick transitions. There will be two trains with 16 riders per train.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas welcomed the news.
“The Zambezi Zinger is coming back!” Lucas said on Twitter. “Thank you for letting us temporarily regain that little bit of childhood @worldsoffun.”
The original roller coaster, which had cars configured in a bobsled style, was one of the park’s most popular rides. The new Zambezi Zinger will be in the same location in the heart of the Africa section of the park. Riders will use the same queue building which has been updated.
The new roller coaster will feature side-by-side seating and will stand at 74 feet high at its tallest point. That’s nearly 20 feet taller than the original coaster.
The original Zinger was dismantled in 1997 and was sold to a broker. It later got new life as the Montaña Rusa at El Parque Nacional del Café in Montenegro, Colombia. The theme park continues to list the ride as one of its attractions.
Worlds of Fun has released video showing the rider’s point-of-view of the new coaster on its website.
The new roller coaster will be part of a season-long celebration, which will include “50 Nights of Fire,” a stage show featuring top 40 hits from 1973 to 2023 along with a finale filled with pyrotechnics.
“Our 50th Anniversary celebration will give our guests the opportunity to reflect on and share all their fond memories of the park, and we will help them do that in a variety of ways,” said Tony Carovillano, vice president and general manager.
“At the same time, we will be introducing them to entirely new experiences. The park is being re-themed so that everything our guests see and experience will help them feel like they are truly on an adventure around the world.”
The park sees the re-imagined Zambezi Zinger as a way to connect its past to its future.
