New Coaster coming to WOF

Talk about the ever expanding north side of KC.
ericwyner
Strip mall
Strip mall
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:37 pm

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by ericwyner »

aknowledgeableperson wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:43 pm According to my son Adventureland has really fallen on hard times since Covid.
Six Flags and CF aren't doing much better, they close pretty early during the busy summer months
jbean3535
Pad site
Pad site
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:02 pm

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by jbean3535 »

TheLastGentleman wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:50 pm IIRC World’s of Fun’s original “theme” was loosely based on Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne, hence the vaguely international themed ride names and the hot air balloon branding. Seems like that global premise would be an easy one to lean into, and has lots of precedent to look at
Part of their 50th Celebration next year involves them actually leaning back into that (which I really, really appreciate). Like calling your ticket a "passport" again. It's small, but it's a detail that makes it feel a little closer to the theme.

https://www.worldsoffun.com/new-in-2023 ... nniversary
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18142
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by FangKC »

The Story of Worlds of Fun: How a Kansas City Amusement Park Came to Be

https://kcyesterday.com/articles/the-st ... came-to-be
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18142
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by FangKC »

WATCH: What riding the Zambezi Zinger will look like at Words of Fun

https://www.kctv5.com/video/2023/05/18/ ... words-fun/
MidtownCat
Valencia Place
Valencia Place
Posts: 1930
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 12:05 pm
Location: ~Westwood~

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by MidtownCat »

Love that the Zinger is returning!
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18142
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by FangKC »

I wonder why WOF has never built any of its own hotels for guests next to the park.
ericwyner
Strip mall
Strip mall
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 8:37 pm

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by ericwyner »

FangKC wrote: Fri May 26, 2023 3:30 am I wonder why WOF has never built any of its own hotels for guests next to the park.
Cause they aren't open during the winter? They do have an RV park
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18142
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by FangKC »

Even though the park is closed in winter, the hotels could stay open. There are hotels on the other side of the interstate that weren't there until decades after WOF was built.
TheSmokinPun
Western Auto Lofts
Western Auto Lofts
Posts: 540
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:39 am

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by TheSmokinPun »

Already enough hotels in the area plus it's hard to get people to stay all the way out at 435 & Parvin.
User avatar
GRID
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 17083
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:20 pm
Contact:

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by GRID »

Has anybody ridden the new Zambezi Zinger? Youtube reviews by coaster enthusiasts have been pretty poor. They all say it's small, rough, not very thrilling and not very comfortable trains. Plus another woody in a park that already had two but is lacking in many other types of coasters.

I was hoping this ride would lead to more investment. People say that they might be working on a new modern replacement for the Orient Express, but I think if they were going to do that they would have done it first since it would be a bigger investment for the park's 50 year anniversary and it's been so long since WoF had gotten a new coaster. But maybe they really are planning on something.

Always been a fan of WoF. It seems like a park that is like 2-3 rides away from being a really good park and a top tier Cedar Fair park. Hopefully this new coaster is just the beginning of a new wave of investment.
User avatar
TheLastGentleman
Broadway Square
Broadway Square
Posts: 2912
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:27 pm

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by TheLastGentleman »

I haven’t been to WoF in probably over 10 years at this point but I just remember it felt so generic. There should be more theming (The original theme was loosely Around the World in 80 Days, that should be a slam dunk for a theme park), and I think it should be built to have something occur year round. I know they tried something like Christmas caroling(?) a few years ago, and obviously there’s the Halloween celebration but it seems like it should be built to hold a german winter market or somesuch in the dead of winter. Inspiration drawn from kc history like some Electric Park theming or wide-open town aesthetics would go a long way. An international world’s fair crossed with rattletrap victorian KC would be epic.

Just dreaming…
User avatar
im2kull
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3928
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 4:33 pm
Location: KCMO

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by im2kull »

GRID wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 1:54 pm Has anybody ridden the new Zambezi Zinger? Youtube reviews by coaster enthusiasts have been pretty poor. They all say it's small, rough, not very thrilling and not very comfortable trains. Plus another woody in a park that already had two but is lacking in many other types of coasters.

I was hoping this ride would lead to more investment. People say that they might be working on a new modern replacement for the Orient Express, but I think if they were going to do that they would have done it first since it would be a bigger investment for the park's 50 year anniversary and it's been so long since WoF had gotten a new coaster. But maybe they really are planning on something.

Always been a fan of WoF. It seems like a park that is like 2-3 rides away from being a really good park and a top tier Cedar Fair park. Hopefully this new coaster is just the beginning of a new wave of investment.
It's a hybrid coaster. Not a wood coaster.

Of course it's small, "rough" (Though it's not actually rough.. it just tosses you back and forth a lot.. which is a feature. Rough would be the Timberwolf experience), and fast. It's not kid friendly. I'm not sure where everyone got this idea that the new ZZ was going to be anything less than a total thrill. It's an excellent coast, that is fast, tight, windy, gives plenty of air, and has a ton of toss/roll features. The old ZZ was a total kid coaster, but this isn't. Honestly, they shouldn't have named it ZZ because folks instantly assume that means kiddie coaster, when it is in fact the exact opposite. It's a legit coaster.
mister816
Colonnade
Colonnade
Posts: 738
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:18 am
Location: Downtown

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by mister816 »

im2kull wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 7:11 pm
GRID wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 1:54 pm Has anybody ridden the new Zambezi Zinger? Youtube reviews by coaster enthusiasts have been pretty poor. They all say it's small, rough, not very thrilling and not very comfortable trains. Plus another woody in a park that already had two but is lacking in many other types of coasters.

I was hoping this ride would lead to more investment. People say that they might be working on a new modern replacement for the Orient Express, but I think if they were going to do that they would have done it first since it would be a bigger investment for the park's 50 year anniversary and it's been so long since WoF had gotten a new coaster. But maybe they really are planning on something.

Always been a fan of WoF. It seems like a park that is like 2-3 rides away from being a really good park and a top tier Cedar Fair park. Hopefully this new coaster is just the beginning of a new wave of investment.
It's a hybrid coaster. Not a wood coaster.

Of course it's small, "rough" (Though it's not actually rough.. it just tosses you back and forth a lot.. which is a feature. Rough would be the Timberwolf experience), and fast. It's not kid friendly. I'm not sure where everyone got this idea that the new ZZ was going to be anything less than a total thrill. It's an excellent coast, that is fast, tight, windy, gives plenty of air, and has a ton of toss/roll features. The old ZZ was a total kid coaster, but this isn't. Honestly, they shouldn't have named it ZZ because folks instantly assume that means kiddie coaster, when it is in fact the exact opposite. It's a legit coaster.
the lift hill and one turn are made from titan track, the rest is wooden. I know that it's technically a hybrid coaster but it's not a hybrid coaster... 95% or so of the ride is just a standard wooden coaster outside of the lift. Cedar Fair is awesome when they care but they don't care about WOF... I wish they would sell to SeaWorld or something.
User avatar
im2kull
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3928
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 4:33 pm
Location: KCMO

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by im2kull »

mister816 wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 9:50 pm
im2kull wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 7:11 pm
GRID wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 1:54 pm Has anybody ridden the new Zambezi Zinger? Youtube reviews by coaster enthusiasts have been pretty poor. They all say it's small, rough, not very thrilling and not very comfortable trains. Plus another woody in a park that already had two but is lacking in many other types of coasters.

I was hoping this ride would lead to more investment. People say that they might be working on a new modern replacement for the Orient Express, but I think if they were going to do that they would have done it first since it would be a bigger investment for the park's 50 year anniversary and it's been so long since WoF had gotten a new coaster. But maybe they really are planning on something.

Always been a fan of WoF. It seems like a park that is like 2-3 rides away from being a really good park and a top tier Cedar Fair park. Hopefully this new coaster is just the beginning of a new wave of investment.
It's a hybrid coaster. Not a wood coaster.

Of course it's small, "rough" (Though it's not actually rough.. it just tosses you back and forth a lot.. which is a feature. Rough would be the Timberwolf experience), and fast. It's not kid friendly. I'm not sure where everyone got this idea that the new ZZ was going to be anything less than a total thrill. It's an excellent coast, that is fast, tight, windy, gives plenty of air, and has a ton of toss/roll features. The old ZZ was a total kid coaster, but this isn't. Honestly, they shouldn't have named it ZZ because folks instantly assume that means kiddie coaster, when it is in fact the exact opposite. It's a legit coaster.
the lift hill and one turn are made from titan track, the rest is wooden. I know that it's technically a hybrid coaster but it's not a hybrid coaster... 95% or so of the ride is just a standard wooden coaster outside of the lift. Cedar Fair is awesome when they care but they don't care about WOF... I wish they would sell to SeaWorld or something.
I thought the whole thing was running on Titan track?

Also, wasn't TW retracked to Titan track?
User avatar
GRID
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 17083
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:20 pm
Contact:

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by GRID »

So even the reviews here seem a bit mixed. At least it's an additional coaster to the park. One or two more and the park will have a respectable amount of good coasters. They need to RMC Timber Wolf. They did that to Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion here near DC and it's an amazing ride now. RMC TW and build a modern version of Orient and WoF will be jump to the top third of CF parks.

I just hope the Zambi increases attendance. It seems like attendance at WoF is the big thing keeping Cedar Fair from investing in the park. But they need to because much of the extended WoF market is getting very competitive with new parks in IA, OK etc which will take away visitors from those areas if Wof doesn't keep up and Branson has become a top tier coaster park as well.
User avatar
Highlander
City Center Square
City Center Square
Posts: 10169
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2004 1:40 pm
Location: Houston

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by Highlander »

im2kull wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 7:11 pm The old ZZ was a total kid coaster, but this isn't. Honestly, they shouldn't have named it ZZ because folks instantly assume that means kiddie coaster, when it is in fact the exact opposite. It's a legit coaster.
When world's of fun opened, ZZ was the premier roller coaster at the park. It was not a kid ride but it was unusual because of its seating arrangement where the forward person had to essentially sit in the lap of the person in the back. But definitely not a kiddie ride, particularly by the standards of 1973.

The Schussboomer was the other roller coaster in the park at the time of opening and while it wasn't a kid's ride, was much more benign than the ZZ. In 1976, the Screamroller was added. A thrill ride but it was a short thrill.
User avatar
GRID
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 17083
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:20 pm
Contact:

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by GRID »

I wouldn't call the old ZZ a kids ride at all, but I would call it more of a family friendly ride. It was pretty intense, but not as intense at Orient or the extreme coaster or whatever it was. That seems to be the same with the new one.
moderne
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 5496
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:50 pm
Location: Mount Hope

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by moderne »

The old ZZ seating would not fly now. Passengers literally had some one's bum in their crotch and their own bum on some rando's crotch. Wonder if people ever caught cooties from the ride.
mister816
Colonnade
Colonnade
Posts: 738
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:18 am
Location: Downtown

Re: New Coaster coming to WOF

Post by mister816 »

im2kull wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 11:10 pm
mister816 wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 9:50 pm
im2kull wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 7:11 pm

It's a hybrid coaster. Not a wood coaster.

Of course it's small, "rough" (Though it's not actually rough.. it just tosses you back and forth a lot.. which is a feature. Rough would be the Timberwolf experience), and fast. It's not kid friendly. I'm not sure where everyone got this idea that the new ZZ was going to be anything less than a total thrill. It's an excellent coast, that is fast, tight, windy, gives plenty of air, and has a ton of toss/roll features. The old ZZ was a total kid coaster, but this isn't. Honestly, they shouldn't have named it ZZ because folks instantly assume that means kiddie coaster, when it is in fact the exact opposite. It's a legit coaster.
the lift hill and one turn are made from titan track, the rest is wooden. I know that it's technically a hybrid coaster but it's not a hybrid coaster... 95% or so of the ride is just a standard wooden coaster outside of the lift. Cedar Fair is awesome when they care but they don't care about WOF... I wish they would sell to SeaWorld or something.
I thought the whole thing was running on Titan track?

Also, wasn't TW retracked to Titan track?
nope just the one turn that goes around the lift hill, the rest of it is just a lower quality prowler. it's mediocre at best. it would not have been built in any park that cedar fair actually cared about. and yes, the timberwolf has been retracked but not with titan track
Post Reply