Great Coasters International today shared a first look video of a test run on its new Zambezi Zinger coaster, opening soon at Worlds of Fun, near Kansas City.
Carrying the name of the old Schwarzkopf coaster that ran at the park until 1997, GCI's new Zambezi Zinger is a hybrid coaster with 2,482 feet on a steel and wood frame, with a top speed of 45 mph, but it keeps the original's iconic spiral lift hill design. Let's take a ride, courtesy Great Coasters International.
For tickets starting at $43, please see our partner's Worlds of Fun tickets page.
And for more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.
Is it me or is there a random brief section of track that is entirely steel?
Anyway, looks like a fantastic coaster and addition to that park!
Super smooth, what a cook little coaster.
@the_man2 - I noticed that too, and I think that is part of the coaster that is Titan Track, though it's odd that there is no railing to allow maintenance to walk the track.
We're hoping the park is able to complete testing over the next few weeks, because we have a trip to Kansas City planned over Memorial Day Weekend. Looks like it will be a close call if this coaster will be open for our visit at the end of the month.
My very first thought, JHC.
I'm also assuming this version of the Zambezi Zinger will include seat belts where the first version did not!
@TwoBits - Not all recently installed GCIs have seat belts (InvadR, Texas Stingray, and Wicker Man don't), so I don't think it's a sure thing that this will have seat belts.
i've had mixed emotions about this ride. first of all, i've been to WoF fairly often the last 5 years and it's such a wonderful park but just needs a shot or 2 in the arm. as much as i love that they are paying tribute to the zambezi zinger, a ride that i have very fond memories of, this park is screaming for a steel launch coaster of some kind, so getting a third woodie was a letdown imo. i would rather have seen them RMC timber wolf which i finally got a ride on last year and was sorry i did. that was the roughest coaster i think i've ever been on. but it is what it is and from the video, this looks like a solid ride, especially that insane 4th drop. as i said, mixed emotions about this one and i certainly hope WoF doesn't have to wait another decade and a half to get something truly great like a mack or intamin launch coaster.
@Russell: I should clarify I didn't mean seat belts specifically, but any restraints at all. The original Zambezi Zinger had ZERO restraints. Riders straddled a single padded bench seat with at least three (and sometimes four) riders per car.
https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/article264429831.html
While this does look like a fun ride, it doesn't seem to bring anything new that can't be found on other GCI rides, so I'm curious how well it will do for the park when placed directly adjacent to Prowler. I'm looking forward to trying it out on a trip next month to see how GCI's new track and trains ride, and hopefully this will lead to other Cedar Fair parks in need of a wood coaster installing one sooner rather than later.
AJ, I do agree with you when taken as a ride by itself. However, naming it Zambezi Zinger is definitely going to make it a popular ride for older folks like myself simply for the nostalgia, even if it isn't much like the original beyond the spiral lift (really wish they would have rebuilt the tunnel).
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
Where's the tunnel?