Prowler is a wooden roller coaster at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri, built by Great Coasters International (GCI) and opened to the public on May 2, 2009. Tucked into the park’s Africa section behind the Zulu attraction, the $8 million ride was the second wooden coaster to open at Worlds of Fun, following Timber Wolf.
Designed as a terrain wood twister, Prowler winds through wooded, uneven ground rather than a flat open lot, giving the layout a naturalistic, out-and-back feel. The ride earned the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride in 2009 and has consistently placed among the top-ranked wooden coasters in the world since its debut.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri)
- Manufacturer: Great Coasters International (GCI)
- Opened: May 2, 2009
- Height: About 102.3 feet
- Top speed: About 51.2 mph
- Length: About 3,074 feet
- Inversions: 0
- Drop: About 85.9 feet
The Ride Experience
Riders climb a slow lift hill above the treetops before dropping into a sharp 180-degree turn that launches the train into a series of diagonal twists and airtime-filled hills. The wooded terrain setting means the track banks and dips with the natural contours of the land, making each turn feel tighter and faster than the stats alone suggest.
Prowler runs two Millennium Flyer trains, each seating 24 riders two-across in 12 cars, giving it a capacity of about 850 riders per hour. The full circuit takes roughly two and a half minutes, blending classic wooden-coaster air time with the smoother ride quality GCI’s train design is known for.
History and Recognition
Worlds of Fun announced Prowler on September 1, 2008, as its second wooden coaster after 1989’s Timber Wolf, and the $8 million ride opened the following spring. It quickly drew praise from the enthusiast community, winning the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride in 2009 and landing among the top ten wooden coasters worldwide in that year’s rankings.
More than a decade later, Prowler remains a signature attraction in the park’s Africa-themed section, valued by coaster fans for its terrain-hugging layout and sustained airtime moments rather than sheer height or speed records.
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Prowler FAQs
Who manufactured Prowler at Worlds of Fun?
Prowler was designed and built by Great Coasters International (GCI), a manufacturer known for terrain-based wooden coasters.
How tall and fast is Prowler?
Prowler stands about 102.3 feet tall with an 85.9-foot first drop and reaches a top speed of around 51.2 mph.
Does Prowler have any inversions?
No, Prowler is a traditional out-and-back wooden coaster with no inversions, focusing instead on airtime hills and sharp turns.
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Photo: Moonraker0022 at English Wikipedia / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.