Zambezi Zinger is a wooden hybrid roller coaster at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri, built by Great Coasters International (GCI) with design work from Skyline Attractions. It opened to the public on June 19, 2023, replacing the park’s former Dinosaurs Alive! attraction in the park’s Africa-themed section.
The ride revives the name of the park’s original Zambezi Zinger, a Schwarzkopf steel coaster that thrilled guests from 1973 until 1997 before being relocated out of the park. The new version pays homage to that history with a spiral lift hill and a mid-course tunnel reminiscent of the original layout, while giving riders an entirely new wood-and-steel-hybrid experience.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Worlds of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri
- Manufacturer: Great Coasters International (GCI)
- Opened: June 19, 2023
- Height: 74 feet
- Top speed: 45 mph
- Length: 2,428 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Riders board GCI’s Infinity Flyer trains at a safari-themed station styled as ‘Adventure Safari Tours,’ complete with crates, posters, and animal statues along the queue. The coaster climbs a distinctive spiral lift hill built with GCI’s steel Titan Track before dropping into a layout that mixes traditional wooden track with steel sections through the tighter curves.
Over its roughly two-minute run, the coaster delivers quick, whippy transitions and notable airtime, especially in the back row, as it winds through a themed tour of the African Serengeti within the park’s Africa section.
A Nod to the Original
The 2023 Zambezi Zinger was built specifically to honor the park’s original steel Zambezi Zinger, a Schwarzkopf coaster that operated at Worlds of Fun from 1973 to 1997 before being removed and later relocated to Colombia. The new ride reuses the original queue building and references the classic coaster’s spiral lift and tunnel elements as a nostalgic touch for longtime park visitors.
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Zambezi Zinger FAQs
Is Zambezi Zinger a wooden or steel coaster?
It’s a hybrid: most of the track is traditional wood built by Great Coasters International, but the spiral lift hill and a few tight curves use GCI’s steel Titan Track.
How tall do you have to be to ride Zambezi Zinger?
Riders must be at least 48 inches (122 cm) tall.
Is this the same coaster as the original Zambezi Zinger?
No. The original Zambezi Zinger was a Schwarzkopf steel coaster that ran from 1973 to 1997. The current ride, opened in 2023, is an entirely new GCI wooden hybrid coaster built to honor that original ride’s name and legacy.
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Photo: Thrills Raw Footage / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.