Worlds of Fun
Kansas City, Missouri
Zambezi Zinger Construction
April 23, 2023
Page One



To see a larger version of any of the photos in this trip report just click on the photo and a larger version will open up on top of the page for you.



After a long winter it is always a little like Christmas when we get to hop in the car and head to an amusement park.  The first park for this year was Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri.



For the last five years or so Worlds of Fun really started a series of massive improvements all around the park.  One of the most noticeable was the complete redo of the park's old gate and entrance area.  Long gone is the small inefficient gate which was replaced with this nice open, efficient, and very welcoming front gate.  With all of the work to trick out the park with theming touches, a new restaurant, and more it was pretty obvious that something was on the horizon.



Fortunately for us what was coming over the horizon wasn't that far away.  After a few years of speculation about something rumored to be called "Project 2.0" which was either going to be a recreation of the Orient Express or Zambezi Zinger, two coasters that were removed, last year Worlds of Fun announced that the Zambezi Zinger would be coming back to Worlds of Fun in 2023 for the park's 50th anniversary.



The original Zambezi Zinger was a steel "speed racer" model coaster designed by the great Anton Schwarzkopf.  When it was removed from Worlds of Fun back in 1997 that coaster ended up getting sold to Parque Del Cafe down in Columbia.  With it being the centerpiece of that park it was pretty doubtful that the original would be returning to Worlds of Fun but what was coming was a new coaster inspired by that classic.



The new Zambezi Zinger takes some of the classic's best parts and works them into a part wood/part steel hybrid coaster.



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Paul B. Drabek