Orient Express 1980 - 2003 Orient Express was the first truly terrifying coaster at Worlds of Fun. Today, we watch shows on mega-coasters, extremely tall, extremly fast, that was the Orient Express in its day. Orient Express was a truly ground-breaking for the coaster world as it ushered in a whole breed of multi-looping steel monsters of which Patriot today is descended from.

STATISTICS • Location: Orient Section • Rating: Aggressive • Added: 1980 • Removed: 2003 • Highest Point: 117 feet • Highest Drop: 115 feet • Ride Length: 3470 feet • Number of trains: 3 • Number of cars per train: 7 • Passengers per car: 4 • Capacity: 1,800 pph • All time high Capacity: 2,211 pph • Current Avage Capacity: 900 pph • Ride Time: 2:15 • Gravitational Forces: 3.5 • Maximum Speed: 65 mph • Designer: Ron Toomer • Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics • Type of Ride: Multielement • Height Requirement: 48inches. • Current Location: 0

UNIQUE FEATURES Orient Express was built by Arrow Development/Dynamics of Mountain View, CA. Three decades before, Arrow had changed the roller coaster world by introducing the world’s first tubular steel roller coaster at Disneyland, known as the Matterhorn. Five years before they had broken even more new ground with the first modern-inverting coaster, the Corkscrew at Knott’s Berry Farm. Orient Express would break new ground itself by not only being the world’s tallest and fastest coaster, but also the very first coaster to introduce an element never before seen... the boomerang. The boomerang element in very common these days, one only has to look at Worlds of Fun today to see a coaster CALLED The Boomerang, to see its influence. The boomerang element is a simple double twist of track, but it was the first element to depart from the simple loop or corkscrew, and Worlds of Fun gave it a special name, the Kamikaze Kurve. Orient Express drew its name from the Agatha Christie thriller, Murder on the Orient Express, and more indirectly the famous Orient Express railroad. Famously, Worlds of Fun was sued in the 1990’s by the same Orient Express railroad line to change its name. The name change never happened thankfully, but it is a unique and VERY true side story. Orient Express in its time was a true thriller, it combined four amazing, gut-punching drops, an aesthetically beautiful combination interlocking loops, and of course the pounding Kamikaze Kurve. The adjective of “pounding” has also been used to describe a ride on the Orient Express too, it truly was not the smoothest ride around. A ride on the Orient Express truly was never unforgettable.

F.Y.I. The end cam slowly to this massive steel beast, but as a proto-type of things to come Orient Express not only pounded riders, but pounded itself to death. We now know that steel coasters have a finite lifespan. In 2003, we all discovered that chilling fact as the park struggled to keep the Orient Express operating until the end of the season. It didn’t happen. Orient Express gave its final ride in September 2003. Unlike Zambezi Zinger, Orient Express wasn’t allowed a second life, it was demolished and scrapped for its steel. The coaster is gone but this red steel beast will always be remembered as long as those that rode it keep its memory alive. There are two coasters still in existence that bear a resemblance to this great coaster. The first being the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Loch Ness was built in 1978 by Arrow Dynamics and was the first and now only coaster to incorporate interlocked loops into the ride. (the second was the Orient Express). The second coaster was actually built many years after the Orient Express and it is The Vortex at Paramount's Kings Island. Built by Arrow Dynamics for the park, while not a complete clone, it does follow the layout almost completely while throwing in a taller drop and two corkscrews into the mix as well. Take a look at the Orient Express Demolition Photo Gallery.

What our readers have to say about Orient Express Review on: 9/2/1966 By: Michael Burec Review on: 7/25/1978 By: William Frederick Review on: 2/17/1985 By: Ryan Lewis Review on: 3/23/1987 By: jeremy maxwell Review on: 11/16/1988 By: Brad Davis Review on: 1/30/1992 By: Mitch Hecht Review on: 2/14/2001 By: Adam Yerdon Review on: 4/8/2001 By: Tim B. Review on: 4/22/2001 By: Matt Review on: 4/22/2001 By: Michelle Lassiter Review on: 4/24/2001 By: Tyson Crosby Review on: 4/26/2001 By: christopher john Review on: 4/29/2001 By: laurie Review on: 4/30/2001 By: Alex Ruhl - Hannibal MO Review on: 5/8/2001 By: Dierdra Nash Review on: 5/9/2001 By: Austin G. Park Review on: 6/25/2001 By: Rebecca Smith Review on: 7/5/2001 By: Christian Prince Review on: 7/9/2001 By: Regan Zanghi Review on: 7/27/2001 By: Steven K Review on: 8/9/2001 By: Kyle Review on: 9/8/2001 By: Christin m. Review on: 10/24/2001 By: Dustin M. Hutchinson Review on: 12/17/2001 By: Aryn Stanhope Review on: 12/22/2001 By: Cloie Carleston Review on: 2/11/2002 By: Bryan S. Review on: 3/3/2002 By: Andrew T. Review on: 5/7/2002 By: Borin C. Review on: 5/12/2002 By: Justin Review on: 5/18/2002 By: Layton Holland Review on: 5/28/2002 By: Paul Creedon Review on: 6/13/2002 By: Steven S Review on: 6/22/2002 By: Greg Crow Review on: 6/26/2002 By: Lance Eighme Review on: 6/29/2002 By: michelle lassiter Review on: 7/10/2002 By: jessica Review on: 8/7/2002 By: Joel waldeck Review on: 8/18/2002 By: Brian Maupin Review on: 12/9/2002 By: Katy G. Review on: 12/24/2002 By: Koen Pinter Review on: 3/26/2003 By: Shaun Stickler Review on: 6/1/2003 By: Heather Review on: 6/11/2003 By: Megan Review on: 7/17/2003 By: Rachel Hamby Review on: 8/18/2003 By: Robert Reed Review on: 9/20/2003 By: Andrew Wiersma Review on: 10/15/2003 By: Carol Review on: 11/4/2003 By: Aaron Bruns Review on: 11/26/2003 By: Joel Speck Review on: 1/26/2004 By: Bud Coleman Review on: 3/7/2004 By: Courtney Ketzler Review on: 3/22/2004 By: chris n woody Review on: 3/27/2004 By: Erin M. Review on: 3/31/2004 By: Elizabeth Century Review on: 4/11/2004 By: Jake Warren Review on: 4/18/2004 By: matthew richardson Review on: 4/22/2004 By: Mel Review on: 4/29/2004 By: Jacob Fullekamp Review on: 5/4/2004 By: jennifer Review on: 5/18/2004 By: Chris Stevens Review on: 5/21/2004 By: Erik Review on: 6/3/2004 By: Andrea Martin Review on: 6/3/2004 By: Nick Stuto Review on: 6/10/2004 By: David Ballew Review on: 6/10/2004 By: Brian Marshall Review on: 6/11/2004 By: Andrea Carabetta Review on: 6/14/2004 By: Lonnie C. Appleby Review on: 6/15/2004 By: Heidi Review on: 6/18/2004 By: Erik S. Allgood Review on: 6/19/2004 By: Mike Elwood Review on: 6/20/2004 By: Dylan Arthur Review on: 7/18/2004 By: Randall Watson Review on: 7/25/2004 By: Laura Krenk Review on: 9/9/2004 By: John Didier Review on: 10/25/2004 By: Sven Review on: 11/9/2004 By: Erin Argo Review on: 3/23/2005 By: Jodi Lewis Review on: 4/9/2005 By: Justin Griffin Review on: 5/21/2005 By: Chester L. Roberts Review on: 5/23/2005 By: Kristi Holman Review on: 5/30/2005 By: John Didier Review on: 6/9/2005 By: Janelle Taylor Review on: 6/24/2005 By: Angie Piper Review on: 7/30/2005 By: J.R. Bloodsworth Review on: 8/6/2005 By: jackie smith Review on: 8/22/2005 By: Bond Benton Review on: 8/24/2005 By: Mark Whitwell Review on: 9/5/2005 By: Kim Ulanowski Review on: 1/7/2006 By: Scott N Review on: 5/27/2006 By: Chris Review on: 5/31/2006 By: Tami Crow Review on: 10/3/2006 By: Courtney Review on: 10/15/2006 By: Meredith Review on: 4/16/2007 By: Chris Romero Review on: 10/29/2007 By: S Jones Review on: 4/7/2008 By: Joshua Brown Review on: 6/6/2008 By: Jason M Review on: 6/27/2008 By: Heather Review on: 8/29/2009 By: Ben Stahr Review on: 12/24/2010 By: Chad Ganson

Orient Express Picture Gallery