Worlds of Fun Tour of the Park 2023 Edition


Scandinavia   Africa    Europa     Americana   Planet Snoopy   The Orient

Please be aware that this page is currently under construction and each ride and attraction will be expanded in the future to include its own separate page with additional photos and details.


Africa


Historical Tour of the Park Versions
2017 Edition | 2018 Edition | 2019 Edition | 2022 Edition

Big Jack's Jungle Juice 1973-current

This small snack stand is directly on the right, following the train trestle that separates the Scandinavia and Africa sections of the park. Big Jack's serves various flavors of ICEE. Big Jack's is an original food service location to the park both in location and name, and is named after Worlds of Fun founder, Jack Steadman.


Serengeti Station 2023 - current

Serengeti Station is a new covered theater that joins Africa in the 2023 season. Located next to Zulu, Serengeti Station is home to Squawk! Tropical Bird Show, featuring Debbie and Mark Obarka and their flock of Macaws, Conures and Cockatoos. The structure of the theater itself is original to the park, opening with Big Game Hunt shooting gallery in 1973. The shooting gallery was removed after the 2017 season.


Zulu 1979-current

Zulu is a thrilling, spinning ride located right across from Big Jacks. Zulu is also one of the few rides that require riders be 54" to ride. Zulu starts flat to the ground, with riders seated in one of the 20 enclosed cars. As the ride begins spinning, it is hydraulically lifted into the air, with the centrifugal forces keeping riders in their seat (there are no seat belts or restraints of any kind on this ride). Zulu was manufactured by Huss Rides of Germany, and was added in 1979. Interestingly enough, Zulu's small queue house was originally used by The Safari an original, if short-lived ride, for its queue house. Guests must be 54" or taller to ride.


Prowler 2009-current

Located just past the train trestle near Zulu, Prowler is Worlds of Fun's second wooden coaster, introduced to the park in 2009. Unlike Timberwolf, Prowler is a terrain coaster- it uses the natural, wooded terrain as its layout, meaning the track stays within 10 feet of the ground for most of the ride following the first drop. A ride on Prowler begins with the lift, which takes riders 102 feet above the ground and then drops and turns them 85 feet down, reaching a maximum speed of 51 MPH. The train then heads out towards the woods, with the course undulating through various up and downs and quick turns. Unlike many terrain coasters, Prowler is more of an out-and-back coaster, in that its track goes straight out, turns around and comes back. The turnaround is followed by quick, straight drop, before it seemingly picks up speed into the brake run. Any time of day is good for a ride on Prowler, but nighttime, when the course is almost completely dark, and riders are blinded by a well-timed on ride photo flash, is amazing. Prowler literally hit the ground running- it was voted best new ride of 2009 by Amusement Today when it first opened and frequently made top ten lists for wooden coasters worldwide. It is a coaster not to miss. Guests must be 48" or taller to ride.


G'Rilla Grill 1973 (rename 2012)-current

Located across the bridge is an outdoor counter service restaurant, G'Rilla Grill. G'Rilla Grill serves a crispy chicken sandwich, chicken tenders and chicken skewers. It does offer one of the most beautiful dining locations in the park- it is completely shaded, and surrounded by lush and tropical landscaping. G'Rilla Grill, like most food service locations in the park, is an original structure built for its current use. However, it was originally named Congo Clearing and was renamed to G'Rilla Grill in 2012 (for one season in 2011 it was named Junkyard Burgers). Also of note, the gorilla statue that is located here was originally used for theming on the Safari ride that was located just across the bridge from this restaurant.


Zambezi Zinger 2023 - current

What is old becomes new with the new Zambezi Zinger. Built as a homage to the original Anton Schwarzkopf Zambezi Zinger which operated at the park from 1973 until 1997, the new Zambezi Zinger is a hybrid coaster, composed partially of wood and partially of steel. It combines several unique details of the original including a spiral lift hill, low to the ground, banked curves and a tunnel, with new thrills. Designed by Skyline Attractions and built by Great Coasters International, the new Zinger premiered for the park's 50th anniversary. Riders must be 40" or taller to ride the new Zambezi Zinger.


Moroccan Merchant 1973 (previously Diamond Mine renamed 1995)-current

Across from Boomerang is the Moroccan Merchant gift shop, offering t-shirts, plush, as well as clearance and sale items. Moroccan Merchant is an original structure and retail location to the park but opened in 1973 as the Diamond Mine. It was renamed in the early 90's to Moroccan Merchant.


Floral Clock 1977-1996, 2018 - Current

A Worlds of Fun botanical tradition for over twenty years returns in 2018. Located in it's original location on the hillside between Casbah Games and the Moulin Rouge, this landscaping masterpiece is similar but larger with new sun and moon topiaries.


Auntie Anne's early 90's (rename 2013)-current

This small snack stand is across from Moroccan Merchant and offers many of Auntie Anne's favorites including classic pretzels, pretzel dogs, and pretzel nuggets. Auntie Anne's, like many food service locations in the park, has been through a variety of renames. The stand opened in the early 90's as Rick's Cafe(named after Rick Rau who was director of Marketing at the time). In 2001 it was renamed for the first time to King Tut's Fresh Cut fries, and retained the name King Tut's, with a variety of menus (including Zarda BBQ and Sheridan's) over the years, until 2013 when it became known as Auntie Anne's.


Safari Trading Company 1973 (re-name in 2023) - current

Originally opening in 1973 as Bwana's Bargains today this shop is the new Zinger exit shop full of merchandise for the new Zambezi Zinger. Its many prior incarnations include Bwana's Bargains until 1995 when it became Tangier's Traders. In the late 1990's it would become the wood and leather shop which it would last as until 2014 when it became the DinoStore. In 2022 it would briefly become an Arcade.


Casbah Games 1981-current

A small strip of traditional midway games that runs from Moroccan Merchant to Boomerang's entrance- includes Mamba Mamba (throw a baseball into a milk jug), Jump Shot (basketball free throw), Dart Knight (darts), Fun Ball, and Lion's Den (knock down lion's teeth). Casbah games was added in 1981 and stands today, virtually identical to when it was added.


Boomerang 2000-current

Added in 2000, Boomerang is one of two coasters in the park that take riders upside down. It is also the only one those under 54" can ride, as Boomerang has a height requirement of only 48". Boomerang is manufactured by Vekoma Intl of the Netherlands, and is a mass-produced coaster, in that there are over 50 models worldwide of the exact same coaster. A ride on Boomerang starts as the 28-passenger train is pulled backwards out of the station up the 116-foot tall lift via pulley system. Once the train has reached the top, the station brakes open, and the train is released, dropping the train down the 116-foot incline, through the station, and through three inversions, one boomerang, followed by a loop, forwards. The train then is hoisted up the second lift hill, also 116 feet tall, via chain lift. Once it reaches the top, the train is again released and navigates the same course as before, backwards which gives the ride its name sake name "boomerang". Guests must be 48" or taller to ride.


Fury of the Nile 1984-current

Added in 1984 at a cost of 3.5 million, Nile is a river rapids ride built by Intamin AG of Switzerland, with various components designed by Burns & McDonnell of Kansas City as well. Riders board a six-person raft that navigates 1,800 feet of trough filled with over a million gallons of water filled with rapids and geysers. At nearly forty years old Nile has changed a bit over its years, including the removal of a waterfall in 1985, as well as the removal of several geysers from the ride over the years. Two of the most amazing engineering feats with Nile though are those that make it unique; the first is its first ever use of a turntable loading station (though there are many rapids rides today that incorporate this design element, Nile was first). Second, most water rides also require a separate basin (many refer to it as an ugly lake) to hold the ride's water when the ride is not in operation. Nile is designed to not require a separate basin, and holds its water in a 25-foot deep storage pit under the ride's lift hill. Guests must be 46" or taller to ride.


The Oasis 1992 (re-named 2018) -current

Located at the combined entrance and exit to Fury of the Nile, this small snack stand offers hand rolled pretzels, nachos, pickles, popcorn, and soda. It also offers a convenient, shaded picnic area nearby. Originally named Mummy's Yummys it was re-named to "The Oasis" in 2018. Mummy's Yummys was added in 1992 with the addition of Monsoon.


Sand Dune Diner 1999 (previously Coasters, renamed 2023)-current

Originally opening in 1999 as Coasters, Sand Dune Diner is One of the park's two indoor counter service restaurants. Sand Dune Diner serves the same fare as Coasters including burgers, chicken tenders, pot roast, and milk shakes. In 1999, the original Coasters, a 1950's themed diner was added to the Africa section of the park. The re-name and re-theme to the restaurant in 2023 finally matches the theme with its location in the park, Africa.


Mamba 1998-current

As the tallest coaster at Worlds of Fun, Mamba is hard to miss, towering 205 feet into the air- only Steelhawk is taller. Mamba was added in 1998, and was the third of the Morgan manufactured hypercoasters. A hypercoaster is defined as any coaster 200 feet or taller, and Mamba's statistics are hard to beat- 205 feet for the first hill, 184 feet for the second hill, a maximum speed of 75 mph, and a total track length of just over a mile (5,600 feet). A ride on Mamba begins on its lift hill, which seems to last an eternity, but on clear days offers a beautiful view of the downtown KC skyline. The first drop is exhilarating; the second hill and drop are filled with airtime, or negative g-forces as riders are left floating all the way down the drop. Next, comes the spiral helix, 580 degrees around, with tantalizing track supports that only SEEM to close for comfort and offer a fun thrill (in addition to watching everyone in front put their hands down!). B-block brakes are next- depending on weather, wind and how hard the brakes are set, they can either trim just a little speed off, or take the train to an almost dead stop before heading for Mamba's four camel back humps. The camel back humps are followed by one last double-up which ends the ride on a high note before coasting over Mamba plaza and hitting the brakes. When Mamba opened, it was one of the tallest, fastest, and longest coasters in the world. Today, those statistics have been eclipsed, in some cases, massively, but Mamba still continues to offer the almost perfect package of a thrilling coaster, that also happens to be quite fun. Guests must be 48" or taller to ride.


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