Yea, Spinning Dragons and Boomerang are clone type rides you can find at lots of other parks around the country. At least Zinger and Orient were unique.

Astroworld - Texas Cyclone.

Gone now, demolished in 2005 to become some parking lot or something.

Still waiting.

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The Wild Mouse, used to be at Lake of the Ozarks.

Orient Express is my all time favorite and probably always will be. The Joyland Rollercoaster is a good one too. Though its a mild coaster, Fire In The Hole at SDC will always be a favorite as well. I cannot wait to ride the new wooden coaster at SDC, Outlaw Run I think its called, that looks just plain awesome. For those that love the Orient Express, if you are ever in the Smokey Hills in Tennessee, visit Dollywood and ride the Tennessee Tornado, its not the same as the OE but does have some smiliarities.

Agree looks awesome. Thats another one of the wooden/steel track hybrid coasters. Hopefully ill be able to make it up there this summer to ride.

No love for the Shussboomer?

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum...card_2_881.jpg

It definitely had the fear aspect - in that you were afraid you were going to run into another car, the rail, or the whole thing was just going to fall apart at any minute.

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/huf...9081847/#large

Picture of the Wild Mouse

There is an awesome video on YouTube of a compluter replica with one of the songs from The Good The Bad The Ugly. Not the main theme but from the same artist. Ill have to post the link when I get home as I cannot access YouTube here, but it just makes me want to ride it even more.

Did they sell that coaster to the Kansas State Fair? There was one just like that in the 80s and early 90s, Im not sure if they still have it, I have not been there since then.

Millennium Force - Cedar Point

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The Volcano - King's Dominion Richmond VA

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There was a Wild Mouse in New Orleans at Pontchartrain Beach which became six flags.

But they spelled it Wild Maus.

As an ACE member (American Coaster Enthusiasts), I would easily have put the Orient Express in my top 3. I fought hard with Worlds of Fun to not tear it down, and still think they were stupid for doing so.

Found the preview video



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Yea, like i mentioned before, not only were Zinger and Orient great rides, but they were original and unique. Unlike the boring clones that replaced them.

Every coaster seems to leave me wanting more, faster, twistier, hairpinnier, . . . MORE!!

The Orient had flaws fore and aft. In the front you got no speed on the first hill as the rest of the coaster was holding you back. In the back, you got the super fast first hill, but the ride flung you around like a rag doll on the curves at the end, not in an exciting way, in a hematoma way.

Best time I had recently was catching The Hulk at Six Flags Mid-Am right after they re-opened it following a thunder storm. People weren't aware right away, and we got to ride it 3x in a row before substantial lines started forming [usually it's like a 45 minute wait for 1 ride].

Best all-time, for the time in question, was when I was finally tall enough to get away from the kiddie rides at WoF, at 4-5-6 somewhere in there I was finally tall enough to ride the Schussboomer [how many KC fossils remember that little ditty?]. Well I hopped off that sucker giggling my ass off, sprinted to the exit, sprinted up the entrance, weaved through the columns for the line and hopped right back on. Ended up closing the night out [this was one of those employer provided 'WoF nights' from 6-midnight or something] riding the Schussboomer 25-30 times in a row, with mom and dad looking on amused at their crazy kid. Thinking back, I think dad probably rode most of those along with me out of safety/obligation. Me? . . . I was in my own world.

I remember it. I don’t think I ever rode it more than once or twice? They took it out just as I was starting to get into rides. How about the Screamroller and the EXT stand up coaster?

I have always liked the mamba. It just rides super smooth.

Hey I very faintly remember a roller coaster from when I was little. It was at worlds of fun near where Timber Wolf is. I think it was white colored. What was that one? I'm pulling memories from when I was like 5 so forgive me.

I remember when I was a little kid I tried to ride it and the shoulder pads were on the sides of my head. I got a pretty good headache that day lol.

Yes. Probably Screamroller or EXT.

Way back in the olden days (Get Off My Lawn) - 70's, I rode the Revolution at Magic Mountain the day it opened. It was the first loop roller coaster out and we were stoked. I have ridden much better since but the first loop ride will always be my favorite

Maybe EXT...that sounds familiar. This would be from the early to mid 80s.

yep. it was basically in the same spot as Timberwolf

For those who have never rode Millenium Force (Cedar Point, Sandusky OH)that are from the KC area.

Take the Mamba.....add 100ft (300ft compared to Mamba's 200ft first drop) to the first couple drops, and add about 25mph (95mph compared to Mamba's 70mph) to the speed and you get Millenium Force

We rode it at night....and it was badass.

The Screamroller was the EXT before they fitted it with the standup harnesses. IIRC, they were touting it as the first upside down coaster [don't know if it was an accurate claim or not, I think it debuted in 1976, might've been '75]. It was immediately below the promenade for all the 'games of chance' [Uncle Sam's Skeeball Hall, etc]. Between those and the Wobble Wheel.

TimberWolf was/is further out to the outskirts of the park.


EDIT: Anyone here actually ride the Sky Hi? Didn't it leave the park under some kind of dark cloud?

I was a little kid. All I remember is that it was somewhere south-ish of orient express

I haven't been on one in a long long time. When I was a kid Fairyland Park had a wooden roller coaster called (I think) "The Wildcat." Also Worlds of Fun had a small coaster called "The Shushboomer" that was small but steep and really fast with tight turns.

Orient Express was a great coaster for 1980.

This!

Wildfire in Silver Dollar City. That thing has history.

The Screamrollere was WoF's first upside down coaster (and the only one they had until the Orient Express was built). it was built in 1976: http://www.worldsoffun.org/explore/R...ID=27&ParkID=1

I can remember riding the Sky Hi many times. I have no idea about why it was taken down.

Rides of that type used to be popular at alot of amusement parks, but most have been taken down now. Probably safety concerns?

Here's a look at all the past rides at World of Fun. The Zambezi Zinger is still alive, but you have to travel to Bogota, Columbia in South America to ride it. If you click on each ride, it gives you cool facts on each.

http://www.worldsoffun.org/history/index.htm

Here is a recreation of Outlaw Run to the tune of Ecstasy of Gold, the ride and the song go together well.

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My first upside down roller coaster, Shock Wave at Six Flags Over Texas. It appears its still running too!

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Ironically i just rode this one a few weeks ago with my 8 year old son and he loved it. Its still a really great ride. Its freshly painted and looks well maintained. This how WoF should have treated Orient and Zinger.

I'm a big fan of the rolley coasters. The wife and I have been to Japan and Germany in addition to hitting most of the US.

My current top 3 are...

There's no good video of X2 at Magic Mountain but this ride in China is pretty much an exact clone. The flipping is what makes it great.

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The Voyage at Holiday World. It somehow just keeps going and going. The first time I rode it I was out of breath at the end.

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Take a crappy wooden roller coaster add some steel track and modern trains and you wind up with pure awesomeness. This is the New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas.

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If you have fond memories of Zambezi Zinger then get your ass up to Chicago and ride Whizzer. It's pretty much the same ride.

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And there's still a handful of rides similar to Orient Express across the country but they probably won't be around for long. That style of coaster seems to age poorly and basically just beats the hell of people.

Vortex at Kings Island - if you're a fan of neck and back pain this ride's for you.

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ONe of the most famous ones is Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens. I rode it about 10 years ago and it was still pretty good. But your right, very jerky compared to todays modern stuff. But that gives it "character"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ne...roller_coaster)

Zambezi Zinger hands down.

Then the Orient.

:o(

That's a much better example. I don't need "character" I like being able to enjoy the rest of the day.

Anyone ever rode one of the flying coasters? The ones where you are basically laying out flat as you ride. I havent got to try one yet.

They're pretty good. There's two types...

Vekoma's, which beat the living hell out of you.

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And B&M's (same company that made Patriot). Smooth and fun.

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I still prefer the regular inverted rides like Patriot.

This one...

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I'm sure there's better, faster roller coasters, but Orient Express for me has sentimental value. Plus it was a lot of fun. That first drop was always great. So disappointed they tore it down. I never heard why. Did they build a new one in its place? I haven't been out to Worlds of Fun in a long ass time.

Because it became an unsafe pile of shit...


The Orient Express suffered several malfunctions within the last seasons of its life. It broke down often and in 1999 the last two cars derailed just before the final brake, leaving riders stranded for a couple of hours. Contrary to some rumors, no one ever died on the roller coaster, and it also was never stuck upside-down. The site Orient Express was located on also remains empty, contrary to the belief that Spinning Dragons and Patriot replaced the roller coaster. Behind Spinning Dragons, the ride's old station still remains.

Oh...damn. Never heard about that. I always assumed the Timber Wolf was the unsafe one. Every time I rode it, it felt like maybe it was gonna fall apart and break in midair.

Like Superman? We have that one here in Atlanta, it's pretty cool. The inverted loop is by far the best part...

Voyage in Santa Claus Indiana was awesome. Wooden coaster that felt faster than the Mamba. Going underground was awesome too.

I rode Timberwolf last about 5 or 6 years ago. It was an awful ride. Hasnt aged well....The newer woodies are soo much better. Prowler is world class. great coaster.

I broke my iPhone screen on Timberwolf last summer. God damned thing slammed me against the side of the car so hard that it shattered. Seriously, **** that ride.

Timberwolf needs to be replaced. Love the ride, love the NAME of the ride, but build a new wooden coaster in it's place.

Dude wear a fanny pak!! ROFL

They did it's called the Prowler, and it's a wicked slick roller coaster, damn thing whips you around up and down pretty good for a wooden coaster.

Timberwolf is fun because the ride is long.

Living in VA, Ive been to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg many times. Apollos Chariot has to be my favorite. It's so smooth and you spend a lot of time in zero G or out of your seat 'flying'. The Griffon is a close second. That 90 degree vertical drop of about 200ft is pretty awesome.

Growing up in KC, my first ever roller coaster was Zambezi at night. That was terrifying at 9 years old. I eventually got the courage to do the Orient Express and enjoyed it. I was probably one of a few thousand to actually ride the stand up 'only in the nation' EXT one time. The wait was absurd, but at least I could say I did it. The Timber Wolf was new just before I left KC.

Got to go to Magic Mountain in CA back in the late 80's...when the Ninja was brand new, but I have to say my favorite there was probably the Colossus. Classic old woody.

Kings Dominion in VA has some pretty good coasters, and my favorite was The Volcano, launching coaster.

At Hollywood Studios, really enjoyed Aerosmith and Tower of Terror (although the tower was not really a coaster)

I'd really like to go to Cedar Point some day...ride Top Thrill and Millenium Force.

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California; Goliath

Awesome, I wasn't much older when I rode that. My son is about that age so soon he will be able to ride the better coasters, cannot wait for that.

I have to say that the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is my favorite. It is an old but a good one. Also, if the ride operators time it right they can get both cars going through the loops at the same time.

Apollos Chariot is great for the out of seat hang time. The new one, Verbolten, was perhaps the smoothest launch coaster I have been on.

Volcano and Twilight Zone at Kings Dominion near Richmond were pretty good. I haven't been there for almost a decade. The last time I was Kings Dominion was kind of a dump. Hopefully, Cedar Fair cleaned it up.

This is a must. I went last summer with my softball team.

WTH..... > 100 posts and no one said Chiefs playoff games?????

:hmmm:

My man!

I mentioned Apollo's Chariot earlier but didn't mention why I liked it. You hit the nail on the head. It is a super smooth ride.

That one does look awesome. I HAVE to ride it before I die.

Millenium Force is my hands down favorite but I can't wait to ride this bad boy in July. Both at Cedar Point.

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That one looks badass.

So it's going to go backwards as well? Sweet!

I wish but no.

Off to HersheyPark for the day. Will give a review of the best one later.

Oh ok, I was trying to figure out why the video went in reverse towards the end.

We rode Firehawk at Kings Island. It was OK, but nothing to wet your pants about.

DT

LOL! Same with my dad and I. He would (grudgingly) take me to WOF every summer and I was a coaster freak. For him it was an obligation, for me it was like going to the moon for a day. I only hope it's 1/2 as much fun for my son now. He gets to do so much other really amazing stuff, I don't know if his experience at the parks is as awesome as it was for me.

That being said, one way or the other we're going to Cedar Point this summer.. and praying for one of those days where it's supposed to rain (or actually does) and no one shows up :)

When I say my son gets to do some cool stuff.. here's his latest ride. 125cc water cooled 2 stroke, about 26hp at 320# with driver:

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DT

My brother got fired from WOF during the summer of '80 for riding the Orient Express with the harness up after the parked closed for the evening.

The Hulk and Aerosmith are similar (sling-shot starts)....and they're great fun.

Orient Express was great

My favorite ride of all-time is Spiderman at Universal Florida. As much of a coaster as Tower of Terror, I guess.....but I remember being blown away by it. Coolest experience at a theme park ever.