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Prowler (Worlds of Fun)
Encyclopedia
Prowler is a wooden roller coaster
at Worlds of Fun
in Kansas City
, Missouri
. It was built by Great Coasters International
and opened May 2, 2009 at an estimated cost of 8 million USD.
. The ride reaches an unspecified height of 85 feet, into a spiral drop which swoops into a ravine and through the woods at the top speed of 51 MPH. The ride is located in the Africa section of the park behind the Zulu Ride. Prowler has an estimated capacity of 850 riders per hour. It is the third ride to occupy that current spot at the park that the ride is operating in; originally home to the Safari Adventure, and the Python Plunge (later renamed The Plunge). The lot was vacant from the Plunge's close in 1999 to the Prowler's opening in 2009.
The ride's layout (darting in and out of the woods) and promotional material (logo and tagline) makes reference to the famous wooden coaster The Beast at Kings Island
, another Cedar Fair park near Cincinnati, Ohio.
's Golden Ticket Awards.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
at Worlds of Fun
Worlds of Fun
Worlds of Fun is an amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The park opened in 1973 and was originally built by Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman . In 1995 Hunt-Midwest sold Worlds of Fun to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which currently owns the park...
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. It was built by Great Coasters International
Great Coasters International
Great Coasters International, Inc. is a Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based roller coaster manufacturer which has created several award-winning rides since its formation in 1994. Starting in 2006 with Thunderbird in Finland, the company expanded beyond the United States and began building coasters in...
and opened May 2, 2009 at an estimated cost of 8 million USD.
The Ride
Prowler is the second wooden roller coaster to be built at Worlds of Fun with the first one being Timber WolfTimber Wolf (roller coaster)
Timber Wolf is a wooden roller coaster at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. Timber Wolf was designed by Curtis D. Summers and was built by the Dinn Corporation and opened in 1989.- The ride :...
. The ride reaches an unspecified height of 85 feet, into a spiral drop which swoops into a ravine and through the woods at the top speed of 51 MPH. The ride is located in the Africa section of the park behind the Zulu Ride. Prowler has an estimated capacity of 850 riders per hour. It is the third ride to occupy that current spot at the park that the ride is operating in; originally home to the Safari Adventure, and the Python Plunge (later renamed The Plunge). The lot was vacant from the Plunge's close in 1999 to the Prowler's opening in 2009.
The ride's layout (darting in and out of the woods) and promotional material (logo and tagline) makes reference to the famous wooden coaster The Beast at Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
, another Cedar Fair park near Cincinnati, Ohio.
Trains
Two "Millennium Flyer trains" with 12 cars per train. Riders are arranged two across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train.The Hype
Before the announcement of the new ride, there were teasers put out by the park. These teasers included placing a mysterious large storage crate at the front of the park, which was 'delivered' by the "International Wildlife Organization" or the "IWO". More details of the package kept coming out through the blog and videos came out as the IWO storyline continued until the main announcement of the ride on September 1, 2008.Rankings
Prowler was voted Best New Ride of 2009 - Amusement Park in Amusement TodayAmusement Today
Amusement Today is a monthly periodical featuring articles, news, pictures, and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The magazine, which is based in Arlington, Texas, USA, was founded in 1997 by Gary Slade and Virgil...
's Golden Ticket Awards.
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top Wooden Roller Coasters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Ranking | |||
| Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Wooden-Tracked Roller Coaster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2009 | 2010 |
| Ranking | ||
External links
- Prowler at Worlds of Fun's website
- Prowler at the Roller Coaster DataBaseRoller Coaster DataBaseThe Roller Coaster DataBase is an extensive roller coaster and amusement park database. RCDB was started in 1996 by Duane Marden, who still operates the site...
- Official Press Release at the Roller Coaster DataBaseRoller Coaster DataBaseThe Roller Coaster DataBase is an extensive roller coaster and amusement park database. RCDB was started in 1996 by Duane Marden, who still operates the site...
- Prowler Discussion at Coaster Community
- Prowler Discussion at Thrill Network
- Animated Photo Renderings of Prowler at the official Prowler site
- Animated Video Renderings of Prowler at the official Prowler site