Mamba at Worlds of Fun has been in operation since 1998, designed and Manufactured by Morgan. When Cedar Fair took over operations of Worlds of Fun in 1995, folks wondered what kind of investments they could expect. So when they announced Mamba in 1997 would open for the 1998 season, it excited the Kansas City thrillseekers for the future. Oh boy, were we pleased upon its opening. It was a huge hit! Then the park decided to mess with the ride, making the trains almost stop at the halfway point. They took all the venom out of the second half.
Mamba at Worlds of Fun Experience
Mamba sits at the back left portion of the park in the Africa section right past Fury of the Nile and Coasters Drive-In. The line for this one can get long as the day goes on. We recommend you prioritize this ride early, so you don’t hit big wait times. Riders must be 48 inches to ride. You will be kept safe by a lap bar and a seatbelt. Once the ride attendant has checked all restraints, the fun can begin!
How Tall is the Mamba at Worlds of Fun?
The ride starts with a massive 205-foot drop! But that is just the beginning. It uses that 75 mph gained from the first hill and follows it up with another enormous hill of 184 feet. Next, we have the Helix, which is forceful and massive and should have everyone’s blood pumping. Unfortunately, this is where the ride goes from exciting to boring. They take away all the coaster’s momentum at the Midcourse Break Run. You can check out the official POV from the park and see for yourself.
The Good
Mamba’s trains are long and hold a lot of riders. This has a couple of benefits. The most obvious is that long lines will move fast. Every time this coaster is dispatched, it can take thirty-six thrillseekers. So even when the line is long, it should keep moving at a pretty good pace. The second benefit to the long trains is the difference in experience this coaster will offer based on where you are sitting. The smaller the train, the less variation each seat will have in the ride experience. With a train as long as Mamba’s, you can pick if you want the visuals that the front seat gives or the insane pull that the back gives. We prefer the back since it provides better airtime over the second hill, but all spots on the train will have their plusses and negatives.
It is hard to find an area of Worlds of Fun where this coaster isn’t looming. The coaster dominates the skyline in and out of the park. When most people think of Worlds of Fun, it is likely Mamba in their heads they see. It’s for sure the image that pops in our heads. Prowler might be the best roller coaster in Kansas City, but Mamba wins in the best-looking category.
The Layout is solid. It uses that 75 mph it gains from the massive first hill well. You are out of or crushed into your seat until you after that awesome helix. So often, coasters use a helix as a finale since it has bled off its momentum, and helixes are taken low to the ground. It’s stunning how fast you get going, and the head-choppers make the ride so incredible for the first half. Unfortunately, this leads us to the second half.
The Bad
Once Mamba hits those breaks at the midcourse, they bring the coaster to almost a complete stop. What follows is a series of small bunny hills. The point of a section of the track is to get nice pops of airtime as the coaster crests each hill. However, this requires some speed; sadly, at this point, Mamba doesn’t have it. Instead, you are left with just barely enough momentum to make it over each hill. Where is the airtime and the forces that make coasters so much fun?
It’s bewildering why Worlds of Fun chooses to ruin what could be their headline attraction. Maybe for maintenance concerns? Elements that provide great forces are often the ones that will cause wear and tear on the track and the train. We can think of many other reasons why but nothing that would make this make sense. Why design and pay for a colossal coaster and then suck the venom out?
Final Verdict
Mamba at Worlds of Fun was a fantastic addition to the park. It was because now it is a very frustrating experience. The first half is superb. Airtime and strong forces come at you fast. But the second half is a pointless ride with it as is. If someday the park fixes this mistake and lets it take the second half with speed, this will be a very different review. If there is a good reason that the second half cannot be fixed, then we say this needs to be torn down. Build a coaster that is fun in the first and second half! Usually, we aren’t this negative, but this coaster’s second half lives rent-free in our heads because we would love to sing its praise. Sadly we have to review what is instead of what we wish this could be. Because of these reasons, we give Mamba at Worlds of Fun a five out of ten.
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Cyclone Sams at Worlds of Fun