News: Worlds of Fun announces Patriot

Posted at 10:26 AM EDT (1426 GMT)

Sep. 7th, 2005 -- KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The American Dream becomes the American Scream at Worlds of Fun for thrill seekers grasped in the clutches of the new PATRIOT roller coaster. In spring 2006, guests at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, challenge PATRIOT, the longest, tallest and fastest full-circuit inverted roller coaster in the region, and the largest capital expenditure on a single attraction in the park’s history.

The new PATRIOT roller coaster is a $14 million investment for Worlds of Fun and is sure to be an anchor attraction at the park. The ride boasts the red, white, and blue colors of the American flag, and there is no other single ride or attraction in the park’s 33-year history that meets this level of extreme thrill or financial commitment.

The inverted PATRIOT delivers two minutes and 18 seconds of the ultimate amusement park adventure by exposing riders to height, speed and a seamless transition of gravity-defying elements. Hanging beneath the track, thrill-seekers climb a 149-foot lift hill, then plunge down a 123-foot curved drop reaching a speed of nearly 60-MPH. Riders are disoriented as they fly through seven gravity-defying elements, including an 89-foot vertical loop, a zero-gravity roll, an Immelmann loop, an inclined banked curve, an s-curve, a corkscrew, and a high-speed spiral.

With 3,081 feet of seemingly out-of-control tubular steel track, PATRIOT is the perfect addition to Worlds of Fun’s already impressive line-up of world-class thrill rides. Known as an inverted coaster because of its unique trains that hang below the track, PATRIOT grips riders in bucket seats with shoulder harnesses and safety belts. The ski-lift style chairs leave legs dangling as the floor drops out, providing passengers with an unobscured view of the terrain below.

“We are excited to unveil the highly-anticipated PATRIOT roller coaster to our guests this spring,” said Phil Bender, Vice President and General Manager at Worlds of Fun. “Adding this monster ride to our vast collection of attractions reinforces the Park’s dedication to being the region’s leading thrill park and family entertainment destination.”

PATRIOT is custom designed for the topography of Worlds of Fun by famed coaster designers Bolliger & Mabillard (B & M) of Monthey, Switzerland. Riders sit four abreast in seven rows on two 28-passenger trains that accommodate 1,160 riders per hour.

PATRIOT is the sixth roller coaster at Worlds of Fun and is scheduled to open April 2006.