Timber Wolf (roller coaster) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Timber Wolf
Timber Wolf in 2006
Worlds of Fun
Location	Worlds of Fun
Park section	Americana
Coordinates	39°10′22″N 94°29′21″W / 39.17278°N 94.48917°W / 39.17278; -94.48917
Status	Operating
Opening date	April 1989
Cost	$3 million
Replaced	Extremeroller
General statistics
Type	Wood
Manufacturer	Dinn Corporation
Designer	Curtis D. Summers
Model	Custom
Lift/launch system	Chain Lift
Height	100 ft (30 m)
Drop	95 ft (29 m)
Length	4,260 ft (1,300 m)
Speed	53 mph (85 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	2 min 13 sec
Capacity	905 riders per hour
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Timber Wolf at RCDB

Timber Wolf is an exciting wooden roller coaster located at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri. This thrilling ride was designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by the Dinn Corporation. It first opened to the public in April 1989.

All About the Ride

Timber Wolf is one of two wooden roller coasters you can find at Worlds of Fun. It was actually the very first wooden coaster built at the park! The ride takes you up to a height of 100 feet (30 m) before dropping you down 95 feet (29 m). At the bottom of this big drop, you can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h)!

The ride used to have a unique 560-degree upward-spiraling helix. But in 2018, this part was changed to a 70-degree banked turn. You'll see a sign at the entrance that says, "Extreme vibrations and roughness are a nature of this ride. Do not be alarmed." This is just a heads-up that wooden coasters can be a bit bumpy, which is part of the fun!

After Worlds of Fun was bought by Cedar Fair in 1995, some special brakes were added to the first drop. These "trim brakes" help slow the ride down a bit.

Inside the ride's station, there's a funny "chicken exit." This is for anyone who gets cold feet and decides not to ride at the last minute! The sign for this exit used to be on another ride called Orient Express, which was taken down in 2003.

The Timber Wolf is even mentioned in the "History of Roller Coasters" display at the Wildcat coaster in Frontier City in Oklahoma City.

The "out and back" loops of the Timber Wolf.

The Ride's Trains

A view of Timber Wolf and Mamba from outside the park.

The Timber Wolf uses two trains, and each train has six cars. These cars were built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. In each car, riders sit two across in two rows. This means a total of 24 riders can go on the coaster at one time!

Keeping the Ride Fresh

Over the years, Timber Wolf has had several updates to keep it running smoothly and safely.

Big Updates in 2006-2007

During the off-season of 2006 and 2007, the Timber Wolf got a lot of new wood work. When the park reopened, riders noticed the ride felt much smoother. Also, the trains got cool new designs with airbrushed Timber Wolf logos.

Station Upgrades

In the 2007-2008 off-season, the ride station got new air-powered gates. These gates have a shiny aluminum look. Sometimes, the new gates don't line up perfectly with the numbered cars, which can be a little confusing when people are getting on the ride.

More Improvements

More work was done on the coaster in 2010 to keep it in great shape.

The 2018 Makeover

A big change happened in 2018! The old helix section of the ride was replaced. A new 70-degree banked turn was built by Great Coasters International, which also made the Prowler coaster. From 2006 to 2017, Great Coasters International had been working on replacing parts of the track from the lift hill all the way to where the helix used to be. They also retracked the section from the new banked turn to the final brake run. Worlds of Fun also showed off a new, modern logo for Timber Wolf. The updated Timber Wolf ride reopened on May 18, 2018, for a special preview night for season pass holders.

How Timber Wolf Ranks

Timber Wolf was once considered one of the best roller coasters around! In 1991, readers of Inside Track magazine voted it the world's top roller coaster. It was also named the number one favorite wooden coaster in a 1992 survey by the NAPHA. As the coaster has gotten older, its rankings in more recent surveys have changed.

The table below shows how Timber Wolf has ranked in the Golden Ticket Awards for Top Wooden Roller Coasters. These awards are like the "Oscars" for amusement park rides!