Orient Express (Worlds of Fun) - The Ride

The Ride

The Orient Express was the first coaster ever to have a "Kamikaze Curve" element, which was later termed a "boomerang" by Arrow Dynamics and a "batwing" by Bolliger & Mabillard. This element consists of a 90-degree dive to the right or left (similar to half a corkscrew), followed by half of a traditional loop element, then a rising half loop, then a final 90-degree dive sending the track in the same direction it entered the element. This element was later often used on Arrow's larger looping coasters, as well as on the Vekoma designed Goudurix at Parc Astérix, where it was known as a "Double Sidewinder", and on B&M's inverted roller coasters. The Orient Express also featured a tunnel prior to the lift hill that housed the Orient Express Dragon, a wooden sign that had the ride's logo illuminated.

The queue house had a "chicken exit" that guests could take if they chickened out at the last minute. The sign for the chicken exit now resides in the station house for Timber Wolf.

The Orient Express was also the second full circuit roller coaster to have interlocking loops, the Loch Ness Monster being the first. Lightnin' Loops at Six Flags Great Adventure, which opened in 1978, was the first roller coaster to have interlocking loops, but the coaster was made up of two separate shuttle tracks. With the retirement of the Orient Express, the Loch Ness Monster is again the only coaster with this feature.

The ride started out running three trains at once but over time only two would run at a time due to the ride's blocking system. If there was a backup in the station it caused a train to stop just outside the station and another train would stop halfway through the ride on the C-Brake. This caused the ride to shut down and the only way to get the train out of the trim brakes halfway through the ride was to have an employee climb up the C-Brake stairs and manually release the brakes.

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.