I did a sunset ride on Prowler on opening day (2023) and let me spoil you a bit: IT WAS WILD!!! The laterals and airtime are somewhat stronger and I had sharp decrease in directional sense. I wish you the best of luck getting night rides on your next visit because the wait for a night ride will always be worth it!
I absolutely appreciate the fact that you reviewed this coaster, because it's a forgotten gem at a Cedar Fair park that isnt taken as seriously as some of the others among the chain. But rides like this ensure that despite the lack of a massive coaster lineup, this park is no joke. Worlds of Fun may not have the same collection as Cedar Point or Carowinds, but their top coasters rival some of the best in the chain. Prowler is no exception to that, and the anecdote you threw in there with the comparison to Diamondbacks hammers that point home perfectly
Worlds of Fun is extremely good. One of my favorite CF parks due to the coasters they have now and how they run them...Can't wait to get back there this weekend.
Prowler absolutely shocked me with how good it was. It's only knock was the roughness that made me only able to take back to back rides before I had to take a break. A little track work to smooth it would make it top tier for me.
I find it to be very hit or miss with the roughness. Some rides rattle to absolute hell while others are near glossy. Generally back is smoother for whatever reason if that helps at all
I have done Haunt at WoF for the last few years, and what you experienced has been the norm. They haven't done Haunt on Sunday nights in September, and also not on the last Sunday of October. I was happy to see the 10pm closings this summer, because on my Thursday visit in July, I was able to get plenty of Prowler night rides without the Haunt crowds. The ride ops there have been so enthusiastic, and that makes it so much more fun for the guests.
Prowler to me is the best GCI it’s so underrated and has the BEST NIGHT RIDE in Missouri and best night ride out of all GCI’s in my opinion I’m glad that you got to ride it again and I really agree with your rating so thank you for this review and I hope there’s more coming
Yeah, I rode Prowler last year and this year, and man, it was MUCH more marathonable this year! I wasn't aware that they did trackwork to it, but it sure felt like it. I was riding comfortably in the back row for most of my rides this year -- couldn't handle the back row last year. It's amazing that, for how intense that turn is after the drop, it tracked quite smoothly this year.
A few points from my recent MO coaster trip: -Prowler and Mystic are rather different coasters in terms of layout. Mystic is a pure out and back, while prowler is a hybrid of a twisting GCI and an out and back. -The front row is a much better ride. The back is rather mid. The air time is much more pronounced in front. -Night rides are fantastic. I’d say this is one of the ways it does have a leg up on Mystic. It’s more twisted layout and the fewer lights make it far more disorienting than Mystic at night.
I have also noticed those differences between Prowler & Mystic Timbers. The similarities are there, but Prowler does more twisting, which is why it has always felt more wild & out of control than Mystic Timbers.
I got a one click ride on this while riding the front row during Haunt last year, and the airtime I was getting was some of the strongest ejector I’ve experienced. That ride solidified it as my top GCI by far
Prowler & Mystic Timbers are my 2 most ridden GCIs, and I adore both, but I do prefer Prowler. It's night rides are far better, plus it's a sentimental favorite. On my first visit in 2011, I was sleeping on this, because I figured Mamba or Patriot would be the best, then I was blown away. It was the first coaster I rode to show me that height and speed aren't everything. I actually appreciate that Prowler has a bite to it. A little roughness makes a woodie better for me. It was rougher in 2018 & 2019 than it is now, but it wasn't too much for me.
I went to WoF for the first time this past July. Throughout the day I was debating whether I preferred this or Mamba. My night rides on this gave it the edge. I was blown away and also was lucky to get a firework ride. I really really really enjoy the layout of this. It may not have the same out of control feeling as Mystic, but the variety of the elements makes it more enjoyable to me and it feels more complete. This might be the most rerideable woodie that I’ve been on.
It was cool to get a little look into your trip planning process. I feel like there's a gap in the market where people explain their planning process for Non-Disney theme park trips.
There's no one way to plan a trip. A lot of factors come into play like transportation, hours, special events, time, and potentially (on many of mine) work.
Prowler is my #1 GCI coaster. I rank it above Mystic Timbers because I think it has better terrain usage. That first airtime hill with the drop into the woods can catch you off guard with just how big the drop is, due to the terrain.
Why don’t the operators meow or do a more aggressive cat sound for Wildcats Revenge when trains leave I personally haven’t been to Worlds of Fun but that would be entertaining
The ride operators on Prowler are kind of a unique breed. They usually have the fastest dispatch times in the park and they seem to take a genuine pleasure and pride in what they do. Every time I get the sense they are having fun.
In the video of Top GCI roller coasters (2020) made by Canobie Coaster, there was a quote about Prowler at Worlds of Fun that said: So why is it so low? It's a shame it has become a very shaky ride and impacted my ability to reride it.
Haunt night rides on Prowler are out of this world. I honestly prefer to Prowler because of the older trains, on Prowler I can easily get a little room which makes the airtime feel better than Mystic's.
Do you like both the older padding and the newer padding on the GCIs? Canobie Coaster would say... A) Yes, I like both paddings B) I prefer the older padding C) I prefer the newer padding
I don’t understand all of the hype around Mystic Timbers. Maybe I had too high of expectations going into riding it. Also, Prolwer spoiled me in my home park and that’s what I had to compare it to. I’ve ridden Prowler at least 100 times over the years. I think most enthusiasts assume back or front are always the best and so when they visit a ride and only get a few rides, they’re going to try to compare the two. Last row often feels like it loses speed and is just rolling through the course. Front row is fun because of the sensation of being a big, black cat tearing through the terrain. But its pacing can be a little flawed at times where it’s waiting for the momentum of the rest of the train to catch up with it. This may sound counterintuitive, but I find rows 5-7 give the optimal ride experience. Those are the seats where I feel my feet come off the floor the most and my butt hovers above the seat. When you crest the hill where the track passes through the lift hill, you float the whole time. When it’s really hauling, you are pretty much airborne from the triple down through to the turn into the final brake run, getting pops of air you wouldn’t expect. And then there are the night rides which are epic. Maybe the darkness amplifies the sense of speed. Or maybe it’s fully warmed up by the end of the day and that’s why it hauls. As the train comes to a stop in the final brake run, passengers are almost always in awe of what they just experienced. And I have a giant grin on my face. Check out @coasterstudios 2023 review of the park for an idea of just how amazing a night ride can be. At any rate, thank you for giving such a glowing review to this cherished coaster.
I really want to get on Prowler at night. Thought I'd have a chance this past fall, but they oddly didn't do their Haunt on a Sunday night as I anticipated when I planned my trip to the area.
Love both Prowler and Mystic Timbers, equally...While they are similar, I consider Prowler to be the more aggressive of the 2 and MT to be a little more refined... Dead tie for me.
How would you compare Prowler to, for example, Bandit at Movie Park Germany and Coaster Express at Parque Warner Madrid, which are two RCCA wooden coasters still operating, in terms of seats and padding?
I did a sunset ride on Prowler on opening day (2023) and let me spoil you a bit: IT WAS WILD!!! The laterals and airtime are somewhat stronger and I had sharp decrease in directional sense. I wish you the best of luck getting night rides on your next visit because the wait for a night ride will always be worth it!
I hope to get a night ride in the future.
Also did a few sunset rides on opening day with the police helicopters buzzing overhead 🙄 haha
I absolutely appreciate the fact that you reviewed this coaster, because it's a forgotten gem at a Cedar Fair park that isnt taken as seriously as some of the others among the chain. But rides like this ensure that despite the lack of a massive coaster lineup, this park is no joke. Worlds of Fun may not have the same collection as Cedar Point or Carowinds, but their top coasters rival some of the best in the chain. Prowler is no exception to that, and the anecdote you threw in there with the comparison to Diamondbacks hammers that point home perfectly
I'm glad Worlds of Fun got some love this year for their 50th.
Worlds of Fun is extremely good. One of my favorite CF parks due to the coasters they have now and how they run them...Can't wait to get back there this weekend.
Prowler absolutely shocked me with how good it was. It's only knock was the roughness that made me only able to take back to back rides before I had to take a break. A little track work to smooth it would make it top tier for me.
I find it to be very hit or miss with the roughness. Some rides rattle to absolute hell while others are near glossy. Generally back is smoother for whatever reason if that helps at all
It was smooth this year!
@@CanobieCoaster It wasn't too rough on our visit, just too rough to marathon
I have done Haunt at WoF for the last few years, and what you experienced has been the norm. They haven't done Haunt on Sunday nights in September, and also not on the last Sunday of October. I was happy to see the 10pm closings this summer, because on my Thursday visit in July, I was able to get plenty of Prowler night rides without the Haunt crowds. The ride ops there have been so enthusiastic, and that makes it so much more fun for the guests.
That's good to know about haunt nights for future visits.
This coaster is wild and one of the best gci I been on. Was my fav coaster in the park.
It's great!
Prowler to me is the best GCI it’s so underrated and has the BEST NIGHT RIDE in Missouri and best night ride out of all GCI’s in my opinion I’m glad that you got to ride it again and I really agree with your rating so thank you for this review and I hope there’s more coming
Best night ride in Missouri is a bold statement with the rides at Silver Dollar City nearby.
True@@CanobieCoaster
Yeah, I rode Prowler last year and this year, and man, it was MUCH more marathonable this year! I wasn't aware that they did trackwork to it, but it sure felt like it. I was riding comfortably in the back row for most of my rides this year -- couldn't handle the back row last year. It's amazing that, for how intense that turn is after the drop, it tracked quite smoothly this year.
I know GCI did quite a bit of work in recent years.
A few points from my recent MO coaster trip:
-Prowler and Mystic are rather different coasters in terms of layout. Mystic is a pure out and back, while prowler is a hybrid of a twisting GCI and an out and back.
-The front row is a much better ride. The back is rather mid. The air time is much more pronounced in front.
-Night rides are fantastic. I’d say this is one of the ways it does have a leg up on Mystic. It’s more twisted layout and the fewer lights make it far more disorienting than Mystic at night.
I have also noticed those differences between Prowler & Mystic Timbers. The similarities are there, but Prowler does more twisting, which is why it has always felt more wild & out of control than Mystic Timbers.
I got very good rides in both the front and back. I always preferred it in front by a wide margin previously.
Two nights of night rides coming up this weekend and can't wait!
Worlds of Fun is my home park! I’ve gotten to ride Prowler 8 times in the past year.
Nice!
I got a one click ride on this while riding the front row during Haunt last year, and the airtime I was getting was some of the strongest ejector I’ve experienced. That ride solidified it as my top GCI by far
Sounds amazing!
@@CanobieCoaster I was downright terrified with how high off the seat I was with each airtime moment.
Prowler & Mystic Timbers are my 2 most ridden GCIs, and I adore both, but I do prefer Prowler. It's night rides are far better, plus it's a sentimental favorite. On my first visit in 2011, I was sleeping on this, because I figured Mamba or Patriot would be the best, then I was blown away. It was the first coaster I rode to show me that height and speed aren't everything. I actually appreciate that Prowler has a bite to it. A little roughness makes a woodie better for me. It was rougher in 2018 & 2019 than it is now, but it wasn't too much for me.
I prefer smoother woodies, but I love how Prowler is running now. I prefer Mystic by day to Prowler. It's more consistent for me.
I went to WoF for the first time this past July. Throughout the day I was debating whether I preferred this or Mamba. My night rides on this gave it the edge. I was blown away and also was lucky to get a firework ride. I really really really enjoy the layout of this. It may not have the same out of control feeling as Mystic, but the variety of the elements makes it more enjoyable to me and it feels more complete. This might be the most rerideable woodie that I’ve been on.
I hope to try this at night someday.
It was cool to get a little look into your trip planning process. I feel like there's a gap in the market where people explain their planning process for Non-Disney theme park trips.
There's no one way to plan a trip. A lot of factors come into play like transportation, hours, special events, time, and potentially (on many of mine) work.
You should make a review video about Timber Wolf. What would you rate that ride?
I may in the future.
2018: Did you like the ride? What about the pacing and the smoothness or roughness?
It was better this year.
You should make a review video about Timber Wolf. Do you know it? What did you hear about it in its opening year and over the years?
I plan to in the future.
Prowler is my #1 GCI coaster. I rank it above Mystic Timbers because I think it has better terrain usage. That first airtime hill with the drop into the woods can catch you off guard with just how big the drop is, due to the terrain.
It does have great terrain use!
The first time you rode Prowler at Worlds of Fun was 2015?
No, 2018.
Which seats and padding do the trains have on Prowler at Worlds of Fun? What do you think?
Soft cushioning.
I love worlds of fun!
Fun park.
Wild
Yes
For smoothness, what do you think about Prowler when you rode it in 2018 or 2019?
I go into the details in the review.
Why don’t the operators meow or do a more aggressive cat sound for Wildcats Revenge when trains leave I personally haven’t been to Worlds of Fun but that would be entertaining
I find the gentle meow comical.
The ride operators on Prowler are kind of a unique breed. They usually have the fastest dispatch times in the park and they seem to take a genuine pleasure and pride in what they do. Every time I get the sense they are having fun.
In the video of Top GCI roller coasters (2020) made by Canobie Coaster, there was a quote about Prowler at Worlds of Fun that said:
So why is it so low? It's a shame it has become a very shaky ride and impacted my ability to reride it.
It ran rougher than year.
What do you think about this ride in terms of pacing? And in terms of smoothness?
Great pacing. Smoothness can vary by year.
Haunt night rides on Prowler are out of this world. I honestly prefer to Prowler because of the older trains, on Prowler I can easily get a little room which makes the airtime feel better than Mystic's.
That's fair. I do prefer the cushioning on Prowler to Mystic Timbers.
@@CanobieCoaster Now if Mystic had those older trains like Prowler...
Do you like both the older padding and the newer padding on the GCIs?
Canobie Coaster would say...
A) Yes, I like both paddings
B) I prefer the older padding
C) I prefer the newer padding
B
I don’t understand all of the hype around Mystic Timbers. Maybe I had too high of expectations going into riding it. Also, Prolwer spoiled me in my home park and that’s what I had to compare it to.
I’ve ridden Prowler at least 100 times over the years. I think most enthusiasts assume back or front are always the best and so when they visit a ride and only get a few rides, they’re going to try to compare the two.
Last row often feels like it loses speed and is just rolling through the course. Front row is fun because of the sensation of being a big, black cat tearing through the terrain. But its pacing can be a little flawed at times where it’s waiting for the momentum of the rest of the train to catch up with it.
This may sound counterintuitive, but I find rows 5-7 give the optimal ride experience. Those are the seats where I feel my feet come off the floor the most and my butt hovers above the seat. When you crest the hill where the track passes through the lift hill, you float the whole time. When it’s really hauling, you are pretty much airborne from the triple down through to the turn into the final brake run, getting pops of air you wouldn’t expect.
And then there are the night rides which are epic. Maybe the darkness amplifies the sense of speed. Or maybe it’s fully warmed up by the end of the day and that’s why it hauls. As the train comes to a stop in the final brake run, passengers are almost always in awe of what they just experienced. And I have a giant grin on my face.
Check out @coasterstudios 2023 review of the park for an idea of just how amazing a night ride can be.
At any rate, thank you for giving such a glowing review to this cherished coaster.
I really want to get on Prowler at night. Thought I'd have a chance this past fall, but they oddly didn't do their Haunt on a Sunday night as I anticipated when I planned my trip to the area.
Love both Prowler and Mystic Timbers, equally...While they are similar, I consider Prowler to be the more aggressive of the 2 and MT to be a little more refined... Dead tie for me.
I prefer Mystic, but fair points.
Prowler at night >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Looks like an amazing experience that I'd love to try someday.
How would you compare Prowler to, for example, Bandit at Movie Park Germany and Coaster Express at Parque Warner Madrid, which are two RCCA wooden coasters still operating, in terms of seats and padding?
Prowler is far more comfortable.
Did you find Prowler at Worlds of Fun to be tolerable all times you experienced it? What do you think?
It was bumpier a few years ago towards the back. It's good now in any row.