Concord Mills and Carowinds Photo TR (3/31-4/1)

[carolinacaniac]

So this past weekend, my fiancee and I went to Charlotte to get out of town for the weekend. I have to say it was just what we needed. I have to say that Concord Mills is one of the best malls I have gone to, I am not a huge shopper, but there is just a great atmosphere to it, and there is a lot more to the place than anything on this side of the state. So on saturday, we were in Concord Mills from about 2-6 or so. Melissa got most of the goodies with it being about summer season, and we did a lap on the Family 500 at Nascar Speedpark.

 

On sunday was my glorious start to the coaster season with Carowinds. I have to say that I was blown away with how much better the place was to me than it was two years ago. The staff was very friendly. The operations were really good. Only BORG was doing one train and we waited no more than 20 minutes for it. Top Gun was a lot faster and more intense than I remember it being. It definatly flew (pun intended) towards the top of my steel list. I was shocked that I had great rides on both Vortex and Carolina Cyclone, I was expecting a rough ride, but they were both better. Overall the only bad ride I think we had was on Hurler, and there is a picture that I want to share with everyone that maybe I can see what others think.

 

Our ride totals went as such:

Top Gun: 7

Thunder Road: 2 Backwards, 1 Forwards

BORG Assimilator: 2

Carolina Cyclone, Carolina Goldrusher, Southern Star, Drop Zone, Dodgems, Spoungebob 3-D, Ricochet, Rugrats Runaway Reptar, Hurler, Vortex, Fairly Odd Coaster: 1

Flying Super Saturator: 1 (Melissa didn't wanna ride, so she took pics).

 

One thing that was really funny (although at the time it wasn't) was when we rode Top Gun the first go around, I felt something hit my leg on the part where the train comes out of the batwing heading towards the station. When we were on the brake run, Melissa said "OH MY GOD, GARY!" and showed me her hand. She lost her engagement ring on the ride, and I felt it hit my leg, or so I thought. A moment later she showed it in her other hand, and said she took it off before the brake run. I later found out that it was a tree branch near the track that was just at the right spot at the right moment the hit it. EVIL FIANCEE!!!!!

 

Overall, we had a great weekend, and cannot wait to come back! Now that I have pretty much said everything I wanted to, here are the pics!

And with that I wrap-up this PTR with a picture of my Favorite Carowinds coaster. I can't wait until we have another chance to visit!

The park entrance as we are on our way out

Gotta love the two rides in two parks t-shirts Cedar Fair is trying to sell now a days! (I make a joke about it as I am actually wearing it as I type)

Coming around the corner, just before getting nailed in the face with a water cannon!

Melissa sat on the sidelines as I took a spin on the saturator since it had the water on. I wish I had pictures from after the ride cause I got decently wet.

The park entrance.

....and Top Gun.

Same with BORG......

A shot of Vortex many have seen before.

Spoungebob, Gary, Melissa, and Patrick. Which one does not fit it?

My niece LOVES Dora, so Melissa had make get a picture with Dora for her.

Ode to Spoungebob!

Rugrats Runaway Reptar, the inverted Roller Skater!!

Melissa also flipped her lid when she saw Squidward. Here we are trying to look like a part of his club. She was even more excited when we saw Spoungebob though.

Nothing like pictures of big odd-shaped balls!!!!!

It may be Fairly Odd, but for a Junior woodie, it's Fairly Good!

A shmorgish-BORG of a ride!

Me and Melissa

"I'm the scary Carolina Cyclone Man, and I'm gonna gitcha!!!!"

Anyone else think that this may not be a good thing?

Now I do not claim to be an expert on wooden coaster maintenance, but this did not look too good to me, or Melissa either.

Hurler, the only bad ride of the day. I may have been willing to go for another ride, but there was one thing that made me think otherwise.....

Drop Zone, and the always grand farting noise brakes!

Vortex's loopage!!! Vortex was a whole lot smoother than I remember it two years ago.

Melissa likes to call this "Love Across Two States." I couldn't agree more!

Me across the state line........made me wonder if there was a certain someone on this site who had a slightly more risque picture involving the state line

My wonderful fiancee on both states, who was still giggling over her evil little joke!

Ahh, the glory that is Top Gun! I remember this ride being a tame ride when I rode it two years ago, but memory must have not served me well, because this rode was wicked sweet for all of our 7 rides!

Thunder Road, which ran really well when we rode it!

Ahhh, the good old generic Cedar Fair signs we all know and love!!!

Southern Star looked pretty good, although these rides are not typically my cup of tea, Melissa wanted to try it out.

Melissa with Patrick. She is a huge Spongebob fan, and went nuts over seeing Patrick, but there would be even more later.

BORG flying by as we wait for a ride.

A giant candy cane!!....err....I mean the Carolina Skytower.

COASTERS!!!!! Especially ones that you can see as you are in the Parking Lot like Top Gun!!

Melissa thought I was goofy before, but she forgets how goofy I get when I see............

It is hard to see, but I am standing next to one of Tony Stewerts racing suits. This is actually one of my better pictures of myself I think.

Then he goes on to tell Gary how big of a loser he is for getting beat by a girl!

After our run on the Family 500 at the NASCAR Speedpark, Sparkie congradulates Melissa on her dominance over Gary on the track

here fishy, fishy, fishy!

Inside of Bass Pro Shop's Outdoor World, complete with stuffed dead animals!!!!

I am not a fan of heelys. The kids that wear them almost always run into people, and knock stuff over, and I was happy to see that the mall made a rule against them. Buit no sooner do I take this picture and turn around, there was a kid rolling out the do

This is Melissa, my wonderful fiancee. Don't let that smile fool you though, when she goes shopping and you try to stop her, she is like a couger ready to attack!!

One big thing in Charlotte......NASCAR!!!!! So of course the mall has it's own car!

JEEPERS IT'S CLOSED!!!!!!!! Oh well, at least I got my credit a couple years ago

The carousel in the middle of the food court

More Carnival Scenery

I just love the way they decorate the mall, especially the food court with it's sort of carnival theme

[Coaster Palooza]

Nice TR. I want to go to Carowinds extremely bad. I would like to ride Borg, since it was Stealth from Great America.

 

Thanks for the photos!

[coastercrazed49]

Nice trip report.

 

Those bults on Hurler didnt look safe to me, but I need to ride I dont have the credit.

[kennywood!007]

Wow! Nice pics man, looks like you two had a wonderful time.

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Nice TR!! I surprised Cedar Fair gave Thunder Road a level 4 rating instead 5. Jaguar at Knotts has a level 4 too, and it is no were as big or as fast as Thunder Road.

[carolinacaniac]

Yeah, I am not sure exactly what determines the ratings on rides, but then agian, I have yet to see someone say "Oh man I can't wait to ride that......oh wait, it's a level 5, I think I may have to pass." I guess it can be a good guide for parents though.

 

When we rode, I didn't feel anything unusual at that point where the track looks to be broken, (It is on the banked curve that goes up then down heading towards the station, I wanna say the third turn after the first drop). We saw that when we were on the train waiting for the other to be dispatched from the station. I couldn't believe it when I saw it.

[Axman]

Awsome photos! That Maverick shirt is quite odd, like something outta Japan (I would have bought it )

 

I rode BORG when it was Stealth at PGA. It was a surreal experience, which I should hope to ride again.

 

This park always reminded me of PGA (my ex-home park), so I've wanted to check it out since I moved to Nashville. The coasters all look better than PGA's, too.

 

The BORG theming is much better than Stealth's non-existent theming

[coasterdude5]

Great TR, some cool shots of the park I've never seen before.

 

I wonder how long it will be until all Paramount is gone from the park...

[thefitness]

Cool Pictures, looks like a fun park! I would've been excited if I saw all those Spongebob characters too!

[coasterdude89]

Cool pics....I go to carowinds all the time since it is my homepark.

 

Words of advice:

Only ride Hurler in the front car, preferably front seat. tons of airtime, plus it is really smooth...yes, I repeat really smooth. Any other seat/car is painful.

 

Only ride Thunder Road in the middle seat of each car. It is smooth...if you ride any other seat you will probably get a headache...like on Hurler.

[carolinacaniac]

I would say that Thunder Road was not bad at all, I thought it ran awesome while we were there. Hurler on the other hand shook like a big booty dancer!

 

We rode in the back, so your theory may be correct, but I won't know until I go again. I hope it will be sooner than later though!

 

Thanks for the comments so far everyone!!!!!

[bulldogmom]

Great pics, especially of the coasters. They all show the layout real well. THose are some strange-looking characters walking around- I don't know if I'd want any of them touching me

[carolinacaniac]

Are you talking about spoungebob and friends or my Fiancee? I have to admit that I can understand what it is like to be a comstumed character, because when I worked at Chick-Fil-A, there were many B-Day parties where I dressed up as the Chick-Fil-A cow, and some kids will love it, others will scream in fear, but I still thought it was fun for the most part, but then again I only would do it once every few months and for only about 10-15 minutes.

[PKI Jizzman]

Awesome PTR! I love how you can go to Carowinds for just a few hours and be able to ride Top Gun so many times, and it's such an amazing coaster! Looked like BORG didn't have much of a wait either, great to see a Carowinds TR!

 

-Zach

[cfc]

Nice TR. I've only been to Carowinds once, and that was for Winterfest two years ago. Top Gun was running that night, and it was excellent (we rode it five times).

 

I'm planning to hit the place again sometime this season. Nice meeting you at SFA, Gary.

[jsguilkey]

Great Pictures! I can't wait for my trip to Carowind! I have season pass for Cedar Fair and Carowind is on my vacation plan in the end of July as part of my Screamin' in the Smokies! I'm pumped!

[kraken613]

I went to Carowinds yesterday. I was disaponted with Cedar Fair. Top Gun had an hour wait and running one train. The were using Cardinal the Shark was on the transfer with its wheel coverings off. They wernt even filling the train up. They would run it with one person in a row! You couldnt sit in the back left seat becouse its restraint didnt have any handels or a buckle! Eveything else had ok operation. One good thing is alot of the rides are running smoother in my opinion.

[307]

Nice TR... Carowinds looks like a really nice park, it's too bad we had to cancel our planned trip there this year. Maybe next year! Top Gun looks awesome!

 

Spoungebob

It's SPONGEBOB

[carolinacaniac]

-Kraken: sorry to hear about your day at Carowinds not being too grand, when Melissa and I went it was really slow, but they still had both trins on Top Gun going. I woul dguess something was wrong with the other train, but I can't really say since I don't manage the place

 

-307: Top Gun is awesome!! When you get a chance to visit, I think you will like it!

[Hammer8]

I went to Carowinds last Friday and can testify for the hand bar on the far left of the coaster was missing and the ops wouldn't let any one in that seat. Due to the this I was able to ride in the back row, by myself because I was a single. Top Gun @ Cedarfair-owinds owns!