Carowinds Discussion Thread

[willh51]

After hearing how different Leviathan and Behemoth ride, I'm fine with a B&M giga.

You mean how one is actually a "decent" B&M and the other one is 300 feet worth of boring?

 

I haven't ridden either but I'm re-evaulating my "OK with a B&M giga comment now." I thought if anything Leviathan wouldn't be boring. Carowinds certainly doesn't need that because Intimidator doesn't exactly knock my socks off. I have it ranked highly based on my first ride opening day when it wasn't trimmed all to hell.

[rcjp]

I know it is a lot of money that may be spent on something just OK but what I meant with the "better than nothing" was that I doubt I will be a BAD ride and anything that's decently good will always be better than doing nothing. Having said that, I would obviously rather have a totally Kickass ride for that money but I'm not sure if that will be the case as we seem to be just a minority compared to the GP that loves any OK B&M.

[arby]

I was most excited when I saw the $7 mil in restaurant improvements since the food at the park is average at best.

 

A 30 Million 302ish' coaster will be a nice addition. Only time will tell how good it is. I do have a suspicion that this coaster will interact with the front gate in some way. It would be cool to have it go under the bridge at the entrance plaza.

[mark549]

Intimidator 232 is a nice ride, but of the six B&M speed coasters in the US it's my least favorite. It would be a great ride to marathon since it's relatively mellow for a ride of its size, but I didn't find it that impressive. Either Goliath in Georgia or Diamondback is my favorite B&M speed coaster - Diamondback starts off stronger but Goliath has better pacing (and DB is weak at the end). I haven't been on the B&M's in Canada or Europe. I have ridden Millennium Force and I-305, which are superior to the B&M speed coasters except for their trains - B&M speed coasters have the best restraints.

 

I found Afterburn more intense than I-232. None of the rest of the coasters there were that interesting to me, I did try a few a few times to see how they rode in different parts of the train (Vortex in particular). Most of the rest were one and done. Their Vekoma flyer is my least favorite of the three. Ouch ouch ouch.

 

My vote for Carowinds new giga would be a 300 foot version of El Toro ... although I don't expect to see that.

 

One addition I would like to see Carowinds add, one that is more reasonable to hope for, would be more awnings over the ride queues. A shade over the stairs in the queue for I-232 would not cost much.

[Intarider]

If this is really going to be a giga - no matter if from Intamin or B&M - I would bet that it will be exactly 307 feet in height

 

Anyway, I'm quite excited about the project. Reminds me a bit of the time in 2009 when the first rumors about an Intamin Giga at King's Dominion were coming up. And yes, even though I have only ridden EGF and Silver Star in terms of comparable coasters, I think an Intamin would be a MUCH better choice in this case (even though my stomach tells me it will be yet another cookie-cutter B&M).

[Solid Gold]

I am completely with Robb on the notion that something is not always better than nothing. Too many rides out there to list, but if I was running a theme park every addition would be basically in the style of Holiday world. It's like they are the only people asking themselves "What can we build that will break records and get us press+ large attendance increases, but for the least money possible?"

 

I can hold hope that for 30 Million we could see:

 

A Dive Coaster with like two inversions and 4000 feet of track. Holy sh*t.

A coaster that is exactly like Goliath at SFGAM, except 3000 feet longer.

An exact copy of Mindbender at Edmonton Mall, except the scale is 2:1.

Anything that is 300 feet tall from Intamin.

Anything that is 300 feet tall from Premier.

Anything that is 300 feet tall from Rocky Mountain!

[_koppen]

If this really turns out to be a giga, and also from B&M, I would hope for a huge dive machine.

That at least would make the ride interesting, different and maybe even awesome. The dive machines are some of the very few modern B&M's i really enjoy.

[Thri!!er]

An exact copy of Mindbender at Edmonton Mall, except the scale is 2:1.

 

^^That WOULD be really awesome to see finally again a new built Compact Loop-Coaster in Style of Schwarzkopf. Since 1988/1989 company BHS in Peißenberg did this really great job with the “Olympia Looping” -- nothing happened anymore in that named (Schwarzkopf) “Magic”-Style till now... Absolutely frustrating (for me) for all the truly Schwarzkopf-Freaks!

 

Thri "I don't like Euro Fighters with its trains, etc. at all" !!er

[PalmTree55]

If it's B&M, the only thing I would like is a massive 300ft. Dive Machine with an extended layout!

[cmullin]

I hope that it would be the next Intamin giga, but if it's going to be B&M, why don't they go for it with a giga dive machine with an extended layout and some crazy elements? I agree, I didn't really like the hyper giga set up at CW, but they're both good rides, but Leviathan provides NO airtime, but has speed throughout the ride, and Behemoth has loads and loads. On the other side, Millennium Force and I305 have some good airtime, and insane speed the entire ride, Intamin gigas are just in another class of their own, along with their hypers. If this is and Intamin giga this will seal my visit to Carowinds in the next few years.

[Invertalon]

I would love to see the dive machines taken to the next level in terms of layout elements, length, etc... I think they are fantastic rides.

[DBru]

In addition to the interesting rumors of "Cedar Fair and Intamin aren't friends anymore," it's interesting to see how many other conclusions enthusiasts have drawn in regards to the B&M vs. Intamin debate. After working at a park this summer that is home to multiple examples of each and laying my eyes on many downtime and numbers sheets, I think people would be surprised to learn how little of a difference there actually is in the general reliability of Intamins compared to B&M's. Of course there are exceptions...but those exceptions work both ways.

 

And nearly everyone...and I mean everyone...is more impressed with the performance (especially in regards to popularity with guests) of Intamins.

[GayCoasterGuy]

I say forget both Intamin and B&M. Go with Mack A 300 ft Mack... think Millenium Force meets Gatekeeper; sit down coaches (with lap bars only, of course.). And plenty of trenches, tunnels and fly bys (ok, I'm getting outta hand, this is Cedar Fair.)

 

Dreaming is free.

[CoAsTeR_FrEaK27]

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2013/09/charlotte-council-wrestles-carowinds.html

 

 

300ft tall wing rider????

[_koppen]

310 to 315 feet tall and running up to 65 miles per hour

 

Okay, that was funny!

[jsz1002]

310 to 315 feet tall and running up to 65 miles per hour

 

Okay, that was funny!

 

Maybe it has a trimmed first drop!

[PalmTree55]

How can it be 310ft. tall and only 65mph!?!?!

[arby]

You have to look at the slideshow, too. It almost seems like 'misinformation' to me. Based on descriptions from the slideshow, though, it sounds more like an inverted coaster.

 

Riders on the planned "giagacoaster" at Carowinds will be suspended from above, with their feet dangling in the air.

 

If this is true, it looks like the Paladium ampitheater may be taken out. The area in red in the third picture also goes where the sky coaster and the go karts are.

 

[gerstlaueringvar]

^^ I guess it would be similar to S:EFK or ToT... Has a tall tower but never reach the top(It can't reach the top) or trim to death on the first drop( YOLOcoaster type of drop that trims on the way down?)

[kailisun98]

310 to 315 feet tall and running up to 65 miles per hour

 

Okay, that was funny!

I wonder if it is one of those Intamin shuttles that are launched.

[PalmTree55]

Like the Inverted Impulse or that U shaped one?

[shivtim]

Did anybody else notice they called it a "giagacoaster"? They must mean "geaugacoaster" and Cedar Fair is putting in a giga at Geauga Lake!

 

Seriously, I would take this all with a grain of salt considering they say 65mph, can't spell gigacoaster, and show a picture of a wingrider saying it's "suspended from above." Ah, local reporters.

[CoAsTeR_FrEaK27]

Well I said the same thing about 65mph since gatekeeper goes 67 and its not no where near as tall, so I didn't really get it either, but I guess we will see.

[Ed Farmer]

How can it be 310ft. tall and only 65mph!?!?!

 

 

 

[denning]

I'd be very surprised if it's an Intamin given the lengthy downtime of I-305 this year.

Intimidator 305's downtime has nothing to do with it. The new coaster has most likely been in the pipeline for years.

 

Maybe this year's downtime but the first year's? The reprofiling? The trim on the hill. The brown-outs. Coupled with the removal of the barrel roll on Maverick and the issues with the flume at CP.

 

Plus the capacity is less. If you were corporate you would likely play it safe and go B&M