Carowinds Discussion Thread

[cfc]

^Yeah, I could do without another one of those, too. I enjoyed Wild Eagle well enough, but didn't care for Gatekeeper much.

[chargersmichael]

How great would it be to have a 300 foot coaster similar to Skyrush! Oh Intamin! I won't mind a B&M, but man a 300 ft Intamin would be the best!

[Pyrozooka0]

as someone who lists B&M hypers as their top 2 coasters, I would be fine either way when it comes to the giga. All I care is that I get to ride it.

[markysharky17]

I am so excited to hear the news for a giga at Carowinds! But it better not be a B&M coaster. At this point B&M doesn't do crap of me. I have been on 113 coasters and majority of them are B&M. There older coasters are god and there are a few exceptions like the flyers but most of there coasters are boring. Intamin on the other hand blows me away like 99% of the time. There is still a chance that the coaster could be winged. Hopefully it will have a train like SkyRush and have the intensity of Maverick and I305. B&M hypers, Gigas are cool but they don't do much for me. When I went to CP I ride Raptor once, Gatekeeper twice and Mantis twice. And I rode all the intamin coasters like 20 times! B&Ms latest coasters have been disappointing.... Especially with there vest harnesses, they don't let you feel anything and it makes the ride boring.... The vest harness is another reason why I am not ecstatic about Banshee. I can sadly say that it looks like it will suck. God forbid B&M from putting those trains on Montu or Talon! Whatever Carowinds gets will be good but please let it be a B&M!

[PalmTree55]

If B&M, the only type of B&M I would want would be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwT5JoN6mHM. I still REALLY want to get a 300ft. Dive Machine, the drops on Shiekra and Griffon are incredible. I would love to see an extended layout as well too, maybe with a zero-g roll and stuff.

[BotanicalStig]

I'm quite disappointed with this development as well. Carowinds has been my home park these past three seasons and a giga just isn't what the park needs. A B&M giga of all things... If this turns out to be true... God.. just don't let it be true.

 

IMO the park is seriously lacking in a lot of aspects, and a lot of the attractions are garbage. For the sake of discussion, here's what I would rather see... A combination of any of the following before a "70ft taller B&M"

 

A launcher... something similar to Maverick please... but as long as it's not a "Top Thrill NASCAR" I'd be happy.

A higher intensity woodie. Hurler is terrible. Carowinds needs more

An enjoyable, well themed log flume. A big investment but the park IS already full of dinosaur animatronics that serve little use.. just saying.

Maybe a nice looper of any sort... again it's just a case of the current options being trash, the only exception being afterburn.

An El Loco would be cool

Hell I'd rather get a wing rider

 

I could appreciate an Intamin giga, I just have mixed feelings. With that big of an investment I was hoping for a refresh of some of the junk the park is filled with... I guess

[loop-de-loop]

^I'd be surprised if a giga from either company wouldn't be a success at Carowinds.

[supertrooper]

I am so excited to hear the news for a giga at Carowinds! But it better not be a B&M coaster. At this point B&M doesn't do crap of me. I have been on 113 coasters and majority of them are B&M. There older coasters are god and there are a few exceptions like the flyers but most of there coasters are boring. Intamin on the other hand blows me away like 99% of the time. There is still a chance that the coaster could be winged. Hopefully it will have a train like SkyRush and have the intensity of Maverick and I305. B&M hypers, Gigas are cool but they don't do much for me. When I went to CP I ride Raptor once, Gatekeeper twice and Mantis twice. And I rode all the intamin coasters like 20 times! B&Ms latest coasters have been disappointing.... Especially with there vest harnesses, they don't let you feel anything and it makes the ride boring.... The vest harness is another reason why I am not ecstatic about Banshee. I can sadly say that it looks like it will suck. God forbid B&M from putting those trains on Montu or Talon! Whatever Carowinds gets will be good but please let it be a B&M!

 

There, their, and they're. Those are three different words with three different meanings.

[RCjunkie]

I could appreciate an Intamin giga, I just have mixed feelings. With that big of an investment I was hoping for a refresh of some of the junk the park is filled with... I guess

 

Whatever type of Giga coaster they decide to put in the park it is the biggest part of the $50 million investment over 3 years to attract 500,000 more visitors a year. If they do it right (hopefully Intamin ) and they attract that many more customers a year that will provide the future revenue to refresh those areas you talk about.

 

I got the 500,000 visitors from www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/outside_the_loop/2013/09/carowinds-could-get-city-county.html

[tuxedomask5432]

It boggles my mind how some people can seem to draw conclusions from an article that does not even get ride specs right. I mean 300-315 feet high and 65 mph? Maybe the author types his numbers on a 10 key number pad and accidentally typed a 6 instead of 9 (has happened to me ). Also, how can one just make the assumption that just because the picture in this article is a B&M wing rider, that Carowinds' new coaster automatically has to be a Wing Rider?

 

It seems like the article is just featuring Cedar Fair's last constructed "high dollar" attraction in the photo. No one will know for sure who will ultimately be contracted to build this new mammoth attraction, until its officially announced. I'm simply excited at the possibility of having a huge, NEW coaster within 4 hours of my house! Shouldn't everyone be happy about a new coaster???

 

And yes I would prefer Intamin! Maverick is my top steel coaster, and it's great to be at the mercy of that ride! It's one of the only coasters where I've hung on for dear life, in a good way. And I know they're more into pushing the envelope of ejector air and that "out-of-control" feeling, both of which I love. It looks like Carowinds could definitely take the crown as "thrill capital of the Southeast." SFOG needs to buck up if they want to compete.

[Vonni]

^ I know I'd be thrilled if my home park had made such an announcement! Everyone complaining that it might be a B&M, lots of us here in MO would gladly take your worry away to have it in one of our parks! Be happy with whatever you get! At least you're getting something new, and I'm sure it will be a great ride. Boomerang anybody? Yeah, thats what I thought! Be happy!

[The Geek Mojo]

Maverick is a torture device. I want a ride I can hold my hands up and feel free. Not one that I have to hold on or get a neck injury.

Anyone that complains about Maverick being painful is a complete pussy. It's people like you who will make it so that awesome coasters like a Mega-Lite are never built in America.

 

Honestly, Carowinds should just build a boring B&M giga and save the awesome Intamins for Europe, China, or Japan in a culture where people can appreciate them and not complain like spoiled babies.

 

--Robb

 

 

That's cool...I'll take that. Honestly, to tell the truth, I rode Maverick more than any other coaster while at Cedar Point. Don't know why, we just ended up at the back of the park most of the time. And I never said I didn't like the coaster, I just said it was a torture device. Hell, I'm a glutton for punishment...I'll ride anything. I still ride Ninja at SFOG every time I visit just because it's a coaster regardless of how it beats the shit out of me, don't care. But I wouldn't say Maverick is the best ride at the park like everyone else said it was. Honestly, I liked Top Thrill Dragster best, and it was an Intamin. But regardless of arguing over stupid stuff, a lot of people love Maverick and I won't criticize it...To each their own. And personally, I'd love to see a mega-lite come to the USA. I hope Kentucky Kingdom gets one like the rumor going around that it might. I'll be there to support it and ride it. I love coasters, I support them all.

[The Geek Mojo]

Honestly, Carowinds should just build a boring B&M giga and save the awesome Intamins for Europe, China, or Japan in a culture where people can appreciate them and not complain like spoiled babies.

 

--Robb

 

No no no no no no no NO! It doesn't matter to Mr. Mojo because it's most likely not his home park. I would like something decent here, not a forceless B&M.

 

 

I actually have a Carowinds Platinum pass so it really does matter to me. And truthfully, I don't care if it's a Intamin or B&M...I'll ride it regardless and probably like it. I'm just not going to cry over what the park decides to build. I'm just going to ride it and be happy. I just simply stated that I prefer B&M over Intamin. I wasn't trying to step on any toes here.

[cmullin]

I gett that I305 and MF are better than Leviathan, I've been on all three multiple times, and I have to say Leviathan is still a very good ride, not nearly as good as MF and I305, but it's still an exciting ride. I get that since they have Intimidator, Intamin would be a better choice, but if it is B&M you should appreciate that you've got a hyper and a giga, CGA has neither. But I really do hope it's an Intamin, since MF and I 305 are my top 2 coasters, so I'm all for an Intamin giga.

[JonnyRCT3]

I for one would like to see an Hydraulic launch Intamin Giga. Could be interesting, albeit a tad shorter than the rest.

[johnnyknottsville]

So even a regional park like Carrowinds will have a giga before any of the major parks in the SF chain will, at one time I would of put money on SFMM getting a giga. I mean you would think a park that bills itself as the xtreme park would've been jumped on such an extreme coaster, seams like the perfect fit Can we expect Michigan Adventure to get their Giga before SFMM

 

Anyways I can't wait to hear the stats and see the layout of this thing, I love Giga coasters the first drop and the speed of these things is just unbeatable imo. Even though I 100% prefer Intamin I do wonder what B&Ms second offering on the Giga would be, would it be more classic B&M vanilla or would they through some flavor into this second batch. Yet when you think about it, it took what 6 Wingriders before they spiced things up with Heide parks which is the 6th and looks amazing.

[MrSum1_55]

^Actually, it somewhat does make sense. Those two parks use entirely different business strategies. Carowinds and Kings Dominion both add major installations on a fairly infrequent basis, but when they do, they are major additions. SFMM tends to favor adding one low-cost installation every year or two. The last installation SFMM made on this scope was Tatsu, in 2006.

 

I know everyone is hoping for an Intamin, but the cold truth is that it will probably be a B&M. Although a B&M giga is probably what the park least needs, now, I doubt Cedar Fair will go with Intamin on this one, considering the problems had with Intimidator 305, and how smoothly Leviathan has operated. It is possible they might go with Intamin, since Intamins use fewer supports and are therefore cheaper. Also, despite I305, Cedar Fair does have the success of Millennium Force to go off of (not saying I want it to be like Millennium, but the point is that the coaster was successful and has had fair reliability) Also, Intamins do offer a very different experience, so that might be a reason to choose them. It is not completely impossible that it would be an Intamin, but I am about 80% sure that if it is a giga, it will be a B&M. And, that 80% is probably a lowball, considering most of the other 20% is really wishful thinking.

[PalmTree55]

I really don't care wether it's B&M or Intamin. I just don't want A B&M Giga because of Intimidator. Quite frankly, I don't really want a giga at all, but will take what ever coaster we can get. I prefer Intamin, but B&M Dive Machines are terrific as well, maybe the best type of ride B&M have manufactured.

[0RJ13]

Regardless of what type of coaster it is, it will be one of the 6th tallest in the world, which is enough to get me excited.

[rcjp]

I for one would like to see an Hydraulic launch Intamin Giga. Could be interesting, albeit a tad shorter than the rest.

 

What about a LSM launched intamin Giga? That would be very interesting too.

[Aceattack52]

^ Ok, now really. We have no information whatsoever on it. It could go in any direction, plus the official announcement is going to be in a year.

[chknwing]

Sky Coaster will be removed at the end of 2014 to make room for the new 300 Ft coaster.

[PalmTree55]

^Source?

[apatos99]

ps. What's sad is that B&M's USED to F**KING BLOW PEOPLE AWAY AND MAKE THEM GO "WHAT THE F**K" DID I JUST RIDE?!?!? HOLY SH!T!!!!!"

Wouldn't it be nice to have that version of the company back again?

 

This is what I don't understand...why would they change their style/philosophy when they were churning out world class rides year after year? I understand that parks have a great deal of input into what they get, but pretty much all of the B&M's built since like 2002 are considered "tame", which leads me to assume it has something to do with the manufacturer.

I still think it is the park that asked B&M to make tamed rides. Even though I haven't been on Oziris, I think it could be pretty intense. Similar to Intamin, Cheetah Hunt is not intense compare to other Intamins because the park want a family coaster.

OzIris has to be one of my least favorite B&Ms. It looked... **AWESOME** and just had zero forces on it. ...snoooooze...

 

I hope you're wrong and Banshee turns out to be more like Raptor than Oziris as a huge KI enthusiast.

 

And I really don't understand why none of the CF parks aren't clamoring for a copy of Maverick. Best roller coaster in Ohio, period.

[XYZ]

It would be hilarious if the Carowinds giga coaster ends up being 307' tall.