Carowinds Discussion Thread

[tarheel1231]

Post deleted by user.

[GwaziBSRider1]

GwaziBSRider1 wrote:Anybody have an idea of what the crowds could be like on the Saturday after Fury opens (April 4)? I'm going to visit some friends in the Raleigh/Durham area and take them to Carowinds that day (unless for some reason Fury is delayed past that date).

 

 

 

The Saturday after is during the 2wk spring break operation a Saturday that early in the season isn't bad at all. The only ride you'll probably be in line for over an hour is Nighthawk, everything else would be around 15-20mins or a simple walk on. Anything on and after Memorial Day is when Saturdays are stupid crazy due to the waterpark being in operation.

 

Awesome, thanks!

[cwgator]

Anybody have an idea of what the crowds could be like on the Saturday after Fury opens (April 4)? I'm going to visit some friends in the Raleigh/Durham area and take them to Carowinds that day (unless for some reason Fury is delayed past that date).

 

If the weather is nice it may be busier than previous years if Fury is indeed open...and I see no reason it shouldn't. Spring break for CMS starts the day before. Historically it's not too bad though. I doubt there will be lines of an hour + or anything, but most likely busier than opening weekend.

[El Toro_Ryan]

Do my eyes deceive me or is that a train sitting in the station?

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Just looks like the gates to me.

 

[coasterchitchat]

^^They're just fancy air gates that Carowinds invested in to amp up the theming.

 

Speaking of Mike.... from his twitter:

 

 

I guess we finished the roof on the storage track just in time! @CarowindsPark #FURY325

 

 

 

I guess we should change the name from "shade arbor" to "ice arbor"?

 

[Vonni]

The gates are really cool! I do really like the theme CF went with for Fury.

[coasterchitchat]

Mike just tweeted that the first Fury 325 train is headed onto the track right now!

[DJeXeL]

Mike also Tweeted that the ride's PLC is online.

 

[coasterbill]

From the park's Twitter. You can see them loading the cars into the transfer area on the webcam also.

[drummermattk]

We'll with everything getting completed, and loaded, and knowing that Opening day is about a little over a month till they open, im sure maybe by next week we'll see testing? Sure wishing i could get that trip to Carolina this year

[Password121]

Those trains are so sleek. Some of the nicest hyper trains out there, IMO.

[nicman]

^I agree, but I would have preferred V formation of seats on Fury 325.

 

I have a quick question, does anyone know why B&M stopped putting there pre-drop on Hypers and Gigas?

[coasterbill]

The old style seats (like the ones on Fury) are less susceptible to the B&M rattle than the V formation seats. The B&M rattle isn't a big deal anyway but if I had to pick a preferred type I'd go with these for that reason.

 

And B&M seems to have stopped using pre-drops across the board. I'm not sure why that is.

[Dar]

The pre-drops were to prevent wear on the chain and motors when the train left the chain, but B&M have worked out an alternative solution I think!

 

[drummermattk]

^maybe they have found an alternate solution to it or maybe the park didnt want a pre-drop on the ride? who knows

[Password121]

B&M hasn't done a pre-drop on a hyper since 1999. I don't think its the park that decides on mechanical design of the ride.

[drummermattk]

^ True. Still shocked at no pre-drops though.

[nicman]

Or maybe because they simply don't need it?

[undercoverunicorn13]

Or maybe because they simply don't need it?

 

True. I've seen no problems without them. Plus on Hypers it kinda takes away part of the feeling that you get on the 1st drop you know?

[TyRush]

I have a love hate relationship with pre-drops, we have Great Bear where the pre-drop is one of the most intense parts of the ride and then we have the slow stand-up and floor-less pre-drops that do nothing

[Password121]

^The pre-drop isn't the section of track before the drop (Great Bear's helix, Mantis/Green Lantern turnaround, etc), it's the little five foot dip that retracts the lift chain, as seen on the inverts pre-2010ish, all standups, all floorless, sit down, etc. Great Bear's helix comes after the pre-drop, it's just an element before the drop.

[GCI Wooden]

I don't think there is a definition of "pre-drop" (If people say "Great Bear's pre-drop", I know what they are talking about), but I'm pretty sure that people on this thread mean something like what's on Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America

 

Look at the small little section right before it goes down the first drop.

 

Photo from TPR.

[B&MBoy1982]

And B&M seems to have stopped using pre-drops across the board. I'm not sure why that is.

 

I think the term we are looking for isn't "pre drop", I've always called it the "B&M Dip".

 

I can only speak about what I know. That said, I think it has to do with the number of chain dogs that are engaged.

 

Random Coaster Nerd Fact:

Each train on Banshee has 1 chain dog which is right above row 2, however they have 7 anti roll backs. The weight is relieved from the chain once half the train has crested.

 

On most coasters you can hear the chain dogs bouncing on the chain as the train begins to speed up. I think this is the stress B&M was trying to eliminate from their earlier designs.

[Nickstroberg]

Bean dip?