Carowinds Discussion Thread

[Intimidator305]

If anyone is bored at work today a good way to pass time and have a laugh is reading the comments on the Carowinds Facebook page about Thunder Road closing...

[GCI Wooden]

If anyone is bored at work today a good way to pass time and have a laugh is reading the comments on the Carowinds Facebook page about Thunder Road closing...

I am without words.

[coasterkid124]

One word describes these people making these comments... Ungrateful

 

Here is one of my favorites:

 

Good job carowinds! Tearing down a classic ride! It's all about the money.... Rip thunder road!

 

Here's what makes me mad

 

1) Of course the park wants to make money. They're a business. Isn't that the goal of any business? If not then we mind as well be communist.

 

2) It isn't all about the money. Carowinds fans should be very grateful. A few years ago, this was just a "meh" park. Now CF announces huge capital investments to make this big and the fans don't care? Give me Fury if that is the case. I'll gladly take it and a water park expansion. Besides, it is costing the park money in demolition to tear it down. If they wanted to make more money they would have just kept it and not make any expansions.

 

3) So now let's not tear down any coasters because they are classics. RMC should stop turning crappy coasters into high rating thrill machines, and parks should keep all of their rides while trying to find a way to expand, even if they're landlocked.

 

People don't get it. If they loved TR so much, then why weren't they riding it more? It seems highly unlikely that a park would remove a ride if it was extremely popular and queues were overflowing.

[coasterbill]

If they loved TR so much, then why weren't they riding it more? It seems highly unlikely that a park would remove a ride if it was extremely popular and queues were overflowing.

 

This sums up why this entire "save thunder road" thing is stupid. The ride was basically always a walk on, if people voted with their feet the same way they vote with their hashtags then the ride would still be there. Personally I liked the ride but it's the textbook definition of an average, forgettable, middle-of-the-road coaster.

Edited July 27, 2015 by coasterbill

[viking86]

Ah the classic case of once a ride closes it immediately becomes a hundred times better...

[Superbatboy]

One word describes these people making these comments... Ungrateful

 

Here is one of my favorites:

 

Good job carowinds! Tearing down a classic ride! It's all about the money.... Rip thunder road!

 

Here's what makes me mad

 

1) Of course the park wants to make money. They're a business. Isn't that the goal of any business? If not then we mind as well be communist.

 

2) It isn't all about the money. Carowinds fans should be very grateful. A few years ago, this was just a "meh" park. Now CF announces huge capital investments to make this big and the fans don't care? Give me Fury if that is the case. I'll gladly take it and a water park expansion. Besides, it is costing the park money in demolition to tear it down. If they wanted to make more money they would have just kept it and not make any expansions.

 

3) So now let's not tear down any coasters because they are classics. RMC should stop turning crappy coasters into high rating thrill machines, and parks should keep all of their rides while trying to find a way to expand, even if they're landlocked.

 

People don't get it. If they loved TR so much, then why weren't they riding it more? It seems highly unlikely that a park would remove a ride if it was extremely popular and queues were overflowing.

Well said

[coasterkid124]

It's also one thing to miss the ride, which is alright, but it's another to attack the park for removing it. The same people that are using the "thanksfornothing" hashtag are going to be the same ones floating around happily in the new water park. The whole "I'll never give you another dime" thing is also stupid, because they are just false threats to begin with.

[FSUFanChris]

If they loved TR so much, then why weren't they riding it more? It seems highly unlikely that a park would remove a ride if it was extremely popular and queues were overflowing.

 

This sums up why this entire "save thunder road" thing is stupid. The ride was basically always a walk on, if people voted with their feet the same way they vote with their hashtags then the ride would still be there. Personally I liked the ride but it's the textbook definition of an average, forgettable, middle-of-the-road coaster.

I compare this to the #TeamCoCo 'protest.' Had you just watched The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, then maybe he would still be here.

[VF15]

I agree, all of these #savethunderroad comments are getting ridiculous. I can understand that people are sad to see Thunder Road go, but attacking the park for being a business trying to make money is just absurd.

[chknwing]

General manager Mike Fehnel said Thunder Road is being torn down to make room for improvements in the County Fair section of the park. The new attraction is expected to be announced next month. The newspaper reported it probably will not be a roller coaster, but will be something wet.

 

ok so to drum up some conversation other than thunder road. what do you think mike ment by improvements to county fair? the water park isn't in county fair.

[grsupercity]

General manager Mike Fehnel said Thunder Road is being torn down to make room for improvements in the County Fair section of the park. The new attraction is expected to be announced next month. The newspaper reported it probably will not be a roller coaster, but will be something wet.

 

ok so to drum up some conversation other than thunder road. what do you think mike ment by improvements to county fair? the water park isn't in county fair.

 

Hopefully a log flume, we all know its needed

[jarmor]

I would flat out say what the improvements are but...where's the flu...fun in that?

[Intimidator305]

It's almost a tradition now of Carowinds teasing...

 

 

Like Windseeker and Dinosaurs Alive's teasing they stupidly named the file of the photo "Carowinds-Waterpark-Teaser-Rotator" so that confirms Boomerang Bay rather than County Fair will be turning into 'Carolina Harbor'.

[chknwing]

but whats the sand mean? they have used it twice now in teasers

 

also

"https://www.carowinds.com/images/banners/Carowinds-Waterpark-Teaser-Rotator.jpg"

[Woodie Warrior]

I have to admit, when TR's closing was announced, I jumped on the "#SaveThunderRoad" bandwagon. I never rode it, but I have ridden Racer at KI, which I really loved for some reason, and I was worried that if TR left, then Rebel Yell and Racer would go next.

 

Then I realized that Thunder Road was far more neglected, and unlike Racer, was definitely in the way of lands that could be expanded on. Carowinds water park and water ride selection appears to be minuscule, so a log flume or water park expansion looks like a good choice for the park.

[mhuffva]

I have to admit, when TR's closing was announced, I jumped on the "#SaveThunderRoad" bandwagon. I never rode it, but I have ridden Racer at KI, which I really loved for some reason, and I was worried that if TR left, then Rebel Yell and Racer would go next.

 

Then I realized that Thunder Road was far more neglected, and unlike Racer, was definitely in the way of lands that could be expanded on. Carowinds water park and water ride selection appears to be minuscule, so a log flume or water park expansion looks like a good choice for the park.

 

The strange thing is that, out of the 3 racing coasters in the former Taft/KECO parks, Thunder Road underwent a complete rebuild over a 3 year period. This rebuild started about 5-6 years ago. Ever notice that Thunder Road is almost all natural wood and the Racer and Rebel Yell still have the original white superstructure?

[coasterbill]

It's almost a tradition now of Carowinds teasing...

 

It's also almost a tradition of their web team screwing up and leaking everything ahead of time so let's hope that happens soon.

 

Hopefully a log flume, we all know its needed

 

This will never happen, and it's clearly a water park expansion but I agree with you that they really need a log flume. If they build a log flume I'll take off from work just to get down there for opening day just because I'd be so happy a corporate park decided to invest in a brand new log flume that we'd have to go down and support them. This trend of parks removing log flumes quite honestly sucks because what you end up with is a bunch of parks with no way to cool off on hot days without being absolutely drenched with waterfalls on rapids rides or manufactured tidal waves on large splash boat rides. Parks need something in between and every log flume that's still operating is immensely popular for that reason.

[coasterkid124]

I think that an issue with log flumes is that it's hard to find that medium. Most log flumes that I've been on, you either get drenched or not wet at all; not even a mist. I'm not sure if that changed with the newer models, but the old Arrow and Hopkins flumes really fail to impress sometimes. Especially if the lines are long.

[LiftThrill]

They could rename Intimidator to Diamondback and add a splashdown. Just an idea.

[coasterbill]

At first I thought that was a ridiculous idea since they'd need to change the layout, would get no ROI, would spend a ton of money on it and it wouldn't be anywhere near guest areas but then I realized that a water brake was sort of like another trim brake so the Carowinds maintenance team would probably love the idea. Anything that results in more trims for Intimidator seems like a good thing as far as they're concerned.

[BotanicalStig]

The park needs a log flume, but maybe one of these would be pretty neat too

[youtu_be]https://youtu.be/Sxc0ab8C5Do[/youtu_be]

 

I still don't think it will be slides, they just did an expansion last year.

 

I'm hoping for multiple flats, plus a splash battle, Drop n Splash, or a Voyage to the Iron Reef. But, a few water/boat themed rides, one "big" attraction, and a retheme to Carolina Harbor wouldn't be a bad way to go. I'd be happy seeing the area get spruced up a bit. Similar to what they did with the knott's boardwalk or Gemini midway.

 

Cedar Fair rarely disappoints. I'd hate to see the parks only good wooden coaster go for a water slide or two.

[grsupercity]

Rename the waterpark outerbanks shark attack the experience.

[Intimidator305]

It's also almost a tradition of their web team screwing up and leaking everything ahead of time so let's hope that happens soon.

 

Yup... already starting it. Carowinds GM Mike Fehnel has been trying to throw everyone off of it not being a water park addition and then they go ahead and name that photo on their website "Carowinds-Waterpark-Teaser-Rotator.jpg". Not to mention trademarking the name 'Carolina Harbor' well in advance giving away the new name of Boomerang Bay. I expect more to be accidentally revealed before the announcement in 30 days.

[kcurry11]

Sometimes, parks are just not careful enough for us amateur detective Theme park nerds.

[Ed Farmer]

At first I thought that was a ridiculous idea since they'd need to change the layout, would get no ROI, would spend a ton of money on it and it wouldn't be anywhere near guest areas but then I realized that a water brake was sort of like another trim brake so the Carowinds maintenance team would probably love the idea. Anything that results in more trims for Intimidator seems like a good thing as far as they're concerned.

Maybe place it at the bottom of the first drop to increase super-effectiveness and get rid of maintenance altogether.