Carowinds Discussion Thread

[ejot]

I was actually planning on it, but as it turned out... they did get everything open a little after 7:00 as the winds had died way down. Everyone in the park swarmed to Intimidator and Fury so the queues got long quick. After waiting 45m for Intimidator, I decided to buy a Fast Lane Plus at like 8:00... The girl selling it was so confused LOL. Got in like 12 rides on Fury and a few more on Intimidator. Sooo worth it.

 

Fury is just INCREDIBLE, so much better than I could have imagined. Thought it would feel basically like your standard B&M hyper, just a bit scaled up. It didn't - totally in a class by itself for them. The wacky overbank into sideways turn/hill before the tunnel was perhaps my favorite element. The pacing is mindblowing. My only wishlist adjustments would be a slightly less steep first drop, and little more speed through the final section. That trim towards the end hits pretty hard.

 

Have to give props to the crews on both big B&Ms, they were absolutely flying. Great first trip to Carowinds.

[coasterbill]

Glad to hear it! I agree, I expected a standard B&M hyper too. I never expected that world-beating beast of a ride. I still can't believe B&M built it.

[BotanicalStig]

Yesterday turned out to be a good day to go. Crowds were pretty light (due to the miserable weather) but like ejot mentioned Fury didn't open until after 7. We got there as soon as we could after seeing it run, but we were in line for about an hour before getting on. By the time we got on, the queue was full. It ran great last night, but the park was only running two trains. We never saw this last year, hopefully this doesn't become a habit.

 

Plants VS Zombies wasn't very good. They did a good job with theming (we really liked the paint job on the hot sauce guns) but the gameplay was kind of lame. The theater was pretty quiet (no music or anything while playing), just the sound of zombies going "uuhg" or "blaaah" when you shoot them. The park advertised this as "the first interactive ride where you play against another team". This just isn't true. You do not play against the other team. Both teams are shooting at wandering plants or zombies, not each other. Scores are compared at the end, but that is a lame "first ever" when every other interactive ride does this (including boo blasters just down the pathway). Also, it was really hard to tell where you were shooting. That said, having another way to escape the heat this summer will be greatly appreciated.

 

On to the food. Chickie's and Pete's was a nightmare, just like last year and the year before. Such a shame, the food is so good, but you're always left to wait 40 minutes for a sandwich and fries. I don't understand why they still can't get it together over there. Oh well. Harmony hall was excellent, as always. One last thought on the restaurants, why isn't a drink included in the dining plan?

 

Taste of the Carolinas, we didn't try a whole lot. Here is what we did get.

 

Upstate South Carolina Region

Jalapeno Pimento Cranberry Cheese Balls

 

Lexington Barbecue Region

Beer Basted Pulled Pork Sliders

 

Charleston Region

Shrimp and Grits

 

The "cheese balls" was a nacho-ish cheese dip with three crackers. It was delicious (and only 2 tokens) but not really "balls". We did find their naming choices to be a bit odd throughout the day.

 

I got the pulled pork slider, it was excellent, so was the slaw that came with it. 4 tokens, worth it.

 

My wife got the shrimp and grits. It was two pieces of deep fried shrimp with tartar sauce. When asked why it had no grits, the lady said it wasn't actually supposed to come with grits. She said they just called it that. This was stupid. 4 tokens, and not really worth it. My slider was better, and much more food.

 

I also tried a beer, "White Zombie". I'm partial to wheat beer, and this was a pretty good one. 4 tokens well spent.

 

Taste of the Carolinas was pretty good, again. Not amazing, and pretty expensive considering the amount of food you get. I like that they are continuing this event, there is plenty to try.

[ejot]

The pulled pork spring roll was also a great option at 3 tokens and beautifully prepared. I had the same exact thoughts on the cheese "ball" and shrimp/grits. Needed a couple more crackers for the cheese too. Also tried the sausage/fig/goat cheese popover - ugly but de-lish. Cream ale and oatmeal stout were top notch.

[cwgator]

Yesterday turned out to be a good day to go. Crowds were pretty light (due to the miserable weather) but like ejot mentioned Fury didn't open until after 7. We got there as soon as we could after seeing it run, but we were in line for about an hour before getting on. By the time we got on, the queue was full. It ran great last night, but the park was only running two trains. We never saw this last year, hopefully this doesn't become a habit.

 

Considering it was after 7PM when they were able to run the coaster and park attendance #s, they probably didn't feel the need to put 3 trains on for less than 3 hours of operation. There were some slow days last year where they only ran 2 trains.

[cdcruizer05]

Visiting the park today... Intimidator back rows all shut down.... Seat belts not latching properly.

 

 

 

Afterburn was stuck on lift hill for about 30 mins or more.

 

Now time to ride fury.

[ejot]

Finally got around to getting some pictures off my phone. Here's a few from my visit last weekend.

Saw this sexy couple as I was driving in.

Since you've NEVER seen this view before..... My first order of business. Uh oh: Clear skies but not a soul around!

They had ice sculptures...

Pleasantly surprised to see this, had no idea the event was going to be going on. Let's see what they had...

In photography class, they told me never take photos looking into the sun. You're welcome.

The sausage, fig, and goat cheese concoction was not pretty, but it was delicious, accompanied by a local cream ale. YUM!

Shrimp and grits sounds fantastic, let's try that.

Uhh, where's my grits? Four tokens for this? It tasted fine, but nothing spectacular.

A spicy, peppery, fruity cheese ball? Let's do it!

Okay, so more of a dip or spread. Another couple crackers would have been nice, but this was tasty.

I could never make it past the first listing on the signs, they all sounded so good.

The guy behind me was confused how you would eat this, thinking it was wrapped in plastic. Come to think of it ... what IS it wrapped in? Was delicious, as was the oatmeal stout.

... and ice sculptors. This poor guy was being heckled by an obnoxious drunken woman.

Nighthawk was not running but had some nice curves to look at. It later opened but I missed my chance as it was soon down again for technical woes.

Unsuccessfully trying to not look too disappointed.

Intimidator has lovely lady humps. It was also down.

Wait! What have I spotted? An empty train cresting one of the boobs! YESSSS!! Of course the entire park immediately descended upon her along with me.

Until THIS happened! Woohooo, my Carowinds trip will be complete!!

Intimidator looking great in the early evening. This was my first B&M with staggered seating; loved it.

Coasters at sunset <3

Fury's lighting package is so stunning.

I actually rode Hurler four times o_O .... once against my will.... weird story.

Goodbye Fury, you were a blast. I'll catch up with you again someday.

[pproteinc]

I absolutely hate the Charleston region food. I lived in Charleston for almost 10yrs before moving to Charlotte and learned a lot about their cuisine from my family. That is NOT how shrimp and grits look . The shrimp is supposed to be sauteed with onions garlic and bell peppers in a gravy created from the dripping on the bottom of the pan then placed on top of butter grits. Smh i just get mad every time I see it

[VF15]

Just under a month left until I visit Carowinds . Based on what I've read, it sounds like I should ride Nighthawk and Ricochet first due to low capacity, and ride Intimidator before Fury to avoid being disappointed. Am I right?

 

Any other tips?

[FSUFanChris]

Just under a month left until I visit Carowinds . Based on what I've read, it sounds like I should ride Nighthawk and Ricochet first due to low capacity, and ride Intimidator before Fury to avoid being disappointed. Am I right?

 

Any other tips?

That sums it all up. Enjoy your visit.

[Khat26]

Just under a month left until I visit Carowinds . Based on what I've read, it sounds like I should ride Nighthawk and Ricochet first due to low capacity, and ride Intimidator before Fury to avoid being disappointed. Am I right?

 

Any other tips?

 

I'll be there the 19th and 20th of May. I might see you there.

[alpengeist04]

Just under a month left until I visit Carowinds . Based on what I've read, it sounds like I should ride Nighthawk and Ricochet first due to low capacity, and ride Intimidator before Fury to avoid being disappointed. Am I right?

 

Any other tips?

 

 

Yes, definitely hit Nighthawk first and Ricochet early. As far as Intimidator goes, I would probably do that before Fury too. I was there last Saturday and the line for Intimidator was much longer than Fury. ...much quicker dispatching on Fury. Also, I would rank Intimidator dead last as far as the B&M hypers goes, while Fury is right there with Goliath as my favorite non- inverting B&M.

 

Another tip, I would at least try and get one ride in the front left seat on Afterburn. ....Some of the best foot choppers on any coaster.

[The Geek Mojo]

I would disagree on Intimidator being dead last of B&M hypers. Have you rode Raging Bull at SFGAm? I would say that one is the worst. Intimidator gets great airtime and is a great coaster. Yeah, anybody would be thinking Intimidator was lame after riding Fury. But Fury is probably the best coaster on the planet. Just my opinion, but Intimidator is a great ride. Also, ride it at night too...You won't be disappointed.

 

And I was there also last Saturday as well as Friday. Got about twenty rides on Fury Friday but only about two or three on Saturday. Fury's line will be packed on the weekend but a walk on during the week. But the line does move fast. But Intimidator's line was not longer than Fury's Saturday. Yeah, the dispatch is slower, but it still moves pretty good.

[alpengeist04]

I would disagree on Intimidator being dead last of B&M hypers. Have you rode Raging Bull at SFGAm? I would say that one is the worst. Intimidator gets great airtime and is a great coaster. Yeah, anybody would be thinking Intimidator was lame after riding Fury. But Fury is probably the best coaster on the planet. Just my opinion, but Intimidator is a great ride. Also, ride it at night too...You won't be disappointed.

 

Yes, I've been on Raging Bull along with the rest of the B&M hypers here in the states. Intimidator is still last on my hyper list. Also, I had the same opinion of intimidator before Fury was built. It's not a bad coaster at all, just the weakest of the B&M hypers. ...what a waste after the mcbr.

 

But Intimidator's line was not longer than Fury's Saturday. Yeah, the dispatch is slower, but it still moves pretty good.

 

From 10:00am-3pm Intimidator's line was noticeably longer. I went on each ride about 5 times during that time using fast pass +. So I was walking past each line quite a bit in those 5 hours. I had to head out after that.

[coasterbill]

Just under a month left until I visit Carowinds . Based on what I've read, it sounds like I should ride Nighthawk and Ricochet first due to low capacity, and ride Intimidator before Fury to avoid being disappointed. Am I right?

 

Any other tips?

 

You nailed it.

[Keetz]

Just under a month left until I visit Carowinds . Based on what I've read, it sounds like I should ride Nighthawk and Ricochet first due to low capacity, and ride Intimidator before Fury to avoid being disappointed. Am I right?

 

Any other tips?

 

You nailed it.

 

One last thing, pray to the god of random probability that every time you ride fury you get assigned the front row... OR... are allowed to get the front row when you ask for it.

[cdcruizer05]

^^^^^^This

 

Just say single rider, and more likely they let you pick where you want to go. I guess too it depends on who is assigning rides.

 

Some will tell which line, while others just let you pick. If you ask nicely they'll more and likely let you sit wherever.

 

I asked for back row and front rows and granted both...usually the same ride ops work the same coasters.

 

Good Luck!

[The Geek Mojo]

I would disagree on Intimidator being dead last of B&M hypers. Have you rode Raging Bull at SFGAm? I would say that one is the worst. Intimidator gets great airtime and is a great coaster. Yeah, anybody would be thinking Intimidator was lame after riding Fury. But Fury is probably the best coaster on the planet. Just my opinion, but Intimidator is a great ride. Also, ride it at night too...You won't be disappointed.

 

Yes, I've been on Raging Bull along with the rest of the B&M hypers here in the states. Intimidator is still last on my hyper list. Also, I had the same opinion of intimidator before Fury was built. It's not a bad coaster at all, just the weakest of the B&M hypers. ...what a waste after the mcbr.

 

But Intimidator's line was not longer than Fury's Saturday. Yeah, the dispatch is slower, but it still moves pretty good.

 

From 10:00am-3pm Intimidator's line was noticeably longer. I went on each ride about 5 times during that time using fast pass +. So I was walking past each line quite a bit in those 5 hours. I had to head out after that.

 

 

From what I noticed Saturday, the queue was never full for Intimidator at any time Saturday. Every time I went to Fury it was full. I rode Intimidator 3 times Saturday, and never waited more than 30 minutes. I waited close to an hour every time I rode Fury except for the end of the night. Now I did hang out more by the Taste of the Carolinas early in the day, but I was there at the park all day long. On a busy day, you'll ride Intimidator before you'll ride Fury. You'll ride both before you ride Nighthawk. lol.

 

I'm like you, I've rode all the B&M hypers here in the states and I still would put Intimidator above Raging Bull and Nitro. To me, the only good B&M hyper the Six Flags chains have here in the states is Goliath at SFOG. IMO.

 

The thing different with Fury and Intimidator, is that they're better front seat coasters. A lot of hypers are usually better on the back...But I studied them pretty good over my two day visit. The front is where it's at on both coasters.

[Slides to rides]

Does anyone have any recent pictures of the new flats for next year? I've searched all over the Internet trying to find any, but no luck. I saw some a couple weeks ago, but they've since been deleted. Thanks

[Virus]

^ At the moment, all the pieces are covered with tarp under Fury325's lift... I took some pictures Opening Day from the Skytower. While on the first drop on Fury you can see the Musik Express sign and some Top Scan arms.

You can clearly see the tarp under the lift hill.

[cdcruizer05]

Does anyone have any recent pictures of the new flats for next year? I've searched all over the Internet trying to find any, but no luck. I saw some a couple weeks ago, but they've since been deleted. Thanks

 

I'll try and get some pictures, this weekend!

[jarmor]

You wont . . . unless you trespass. Just google the rides, its plenty pictures on the net of them in other locations.

[Keetz]

I'm thinking about getting the all day dining plan the next time I visit. Are the restaurants and choices listed here included in the all day dining, or is it just for the one meal deal?

 

https://www.carowinds.com/dining/dining-plan

[jarmor]

Check out all of the great places you can eat with a Dining Plan below.

That means any of the 3 dining plans are valid at those places. I highly reccomend Harmony Hall, C&P, Wings and Jukebox Diner

[Keetz]

Check out all of the great places you can eat with a Dining Plan below.

That means any of the 3 dining plans are valid at those places. I highly reccomend Harmony Hall, C&P, Wings and Jukebox Diner

 

Thanks, at cedar point it was different, so I thought I could get chick-fil-a... but I couldn't and it made me sad. I didn't want that type of disappointment again.