Carowinds Discussion Thread

[prozach626]

IF, and I do mean IF, this rumor has any truth to it I hope this and time traveler lead the way for a lot more Mack Rides roller coasters to be constructed in the US.

[hoppedup]

Don't know if it's typical, but we arrived at 9:30 this morning and the park was open and Fury was running. We walked on and then had a station wait for the 2nd ride before 9:45. No ERT was listed for today and everyone was going in.

 

In other news, holy hell the airtime on Fury 325! What a great coaster.

[carowindsman]

I did take some pictures of the area and of the hotel construction

 

 

[Sledgehammer_77]

It's awfully close to the Water park...

 

What if it's a Water coaster?

[DaMarkSta]

I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Carowinds, my experiences there have felt like it's more a Six Flags park with a Cedar Fair name. However if they are getting a Mack coaster and it's not spinning haha then this is on my must visit list in 2019.

[thrillseeker4552]

If this indeed turns out to be a Mack coaster of some sorts, that makes me a happy camper. I’m glad to see Cedar Fair finally start purchasing from a variety of coaster manufacturers rather than just B&M all the time. Now we see them have a relationship with RMC, Gerstlauer, and Mack in addition to B&M and GCI.

[TwistyTie]

To be honest, that layout makes it look like a spinning coaster. But it could definitely go either way.

[jarmor]

I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Carowinds, my experiences there have felt like it's more a Six Flags park with a Cedar Fair name.

[DILinator]

I wouldn't say I get a "Six Flags vibe" from Carowinds, but my kids and I just went a couple weeks ago, and all of us just came away feeling like coaster-wise, it's really Fury-winds, and then some other stuff. Afterburn and Marginalized: The Coaster are both solid, but beyond that... Meh. That's why I think if this next addition is a large and thrilling coaster, it's certainly something the park could use as Cedar Fair continues to try and bolster its position in the Southeast. Here's hoping!

[thrillseeker4552]

I wouldn't say I get a "Six Flags vibe" from Carowinds, but my kids and I just went a couple weeks ago, and all of us just came away feeling like coaster-wise, it's really Fury-winds, and then some other stuff. Afterburn and Marginalized: The Coaster are both solid, but beyond that... Meh. That's why I think if this next addition is a large and thrilling coaster, it's certainly something the park could use as Cedar Fair continues to try and bolster its position in the Southeast. Here's hoping!

 

This is essentially how I feel. After the REALLY solid top 3 (two fantastic, but very different, hypers and a kicka$$ invert), the park falls kinda flat coaster-wise. Some of the flats are good like Electro-Spin, Drop Tower, and Windseeker, but the rest of the coasters are mediocre at best.

 

I am 100% behind a Mack launch coaster, spinning or not, coming to this park next year, if that turns out to be the case.

[DILinator]

I must say I DID really enjoy Electrospin! Great addition for the park!

[Lintemuthstudios]

 

[Canobie Coaster]

I wouldn't say I get a "Six Flags vibe" from Carowinds, but my kids and I just went a couple weeks ago, and all of us just came away feeling like coaster-wise, it's really Fury-winds, and then some other stuff. Afterburn and Marginalized: The Coaster are both solid, but beyond that... Meh. That's why I think if this next addition is a large and thrilling coaster, it's certainly something the park could use as Cedar Fair continues to try and bolster its position in the Southeast. Here's hoping!

 

Exactly how I felt. For a first timer, there were plenty of credits to grab but on a return visit, I see myself sticking heavily to the Big 3 plus the rumored new for 2019 coaster.

[hoppedup]

Carowinds app was useless. It said "Let's go! No line" for every ride I checked all day even when Intimidator's queue was out to the entrance sign and Fury 325 was probably at 90 minutes. Luckily we got multiples on Fury, Intimidator, and Afterburn with our longest wait being about 30 minutes. We have Platinum passes so we bailed around 2:30 when the lines were getting ridiculous.

 

We also have platinum dining passes so I opted for the ribs at Harmony Hall. They were not as good as the smokehouse at BGW, but not bad for a theme park. We walked through Camp Snoopy on our way to Afterburn and it looks really good, best looking area of the park IMO.

 

I guess I will echo some of the above sentiments and say that as someone who just wants to ride coasters, this park is Fury, Intimidator and Afterburn and not much else. I wanted to ride Goldrusher for nostalgia reasons (it's been over 30 years), but the line was crazy by the time we thought about it. My one ride on Hurler convinced me Carowinds should RMC that one and get a new woodie. Fury 325 is probably my new favorite. I thought I preferred more compact inverts with lots of inversions, but this coaster changed my mind. I'm sure I will be making trips to Carowinds a few times this year just for Fury and Afterburn.

[prozach626]

I'm in the minority, but the fact that Carowinds has the big three and not much more doesn't bother me. This is because the park has a great vibe and the atmosphere is great. It allows me to have a beer and relax without being torn between rides. The park has come a long way since it had the "big 1," being Top Gun. We've all become spoiled.

[Superbatboy]

I wouldn't say I get a "Six Flags vibe" from Carowinds, but my kids and I just went a couple weeks ago, and all of us just came away feeling like coaster-wise, it's really Fury-winds, and then some other stuff. Afterburn and Marginalized: The Coaster are both solid, but beyond that... Meh. That's why I think if this next addition is a large and thrilling coaster, it's certainly something the park could use as Cedar Fair continues to try and bolster its position in the Southeast. Here's hoping!

Fury-winds

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Carowinds, my experiences there have felt like it's more a Six Flags park with a Cedar Fair name.

 

Carowinds isn’t that nice. It’s Fury and Afterburn you go for and everything else is pretty lackluster imo.

[chknwing]

webcam has been repointed to the construction site and they are digging a big hole.

 

[prozach626]

I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Carowinds, my experiences there have felt like it's more a Six Flags park with a Cedar Fair name.

 

Carowinds isn’t that nice. It’s Fury and Afterburn you go for and everything else is pretty lackluster imo.

The attractions may be lackluster, but the overall atmosphere of the park doesn't remind me of Six Flags at all. The rides blend in well with the shaded scenery and I like the park's atmosphere. I enjoy the mixture of the very modern entrance plaza and main street followed my Carolina charm throughout a large portion of the park. I also like the park's small size. Beer man's rocking chairs are a nice added touch in my book.

 

I hope the new roller coaster will round our the selection nicely between Afterburn, Intimidator, Fury, and whatever this thing is going to be.

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Carowinds, my experiences there have felt like it's more a Six Flags park with a Cedar Fair name.

 

Carowinds isn’t that nice. It’s Fury and Afterburn you go for and everything else is pretty lackluster imo.

The attractions may be lackluster, but the overall atmosphere of the park doesn't remind me of Six Flags at all. The rides blend in well with the shaded scenery and I like the park's atmosphere. I enjoy the mixture of the very modern entrance plaza and main street followed my Carolina charm throughout a large portion of the park. I also like the park's small size. Beer man's rocking chairs are a nice added touch in my book.

 

I hope the new roller coaster will round our the selection nicely between Afterburn, Intimidator, Fury, and whatever this thing is going to be.

 

The atmosphere is terrible. Everything is plopped in the middle of nowhere.

[CoasterAuditor]

^You should try going to amusement parks for fun instead of petty things to complain about.

[DorneyKid14]

^You should try going to amusement parks for fun instead of petty things to complain about.

 

[Hmrapp]

Cedar Fair is largely investing in Carowinds. Fury 325 has completely revitalized the park and has made a gargantuan impact on the industry, as well as the Charlotte community. With the recent announcement for the Spring Hill Suites Charlotte Carowinds, and the strong possibility of another coaster to come in 2019. Carowinds seems like the southern optimum of Cedar Fair.

[clem2754]

I think Carowinds is beyond just Fury 325 and Afterburn. Intimidator is a very good coaster. It is one of the better hypers out there. I don't have a problem with Hurler or Nighthawk. Neither are an elite coaster but I will ride them. They also have quite a few options for family coasters. The park is clean and with the rumor of them getting a launch coaster in 2019, they are a wooden roller coaster away from having a line-up that could match up to most parks.

[coneyislandchris]

The attractions may be lackluster, but the overall atmosphere of the park doesn't remind me of Six Flags at all. The rides blend in well with the shaded scenery and I like the park's atmosphere. I enjoy the mixture of the very modern entrance plaza and main street followed my Carolina charm throughout a large portion of the park. I also like the park's small size. Beer man's rocking chairs are a nice added touch in my book.

 

The atmosphere is terrible. Everything is plopped in the middle of nowhere.

Uh, I think I must have visited the same park as Zach as opposed to this mystical "plop in the middle of nowhere" one you visited. I thought it was a nice park -- perhaps not as nice as some of the other Cedar Fair parks but still a wonderful park to walk around, ride, and relax. But IDK man, you do you I guess.

 

I'm really looking forward to getting back down there later this month. It's been over a year since my last and only visit, and I'm planning on taking my time rather than rushing to credit-whore everything in the park.