Carowinds Discussion Thread

[operative_me]

Visited Carowinds for the 1st time last week, 4/15-4/17. When I was a kid we passed this place many times on vacation, but never stopped in. We had Cedar Point so why bother? Lol. Left Cleveland on Monday morning with the temp a balmy 39 degrees. By the time we entered NC we were peeling off layers off clothes, it was good to be in the sun.

 

Stayed at the Motel 6 right across the street from the park. It was adequate, it was a Motel 6. Only real complaint was the keycards. I don't know if the place was built on an Indian graveyard or what but the damn cards would stop working constantly. They gave you a speech on check in to keep the keys away from phones, electronics, the remote to your car, peanut brittle, air. No matter what you did, they would stop working. They had lines of people coming to get new keys throughout my stay. It was kinda of funny.

 

Went to the park on Monday about 6pm, and the park was starting to empty. I was able to get on Intimidator, Fury and a few other rides. Basically knocked out a lot of the must rides in the first couple of hours, setting up Tuesday to be a very relaxed day. At about 9:30 I wandered over to Copperhead Strike, the app said a 40 minute wait, but the host at the entrance said it was a walk on. Was able to get 4 rides in before closing, so all in all a good night.

 

Tuesday the park was busy during the day, but like Monday started to empty out around 6pm. I was able to knock out the remaining coasters pretty easy, and start getting re-rides on the ones I liked.

 

Wednesday I went into the park a little before 10am just to get a few more rides on Fury before rolling back to the hotel to check out (and pick up my girlfriend, she was sleeping in). Fury didn't open until 10:30 but I was able to get 2 rides in before having to leave. It was the first time I got to ride a coaster on my birthday, which was pretty cool. After that we hit the road, wandering west to Mt Mitchell, Hot Springs, and Cherokee over the next couple of days, before we hit up Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. Overall I enjoyed Carowinds quite a bit, once I got used to the layout it was pretty easy to navigate. I'll definitely try to visit again, hopefully during a time when the water park is open.

 

A few thoughts on the rides:

Nighthawk - Got to ride this right after it opened, so only a 20 minute wait with the atrocious dispatch times that come with a Flying Dutchman. I liked it better than Firehawk, particularly it's location above water.

 

Vortex - Brought back the fun memories of Mantis, as in the slow dispatches and the method of making you sterile. It's an ok ride. Since it was mentioned in above posts, making this a floorless would improve the ride, but not sure CF got the ROI they wanted on Rougaroux.

 

Carolina Cyclone - Better than Corkscrew at CP, but still feels like an Arrow Looper.

 

Ricochet - Cool Wild Mouse ride. A lot of fun if you can avoid a long line.

 

Afterburn - A lot of fun. I liked the way it interacted with the terrain, and there was no MCBR to slow things down. Wish it was longer. I've been on 4 B&M inverts (Raptor, Banshee, Talon) and have enjoyed them all.

 

Intimidator - This was a surprise. The dispatches were efficient, the drop is good and has some decent moments of airtime. A headliner at most parks.

 

Hurler - Meh. I didn't find it rough like some stated (I grew up with Mean Streak), it just didn't excite me. Was down all day Tuesday so only got on ride Monday.

 

The Flying Cobras - Only reason I mention this is that I rode it in it's inaugural season as Mind Eraser at Geauga Lake. Nice nostalgia, but still a Boomerang. Didn't seem too rough.

 

Carolina Goldrusher - Not a bad ride at all. Good for families. Ron Toomer liked to build the same rides over and over didn't he?

 

Copperhead Strike - Got to marathon this a bit towards closing at the end of each night. This ride is a home run. I know some thought it was slow in the POV, but it's like watching auto racing on TV. It doesn't seem fast watching from home, but go to a race and those cars zip by so fast it's insane. The launches aren't particularly powerful but do the job. The dangles on the loops are a lot of fun. The jojo roll WILL empty your pockets right out the gate so be careful. It's also got some nice theming and a nice little pre-launch scene. Was very happy to get as many rides as I did on it, it's a hell of a lot of fun, and the crew were busting their a$$es to get trains out.

 

Fury 325 - I've been waiting 4 years to ride this. First rides were at night, and there were a lot of planes coming in to land at the airport, so it felt as if you were climbing up to their level on the first hill. My favorite ride was sitting in the back seat on my 2nd ride, it really whips you over the lift hill. I won't go into detail because what am I going to write that hasn't already been written? My 2nd giga and just as fun as my first. Fury alone is worth a trip back.

 

Only real regret from the trip is not trying the gliders, but they had a pretty long line throughout the day and when that finally died down CS was basically a walk on. The CS marathon won over.

 

Overall a great experience, great weather, and a good start to a week long trip down south.

[RollerManic]

I always forget this park has Intimidator . Thanks for the write-up. Making me excited for my first trip this summer.

 

Everyone says Fury is just that good - I interpret from your writing it lived up to all your expectations? What other giga have you ridden?

[operative_me]

You'll love it. Fury defintely lives up to the hype. What 300+ ft coaster that goes 90+ mph doesn't? Oh wait some think Millennium Force sucks lol. Which is the other giga I've been on. Both are great rides.

 

Also awesome: they sell beer 24 hrs in South Carolina, and fireworks are plentiful and cheap.

[coasterbill]

Only real regret from the trip is not trying the gliders, but they had a pretty long line throughout the day and when that finally died down CS was basically a walk on.

 

The Carowinds flyers might just be the most overrated thing in all of theme park dorkdom. You made the right call riding a coaster instead.

[prozach626]

You'll love it. Fury defintely lives up to the hype. What 300+ ft coaster that goes 90+ mph doesn't? Oh wait some think Millennium Force sucks lol. Which is the other giga I've been on. Both are great rides.

 

And most of those people are one of the reasons I only communicate with a few unlucky enthusiasts outside of these forums.

[Cavan]

As coaster enthusiasts, our opinions are astronomically bias. We know how to brace for a B&M rattle. Vortex is... GARBAGE. It is the only ride that everyone I know declares "Never again." They say "clear", you're beaten with baseball bats, then crucified on the brake run for 10 minutes.

[Intamin_coyote]

^But the fact of the matter is, if people are still riding something (and it sounds like a decent number of guests still are riding Vortex), it doesn't matter what anectodal evidence you bring up of people declaring it "never again".

 

Rides given divided by operating cost is perhaps the truest empirical way to evaluate a ride. The guests "vote with their feet", as they say. Sure, it might not be the best ride out there. But with being a standup, it at least provides some novelty value that is becoming more and more scarce. Its also reliable and probably has a relatively low operating cost.

 

Once again, its not going anywhere. Sorry. If you don't like it, then don't ride it.

[yawetag]

The Carowinds flyers might just be the most overrated thing in all of theme park dorkdom. You made the right call riding a coaster instead.

 

Being out of amusement parks for a decade or so, coupled with not being a flat ride fan before that, I've never ridden gliders before Mountain Gliders. Having ridden them a half-dozen times or so, they're probably my most favorite non-coaster ride in the park.

 

Yet, I hear how bad they are, or at least how bad they are in relation to how they were when previously at Camp Snoopy and (I believe) KI before. Can someone explain what makes them bad or overrated? I've never had a problem getting them to whip - at least what I would consider whipping it - and the feeling of doing it is great. So what made them better before?

[coasterbill]

I haven't been on them since they reopened but I rode them in the Camp Snoopy location and I don't find them bad by any stretch. They're a lot of fun, but people act like they're a can't-miss ride when you go a long way to visit Carowinds and in reality they're pretty much identical to the Kings Dominion ones which nobody talks about ever.

 

They're fun and I have no complaints, I just don't get the hype for these specific flyers. They seem pretty standard.

[prozach626]

^I wish I understood the hype for gliders, period.

 

They say "clear", you're beaten with baseball bats, then crucified on the brake run for 10 minutes.

I think it's safe to say that you're riding with a bunch of wussies. (That's the PC word for something else.)

[hoppedup]

We did the Coaster Campout this weekend. It was a blast. I counted 24 tents, so there were less than 100 people participating. Maybe 30-35 or so people took advantage of Copperhead Strike ERT. So we got many rides without leaving the train. They even encouraged us to get out and try another row without going around. If the row you wanted was occupied, they let us go back through the entry gate instead of going around. The ride ops were in high spirits and dispatches were fast. One girl said she rode it 19 times during ERT. Maybe it was the night ride, the excited crew, or the empty queue, but I had a lot more fun on Copperhead Strike this time.

 

Everyone decided to do the Fury 325 ERT, but all three trains were running, so it was the same experience as the night before. You could stay on and ride as much as you wanted. They started 30 minutes late due to problems with one train, but let us use our Campout wristbands as FL+ until 10:15. Nice gesture, but should have been more, IMO. After 10x Fury rides we decided to do some flats (what???). We did the Gliders, Southern Star (hadn't done this one since its opening season as Frenzoid), and Windseeker.

 

The only downer was that when we arrived Friday, most of the coasters were closed. So we had a late lunch. When we came out of Harmony Hall, Intimidator was testing. We headed over to Fury 325 and they were just reopening the queue. We waited for about 20 minutes before it was shut down due to wind. So we headed over to Copperhead Strike. It was still running, so we queued up. It shut down soon after for problems with one of the trains. Afterburn showed as still running on the app so we headed over there. Shut down again. When the coasters started opening back up around 7:15, it was time to set up camp, so I let my daughter and her friends get in some rides (2x Intimidator, 1x Afterburn) while I set up camp. During CS ERT, the park didn't post security guards until late, so we got to walk around a completely deserted park while taking a break.

 

As platinum pass holders with meal plans, this trip wasn't a great value to my daughter and I, but the cool factor of sleeping in the shadow of Intimidator, and the ERTs, made it a really nice experience. At $250 it really isn't a bad deal as you are essentially getting 8 daily passes, 8 meals, and ERT. The campground is the grassy area between Harmony Hall and the Intimidator gift shop.

Night rides are the best rides.

Sun going down on Shitehawk

The view from our tent

It's fun to stay at the...

The real YOLO Coaster

[Canobie Coaster]

I haven't been on them since they reopened but I rode them in the Camp Snoopy location and I don't find them bad by any stretch. They're a lot of fun, but people act like they're a can't-miss ride when you go a long way to visit Carowinds and in reality they're pretty much identical to the Kings Dominion ones which nobody talks about ever.

 

They're fun and I have no complaints, I just don't get the hype for these specific flyers. They seem pretty standard.

 

I think the most noteworthy this is that Carowinds not only allows but I've had ops encourage snapping. I haven't seen that at any other park.

[jynx242]

^ This is true. The ops used to actually tell you how to get them to snap.

 

So I have a question, I'll be headed to Charlotte for work later this week. I've scheduled things so I can go to Carowinds on Friday before driving back to Atlanta. I see that it is an "education" day. Does anyone have experience with these? Is it going to be a s*^tshow? I'd like to know so I can plan accordingly.

 

David

[yawetag]

^ Depends on what time you're there. With education days, the park will empty as the groups leave for the day.

 

At $250 it really isn't a bad deal as you are essentially getting 8 daily passes, 8 meals, and ERT. The campground is the grassy area between Harmony Hall and the Intimidator gift shop.

You eluded to it a bit, but this isn't as good a deal with season passes and meal plans already. The only thing you're getting is the overnight camping and a few hours of ERT for $60/person. I wonder if they'd ever thought about a cheaper package for season pass holders to account for the tickets and meals, similar to the break in price for concerts there.

[hoppedup]

At $250 it really isn't a bad deal as you are essentially getting 8 daily passes, 8 meals, and ERT. The campground is the grassy area between Harmony Hall and the Intimidator gift shop.

You eluded to it a bit, but this isn't as good a deal with season passes and meal plans already. The only thing you're getting is the overnight camping and a few hours of ERT for $60/person. I wonder if they'd ever thought about a cheaper package for season pass holders to account for the tickets and meals, similar to the break in price for concerts there.

 

 

As platinum pass holders with meal plans, this trip wasn't a great value to my daughter and I

 

 

I didn't allude to it. I stated it pretty plainly. But the event page said ALL proceeds go to Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America. I'm cool with that. The experience and memories made with my daughter made it worth it. And it is a great deal if you are not a pass holder. Her two friends want to go back next year. I'll probably ask their parents to chip in their $62.50 each next time. The breakfast buffet was actually really good as well: Eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit.

 

We are going to be using our passes and meal plans at CP, KI, and KD this year. And lots of Carowinds trips, so we will be getting our money's worth.

 

With tickets, parking and food, I spent over $200 to go to Merlefest on Sunday so my daughter could see the Avett Brothers. As long as she is happy, the money doesn't really matter.

 

FWIW, our soda passes didn't work because we used the Campout ticket to get in. We had to go back to the front gate to get our passes scanned both days to get it to work. Weird, because the meal plan worked fine. A minor inconvenience.

[jarmor]

I wonder if they'd ever thought about a cheaper package for season pass holders to account for the tickets and meals, similar to the break in price for concerts there.

This was charity event. . .

[jynx242]

^ Depends on what time you're there. With education days, the park will empty as the groups leave for the day.

 

At $250 it really isn't a bad deal as you are essentially getting 8 daily passes, 8 meals, and ERT. The campground is the grassy area between Harmony Hall and the Intimidator gift shop.

You eluded to it a bit, but this isn't as good a deal with season passes and meal plans already. The only thing you're getting is the overnight camping and a few hours of ERT for $60/person. I wonder if they'd ever thought about a cheaper package for season pass holders to account for the tickets and meals, similar to the break in price for concerts there.

 

Thanks! I'll be going at open - don't need to hit Nighthawk as I've ridden it and didn't particularly care for it, don't need the mouse or Hurler (as I really dislike it.) TOTALLY looking forward to Fury and Copperhead Strike though! Those will be new to me. Also totally looking forward to the Flyers, Afterburn and Intimidator as well.

[carowindsman]

Went to the park on Sunday. Park was busy when we were there but ride lines were not to bad. They removed the extra queues from the walk area around Copperhead strike. I definitely feel like it gives you a more up close look at the ride. Running great as it could. Fury is still a beast, and Afterburn was running strong, Intimidator was good. Flyers were snapping and was fun.

[tanthonyam]

Why did this park remove all the water rides???

[michaellynn4]

Why did this park remove all the water rides???

 

Because they were old and not cost effective, a trend you'd see across the whole industry. Besides, they practically doubled the size of its water park only a couple of years ago.

[Canobie Coaster]

I agree it's weird to see a park of this size without a water ride in the dry park, but like michaellynn4 said, they have a sizable water park now so they could close the rapids.

[tanthonyam]

Unless they plan on getting a new water ride for the dry side of the park. Maybe one of those Mack shuttle splash ride.

[JJLehto]

So stoked to finally get to Carowinds tomm!

I am expecting crowds to be pretty light for an early June weekday? Im gunna hold of on fast pass and hope I can marathon without it, if not I'm guessing one will be available day of?

 

Its a park I never really bothered about, though Afterburn I've long wanted to ride, but with a pretty darn good top 4 I am pretty excited. Keeping realistic expectations about Copperhead and hope Im not overhyping Fury which I kind of expect to rival my #1 spot

[coasterbill]

I would expect everything that matters to be 15 minutes or less.

 

You can't over-hype Fury.

 

Enjoy.

[JJLehto]

I would expect everything that matters to be 15 minutes or less.

 

You can't over-hype Fury.

 

Enjoy.

 

Music to my ears. And yeah, I know some downplay it or even bash it but 1: enthusiasts opinions (overall) never meant much to me 2: the reasons people give it flak are why I expect to love it. It SEEMS to me like a longer, better layout MForce which is still one of the all time favs so yeah, good times ahead.