Carowinds Discussion Thread

[jonskinny12]

Are they really? I've ridden Mystic Timbers probably 40 times over the past 3 1/2 years and I usually look at the signs while I'm waiting for the ops to check restraints. I swear they were a little different this year... Oh well, sorry about that. Didn't mean to mislead.

Edit: Searching the internet a bit more, I think I was thinking of the "shoot a staple wherever you'd drive a nail" sign with the saw blade next to it. I was thinking there was the nailgun sign and a saw blade sign, but I'm sure you're right. Apparently I'm not as observant as I had thought. 

[grsupercity]

2 hours ago, Mike240SX said:

Those signs have been the same since Mystic opened, so I'm pretty sure there's nothing to read into them.

Doesn't Copperhead Strike have some of this same theming?

[KIEnthusiast]

I’m pretty sure those specific posters were added this year. I distinctly remember the Steel Vengeance poster added after the coaster was announced.

[pproteinc]

On 6/4/2020 at 10:40 AM, jarmor said:

Well, the parks is already open about 10 months out of the year so they are pretty much at year round operations. I wonder how that would effect new rides debuting?

I would imagine like any other year around park would do it. It's not like the park has never been open during constructions. Chickies and Petes was in the middle of construction when the park reopened in 2015, 2016 County Fair was still getting rides put together from opening weekend all the way through early June, Copperhead started construction in summer 2018 went vertical during Winterfest  in November. We the local people are use to by now . It honestly to me is good marketing to let people see in person stuff being built, gives them add reason to really come back now that they've seen said new attraction in progress with their on eyes on site

[tndank]

Looks like Carowinds will be opening late Nov for a Busch Gardens-ish taste event.  Word is only Afterburn, Copperhead Strike and Ricochet will be running coaster wise.

 

[dankeykang]

Where did you hear about this?  I'm not finding much online besides some new security-related job postings that were added today; I haven't been able to find anything about the park/rides possibly being reopened...

[tndank]

Just some rumors floating around.  Not too sure I believe it.  But, if they think it can work out for them, I hope they are successful.

 

[tndank]

I think rumors are coming from this.

[coasterbill]

Rides have been testing and lots of credible people are openly sharing it. I believe it. It's ballsy for Cedar Fair considering the fact that North Carolina is having a rise in cases (not because going to a theme park is all that dangerous but because there's always a risk of reactionary restrictions), then again they probably planned it months ago...

We'll be in Charlotte for Christmas week anyway so we'll probably go and grab a beer while scrolling through my feed full of people riding Nitro, Raging Bull and Candymonium wondering WTF this park's problem is which is becoming a time-honored Christmas tradition.

[KIEnthusiast]

I don’t believe it. Doesn’t Carowinds only get 1 mill in attendance? I just don’t see the market during Xmas. Although I guess it’s warmer than Cincinnati lol.

[coasterbill]

They've done Winterfest for years. Anyway...

Carowinds Announces "Taste of the Season"

Happy holidays, y’all! Savor the holidays' flavors at Carowinds’ Taste of the Season: An Outdoor Holiday Food Festival. Sample tempting treats with your Tasting Card and make magical family memories —safely on select days November 21 - December 20. Limited capacity, so reserve your spots when available.  

Our Christmas event is an outdoor dining experience with a sleigh-full of family activities. Purchase a Tasting Card to choose among 30 samples of holiday sweets and savories. Sip the season with specialty drinks from Santa’s mixologists. Feast your eyes on dazzling holiday décor, enjoy seasonal shows, and wrap up your Christmas shopping. What’s more, select family rides are open to deliver the ear-to-ear smiles and belly laughs you can always count on from Carowinds.

Click here for more information

[coasterbill]

It sounds like this is a Christmas event that will run from 12-8 every day so the focus won't be lights, it won't be open for Christmas break (it ends on the 21st) and I'm assuming the food that you can sample will be made by Cedar Fair (hopefully I'm wrong on that but I doubt it).

The only coasters operating will be Copperhead Strike, Afterburn and the Wild Mouse.

... I seriously question the decision-making of this company. I also don't see why anyone who's not a passholder would pay for this. I'm sorry for being more negative than normal but Cedar Fair makes me scratch my head.

[grsupercity]

5 minutes ago, coasterbill said:

It sounds like this is a Christmas event that will run from 12-8 every day so the focus won't be lights, it won't be open for Christmas break (it ends on the 21st) and I'm assuming the food that you can sample will be made by Cedar Fair (hopefully I'm wrong on that but I doubt it).

The only coasters operating will be Copperhead Strike, Afterburn and the Wild Mouse.

... I seriously question the decision-making of this company. I also don't see why anyone who's not a passholder would pay for this. I'm sorry for being more negative than normal but Cedar Fair makes me scratch my head.

Least they are trying something. The sticking there head in the sand approach has been interesting 

[WolfBobs]

23 minutes ago, coasterbill said:

It sounds like this is a Christmas event that will run from 12-8 every day so the focus won't be lights, it won't be open for Christmas break (it ends on the 21st) and I'm assuming the food that you can sample will be made by Cedar Fair (hopefully I'm wrong on that but I doubt it).

The only coasters operating will be Copperhead Strike, Afterburn and the Wild Mouse.

... I seriously question the decision-making of this company. I also don't see why anyone who's not a passholder would pay for this. I'm sorry for being more negative than normal but Cedar Fair makes me scratch my head.

This is probably more of a "let's see if we can make some 4th quarter money" experiment more so than anything else.  I see the park being mostly staffed by the full time crews from CP, WoF, MiA, CGA, etc..  Like how they were pulled in from other parks for CP.  I doubt there is a huge investment here.  May also be more of a "what can we do to appease passholders?" type of event.  As like you said, I'm sure not many non-passholders will attend.  

With the park being closed all season, I would not be surprised if this does better than we assume.  I can easily see sell outs if the weather is reasonable depending on what the limited capacity is.  I'm sure locals are getting a little stir crazy to get back out into the park.  

[PKI Jizzman]

I know it's a limited offer of rides, and a strange trio there... 2 coasters that go upside-down down, thrill coasters and then the wildmouse. I bet it pulls a 90 minute wait each day haha.

The passholders will turn out for sure, wether it's just to get out and do something, to support the park and buy in on these events when traditionally they wouldn't, but yeah tough to pay separate admission. Seems like a gamble/attempt to bring out the millennials, not families? Are they trying to figure out which core still has jobs and cater to those with some money to spend?

[dankeykang]

I think the ride offering (at least for the coasters) is similar to what has been open in past years (see 2019 event info), but I agree that this doesn't seem very appealing to non-passholders.

[pproteinc]

Well it looks like only 3 parks are doing it. Knotts did a harvest version of it and will be doing a Christmas version as well. Of course we see Carowinds doing it and looks like Canada’s  Wonderland  maybe gearing up for it too. 

[bejackso]

I for one am excited for this event and will be driving down from Richmond. Kudos to the park for trying to do something in 2020. Mainly I'm going just to ride Copperhead Strike lol (haven't ridden it yet)

[prozach626]

On 10/21/2020 at 5:26 PM, pproteinc said:

Chickies and Petes was in the middle of construction when the park reopened in 2015, 2016 County Fair was still getting rides put together from opening weekend all the way through early June

Six Flags approved.

[Parker821]

On 10/28/2020 at 10:20 AM, WolfBobs said:

 I see the park being mostly staffed by the full time crews from CP, WoF, MiA, CGA, etc..  Like how they were pulled in from other parks for CP.

They are not pulling Cedar Point or MiA. Maybe from parks farther south? Also Carowinds has a large full time ride op staff so they could probably just rely on locals for the other departments.

[KIEnthusiast]

Very quiet on here today, I'm surprised. Is it an enjoyable event?

[AmyUD06]

29 minutes ago, KIEnthusiast said:

Very quiet on here today, I'm surprised. Is it an enjoyable event?

The event has been live for like not even 5 hours.  Eeesh give people some time.

[jarmor]

I don't think this is an event for "us" so you may not hear much noise about it here.

[DorneyKid14]

On 11/2/2020 at 12:11 AM, Parker821 said:

They are not pulling Cedar Point or MiA. Maybe from parks farther south? Also Carowinds has a large full time ride op staff so they could probably just rely on locals for the other departments.

There is not a Cedar Fair park that is farther south than Carowinds....

You can maybe argue that Schlitterbahn is farther south... 

Or are you referring to parks farther south of CP and MiA? 

 

I know there were a few from Dorney that were trying to go down and help at Carowinds. 

[KIEnthusiast]

How does the new paint on Intimidator look?