Carowinds Discussion Thread

[Jhcbiinoc]

I am planning to catch a ride on this when I visit family back East sometime in May. Looks to be one of the best of the B&M Hypers, with some unique spins on the usual elements (the twisted hammerhead, the second drop turn to the right with the twist, and the downward helix.) And it looks as if they are doing a great job as far as keeping the lines moving fast and running three trains, from all the TRs I have been reading......

[CoasterGuy06]

I like how fast the crew moves, but they have GOT to settle down. They seemed very flustered at times when trying to assign seats (one guy going so far as to push a kid back into a row) and they would also sometimes miss checking restraints here and there because they were skipping around so much trying to avoid stacking. Overall still a good crew though.

[bgwfreak777]

I'll agree with you on that. They missed checking my restraint one time already because of that.

 

I know 3 of the crew though, and I know they are doing their best to adjust to this new style of train.

[nitrofan]

Does anyone know what I can expect the crowds to be like later this week at Carowinds? Thanks.

[pkdcoaster]

I will be heading down there tomorrow. First time since 2002 Can't wait!

 

JEFF

[CoasterGeek101]

Well, I just got back from media day, pictures will come later, and I must now say, Intimidator is my new number 1 coaster. I was able to get 21 rides on it today in multiple rows, this brings my total ride count to 26.

 

This ride is a testament to how B&M coasters SHOULD be. Anyone who dares say that B&M no longer makes intense coasters, need to come ride this thing. By the way, as I said before, there's no reason to fear the trims at all, you seriously can barely even feel them. If they didn't make the sound they make, you would probably even assume they were off.

 

Now here's the rundown of my experiences in each part of the train.

 

Front: The front of course gets amazing views and all the wind in their face, but it also tends to be pushed down the hills into the valleys, causing very high gforces between each hill. The front also, while not having the most intense airtime, it still has very strong air over every single hill. Thanks to the shaping of the hills, the airtime does an increase and decrease in the intensity of the airtime going up and then down each hill, spiking in the middle with good ejector. This is currently my favorite place to be on the ride.

 

Middle: The middle of the train is loaded with seemingly non-stop floater air. The gs between hills isn't as powerful as the rest of the train, but it still feels like a good 3gs in a couple of the valleys. The middle on this ride slightly dissapoints me with hearing how Diamondback's best seats are near the center, but it really doesn't matter, I still loved this ride no matter where I was sitting.

 

Back: The back of the train gets THE best treatment from the first drop. The whipping action thanks to the length of the trains throws you out of your seat even before you are truly going down the hill, and then your butt is in the air until the very bottom. The back gives the most intense ride out of the rest of the rows. The gs are extremely high in every single valley, and there's ejector air on almost all of the hills. While the back does give the most intense ride though, it kind of annoys me. The airtime on each hill doesn't start until you crest the hills, while everywhere else gets airtime the entire way over each hill. That little annoyance aside, if you enjoy a really intense ride, the back's where it's at.

 

Well thank you for reading my review, I will try to post a couple pictures a bit later.

 

Picture time!

 

Edit* added more pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Pics, have you ridden Diamondback? If so which is better? This or Diamondback?

[fisher1095]

Does anyone know what I can expect the crowds to be like later this week at Carowinds? Thanks.

 

If you're going on a weekday, the park is usually virtually empty, but all the local schools are out for spring break and Carowinds has opened the park on weekdays for this week only until Summer, so I could be wrong.

[angryemobeaver]

Great Pics, have you ridden Diamondback? If so which is better? This or Diamondback?

 

I've ridden both (and Raging Bull & SFOG's Goliath), and Intimidator is much better than Diamondback. Just last year Diamondback was my #1 coaster. This year its my #6. For me, Diamondback only has airtime in the back seat getting pulled out of the lift hill, than the second hill and third hill. The hill after the hammerhead is too trimmed to give me good airtime, and than the MCBR kills the rest of the ride.

 

Intimidator has airtime on every single hill front and back seat. If you sit in the front seat you will actually get a little pop of airtime on the second hill right before the twisting drop. Just to know how all the hypers compare for me, my top 10 steel is..

 

1. Intimidator 305

2. Maverick

3. Intimidator

4. Goliath

5. Volcano: The Blast

6. Diamondback

7. Mystery Mine

8. Raging Bull

9. Montu

10. Millennium Force

[fisher1095]

^^ Yes, I was wrong. Very, very wrong. The park was packed today, to my surprise. So packed, that they extended their operational hours until 7pm.

[nitrofan]

^^ Yes, I was wrong. Very, very wrong. The park was packed today, to my surprise. So packed, that they extended their operational hours until 7pm.

 

That's odd. I went Thursday and they were virtually empty. Walk-ons for everything!

[DarkStitch626]

I have gone on Monday and Thursday this week during spring break and gotten nearly 50 rides total split between the two days. The line has only ever topped 20 minutes at most, with 3 train op for the ride. When they switch down to two trains it may take a little longer, but the fast paced crew including our very own forum's user Pufferfish known during the Deep south tour at Afterburn, along with a few other great people such as Grandma'Top Gun aka Eunice. All make for an extremely awesome experience when having to even wait a longer time for the ride. Over all Intimidator has boosted itself to my number 1 steel coaster so far. The over all feel of it is just amazing in the back seat with the wind in your face and the tug of the train as your yanked out of your seat down the first drop.

Also along with Pufferfish I was able to attend the media day and because of other matters that day I had gotten one ride on it in row 14, so i was not properly able to judge the ride as well as I would have hoped at first. I got on the first train out which also included such faces as Dick Kinzel and his son Bart.

 

Notably- Thursday there was a HUGE passing storm I braved by standing in the Intimidator que line with heavy down pours, it did not bother me.

 

In the coming weeks I will buy my platinum season pass and make my way up to Kings Dominion to ride I305. So soon enough I will be able to judge it aswell. They to me though are two completely different ride experiences and will be dealt with as such.

[nitrofan]

When I was at Carowinds this past thursday, as said above, there were many storms. After the rain started, they went to a very strange operating procedure on Intimidator. They went down to 2 trains and wouldn't let the second train into the station until the first train cleared the lift. I asked one of the ride operators why they were doing this, and they said it was rain mode.

 

Does anyone know why a train couldn't be in the station while another is on the lift while it is raining? They have anti-rollbacks, so there is no way the train could fall down the lift, and if the brakes in the station failed and slipped, it seems like they could stop the lift fairly easily and have maintnance come manually let the trains off the lift, that scenario would be extremely unlikely though.

 

This "rain mode" procedure greatly slowed down dispatch times, and while the line averaged at only about 15 minutes, it could have been a walk-on if trains could load while another was in the lift. Is there something I'm missing about this procedure?

[DJeXeL]

^This was probably because the lift is directly after the station so in the slight chance the pinch wheels weren't able to slow the incoming train enough it wouldn't hit the lift approach. (Pinch wheels just before lift)

Just a thought.

I'm a certified operator for a B&M with rain mode and all it does is slow down the pinch wheels bringing the train into the station from the transfer/station approach.

[Pufferfish]

^^Just as a short explanation, our rain mode requires a full block be left between both trains at all times. Thankfully we rarely use this mode. Just be glad we have a rain mode, otherwise we would go down to only 1 train during rain, just like all the other rides.

 

As another note, anyone who hasn't checked out the retheme of Boo Blasters, you seriously need to. It has become a really nice dark ride now including a lot of new special effects. The kinda cheesy name is one of the most deceiving things ever. This ride is no longer the family friendly thing it used to be. I have even witnessed kids crying when they get off of the ride. Also, it's worth it to ride in 3D.

[Swiminn6]

I will probably be going this weekend (most likely Saturday) what should I expect for the crowds? Or if I go next week what should the crowds be like during the week days? Thanks!!

[fisher1095]

^ If it's convenient to go during a weekday for you, choose that over the Saturday.

[SharkTums]

As another note, anyone who hasn't checked out the retheme of Boo Blasters, you seriously need to. It has become a really nice dark ride now including a lot of new special effects. The kinda cheesy name is one of the most deceiving things ever. This ride is no longer the family friendly thing it used to be. I have even witnessed kids crying when they get off of the ride. Also, it's worth it to ride in 3D.

 

See while that's great for most of us I kind of see that as a really bad thing for the park.

 

Cedar Fair parks don't have that much for under height kids. The Scooby dark rides were at least nice and cute and kids loved them. I gotta be honest, from what I've read I don't think I'd take KT on the new version and that kind of sucks.

 

IMO, they should have stayed with something more kid friendly.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^There wasn't really anything that I saw as "not kid friendly" at the Boo Blasters at KD. If it's the same as the one at Carowinds, you should be ok to bring KT on there.

[nitrofan]

^^Just as a short explanation, our rain mode requires a full block be left between both trains at all times. Thankfully we rarely use this mode. Just be glad we have a rain mode, otherwise we would go down to only 1 train during rain, just like all the other rides.

 

If you're Andrew, I think you were the one who told me about rain mode while I was at the park. I had just never heard of anything like that before. Carowinds is the only Cedar Fair park I have been to, and it had been 3 years since my last visit. I usually go to Six Flags, and I haven't ever seen them with rain procedures, so I guess it's a Cedar Fair thing.

 

I will probably be going this weekend (most likely Saturday) what should I expect for the crowds? Or if I go next week what should the crowds be like during the week days? Thanks!!

 

I went to Carowinds 3 years ago on a saturday in May, and I would say avoid it at all costs. Afterburn (well, it was Top Gun then) had all of its switchbacks filled, and I think it was about an hour. Nighthawk was a 2 hours wait, and I think everything else was about an hour. Be prepared to wait!

[derek_lentz]

Cedar Fair parks don't have that much for under height kids. The Scooby dark rides were at least nice and cute and kids loved them. I gotta be honest, from what I've read I don't think I'd take KT on the new version and that kind of sucks.

 

IMO, they should have stayed with something more kid friendly.

I would agree. After riding by myself, I have some serious hesitation taking my 3 year old son on this year while I had no problem taking him on the scooby version last year.

[bgwfreak777]

At least on the Carowinds one, I'd say it is less scary than Monster Mansion is.

 

If she can handle that, I'd say she'll be ok.

 

There is one newer "scarier" room in Boo Hill, but still I think it's not as scary as MM.

[Speeddeamon128]

So next month I will be driving back to NJ from Orlando & will stop off at Carowinds! I currently have 294 credits & want to make Intimidator #300! So the first thing I plan on doing is Nighthawk followed by Cobra. After that I am lost on what to do until I can hit Intimidator. Any suggestions? BTW the next day I will be riding I305 as well That day will be simple since I have everything at KD but I305. All I will do is I305 once or twice & maybe Volcano & Dominator once then leave. Oh & the day I will be going to Carowinds is Saturday the 15th & I will be there from opening until I get everything done!

[downunder]

^Assuming you haven't been there before. There's plenty to do, Afterburn Snake Horse On Fire Deck is an excellent B & M Invert. The twin woodie up the back will give you two credits.

 

Have you got the shockwave credit at KD, I know it was closed in 2008 when we were there.

[nitrofan]

So next month I will be driving back to NJ from Orlando & will stop off at Carowinds! I currently have 294 credits & want to make Intimidator #300! So the first thing I plan on doing is Nighthawk followed by Cobra. After that I am lost on what to do until I can hit Intimidator. Any suggestions? BTW the next day I will be riding I305 as well That day will be simple since I have everything at KD but I305. All I will do is I305 once or twice & maybe Volcano & Dominator once then leave. Oh & the day I will be going to Carowinds is Saturday the 15th & I will be there from opening until I get everything done!

 

Just make sure to use your time wisely as they will probably be fairly crowded. Hitting Nighthawk first, then Carolina Cobra is a good plan. I would probably head to Ricochet after Cobra. After that, it doesn't really matter the order. The line for Intimidator will probably get shorter as the day goes on.

 

One of the kids coasters have a maximum height of 60", so don't count on that credit, but the other 2 have a max of 76".

[Speeddeamon128]

^Assuming you haven't been there before. There's plenty to do, Afterburn Snake Horse On Fire Deck is an excellent B & M Invert. The twin woodie up the back will give you two credits.

 

Have you got the shockwave credit at KD, I know it was closed in 2008 when we were there.

 

Yes Brent I got the Shockwave credit when I visited KD in 2006 & I don't plan on riding it again

 

^Thanks for the Ricochet tip I forgot about that one. I want to get the low capacity credits out of the way first & I don't plan on stealing a kid for the kiddie but I will still hit the other two If I can get on by myself. One more question, is there the L word policy for this park? A.K.A Locker policy?