[Sivart]

They will probably replace Thunder Road with a B&M Dive Coaster

They will also replace Nighthawk with a B&M Winged Coaster

Or vise versa...

[uscbandfan]

They will probably replace Thunder Road with a B&M Dive Coaster

They will also replace Nighthawk with a B&M Winged Coaster

Or vise versa...

Not sure about the NEAR future... but I could see a hyper dive coaster where Nighthawk is now. If they ever do make a dive, I hope it's longer that the ones I've been on.

[redrunner97]

^ ^ Personally, if we get any kind of B&M in the near future, I want a flyer (preferably launched -kill two birds with one stone!) in the place of Nighthawk and 7th Ward.

The park already has three killer B&Ms and a fourth too (here's looking at you Vortex)...
If we get another one, I want it to be something very special -otherwise why not get a Mack, Premiere Rides, RMC, Intamin, etc.?


And for the topic at hand, I'll be Coasterdamus for a second and say that I see Carowinds in 10 years as a theme park (or at least more of one than it is now). I also see a Hotel, a launched coaster, a new woodie, more flats and kids rides, a huge separate-gate water park, a Triotech dark ride, a ferris wheel, and a skyride. I also see TREES and lots of them too!

[fishels]

I really want an intamin at this park. I don't get the hate for them. I get the hate From a business perspective which is why it has a huge chance of not happening anytime soon. Maybe intamin can get their act together sometime in the future.

[Jonathan]

A lot of Intamin rides are pretty awesome. Bizarro, Skyrush, El Toro, I-305, Millennium Force... some of my favorite coasters. It's just that so many of their rides over the years have been reliability nightmares or even worse have had to be reprofiled. The stuff that happened with Maverick and I-305 is just utterly mind boggling. Are they not using computers to design these rides? Things like G forces exerted on riders, wheel temperature, etc. should all be known with extreme precision. How can they constantly mess stuff like that up? Things like Top Thrill Dragster I'll give them a bit of a pass on because they were so far ahead of what the current technology is doing (though the giant tire flying off the train and hitting Iron Dragon seems like something out of a Three Stooges sketch). But they sold a LOG FLUME for $10.5 million and still couldn't make it work for months and even once it finally did a boat ROLLED BACK AND TIPPED OVER (a potential flaw that was apparently so obvious that someone on RRC pointed it out the week the ride opened). It's actually kind of surprising that their rides haven't killed more people than they have.

[Sivart]

otherwise why not get a Mack

2016 attraction. A Mack Launch Coaster on a Blue Fire level would be a great addition to the park, could totally fit in the area, and would fit the budget of $20 million. It will replace Thunder Road. Swag.

[tarheel1231]

^ It's going to be a lot more than $20 million for a Mack launch coaster. Mack isn't cheap.

[cwgator]

^Actually Bluefire Megacoaster was built for 20 mil Euro or 25.3 million USD with the exchange rate then in 2009. That was the total coast with theming. A similar coaster could be built for around 20-22 million easily depending on length, height, theme, etc.

[Jonathan]

Don't forget that Mack owns and operates Europa Park so they were effectively selling the ride to themselves, so no profit.

[chargercrazy]

Then they can set the cost however high they want to set a precedent for pricing when they sell to other customers

[Axel]

Shorter Lines and Freakier Rides: The Future of Amusement Parks

For the Future issue of Funworld, the official magazine of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), editors asked 75 industry leaders from around the world to predict how parks will change by 2020. Not surprisingly, many of the answers revolved around advancements in technology, the need to place a greater weight on visitor reviews, the impact of the economy on patron spending patterns, and ways to minimize what are now considered necessary evils...

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/future-of- ... 03772.html

summary:
1. Personal Devices and Self Service will help eliminate lines.
2. Everything will be more interactive and multisensory.
3. Rides and themes will be darker.
4. They’ll be greener.
5. The Food Will Be Held to a higher standard.

[fishels]

A lot of Intamin rides are pretty awesome. Bizarro, Skyrush, El Toro, I-305, Millennium Force... some of my favorite coasters. It's just that so many of their rides over the years have been reliability nightmares or even worse have had to be reprofiled. The stuff that happened with Maverick and I-305 is just utterly mind boggling. Are they not using computers to design these rides? Things like G forces exerted on riders, wheel temperature, etc. should all be known with extreme precision. How can they constantly mess stuff like that up? Things like Top Thrill Dragster I'll give them a bit of a pass on because they were so far ahead of what the current technology is doing (though the giant tire flying off the train and hitting Iron Dragon seems like something out of a Three Stooges sketch). But they sold a LOG FLUME for $10.5 million and still couldn't make it work for months and even once it finally did a boat ROLLED BACK AND TIPPED OVER (a potential flaw that was apparently so obvious that someone on RRC pointed it out the week the ride opened). It's actually kind of surprising that their rides haven't killed more people than they have.

i completely agree with you....... but if they played things more slow and didn't slap stuff together they could make a big comeback eventually. Competition makes the best rides.