[MarkD]

What is with this parking garage stuff that has been all over this board for the last several years? It blows my mind. It would be an eyesore, it's completely unnecessary with the amount of space the park already has, and furthermore, at an average of around $20,000 per space, a 1,000 space parking garage would cost $20 million. I know where I would prefer the park spend $20 million, and it's not on a parking garage.

Yeah, that was from me years ago (2006) as we were discussing ways to expand Carowinds at the time. I figured if they built those like Universal in Florida, all the way in the back of the property, then that would free up all that existing parking lot. It was a pipe dream but I also said I'm not the one writing the checks.

http://www.carowindsconnection.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=765&p=15673&hilit=+Parking#p15673

[RiDeWaRrIoR]

HAHAHA parking garage = fail. I hate those things at the beach, much less at Carowinds. I couldnt imagine that at all so much traffic in and out constantly. On another note, that article did say "more water" so it sounds to me like they will be adding to the waterpark...soon... or hopefully another water ride... We need something with water, just to help the lines and crowd in the waterpark in the summer.

[Picklesthedrummer]

HAHAHA parking garage = fail. I hate those things at the beach, much less at Carowinds. I couldnt imagine that at all so much traffic in and out constantly.

I have been in the Micky's and Friends parking garage at Disneyland many time which is the 2nd largest parking garage in the world. Never have had problems getting in and out of that garage.

[MarkD]

Makes you wonder if Carowinds and the new 61 acres will be a Dino Adventure?

And, I know a parking garage is an eyesore but you can not argue the fact on how much land it would free up. Not FAIL!

[Picklesthedrummer]

^Please no extra pay dino attraction. Also it would free up a ton of land putting in a parking garage, however now with this new land they do not need it unless they plan on taking up a ton of land for the hotel.

[arjaybee]

Alright, Here is my idea of how it would work out.

download/file.php?id=523


I think this is probably closest to what will actually pan out for Carowinds in the next 10 years. This puts the hotel & BBQ spot visible from I-77 and turns most of the current parking space from Thunder Road to mid-Intimidator into a huge area for park expansion...the future looks bright for Carowinds !

[EMRAWFODOG]

Don't you think it"s weird that they are overloading the front of the park? When I was there opening day there looked like survey markers out by the grass as you were leaving the season pass entrance with parking spots spray painted.
looks like they were measuring to bring parking out there. I do see some sort of hotel/resort and something built closer to I-77 to attract attention. Also, every time I've been this year the south gate has been closed even after they put in all that landscaping by the bottom end of Intimidator, I suppose all this is in their 10 yr plan. they know Intimidator brought in alot more traffic. So they have to put in big attraction every 2-3 years to keep it going. I remember before Intimidator there was like 30 people in park on opening day. Now there are 1000's like it used to be.So glad Cedar Fair took over this. Paramount was running it into the ground. They need the land back Paramount sold but leave FRUGAL MCDOUGAL there. I have to stop before I go back home after every trip.

[RiDeWaRrIoR]

HAHAHA parking garage = fail. I hate those things at the beach, much less at Carowinds. I couldnt imagine that at all so much traffic in and out constantly.

I have been in the Micky's and Friends parking garage at Disneyland many time which is the 2nd largest parking garage in the world. Never have had problems getting in and out of that garage.

I guess I am just used to those little ones @ the beach.... I haven't been in a garage at an amusement park, so I don't know. I guess it would obviously be bigger, I don't think its necessary though, not for carowinds. I would rather see a "resort" than that. I do hope they re-pave all the parking lots and make the entrance and exit a lot better, especially from the SP parking, don't know exactly what they could do, but they could figure it out..

[coasterbruh]

the only garage I have been to is at universal studios orlando. However, that resort is in a tight space so it was needed. I see carowinds expanding more on the south carolina side since it was once said its easier to build over there vs north carolina.

[Picklesthedrummer]

^Exactly. If they did not end up buying the extra land I could see a garage being built. However since they did, there is no need to build one.

[TrojanCamMan]

Don't you think it"s weird that they are overloading the front of the park? When I was there opening day there looked like survey markers out by the grass as you were leaving the season pass entrance with parking spots spray painted.
looks like they were measuring to bring parking out there. I do see some sort of hotel/resort and something built closer to I-77 to attract attention. Also, every time I've been this year the south gate has been closed even after they put in all that landscaping by the bottom end of Intimidator, I suppose all this is in their 10 yr plan. they know Intimidator brought in alot more traffic. So they have to put in big attraction every 2-3 years to keep it going. I remember before Intimidator there was like 30 people in park on opening day. Now there are 1000's like it used to be.So glad Cedar Fair took over this. Paramount was running it into the ground. They need the land back Paramount sold but leave FRUGAL MCDOUGAL there. I have to stop before I go back home after every trip.

That may not be the front of the park for to much longer.

[TrojanCamMan]

Don't you think it"s weird that they are overloading the front of the park? When I was there opening day there looked like survey markers out by the grass as you were leaving the season pass entrance with parking spots spray painted.
looks like they were measuring to bring parking out there. I do see some sort of hotel/resort and something built closer to I-77 to attract attention. Also, every time I've been this year the south gate has been closed even after they put in all that landscaping by the bottom end of Intimidator, I suppose all this is in their 10 yr plan. they know Intimidator brought in alot more traffic. So they have to put in big attraction every 2-3 years to keep it going. I remember before Intimidator there was like 30 people in park on opening day. Now there are 1000's like it used to be.So glad Cedar Fair took over this. Paramount was running it into the ground. They need the land back Paramount sold but leave FRUGAL MCDOUGAL there. I have to stop before I go back home after every trip.

That may not be the front of the park for to much longer.

[Edwardo]

I don't get the want for a parking garage either. Three major parks have them- Disneyland, Universal Hollywood, Universal Florida.

In the DL and USF cases, they had to build parking decks to expand the park as they were land locked and needed to expand.

In the USH case, the park is on a hill and it was necessary to have the parking deck to both expand the park (on top of the deck) and keep the parking close to the park.

Carowinds isn't going to spend money on a parking deck. They don't need it and it would be a waste. They have a ton of land already.

They purchased the little bit of land that they did to round out the park's boundaries, and I would almost guarantee that the hotel that the park actually stated they're considering will go there.

As for the Dinos coming to carowinds, they're not going to add that to the new land purchased simply because people would shave to leave the park to visit the attraction and that's definitely not what they want. They're trying to add an up charge in the park, no an attraction people are going to leave the park boundaries for.

[jay71400]

I know Carowinds has had this land for a while now (60 something acres) but what are they doing with it? I doubt it's a ride,carowinds just put in two expoensive rides(intimadtor and windseeker). Could they be getting a resort type setting like the Knotts Berry Farm Resort.

[Picklesthedrummer]

As we have talked about in one of the other subjects. This land is most likely going to be a combination of a new resort hotel, and expanding the park. Most likely the new land will be developed into the new parking lot, then the parking lot around the south gate will be demoed, then expanding the park. Keep in mind this is a long term project.