[CantonFireDawg]

Stopping by Carowinds for the first time on the way home from the beach in a couple weeks. Live in Canton, OH about an hour from Cedar Point so my family and I go there about 25-30 times a year. Go to Kings Island every year as well. Really excited to get a little taste of the southern amusement park scene. Never been anywhere near Carowinds so any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Coming on a Saturday so I anticipate it'll be crowded but any ride advice, or where to go first, or anything at all I'd love to hear.

Burky

[Jay]

My only advice is to search the forums before you make a new topic.

http://www.carowindsconnection.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3660
http://carowindsconnection.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3676&start=0&hilit=carowinds+advice
http://www.carowindsconnection.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3670

If you still have a question, after reading feel free to ask.

[CantonFireDawg]

I'll throw this out there then. Any people from the Carolina's been to Cedar Point. How about any comparisons or real differences between the two. What is a typical wait time for a "big " coaster on a Saturday during the middle of summer. I know there are different variables and someone will say it varies but how bout a general idea.

[jeffdavis]

A lot of us (on this forum) have been to Cedar Point. I've been a few times. The wait on Saturday at Carowinds is similar to the weekday wait at Cedar Point. I don't want to try to draw direct comparisons because the rides are so different. Most of the forum users avoid Carowinds on Saturdays (except maybe opening day) like the plague. If you catch it on one of the "music" days when every church's youth group is there you might as well get used to standing in line. Most of us don't like to wait. My last trip to Carowinds was a Sunday afternoon and nearly everything was a walk-on. In fact we re-rode several coasters without getting out of our seats.

[CantonFireDawg]

I'm the same way with Cedar Point. Of the 30ish times we go there in a year I can't remember being there on a Saturday last year. I'm stuck having to go on a Saturday though. I imagine your halloween events pull the big crowds on Saturdays as well. Bar none the largest crowds of the year(over 4th of july, memorial day, etc.) are saturdays during Halloweekends at CP. Two hour waits for a close to forty year old rough banging corckscrew. Thanks again for responding and am looking forward to Carowinds.

[depo]

We were first time visitors to Carowinds in June. It was also on a Saturday and could not be avoided as you stated. We are experienced in parks and how they work and after reading this forum and the FAQs we came up with a strategy that served us well. It might help you too. The only thing thast saved us from total despair was Fastlane. We bought our tickets and Fastlane in advance on the web and used the Print at Home option. That got us past the mobs waiting at the ticket booth.

We were at the park long before opening. Got thru the turnstile, redeemed our Fastlane paperwork for wristbands and were at the rope prior to 10 AM. At 10 we went to Intimidator first and got a couple of quick rides, one in the front. From then on our strategy was to ride everything that wasn't included in Fastlane first, before the crowds/lines became unbearable. We moved quickly thru the park and accomplished all the non-Fastlane rides on our list before noon. Most were walk on earlier and then short waits until our last non Fastlane coaster, the wild mouse, was about a 25 minute wait.

At that point we started with the Fastlane coasters. By now most had large lines and some had lines out into the midways. Some folks in the Fastlane queue with us had just bought the bracelet after waiting 90 or 120 minutes for a ride. We rode the last 7 coasters in about 1 3/4 hrs. THANK YOU FASTLANE. After a few repeat rides we headed out for the drive to Myrtle Beach. As we left, the line to buy a ticket was out towards the parking lot. As we drove out we saw the line to get into the parking lot started on the freeway!!

Granted, this took place on June 16, the day of the Christian Rock Concert, so your Saturday may not be so crazed. Still, I highly recommend Fastlane for one time visitors. We found it to be an incredible value.