[BelowThePeak]

My prediction right now for 2020 is what Cedar Point is getting next year -- the interactive "escape room" challenge in place of Dinosaurs Alive. Since DA's contract is likely going to be up at the end of next season, I expect they'll want to put something temporary in that area until they're ready to add a coaster there in a few years or so.

[mdsmith98]

But on another note, my early 2020 prediction is a water park expansion. Maybe a new slide complex in some of the empty space in the water park. The last waterpark expansion was 2016, so it is probably about time for something new in the water park.

[Coasterphreak]

2020 will most likely be a waterpark addition.

2021 will probably see a "family" expansion where Dinosaurs Alive currently sits, whether it be something similar to what Cedar Point is getting for 2019, a new flat, a Camp Snoopy expansion, or some combination of the above. This will likely include a facelift of the Crossroads area and South Gate.

2022 is where the speculation starts getting interesting. Assuming Crossroads gets facelifted in 2021, the only major area of the park still showing the malaise of the Paramount days will be Thrill Zone. (I am aware that Carolina Boardwalk was from the Paramount days, but honestly it was probably the best themed area of the park.)

I definitely think Jukebox Diner will get a major overhaul and/or complete replacement when they address that area of the park. The real question is, what will the big attraction be? An RMC conversion of Hurler is definitely a possibility, but since this is a speculation thread, I'm going to speculate: I think Rip Roarin' Rapids is removed and replaced with a major coaster, either a dive machine or a GCI twister.

[mdsmith98]

I seriously don’t think (and hope) RRR is going anywhere anytime soon. It is literally the only water ride that is not in the water park. And it is a huge crowd pleaser. It consistently has a long line. I could see the next coaster going in the Dinosaurs Alive land once it is removed after next season. I think it will be a GCI, since the only good wooden coaster is Hurler (I am a rare species that actually likes Hurler).

[tarheel1231]

How I see the next five years:

2020: Carolina Harbor addition, "Forbidden Frontier" style attraction in Dinosaurs Alive plot.

2021: Decent-sized flat ride, if we get a frisbee I would assume it's coming during this year.

2022: Floorless Vortex

2023: New coaster in Dinosaurs Alive. Gonna take a wild guess and say that CF will go back to Mack to build a Big Dipper model, something in the vein of that dive coaster concept they were offering or one with a wing-over drop to take the highest inversion record.

[BelowThePeak]

I really do hope to get a GCI at Carowinds eventually (preferably sooner than later). I rode Mystic Timbers this summer, and it instantly became one of my favorite coasters. It's just a flat out FUN ride, offering tons of airtime but nothing too painful.

I'd ideally want this GCI to go where Dinosaurs Alive is because it's probably the most treed in area we have in the park right now. Hopefully they'd be able to keep a lot of these trees during construction.

[ThatCoasterNerd]

I definitely feel like we’re getting a new coaster in 2023, since that’s the 50th anniversary of the park, and Cedar Fair will probably decide to do something BIG. As far as until then, I feel like there will be just general park improvements with a new ride here and there. I could maybe see an RMC conversion of Hurler in 2021. If the rumors are true that Cedar Fair is trying to make Carowinds the Cedar Point of the South, we could be seeing a new coaster every 2-3 years, like CP.

[Justin]

I just saw that the Apocalypse roller coaster at SF America is converting the stand up trains to floorless for next year. Very similar coaster to Vortex. Could B&M be insensitivizing parks to convert?

[Glitch99]

Camp Snoopy expansion. More park improvements etc.

That's what I was going to say. The little cul de sac with the 4 new rides and the dead end path to the playground is begging for a connection through the land currently occupied by the dinosaurs (no, not all the dinosaur land, just along that end). And there are plenty of (relatively) inexpensive flat ride concepts that cater to the 36"-40" market that could make it a nice little loop.

The waterpark entrance/gate could be pushed back (depending on how the new area is configured), and open some space for a couple more country fair rides, like a version of a Tilt-a-Whirl or Round Up (a Frisbee?), or some kind of ferris wheel. Since that area opened, I've wondered why the scrambler hadnt been moved back there instead of remaining hidden where it is.

Is Rip Roarin Rapids at risk of being mothballed? It's apparently popular based on the lines, but it uses a lot of space, the capacity cant be the greatest, and has to be one of the more expensive rides to operate. It'd open plenty of space for the next new coaster, whenever that comes.

One simple thing I'd like to see is on the Goldrush, in the dugout with cross-beams every few feet, they should fully cover it to make a tunnel. And I'd like to see the Carousal moved back to where it was - it's a kids ride, and it's now too far off the beaten path of a 4 year old. I still dont understand why they'd move it to the other side of the park, just to install a water fountain in it's place.

[ThatCoasterNerd]

That's what I was going to say. The little cul de sac with the 4 new rides and the dead end path to the playground is begging for a connection through the land currently occupied by the dinosaurs (no, not all the dinosaur land, just along that end). And there are plenty of (relatively) inexpensive flat ride concepts that cater to the 36"-40" market that could make it a nice little loop.

The waterpark entrance/gate could be pushed back (depending on how the new area is configured), and open some space for a couple more country fair rides, like a version of a Tilt-a-Whirl or Round Up (a Frisbee?), or some kind of ferris wheel. Since that area opened, I've wondered why the scrambler hadnt been moved back there instead of remaining hidden where it is.

Is Rip Roarin Rapids at risk of being mothballed? It's apparently popular based on the lines, but it uses a lot of space, the capacity cant be the greatest, and has to be one of the more expensive rides to operate. It'd open plenty of space for the next new coaster, whenever that comes.

One simple thing I'd like to see is on the Goldrush, in the dugout with cross-beams every few feet, they should fully cover it to make a tunnel. And I'd like to see the Carousal moved back to where it was - it's a kids ride, and it's now too far off the beaten path of a 4 year old. I still dont understand why they'd move it to the other side of the park, just to install a water fountain in it's place.

I honestly personally really like the fountain that was put in place of the carousel. It makes the area feel a whole lot more open. Plus, in most parks, the carousels aren't located in the kids areas. For instance, CP has 3 carousels, and none of them are located in one of their 3 kids areas. KI has one as well, and it's located behind the Eiffel Tower, rather than in Planet Snoopy.

[RollerBee]

Ya know at one point in history, just having a Carousel was a big deal and it wasn’t thought of as a kiddy ride either.

There was a day and age where Thunder Road was a big deal and thrill, 39 years later it was just a family coaster.

In 1980, a roller coaster that turned you upside down wasn’t a family coaster; Cyclone is now little more than an outdated relic.

Nowadays it is common for coasters to soar 150 feet before they are thrilling.

For those wondering I don’t define “kiddy”, “family” or “thrill” by what the ride does; I label them by their height restrictions.
This makes Goldrusher and Cyclone family coasters while leaving the thrills to Nighthawk, Afterburn and Fury.

Carousel looks better than it ever did in Kiddyland and it should have never been placed there to start with, Carousels are generally a ride that is meant to be placed in a large plaza on a main pathway not hidden away amongst cartoon characters.

Actually CP does have a Carousel in Kiddy Kingdom along with the one at the main gate and the one near Blue Streak/Valravn.

[Glitch99]

I honestly personally really like the fountain that was put in place of the carousel. It makes the area feel a whole lot more open. Plus, in most parks, the carousels aren't located in the kids areas. For instance, CP has 3 carousels, and none of them are located in one of their 3 kids areas. KI has one as well, and it's located behind the Eiffel Tower, rather than in Planet Snoopy.

KI has a carousel in planet snoopy, and their grand carousel is just a hop away - behind the Eiffel Tower, which is directly adjacent to the kids area. And CP has a carousel in Kiddy Kingdom, and their grand carousel is in the middle of the path to their kids areas from the main gate, you have to pass it just to get to the kids areas. (FYI, I'm just going by the park maps online) I'm not saying it should be integrated as part of camp snoopy, but ours is now on the opposite side of the park as the other kids rides surrounded by nothing but adult roller coasters. Unless they're taking the long way to Carolina Harbor or going to the theater, there's no other reason for young (ie, short) kids to even be in that half of the park.

That was just a throw-away comment, since I know they're not going to move it again after they just moved it. But maybe that move set the stage for a second smaller themed carousel in an expanded Camp Snoopy?

For those wondering I don’t define “kiddy”, “family” or “thrill” by what the ride does; I label them by their height restrictions.

In that regard, the carousel is one of the few rides accessible to any literally height, it truly is "a ride for all ages". Yet now it's about the only ride on that half of the park that those under 4ft can ride, that's an awful lot of walking with preschoolers for minimal payoff. But again, throwaway comment, not worth dwelling on beyond the potential for a second carousel in the vague vicinity of some other kids rides.

[RollerBee]

Just noting that the Midway Carousel and Kiddy Kingdom Carousel are about 900 feet apart.

Carowinds’ Carousel moved roughly 1,100 feet from location to location.

Of course both these measurements are straight lines but the other side of Carowinds is only alittle more than the other end of the walkway of Cedar Point.

Pretty interesting to look at the different size and over shape of Cedar Point compared to Carowinds.

[coasterbruh]

Seriously?!?! It hasn't been 12 hours since the park announced an out of this world addition (and will continue to announce more additions for 2019) and we're worked about 2020?!?!?

SMH . . .

[Glitch99]

Seriously?!?! It hasn't been 12 hours since the park announced an out of this world addition (and will continue to announce more additions for 2019) and we're worked about 2020?!?!?

SMH . . .

At least there hasnt been any leaks yet.