[ThrillSeeker]

In every time line i have ever seen of carowinds they have missing info in them. Would anyone be intrested in starting one and get it right?

NOTE FROM JONATHAN: I have pinned this topic, as I think this is a good idea. You can see what I have for about the first 10 years if you look at the current timeline on the site. Once there is a significant amount of information, I will start creating the timeline for the site. Please only post information that you know for a fact to be true; no speculation or rumors. If you know of any images from the year's you post about, link to those as well.

[MarkD]

There are several Timelines around the net and one started here. I would like to see this from 1969 to now in full detail. We all might learn a few things from it.
Finding out about what was put in and what was taken out is pretty easy and even when the ownership of the park switched hands. What I would like to know are the little details such as what got repainted, what modifications were made to the rides, what new features such as food and gifts were added. That is the stuff I would like to know.

[MarkD]

OK! Let's start it and help out Jonathan on his Time Line.

A LOOK AT THE FIRST 30 YEARS

1973 - Park opens March 31 under leadership of real estate developer/entrepreneur E. Pat Hall.
1974 - More than 986,000 guests visit the park in its second year of operation.
1975 - Carowinds is purchased for $16 million by Family Leisure Centers, Inc., a joint venture of the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Kroger Company. Hanna-Barbera® Land and the Paladium also are introduced as the park's largest additions for the season.
1976 - The coaster Thunder Road is created and named after Robert Mitchum's "Thunder Road," a Carolina story depicting the speed and excitement in the old moonshine running days.
1977 - White Lightnin' strikes the Carolinas with a rollercoaster-type train which catapults daring guests from zero to more than 53 mph. in just 180 feet. The coaster was removed from the park in 1987.
1978 - Carowinds supports the athletes of the U.S. Olympic teams by donating $1 to the Olympic Fund for every discount coupon received through Belk department stores.
1979 - A $3 million expansion adds the County Fair area, which contains four new rides. Also, a 1923 antique carousel built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company travels from Evansville, Ind., and makes its new home in Hanna-Barbera® Land.
1980 - The revolutionary design of Carolina Cyclone makes it the only rollercoaster in the world that turns riders upside down four times.
1981 - Rip Roarin' Rapids is introduced offering guests a wet and cool attraction.
1982 - Surf's up at the new 700,000-gallon wave pool featuring 25,500 square feet of swimming area and man-made waves three to five feet high.
1983 - Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Carowinds provides the magic of an old-fashioned Christmas during Winterfest. The centerpiece of this winter celebration was the illumination of the 340-foot tall Skytower Christmas tree, a tradition that continues today.
1984 - Taft Broadcasting Company's Amusement Park Groups acquire two-thirds ownership of Taft's theme parks, including Carowinds, and form Kings Entertainment Company.
1985 - A new motion illusion attraction called Blackbeard's Revenge gives guests a pirate ship ride with the Carolina's infamous pirate Blackbeard.
1986 - The 360-degree looping Viking ship, Frenzoid, makes its home in the completely renovated County Fair section of the park.
1987 - In its 15th anniversary season, Carowinds expands Hanna-Barbera® Land with additional rides, live shows and a Baby Care Center.
1988 - The park's new family water attraction, WhiteWater Falls, plunges guests down a 45-foot waterfall.
1989 - The addition of Rip Tide Reef, a six-acre water park, makes Carowinds the only theme park in the country to offer guests a full water park experience within a major theme park at no extra cost.
1990 - Gauntlet riders enjoy the panoramic view of the park as well as the breathtaking 360-degree loops and controlled free-falls.
1991 - Through a $4 million expansion project, the Paladium becomes a stand-alone concert facility- separate from the theme park - with a seating capacity of 13,000.
1992 -Paramount Communications Inc., purchases Kings Entertainment Company and forms Paramount Parks, which includes Carowinds. Vortex, a state-of-the-art, stand-up rollercoaster, opens.
1993 - The park introduces themes from motion pictures and television shows in attractions such as DAYS OF THUNDER® and the Paramount Walk of Fame. The park's name officially becomes Paramount's Carowinds.
1994 - WAYNE'S WORLDâ„¢, a high-energy, three-acre addition to the park, provides a complete themed experience that re-creates the Hollywood set popularized in the Paramount motion picture of the same name. The Hurler, a new wooden rollercoaster, is the highlight of the area.
1995 - Animation Station introduces an interactive experience for kids featuring The Power Station, a challenging three-story climbing structure, and Kids' Studio, an outdoor amphitheatre for children's shows. Also, daring guests unearth the wonders of flight as they embark on the exhilarating Xtreme Skyflyerâ„¢.
1996 - DROP ZONE Stunt Towerâ„¢ provides daring riders a 160-foot free-fall at 56 mph. The park also entertains more than 1.8 million guests, making it one of the most popular attractions in the Carolinas.
1997 - In its 25th anniversary season, Carowinds undergoes a $7 million water park expansion of WaterWorks and now includes 12 acres of family water attractions.
1998 - ZOOM ZONE opens in Animation Station. The expansion adds three new attractions - Taxi Jam, Chopper Chase and Road Rally - and 3.5 acres to the existing area of Animation Station.
1999 - TOP GUN®: The Jet Coaster, a 62 mph, inverted rollercoaster, opens to the public. The state-of-the-art jet coaster includes six stomach-swirling inversions with floorless cars suspended below a steel track. The coaster is named after the 1986 hit Paramount Pictures release, and the $10.5 million investment is the largest in the park's history. The coaster becomes Carowinds signature attraction.
2000 - Paramount's Carowinds becomes the first theme park in the world to have an attraction that combines water play experience with the adventure of a suspended coaster. The Nickelodeonâ„¢ Flying Super Saturator takes riders along a 1,087-foot suspended track while dodging a gauntlet of gushing geysers and rain curtains. Scarowinds, the park's annual Halloween event, also opens for the first time in October.
2001 - Paramount's Carowinds introduces three all-new attractions including Scooby-Doo'sâ„¢ Haunted Mansion, an interactive ghost-busting experience through an old southern plantation with America's favorite cartoon canine, Pipeline Peak, which includes the world's tallest enclosed body slide and increases the size of WaterWorks water park to 13 acres and 7th Portalâ„¢, the park's first 3-D attraction.
2002 - Ricochetâ„¢, the park's 11th rollercoaster takes guests on a wild ride as they drop, spin, twist and curl through the park's first "fast track" or "wild mouse" coaster. Carolina Boardwalk, a newly-themed area, opens and takes guests on a walk through the famous beaches of the Carolina.

Add to each year or years anything you know for fact.

[MarkD]

If you read thru this look at how many things we were the First in the World to have. And, again this year we become the first in the world to add a Star Trek themed Coaster.

[Dukeis#1]

Additional minor "Nerd" details to add to Foreseer's post
1974
-Double Decker Carousel put in storage
-Plantation Square Trolley Removed
-Parking Lot expanded
-Ricky Racoon no longer park mascot.
1975
-The Wagon Wheel(Trabant) is added
-The Waltzer(Alpine Bobs?) is added, removed in 1977.
-Carowinds and Carolina Railroad removed, in the final hour
-Small Carousel added to Carolina Crossroads, removed by 1979
-Scooby Doo is Yellow and Green
1976
-Shortline Railroad moved from behind Harmony Hall to Hanna Barbera land under the log flume, steam engine converted to diesel.
-Static Pirate Ship removed
1977
-The unique Surfer is removed, The Witchdoctor(Octopus) is moved to it's location in Pirate Island and renamed Black Widow.
-The Waltzer is removed, Wagon Wheel is moved to it's site.
Unknown[to me] 70s
-Parking Lot trams added, then discontinued
-Powder Keg Flume looses it's double up on first drop.
1980
-Carolina Cyclone is Red
-Thunder Road gets new PTC trains, the original themed trains from Riverview's "Jetstream" dissapear because they beat up the track.
1982
-Oaken Bucket removed
-Rip Roarin Rapids raft falls over the side of the waterfall, nobody hurt
-Heritage Theater converted to arcade
1983
-Skyway removed?
1984
-Smurf Island opens
-Flying Dutchman removed
-Paladium expanded
1987
-Vintage Jalopies removed
-Panorama Vision theater converted to arcade
1988
-Balloon Race added
-White Lightnin' says goodbye
-Thunder Road sandblasted back to it's natural color, minus the rails and catwalks.
1989
-Black Widow/Witchdocter removed
-The Simpsons visit the park in a temporary musical show
Unknown[to me] 80s
-Yellow Goldrusher train is scrapped
-Carolina Cyclone is repainted blue
-Wagon Wheel is removed
-Meeting House in Plantation Square is demolished
-Rip Roarin' Rapids gets new rafts
1991
-Paladium roof is added
-Speedway Cars removed
-Sound Circus Stage removed
1992
-Meteorite(Enterprise) is moved to Blue Ridge Junction in preparation for 1993.
1993
-Paramount Walk of Fame (movie tiles) replace the county tiles along the state line.
-Paramount on Ice in Paramount Theater/Midway Music Hall
-Star Trek characters roam the park
-Music from the Movies is the park's soundtrack
1994
-Meteorite>Scream Weaver
-Monorail removed
1995
-Smurf Island/Echo Island closes
1996
One side of Thunder Road is turned backwards (maybe '95 instead)
1997
-"Retro-Active" 70s/80s show in Paramount Theater
1998
-Wild Bull removed
-"The Graveyard Shift" show in Harmony Hall
1999
-"Tropical" show in Paramount Theater
-1.9 million guests visit Carowinds in 1999
2000
-Carolina Cylone is Dark Blue and Black
-Thunder Road Foward's brakes fail, sending seven people to the hospital
-Remains of Pirate Island lagoon drained
-Whirling Dervish removed
2001
-Plantation Square remodled into Paramount Plaza
-Remains of Wayne's World theming is removed
-Dippin' Dots stand employee robbed at knife point
-Casey's Grill demolished
-Blue Goldrusher train disapears
2002
-Wally Gator's tube shoot closes?
-Jr. Skytower closes?
-Heritage Theater/Arcade/Laser Tag demolished
2003
-Old World Maketplace becomes Nickelodeon Central
-Gauntlet tamed down into Rocket Power: Air Time
-Lagoon Drained, the abandoned Smurf Island is flatened.
-Carolina Sternwheeler is sadly and unexpectedly removed
-Tomb Raider stunt show in Paladium
-Paramount Theater remains vacant (not for long)

Unknown 90s/Today
-Hot Doggin' becomes Wings
-Pilot/Captains House removed from atop the Carolina Sternwheeler
-Path added between Animation Station and the Gauntlet

[Jonathan]

I deleted all posts not relevant to the topic, so in the future only post if you have information for the timeline. And to verify Forseer's post, that information he posted is straight from a park press release.

[Trev32]

i have a question about it, if richochet was the 11th coaster woulden't borg be the 13th?

[Jonathan]

Yes. It would seem that the park hasn't even decided itself if Thunder Road is one or two coasters.

[coasterbruh]

1999
-On march 21st 1999 Jarvis purchased his first Paramount Season pass at approx. 14:44.

[Cephas]

Amazing, A ride was removed every year in the 80's. Sad. They were mostly flats too... <_<

[swampfox43]

Here's a few more tidbits of info with some attendance figures and entry prices, etc. I got these facts from newspaper articles and actual park brochures a while back. Sorry, I haven't got anything significant past 1982. I'm working on it though.


‘73 - attendance 1,200,000 (rained opening day, March 31st) adm. $5.75 adults, Monorail charge 75¢
‘74 - attendance 980,000 (rained opening day April 6, Pat Hall proposes 360 degree loop coaster for 1975) adm. $6.00 adults includes Monorail
‘75 - attendance 913,000 (rained opening day, proposed loop roller coaster put on hold, Scooby Doo coaster opens in Hanna Barbera Land)
‘76 - attendance 980,000 ($1.6 million Thunder Road opens and 1.26 million riders take the plunge by seasons end, park closed Mondays) adm. $6.50 weekdays, $7.50 weekends
‘77 - attendance 1,125,000 ($1.1 million White Lightnin opens)
‘78 - attendance 1,041,000 (no new rides, added $2.1 million in extra seating, rest areas, covered walkways and parking, park closed Fridays) adm. $7.50
‘79 - (New County Fair opens, 6 new attractions, closed Fridays) adm. $7.95
‘80 - ($2 million+ Carolina Cyclone opens, promoted with $1 million advertising campaign, first 4 looper in the world, park closed Fridays) adm. $8.95, season passes $29.95
‘81 - (Ocean Island Wave Pool opens)
‘82 - ($2.75 million Rip Roarin Rapids opens, park closed Fridays) adm. $10.95, season pass $30
‘83 -
‘84 - (park closed Fridays)

[Dr. Erica Possum]

Wow, those look very complete. I wish I had been living here, so I could help, but I just moved here two years ago from Korea.

[CarowindsThrills]

Yes.  It would seem that the park hasn't even decided itself if Thunder Road is one or two coasters.

I would still consider two different coasters. My Philosophy is the tracks can be seperate and still function then it two different coasters.

Are you planning to update the Time Line soon Jonathan?

4 more posts till 100

[Jonathan]

I doubt I will, honestly. I'll probably just do a new one when I do the new version of the site, which I've begun planning a little bit for.

[Cephas]

When they say the parks' 13th rollercoaster are they counting White Lightnin'?