[BelowThePeak]

Here's what I would like to see for Carowinds in the next few years:

• Waterpark expansion on the other side of Thunder Road (which looks like it's going to happen next year). However, I really hope Carowinds doesn't follow the Soak City trend of all the other Cedar Fair parks. It's just such a generic name/brand, and the theme we have now is at least unique. If it does get rethemed, though, I remember seeing a suggestion to theme it to the Carolinas (which sounds like a great idea). I'd also love to see more palm trees in the waterpark to give it a more tropical feel.

• When Dinosaurs Alive gets removed (within the next few years, perhaps), I'd love to see that patch of land utilized in several ways. Firstly, I'd like to see Planet Snoopy receive an expansion in the area closest to it. What I would really like to see, though, is a Mack Launch similar to Helix get placed in the area closer to Afterburn/Intimidator and maybe even go outside the gates, interacting with both coasters. While I haven't ridden Helix myself, it looks like a fantastic ride that would add so much variety to the park.

• Speaking of the South Gate, I'm not expecting it to last much longer since the parking lot was expanded, and the portion of the parking lot near Afterburn/the far side of Intimidator is never really used all that much. I'd like to see a County Fair expansion happen in this area (or maybe even a new section of the park altogether could go here). Part of the Mack Launch would be located here as well.

• Like countless others have said, the park needs more flat rides.

• Eventually, I'd also like to see an RMC woodie be built in the park. If the Thunder Road removal rumors end up being true, I'd rather this be built prior to the Mack Launch just so Hurler isn't the only major woodie in the park for very long.

I wouldn't expect all of these changes to happen in a 5 year period (although it would be amazing if they did), but 10 years would be sufficient, I think. Of course, this is all just wishful thinking, so most of this will probably never happen.

[PatrickMcPherson]

I know this wouldn't be as flashy as a (new) slide complex, but if they do revamp the water park- a nice easy way to cool down all of the at concrete would be great. On hot days it gets so uncomfortabl y hot, I know you can wear flip flops or water shoes everywhere, but nsometimes it's not an option. I don't know how hard it would be to have a sprinkler system that wets the walkways every now and then, but it'd sure be a nice touch.

[cwgator]

^^Adventure Island down here across from Busch Gardens Tampa has a shallow stream (trough) that runs through the park where you can walk through between slides/wave pool. That would be a nice addition should they expand to the other side of Thunder Road if not the current area.

[pproteinc]

As I was in the park last night, I decided to take a stroll around the park with a overfed stomach and really take in the atmosphere only to start relocating and adding rides lol.

So here's the list:

1. With the waterpark expansion replace the play tree house with a Ridehouse from proslide, extend the lazy river into the new area on the other side of TR. Add a pro mat racer, A new slide complex with speed slides and family raft slides, water coaster, surf ride, a Tornado slide, twister slide complex and flooded walkways or cooling sprinklers for sidewalks
2.Relocate ScreamWeaver back to county fair area and add a Giant Frissbee in its old location
2. Relocate Scrambler to the county fair area and add a Screamin Swing in its old location
3. Add a Carowinds owned seafood restaurant (with dining plan feature) back in the boardwalk section. (I love Chickie's and Pete's however I miss my fish and shrimp combo )
4. Relocate the Gauntlet in Thrill Zone
5. Replace the Yo-Yo with the classic Wave Swinger
6. Maybe revamp the action theater into a dark ride
7. Add a top spin in the Carolina RFD across from Cobra
8. Convert Wings into a full service soul food buffet restaurant
9. Get rid of the south gate and expand county fair to add Air Race, Himalayas Ride, a Power Surge and Ferris Wheel
10. Relocate the maintenance buildings and green houses to expand a new midway with rides and games.
11. Looking at the google maps I dont know how but somehow get a railroad going again
12. Once the dinos meet with the comet, a massive planet snoopy expansion with new rides for the in between kids
13. Add a Mack launch coaster
14. Some way some how dig some pond or streams with water falls througout the park

[Littlegiles]

^ I really like some of your ideas. I always thought there needed to be more of a carnival feel in the County Fair area. Merry Go Round, Ferris Wheel, etc. Relocating some of those other rides there would be nice too. Could really up the theme of the area. I know a lot of it is wishful thinking, but still fun to dream.

in the meantime I can just play Rollercoaster Tycoon. HAHA

[redrunner97]

1) God, I would kill for a Ferris Wheel!

2) I have proved myself quite the film enthusiast, but the Wings restaurant is a topic that I don't believe I have brought up yet. The "Wings" in reference actually isn't the tasty and unhealthy scrapped pieces of dead poultry covered in bbq sauce, but rather Wings, a 1927 Paramount film, that was the first recipient of the Academy Award (otherwise known as the Oscar) for Best Picture. If I'm not mistaken, it's the only thing still in the park that has any ties to Paramount movies. Regardless, the name is so generic and food related that I don't think keeping it has/will/would get them in any hot water. I think they should deck it out with posters from southern-themed films like Gone with the Wind, Fried Green Tomatoes, Two Thousand Maniacs, Forrest Gump, God's Little Acre, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, etc (and possibly some tongue-in-cheek Carowinds-related film posters like Thunder Road, Top Gun, White Lighting, Wings, Waynes World, Star Trek, etc.) That would give it a very unique hollywood-esque feel, and if they added more Southern food options there it could really transform that location.

Just an idea I had. Btw, I don't believe poster prints need any licensing so all of this is well within Cedar Fair's grasp, from the legal perspective.

[RollerBee]

Which begs the question, how did Wings get to stay? Doesn't Carowinds hold the license to use Thunder Road or could that be why all the theming was removed?

[CoasterDad]

Wow! Reading some of the suggestions/wishes others have made would be SO GOOD! If I could have my heart's desire for the park, I would remove Vortex and Nighthawk to other CF parks, replacing them with first, a custom B & M flyer on the order of Tatsu or Manta in 2017. The following year I would like to see something to interweave around the flyer, on the order of a B & M super wing coaster OR a Mack launch. I like the idea of seeing the dinosaurs take their leave and expand the Snoopy area significantly. Would love to see that lame yo-yo replaced with a traditional wave swinger(who doesn't like a wave swinger?) Naturally we like the S & S swings and the frisbees, but an RM hybrid would be great - I fear SFOG will get the leg up on that one, if the current SF trend continues, plus it would be a first for CF. We really do need the South entrance kept for busy days(we don't have a tram and the long walk to the main entrance would be a horrible way to start a hot summer day at the park). I really can't imagine what the next "Phase" will include, but since CF wants Carowinds to be their CP of the south, I can't wait to see!

[redrunner97]

Which begs the question, how did Wings get to stay? Doesn't Carowinds hold the license to use Thunder Road or could that be why all the theming was removed?

I believe Thunder Road / Wings are just theme "in-name-only" at this point, like Hurler.
The connection (for lack of a better word) was removed, but not the name.

[uscbandfan]

Would be nice to see some themes back in the park. I've always heard that Cedar Fair didn't do themes.... so, we end up with an AMUSEMENT park rather than a THEME park. I'd like to see some more shows come back to the park as well. I know rides are where the big bucks are made attracting people and it may just be me getting older. Let's either re-theme some areas or add to what we have.

Some of these themed areas seem small and could possibly be combined. It would be cool to be able to actually TELL when you leave an area and enter another without signs. A change in architecture and walk areas could do it. Maybe a sign. (Only signs I ever remember were County Fair and Hanna-Barbera Land).

Planet Snoopy - Kids Rides

Boomerang Bay - Water Park

County Fair. - Lets get some more "Fair" rides in there. This area always seemed like a waste to me as I only went there for Thunder Road and it was so out of the way (and one way in and one way out before Top Gun was put in.) How about a midway show in the fair tradition.

Carolina Showplace - There's a theater here, lets use that more. Maybe an outdoor theater as well for walk-up traffic. Bird shows, nothing cheesy (and would KILL for a path through the trees at the Vortex entrance. It doesn't need the line space now anyway)

Carolina Boardwalk - Chickie and Pete's is a nice touch with some seafood here. How about more beach-themed stuff here. A show with people dancing the shag or the "Carolina Swing" as some people call it since it's not a true shag dance.

Thrill Zone - Well, Fury hit the mark as a Thrill ride for sure.

Carolina RFD - (Rural Free Delivery?... really. Hmmm.) Country rides. Nothing about Boo Blasters, Cobra, or Wind seeker says "country" or "rural" to me. I would think of something like "Rip Roarin' Rapids". (At least there's Whitewater Falls.) Maybe a rename here or a combination into another area.

Carowinds Plaza. - The name says "shopping" to me. Not Riding. Maybe make Carowinds Plaza just the shops around the area and, since there's a path under Nighthawk, make Intimidator, Nighthawk, RipCord, Windseeker, all the way to Whitewater Falls a different name (eliminating RFD - or adding those TO RFD.)

In that Scenario, lets try this... change the access road between scrambler and Rip Roaring to a walk path. (Easier Thrill Zone access) Move the entrance to Rip Roaring Rapids to near Scrambler and expand the shopping for the "Plaza". Then the rapids would be in the "Showplace" area and the Plaza is just that... a Plaza.

If we're going to have theme names, lets stick to them and expand on them. Fair stuff in the Fair area, Thrill stuff in the thrill area, shopping in the plaza area, beach stuff in the Boardwalk area, etc... I'd love to see Carowinds become a THEME park again.

Ok. I'll get off my soap box now. (I would like to know what the management would think of those suggestions.)

[j___sante]

^ nailed it, uscbandfan.

my home parks being Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Over Texas, my overall impression of Carowinds (secondary to all the new things introduced this year) was that each and every themed area was either not strong, solid or substantial enough. at SFFT, you enter through Los Festivales (which actually feels like a stroll through some town in Spain), and to your right is Crackaxle Canyon... to your left Spassburg. you continue to Rockville, Fiesta Bay Boardwalk, etc. at SFOT, you enter through USA, and to your right is Boomtown... to your left Old South & France. you continue to either Mexico & Spain, Texas, Goodtimes Square, Gotham City or -- IMO the only outlier with no cohesive theming (e.g. this is where our Panda Express is lol) -- Tower. yes, SF has inevitably tweaked here and there, but each of the sections' details while not terribly difficult to maintain offer tremendous value in terms of quality feel and quality atmosphere.

all Carowinds needs to do is pump more vitality into the concepts behind each area. as for the logistics, i do believe uscbandfan's proposals (which more or less are in agreement with numerous others posted prior) hit the target.

[tarheel1231]

Here's something that I think is fairly doable: you know those flags that have been popping up around the park with the carolina state flags on them? Well I thought it would be a nice touch if they had them at the front gate. They would be attached to the light poles on each side of the state line. As you enter, SC would be on the "left" side and NC would be on the "'right" side (and I use quotations because those directions would be wrong since SC is south of NC). I like the front entrance plaza, but I'd like to see a little more theming. I hope it wouldn't be too much to ask even though the flags are behind the sign and on the gate.

[j___sante]

out of curiousity... i think i remember reading a post about a train (or was it monorail?) carowinds originally had? if so, what was its path, where were its stations, when was it removed, why? those always act well as an escape, at least from foot traffic, when landscaping is lacking. could something similar weave throughout and/or around the park again?

[Jonathan]

Originally the park had a train (only lasted 5 years), a monorail (removed 1994), and a chairlift (lasted just 9 seasons).

The right of way for the railroad is mostly gone and as virtually no parks are building transport rides anymore I doubt you will ever see anything like them again.

[Littlegiles]

out of curiousity... i think i remember reading a post about a train (or was it monorail?) carowinds originally had? if so, what was its path, where were its stations, when was it removed, why? those always act well as an escape, at least from foot traffic, when landscaping is lacking. could something similar weave throughout and/or around the park again?

The main train station was under the bridge that you cross into the park. it is now a service road, but most of the path has been done away with.

As for the Monorail, it went out into the parking area and toward the toll plaza didn't it Jonathan? I know they were talking about finding some of the old concrete supports during construction of Fury.

If you look on YouTube you can find some old videos of Carowinds and here http://carowindsearlyyears.com/index.html