[CodyH3333]

Nobody knows whats going to happen next year... All we know its going to be a "BIG SPLASH" and "The investment in this park is going ROLL on forward"...I cant wait to find out whats next! Im beyond excited! Now IF thunder road gets torn down that will just kill my vibe..

[Barbwire]

TR is an old boring out and back coaster that is out of date! Those kind of coasters are nice if we're trying to stay in the 70's or go back to those times.!? Me personally, I'd like to let go of those times and head full stream.. I mean steam..into the future! With that said, I'm 99.99% positive that TR is..........Dag I lost my Internet connection...

[RollerBee]

Ya know Steam is outdated and barely exists in museums, it also goes no where a full head of steam. Which by the Carowinds has two other out & back coasters and they are recent additions.

[coasterbruh]

Ya know Steam is outdated and barely exists in museums, it also goes no where a full head of steam. Which by the Carowinds has two other out & back coasters and they are recent additions.

Uuuuuummmmmmmm.....what????

[FamousAmos]

I'd hate hate HATE to see the ride go, but Coasterbruh is right. Plans can change.

And I think no one outside the park knows anything about those plans. When did the first inkling that TR was to be removed show up? I'm gonna stick with my option that its a 50/50 chance it will stay and a 50/50 chance it will go lol. I can argue both aspects...

It all started with a picture that someone posted

I don't think it's going anywhere. But IF it does get demolished (because like you said there's that 50/50), I'm sure that they'll wait until after next season, since 2016 is it's 40th anniversary and all...

[Bigcoasterguy]

TRs potential removal isn't a fair trade to me. A fun roller coaster for a water park expansion. I've never set foot in the water park! It's nothing sentimental I would just rather have a coaster than a water slide.

[chknwing]

Wouldn't that make it a 25/25/25/25, 50/50/50/50 equals 200%

[coasterbruh]

Has it been established if the 3 years started with the water park/harmony hall or with fury 325/front gate?

[tarheel1231]

^ I want to say it started last year since harmony hall, the new water slides and probably all of those new restaurants came out of the expansion money. I still wonder if Cedar Fair meant a literal three year expansion (2014 - 2017) instead of a three season expansion (2014, 2015, 2016).

[uscbandfan]

^ I want to say it started last year since harmony hall, the new water slides and probably all of those new restaurants came out of the expansion money. I still wonder if Cedar Fair meant a literal three year expansion (2014 - 2017) instead of a three season expansion (2014, 2015, 2016).

Could be a mix. Could be this phase of expansions starting in 2014 and being complete by the opening of the 2017 season. At least that's the most reasonable conclusion I came up with. Then again, the slides were ready around the opening of 2014. So, if you think construction during the 13-14 off-season, we could only be talking about through the opening of the 2016 season. That would be 3 off-season construction opportunities.

[Jay]

TRs potential removal isn't a fair trade to me. A fun roller coaster for a water park expansion. I've never set foot in the water park! It's nothing sentimental I would just rather have a coaster than a water slide.

Pretty clear that you've never set foot in the waterpark, or else you would have seen how it's usually the most crowded area of most amusement parks in the Summer. They are proven money makers, which is why they are expanding it.

Not sure about removing Thunder Road, but it wouldn't surprise me if the waterpark additions had higher popularity and lower operating costs than TR.

[Bigcoasterguy]

TRs potential removal isn't a fair trade to me. A fun roller coaster for a water park expansion. I've never set foot in the water park! It's nothing sentimental I would just rather have a coaster than a water slide.

Pretty clear that you've never set foot in the waterpark, or else you would have seen how it's usually the most crowded area of most amusement parks in the Summer. They are proven money makers, which is why they are expanding it.

Not sure about removing Thunder Road, but it wouldn't surprise me if the waterpark additions had higher popularity and lower operating costs than TR.

That all makes perfect sence. I was just stating my personal opinion, I go for the coasters not the water water park.

[coasterbruh]

I have been thinking about this "3 years/50 million" thing and decided to go back and read the meeting minutes. It appears there was no time frame and there will be no funds remaining. It lumps everything that has happen thus far as the "first phase"...

Cedar Fair is looking to establish a large park to push to the 2.5-3 million annual guest range
somewhere in the southeast and their target expansions are going to either be Carowinds or
Kings Dominion. If they were to select Carowinds as their large southeast park, the first phase
would consist of $43.5MM of investment. The first $30MM of that would be in a new 300 foot
tall rollercoaster. For comparison, the Intimidator, which you can see from I-77, is 230 feet.
They would include a $2.5MM water slide, a $7MM food complex and a $4MM ticket booth and
parking field improvements. Much of what you will approach and see as you come to Carowinds
now, would be completely reconfigured and moved out into where some of their parking field
currently is. $33.1MM of this investment will be in Mecklenburg County within the business
investment zone. The other $10.4MM will be in York County. Just as a reminder, Carowinds is
398 acres right now between the land they currently own and is undeveloped plus the land that is
developed as the park. About 220 acres of that is in South Carolina. The remainder is in North
Carolina.

Link

So, it seems the first phase was spread over 2 years and not so much a 3 year/50 million thing that we have been hearing/repeating. The park also got a grant from the surrounding cities and counties for the first phase. This is what they asked from one city/county...

Councilmember Andy Dulin said lets go over how much this is going to cost us again.
Mr. Zeiler said if approved, the City’s share of a business investment grant is estimated to be
about $327,952 over three years. The City County combined grant is estimated to be $922,467.
The Board of County Commissioners indicated their intent to approve its portion of the BIP last
Tuesday on June 18th.

Link

Now, that was just one city/county in the charlotte area. Who knows what type of grant money they received from York/Rockhill. So...I wonder since the first phase is complete, how will they revisit the counties and cities for more grant money?

Could the first phase be 43.5 of 50 million and next year will be the 6.5 million making it year 3 to coincide with what cedar fair said?

[FamousAmos]

^^If so, then if our speculation of an expanded water park on the other side of Thunder Road will not fit in that price range.
We'll see what happens...

[tarheel1231]

I thought the $50 million was more of a bonus....