[tarheel1231]

Hooray! Another pointless/redundant thread from tarheel1231!!! Anyways, I know the decision about the hotel has probably been made (though it's probably at least we good 2-3 years away according to the investment matrix), but if it were up to you, where would you put one?

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Option 1

-Smaller resort that's more of a hotel than a resort (see Knotts). Fairly accessible to park.

Option 2

-Larger resort along the lines of Kalahari and Castaway, farther from the park. You would need to use trolleys to get to the park like Dollywood.

[RollerBee]

Unless Norfolk Southern sold the land, number 1 is not owned by Carowinds....

[tarheel1231]

My mistake, I'll edit it later.

[EDIT] Fixed, but I couldn't reset the polls.

[arby]

If it were up to me, I would put it at the area in red, where the offices currently are. I would then add a resort gate/employee entrance in the area in green. The offices would be relocated somewhere else in and around the park

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[uscbandfan]

While the area in red might work, I think Cedar Fair would probably want it to be more visible and put it at location 2. (They bought all that land for SOME reason.)

In any event, if #2 is used, why not go back to the original concept of Carowinds. Back then, a monorail was constructed to service a future hotel. Now, I'm not saying go with a monorail per se (Disney has that covered) but how about a PRT system? Pod-cars would be perfect to move families from resort to park and back and they would run at the user's convenience kind of like calling a cab. It's new technology and it helps move Carowinds into the future. I think they would be a hit....especially if they ran on elevated tracks.

They could even use them as a transportation ride in the park so guests could experience them. Just get in and select your destination and away you go. Destinations could be locations like Resort, Front Gate, Carolina Harbor, Thrill Zone.. or select the station you just boarded and it takes you for a loop around the park. If every station was inside the park except the resort and you made sure that anyone boarding at the resort already had paid admission (essentially make the station at the resort a front gate of sorts), it would work out great. Get up in the morning at the resort, go down the elevator and get in a pod and next-thing-you-know, you're being dropped off at Fury... or at the Water Park.... or wherever. I love that idea.

[HavenHamilton]

I still think it will go in the back corner where Thunder Road's turnaround was. It's more than a little suspicious that that area was left completely empty.

[uscbandfan]

Well, one thing about putting it there you could implement a "Stay with us and enjoy free admission into the park". After all, you'd have the back door of the resort open directly onto Bondi Beach... err... Tidal Wave Bay.

I still like the PRT idea on location #2.

[Jonathan]

Would you rather have a new coaster on the scale of Fury (or larger) or a PRT? Because that's the trade off you're talking about here. The Heathrow PRT is probably the most comparable and it cost $41 million to build and probably a decent amount to operate as well. That's a pretty big investment for a system just to move people from a hotel that is a very short walk away and within a park that is designed to be experienced on foot.

[Edwardo]

At most, they would provide free shuttle service to the park.

[dabrian]

I'll take the $41 million dollar coaster.

[RollerBee]

Didn't Great Wolf look at the Carowinds area as an option before picking Concord Mills/Speedway area?
Bad timing?

[uscbandfan]

You are kidding, right? They built 2.5 miles of track at Heathrow at about $11 million per km. No way Carowinds would need anything on the scale of Heathrow or that extravagant.

Granted, it would be a little expensive. Hey, think big. Reach for the stars you may get the moon and that sort of thing.

Just for reference, I read a report a while back that PRTs are being built for just over $5 million per km. It's only about 1k from the interstate to the front gate so you're only looking at about $5 million. Now I'm guessing that's probably each way so you may be looking at $10 million or so. But it would be SWEET.

Depending on the route around the park, you're probably looking at another 1k around the park give or take... and you don't HAVE to have the loop around the park go both ways. So, I'm gathering it could be done for about $15 million or so. (Lets say $20 as a maximum cost)

It would be a $20 million ride / transportation element that would serve 2 purposes. A way to relax, take a load off, and tour the park all at the same time. I'd love it. Fury was $30 million so it's not THAT far out there.

Would I prefer a $20 million coaster? Sure. But since we're throwing things out there.....

[tarheel1231]

I would rather them use trolleys like what Dollywood has. Something a little more classy than a shuttle but not as expensive as a new monorail.

[FamousAmos]

I still think it will go in the back corner where Thunder Road's turnaround was. It's more than a little suspicious that that area was left completely empty.

There are only about 5 acres of land at most where the turnaround used to be. That's enough to build a hotel the size of the Comfort Inn. If anything, their hotel would to to the north of the park and have a shuttle service to the north gate.

[RollerBee]

Ok, I will toss in a line:
South Corner of the parking at the intersection of Carowinds Blvd and Ave of the Carolinas. Cutting into the parking lot, relocating parking spaces for Carowinds. South Gate becomes Hotel guest gate.
And before someone says anything about cutting off access to waterpark from the parking lot....
The day will come when Carolina Harbor and Carowinds are separate tickets, it may not be in 5 or even 10 years but Cedar Fair is making a trend of adding gates to the waterparks, prepping for future options.