[coasterD]

I don't like to bash Paramount, but I thank Cedar Fair for their investments in Carowinds. You know, I wouldn't say five or six years, those were the Paramount days. Carowinds is a unique market for Cedar Fair, a good distance from any other major parks. I would expect a new attraction of some kind in 2011 or 2012, wheter it be a coaster or not. And let's not be so pessimistic about a new coaster soon, we did get two in a row.

Yeah, Yeah. Cobra was relocated, I know.

[coasterbruh]

There are plenty options for places a coaster can be placed in carowinds...without removing anything

[CarolinaCoasterFreak]

There are plenty options for places a coaster can be placed in carowinds...without removing anything

Yeah, yeah, old map, but where? Convert more parking lot? Should they do that? With Intimidator I would think more people would be coming and need the space. The camp grounds? I guess they could put something where it says 'Cabanas'.

[Ethan]

Theres a huge area of land behind Hurler and Drop Tower... how much of it the park owns, I don't have a clue.

[coasterbruh]

There are plenty options for places a coaster can be placed in carowinds...without removing anything

Yeah, yeah, old map, but where? Convert more parking lot? Should they do that? With Intimidator I would think more people would be coming and need the space. The camp grounds? I guess they could put something where it says 'Cabanas'.

you actually think im gonna "prove a point"...there are plenty of parks with less space that are constantly upgrading and making additions without removing anything.

[billcollins531]

There are plenty options for places a coaster can be placed in carowinds...without removing anything

Yeah, yeah, old map, but where? Convert more parking lot? Should they do that? With Intimidator I would think more people would be coming and need the space. The camp grounds? I guess they could put something where it says 'Cabanas'.

You're right, the area where it says 'Cabanas' could definitely be used for extra park space. In fact, that whole area from the new wave pool to the area behind Hurler are just park offices and storage locations. These could definitely be relocated to somewhere else in the park.

Also, the parking lot beside Thunder Road could be condensed into several parking garages around the North Gate area.

There's a good space between the Paladium and the XTreme Skyflyers for an indoor coaster (I don't know why I chose indoor coaster for that area... I guess it just seems appropriate in my stupid mind).

The area just North East of the kiddie Car Ride, up into the area where the parking lot starts is also a good location for a smaller ride/coaster.

Now... Let's think outside the park for a second.
Look at the grassy area in front of the parking lots - that big field that you circle around to get into the park. This could host several rides, shows and entertainment facilities easily accessed by a bridge (or more expensively - a tunnel).

The Campgrounds could be moved down the street some distance - as long as it has frequent bus transportation to the park. This could give Carowinds 25 more acres that could boost Carowinds aggressiveness towards the larger more dominant theme parks across the country.

All this could be done without removing a single ride. Now I could make a list as to what they could do if they removed any of the rides, but I figured I'd spare you from my droning. (Bueller...Bueller...)

[rctdcifreak]

Y'all are funny. First off, yeah that area where it says "Cabanas" that won't be park space anytime within the next 15 years. Yes it is storage facilities and office space and maintenance facilities back there but unless if you would like to see about a $3 million investment into building new buildings somewhere else at the park and not upgrading the entertainment value at Carowinds then fat chance. And not to mention it would take sometime in order to do that, you'd have to build new facilities, move everything to the new facilities and demo the old ones.....too much time too much money. Y'all know that when you are in this industry if you want to be successful you have to try to stay ahead of the competition, doing something like what I just described, would be a hindrance.

Bill, you said something about an indoor coaster in between Paladium and SkyFlyer. I am not going to say that it can't be done, but I think it might be a little impractical since a pathway might be hard to construct to the ride from that area.

Now, someone mentioned the land behind Hurler and Drop Tower. There is a HUGE amount of land back there, if I had to guess it would be somewhere near the 25 acres mark, and mind you that is all woods that is not including from the end of the tree line over the road around the park and up to the fencing of the park. That is a very probable area to look at expanding into, especially should a certain disdained coaster be chopped. Now I honestly do not know who owns that land since there is some-sort of big facility on the other side of those trees, kinda like a plant or a building of a business complex.

I know it keeps getting mentioned but eliminating the blacktop beside T-Road could be nice. for a small bit of area. However, not too much could be done in that area since it is kind of limited. And let's not forget there are laws specifying how close structures and rides, etc. can be placed near roads. And since Carowinds Blvd. is so close it could limit actual usage of that area of space.

One thing that is known for sure is that Carowinds DOES own the empty land in front of the park next to the Plaza de Fiesta close up to about I-77. That area would be great to build parking, if not parking decks (hahaha yeah i know fat chance), so that the park could expand as originally planned under Pat E. Hall. This would be kinda like what Intimidator did, pushing the park outwards from the front gate.

Coasterbruh, I see what you are saying since some places tangle and over lap their coasters together to ensure more space. I am not saying that it can't be done at Carowinds. I am just making a point to say that if that were to happen, someone would need to make sure that the current functional space would not be compromised. Functional space being maintenance areas, driving-paths, walkways, etc.

[RRRAPIDS]

There are plenty options for places a coaster can be placed in carowinds...without removing anything

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Behind Drop Tower & Hurler and The Thunder Road Parking Lot would be perfect spots . Not to mention there is still land in front of Intimidator and that boring rugged mini golf attraction for flats. There is plenty of space in the park.
As far as a coaster, I would like to see a launched coaster of some sort. To bad GCI can't design a launched woodie. Talk about a wild ride..lol
But it would either be a GCI or launched coaster as my choices for the next coaster.

[rctdcifreak]

Another idea that would be easy to do is to take out the Southside Pavilions on the back side of Afterburn. That would be some decent area to put a few flats back there. I know that space gets used a lot for the Carolina BBQ or whatever they call it but they can move that somewhere else.

[jordN1414]

Just if anyone was wondering...
The North Carolina Property.... I dont know how to see the South Carolina Side



It appears that the red area is forsale.... According to the tax records Carowinds does not own that land anymore.
Land value has really went down....
(3/5/2009) $1,421,500.00
(5/21/2007) $2,114,500.00



http://polaris.mecklenburgcountync.gov/website/redesign/viewer.htm

[Jarsh]

Interesting post. Thanks!

[jordN1414]

Found the South Carolina side! So it appears Carowinds doesn't own anything to the right of the entrance road...
The red area is owned by someone else
The yellow are is Carowinds
And the green area is owned by Carowinds but separated into parcels. Not sure why its like this way.


http://maps2.yorkcountygov.com/go/eGIS.asp?TaxMapID=7230000001

So now we know what exactly Carowinds owns... For those of us who were wondering...

[Davidtmp]

I'm guessing that owner held out for a better price! Very interesting.
Nice work Jordn. That does seem to clear up what Carowinds owns and don't own. But the part that baffles me is that Carowinds don't own the land to the right of the entrance road, but they have a drive built thru it with a gate near the mall.

[rctdcifreak]

Jordn, is there anyway you can tell when those particular plots of land were sold, particularly to the right of the entrance road? Now far as the road going through that land the governments of the States or Counties could have put it there to help Carowinds rather than Carowinds doing it as a company. My guess for the parcels seperated but still owned by carowinds could be for resorts (haha i wish) or future parking lot expansion. I could be wrong on this but where I used to live, you could own land and have to pay a lower property tax on that land if it was untouched land, meaning no buildings or or anything were on it. Still very interesting.

[jordN1414]

Go to the link that I posted above under the maps...
Click Identify
Then click on the land plot you would like to see and it will give you all the information of that plot.