[Carowindsman]

The park is making more parking available closer to the main entrance... Once this is complete - they will tear down South Gate.


The parking lot is a giant L shape... If most of the parking can be closer to the entrance, this would make it easier for park guests... Which increases their enjoyment rate/upsell/return visit etc.

Its possible but I dont see South Gate being closed due to the fact that it does help North Gate Crowds when it is really busy.

I have not found any permits yet for what is going on but still slowly searching

[tarheel1231]

I can’t see the South Gate going for the simple reason that it serves as an exit for guests in the Carolina Harbor parking lot. Maybe reconfigured/renovated, but not removed.

Anyways, this was the permit they filed last year, but it appears that it’s no longer live:

38350992-D32C-4EF2-8057-1CF5754A5ADB.jpeg (107.25KiB)Viewed 3972 times

[phareous]

Well if they keep South Gate they seriously need to renovate it...it still has that 80's look and the concrete/pavers needs to be completely redone, not the mention all the asphalt on the path after that

[Glitch99]

The park is making more parking available closer to the main entrance... Once this is complete - they will tear down South Gate.

Confirmed or Speculation?

That’s a lot of to spend that I don’t see them getting a ROI. Tearing down South Gate and adding trams would be cheaper but still wouldn’t come with a ROI.

Doing it just for the sake of doing it would be rather wasteful. But if that is what's happening, it's probably part of a master plan for further expansion down the road. It could be years before we see the payoff from such an investment.

[Christopher Mallis]

Is there anything currently in the way that requires the removal of South Gate? No. Yes they don’t use this gate to it’s best ability but on packed weekends when they only have north gate open it gets very crowded because they simply cannot move the guests through the security process quick enough...if they were to tear down South Gate they will most likely add more security screenings to north to make it more capable of these crowds. They’ve had South Gate open for exit only on weekdays and entrance on weekends so far this summer. It comes in handy pretty well. It could use a renovation but if carowinds doesn’t want to use it more than they already do then they’ll just kept it the way it is. It would be a loss for carowinds on certain crowded days if they were to remove this gate. There could be slot of planning behind tearing it down so it could always turn out to be a good decision.

[coasterbruh]

I can only see them removing the south gate to wrap the path around to where the dino area and camp snoopy is for an expansion. It isn't an area in the parking lot for a tram drop off right now.

[uscbandfan]

Trams are so old school. Let's get a "People Mover".

Sorry, I think I just blew the budget.

[sccoasterbear]

Or covered moving walkways at a minimum.

[tarheel1231]

I’d love for them to invest in some solar panels to cover some of the parking spots like Six Flags Great Adventure. I know they’re not cheap, but shaded parking + extra power source for the park seems like a pretty good deal.

[Edwardo]

GADv only added over employee parking, though.

[coasterbruh]

Or covered moving walkways at a minimum.

OH, they might as well build parking garages then.

[Cameron]

I for one would love parking decks. I definitely wouldn't count that out in the distant future. Maybe 20-25 years honestly.

[tarheel1231]

There’s really no need for them though. The park still has plenty of space between Carowinds Blvd and the current parking lot, and parking decks are extremely expensive.

[coasterbruh]

Parking garages are expensive but freeing up land right against the park is priceless. My dream is to have them build one (or two) in the grassy area between the parking ticket booth and the guest drop off. Use that free space to build an entertainment area. But this isn't the wishlist thread so i'll be quiet.

[Lit]

Trams are so old school. Let's get a "People Mover".

Sorry, I think I just blew the budget.

Well sir, there’s nothing on Earth like a genuine, bona-fide, electrified, six-car monorail!