General Carowinds discussion
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By swampfox43
#26808
‘73 - attendance 1,200,000 (rained opening day, March 31st) adm. $5.75 adults, Monorail charge 75¢
‘74 - attendance 980,000 (rained opening day April 6, Pat Hall proposes 360 degree loop coaster for 1975, adm. $6.00 adults includes Monorail
‘75 - attendance 913,000 (rained opening day, proposed loop roller coaster put on hold, Scooby Doo coaster opens in Hanna Barbera Land
‘76 - attendance 980,000, $1.6 million Thunder Road opens and 1.26 million riders take the plunge by seasons end, park closed Mondays, adm. $6.50 weekdays, $7.50 weekends. I was there opening day and it was cold, but no rain. :)
‘77 - $1.1 million White Lightnin' opens, attendance 1,125,000, park adm. $7.00, park closed Mondays
‘78 - attendance 1,041,000, adm. $7.50, (no new rides, park added $2.1 million in extra seating, rest areas, covered walkways and parking, park closed Fridays
‘79 - New County Fair opens, 6 new attractions, closed Fridays, adm. $7.95
‘80 - $2 million+ Carolina Cyclone opens, promoted with $1 million advertising campaign, first 4 looper in the world, park closed Fridays, adm. $8.95, season passes $29.95
‘81 - Ocean Island Wave Pool opens, park adm. $9.50, season pass $29.99, park closed Fridays
‘82 - $2.75 million Rip Roarin Rapids opens, park closed Fridays, adm. $10.95, season pass $30
‘83 - park celebrates it's 10th anniversary - no new attractions, parked opened on March 19th. adm. $11.95 (park closed Fridays)
‘84 - Smurf Island opens, park adm. $12.50, season pass $37.50, park closed Fridays
'85 - Blackbeards Revenge opens, adm. $12.95, season pass $39.95, park closed Fridays
'86 - Frenzoid opens, park closed Fridays
'87 - park celebrates 15th year, Hanna Barbera Land completely remodeled. park adm. $14.50, season pass $40, park introduces "Family Pass" (family of 4) for $99, park closed Friday.
'88 - new attraction, Whitewater Falls and Cinema 180º, adm $15.95, park closed Friday.
'89 - new attraction, Rip Tide Reef with 4 waterslides, adm $17.95, park closed Fridays.
'90 - new attraction, The Gauntlet, park adm. $18.95, closed Fridays
'91 - park adm. $19.95, closed Fridays
'92 - Vortex opens, park adm. $21.95, still closed on Fridays...
'93 - Paramount takes hold, park adm. $22.95, OPENED FRIDAYS!!
'09 - rained opening day March 28, Carolina Cobra coaster debuts.

My original intentions when I started this topic, was to point out the first 3 years of rainy day opening and got a little carried away..... :wink:
Also note, my attendance figures came from old newspaper articles, but the admission prices and new attractions came from brochures.
Gee, I just realized that Carowinds was closed on Fridays for 15 seasons!! :shock: