Paramount's Carowinds and a warning about Pipeline
Associated parks:
None
This was my third trip to my home park this season and the first night trip. We arrived at Wendy's at 4:35 and after stocking up on burgers and some Mt. Dew Cherry at the convience store, walked over to the park. Carowinds was packed, but we were expecting that. This trip was "different", because we rode rides we usually never wait for and skipped rides we usually always ride.
First of all we rode the new Smash Factory. This ride wasn't as good as 7th Portal, but it was better than Bond and Days of Thunder. After that we went on the Goldrusher for the first time this season. Its still a nice long, smooth mine train. The Carolina Cyclone was closed for the day so we rode the Hurler. We took the back seat and as always received mucho airtime on the many bunny hills.
It was then time to head to Water Works for the all new Pipeline Peak. We changed into our swimsuits and went to rent a locker. That is where I saw the sign: "All rental keys must be turned before Water Works closing at 7". It was 6:50. This actually turned out to be good though, as we were the only ones there for the last 10 minues and in those 10 minutes we did what we would have done in an hour. Now, for Pipeline Peak. I am a big waterpark fan as well as a theme park fan, and Carowinds' other slides do not thrill me, so I was looking foward to this one. Pipeline Peak consists of four slides, or 2 pairs of 2. I can only remember one of the names, and that I believe was Night Slider, which was the tallest and a body slide. There were 2 inner-tube slides that were shorter as well. BEWARE: At the entrance to Night Slider they check you to make sure you have no metal or plastic things on your swimsuit. Be sure to wear simple plain bathing suits or they WILL NOT let you ride! First, I rode the smaller inner tube slide and it was easily the best slide in the park. Fast and fun while inside of a pitch black tunnel. And then, the big one(s). The tallest body slide on the East Coast. I would say words cannot describe it but they can. It seems like you are drowning. The tunnel is pitch black and you cannot see, the turns are very sharp, and the slides is incredibly fast. Also, the sheet of water you are riding on isn't so thin so you constantly have a face-full of water. This is now my favorite water slide.
After changing back into street clothes, we rode the Hurler again, this time in car 1, seat 2, A.K.A the "Ejector Seat". You may have been on Hurler at PKD. Heck, you may have even been on Hurler here at Carowinds. But, car 1, seat 2 on the Hurler at Paramount's Carowinds boasts amazing air-time. The kind of airtime that leaves Millennium and Magnum behind and compares or maybe even bests that on Georgia Cyclone and Apollo's Chariot. It was one of my best rides ever on Hurler.
We then rode Rip Roarin Rapids for the first time this year. We rarely ride this due to long lines but for some reason we decided to wait it out. It is a very long rapids ride (longer than others I have ridden) and you will get pretty wet (mainly your shoes lol). I was a bit disappointed to see that nothing replaced the collapsed cave.
We had yet to ride Top Gun and the line was still long so we decided to give Thunder Road a try. The coaster broke-down so with time wasted we headed back for Top Gun. I had forgotten how amazing Carowinds, mainly the County Fair area, is at night. Top Gun is extremely well lit up at night, but don't worry, the drop, inversions, and tunnels are pitch black. After a 30 minute wait we rode in the second to last car around 9:30 PM. Words cannot describe Top Gun at night. Its a completely different experience. We only rode Top Gun once, and I believe this was the first visit to Carowinds since Top Gun's debut in 1999 that I only rode it once.
To finish off the evening we went for a ride on each side of Thunder Road. Thunder Road is great at night too, as there is no light on the track as it snakes out beside the parking lot. Backwards in the last car provides airtime and one of the greatest first drops there is. We decided to ride fowards in the front seat to finish the day, and what a surprise it was. The re-tracking of Thunder Road has made it smooth, but this ride did not have a single bump or jar. I could not see a thing, not because of the black sky, but because of the incredible wind pounding in my face. The sensation was amazing and Thunder Road actually delivered air-time on its hills. I have been on this coaster more times than I can count over the course of my life, but this was probably the best ride it has ever delivered. There was a bit of an incident in the station following the ride but I don't even feel like explaining lol.
Despite the crowds, and despite the fact that I only got 1 ride on Top Gun, it was a great trip. I am heading to Myrtle Beach to try its selection of coasters tomorrow, so look for a report coming soon. *** This post was edited by StarCoasters on 5/27/2001. ***
First of all we rode the new Smash Factory. This ride wasn't as good as 7th Portal, but it was better than Bond and Days of Thunder. After that we went on the Goldrusher for the first time this season. Its still a nice long, smooth mine train. The Carolina Cyclone was closed for the day so we rode the Hurler. We took the back seat and as always received mucho airtime on the many bunny hills.
It was then time to head to Water Works for the all new Pipeline Peak. We changed into our swimsuits and went to rent a locker. That is where I saw the sign: "All rental keys must be turned before Water Works closing at 7". It was 6:50. This actually turned out to be good though, as we were the only ones there for the last 10 minues and in those 10 minutes we did what we would have done in an hour. Now, for Pipeline Peak. I am a big waterpark fan as well as a theme park fan, and Carowinds' other slides do not thrill me, so I was looking foward to this one. Pipeline Peak consists of four slides, or 2 pairs of 2. I can only remember one of the names, and that I believe was Night Slider, which was the tallest and a body slide. There were 2 inner-tube slides that were shorter as well. BEWARE: At the entrance to Night Slider they check you to make sure you have no metal or plastic things on your swimsuit. Be sure to wear simple plain bathing suits or they WILL NOT let you ride! First, I rode the smaller inner tube slide and it was easily the best slide in the park. Fast and fun while inside of a pitch black tunnel. And then, the big one(s). The tallest body slide on the East Coast. I would say words cannot describe it but they can. It seems like you are drowning. The tunnel is pitch black and you cannot see, the turns are very sharp, and the slides is incredibly fast. Also, the sheet of water you are riding on isn't so thin so you constantly have a face-full of water. This is now my favorite water slide.
After changing back into street clothes, we rode the Hurler again, this time in car 1, seat 2, A.K.A the "Ejector Seat". You may have been on Hurler at PKD. Heck, you may have even been on Hurler here at Carowinds. But, car 1, seat 2 on the Hurler at Paramount's Carowinds boasts amazing air-time. The kind of airtime that leaves Millennium and Magnum behind and compares or maybe even bests that on Georgia Cyclone and Apollo's Chariot. It was one of my best rides ever on Hurler.
We then rode Rip Roarin Rapids for the first time this year. We rarely ride this due to long lines but for some reason we decided to wait it out. It is a very long rapids ride (longer than others I have ridden) and you will get pretty wet (mainly your shoes lol). I was a bit disappointed to see that nothing replaced the collapsed cave.
We had yet to ride Top Gun and the line was still long so we decided to give Thunder Road a try. The coaster broke-down so with time wasted we headed back for Top Gun. I had forgotten how amazing Carowinds, mainly the County Fair area, is at night. Top Gun is extremely well lit up at night, but don't worry, the drop, inversions, and tunnels are pitch black. After a 30 minute wait we rode in the second to last car around 9:30 PM. Words cannot describe Top Gun at night. Its a completely different experience. We only rode Top Gun once, and I believe this was the first visit to Carowinds since Top Gun's debut in 1999 that I only rode it once.
To finish off the evening we went for a ride on each side of Thunder Road. Thunder Road is great at night too, as there is no light on the track as it snakes out beside the parking lot. Backwards in the last car provides airtime and one of the greatest first drops there is. We decided to ride fowards in the front seat to finish the day, and what a surprise it was. The re-tracking of Thunder Road has made it smooth, but this ride did not have a single bump or jar. I could not see a thing, not because of the black sky, but because of the incredible wind pounding in my face. The sensation was amazing and Thunder Road actually delivered air-time on its hills. I have been on this coaster more times than I can count over the course of my life, but this was probably the best ride it has ever delivered. There was a bit of an incident in the station following the ride but I don't even feel like explaining lol.
Despite the crowds, and despite the fact that I only got 1 ride on Top Gun, it was a great trip. I am heading to Myrtle Beach to try its selection of coasters tomorrow, so look for a report coming soon. *** This post was edited by StarCoasters on 5/27/2001. ***
It would be fabulous if you could edit that post and put some paragraph breaks in there. It'd be a lot easier to read.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
Thanks for the TR StarCoasters...
Carowinds is my home park also, and I agree, Hurler is simply amazing this year. My family and I rode it 15 times in a row a few weeks ago. Hurler always seems to have cool ride operators that would rather see seats filled than empty.
Dan
Carowinds is my home park also, and I agree, Hurler is simply amazing this year. My family and I rode it 15 times in a row a few weeks ago. Hurler always seems to have cool ride operators that would rather see seats filled than empty.
Dan
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