Whats Next For Paramount's Carowinds?

Jason, the eight year olds line up for Millennium Force at Cedar Point, too. ;)

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http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~bnoble/

I know that lol, im just saying, i dont think the average person riding the runaway reptar ( :) just think about the name) will be 16 lol, as with MF im sure the crowds a bit older.

Jason, I think the problem is that Carowinds is still the cheapest season pass in the Paramount family.

You can "chicken and egg it" for days to try to figure out if it's that way because the park's lacking the "Drop Zone" or "Hypersonic" or "Son of Beast" loving or if the area's demographics just can't justify investing a whole lot more money.

Every chain has its Carowinds. Six Flags will have its Kentucky Kingdom. Cedar Fair will have its Worlds of Fun and Valleyfair. In those terms, Carowinds is taken care of quite nicely.

The park has plenty to do. It's got one of the better "free" attached waterparks. Its coaster collection is clearly dated but it's certainly not abandoned.

I agree Jason - Carowinds has 2 junior invert kiddie coasters! 2 of them now!

I completely agree with Jason Wilson's opinion.... but I do feel slightly content with the new adition this year.... the revamping of the powder keg flume.... Carowinds really needs some new theming and rather than pulling out classic rides its finally revamping the ones it has... kudos! The same for the Gauntlet. Nascar: The Ride (the "carowinds hyper")seems to be headed to 06' or later.... due to the tight-pocketed paramount entertainment corperation.... oh well.... Anyhow I like White Water Falls and instead of removing it, Jason, I feel that the park owners should revamp it as they have done with Powder Keg Flume.... Mabye something like Escape from Popeii.... besides there are already like 2-3 coasters around that area.... I think coaster stacking like at Magic Mountain is plain trashy, no offense, and that parks should learn to intergrate there coasters more.... thats just what i think.... TIM YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANT IT.... (the hyper that is)....

Nascar the Ride? What is this you speak of? Linkage please. I think they should maybe build a hyper in the middle of the park that went over onto smurf island. They really need to utilize that cool little island. That place use to be soooo much fun.

Various comments from the different posts...

Jason, I liked Reptar at PKI and this one should be just as fun. I really liked the themeing for it. The drive in movie theme was really cool. I'm with you on that I hate we "lost" the log flume to the Thornberries. I just wish that they had rethemed that area to something other than Nick.

The hyper that was rumoured was suppose to have used the island but we'll see what happens next. There is still a chance we could see the hyper next year *but* with Carowinds, Paramount is very wishy washy. We were suppose to get two flats this year but got Nick instead.

If they took out WhiteWater Falls, good riddance :) There is a lot of room in that area for a coaster. Notice the room beside Thunder Road's right side near the water park. They could move the Frenzoid or work around it. At least with Carowinds, they manage to work the new attractions into the park. Look at Top Gun. Outstanding job there.

I think Paramount wants to "Nick" all their parks. PGA is getting "Nick-ed" this year too. Maybe once they get this out of their system, we can see some major thrills coming to the parks. Maybe they'll try a hyper out at PKI or another park and then install them at the rest of the parks. Who knows with Paramount :)

Max

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Max Cannon
TomServoMC@aol.com or gwazi@carolina.rr.com
Tony Stewart #20

One more thing...as much as I'd love a hyper, I'd love to see a nice *original design* airtime filled woodie at the park. (No loops please.) The best woodies in the Carolinas are 5 hours away. The incredible Georgia Cyclone is 3.5 hours away. Both wooden coasters at Carowinds have been running great the past few years, but let's get some new wood at the park.

Max

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Max Cannon
TomServoMC@aol.com or gwazi@carolina.rr.com
Tony Stewart #20---Winston Cup 2002 Champion

Nascar the ride? sounds like a licensing nightmare to me. I would like to see any hyper dive under the bridge at the front gate similar to Top Gun at the back

As for the emphasis on family rides just drive down Highway 49 next time your at the park and look at all the housing going in. Housing in Charlotte has been booming for years especially in that area. Who lives in housing, families. So Carowinds has to tap that market. Believe me as a father I was really pissed that they took out the waveswinger my 8 year old liked for that pay attraction that I've never seen anyone on. Then this year I had to buy a pass for my 4 year old and 2 of the rides she could ride were gone,kiddie sky tower and kiddie rapids.

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JOHN
RCT INSOMNIACS
KIMBERLY LAKE INC.

I've stood by my point that what PCar and the SOUTH need more than anything is a hyper. Period. PCar could really market it well and get back in the game with SFoG. They did a fabulous job with TG:TJC and it still looks brand new.

However, the last two large flats PCar installed (Frenzoid and Drop Zone) commanded MASSIVE lines. There IS something to adding a new thrill element to parks without spending 10 to 15 mil on a coaster. The theory some of you have that "a park is not going to build a huge coaster for the 25 enthusiasts that cry about it" is outlandish.

Contrary to (some) popular belief, there are park patrons who enjoy coasters just by watching OTHER PEOPLE enjoy riding them. I know even when I was a kid and too scared to ride, I watched. It sowed the seed for the person I am now. I'm going to have a family and I'm going to take them to parks and spend money. We're not all rabid enthusiasts who are tight with money at parks.

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I'm not an enthusiast, I just play one on message boards.

I agree that flats are AWESOME and would almost love to see a land of the giants as much as i would like a hyper. I agree Nascar would be a nightmare though. Yeah, caro is good at placing coasters, top gun is in the perfect spot and is maintained wonderfully.

Frankly I'd love to see all the Paramount parks get a hyper so many enthusiasts would just stop complaining.

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"Outside of a dog, a man's best friend is a book. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

Actually, the Nascar thing is a joke I believe. I can't remember where it originated, but it was talking about retheming the County Fair section with a 'redneck' theme, and bringing back the old Days of Thunder simulator film.

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Jonathan Hawkins
Starcoasters.com
"There is a cluster of bees at the top of the lift. Sorry for the inconvenience."

One thing that is interesting, is that Carowinds is one of the two parks that contain a B&M. If they follow the tradition of other Paramount parks, it seems like they'll get a unique ride in the future. Consider the other rides Paramount parks have come up with.. Volcano: TBC, Hypersonic, Stealth - they're all pretty different from CF or SF.

I think they'll start to break of from B&M and get something new and unique. If it's a hyper, it most likely won't be a B&M. That's so Six Flags.

I think Carowinds stays away from new technology. They had alot of trouble with the rapids when it opened and with the exception of Drop Zone they have given new technology rides time to prove themselves since. PKD and PKI seem to be the guinea pig parks in the paramount chain

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JOHN
RCT INSOMNIACS
KIMBERLY LAKE INC.

I do agree that we are rather tame on the new technology. We had problems with our rapids? GOD THEY SUCK lol, you NEVER get wet and they removed our cave with the water fall now. IF they would just add some sprayers or maybe a waterfall taht reaches the car, or GASP retheme it (rather than our classic log flume) then it would be an awesome rapids ride.

Well, they didn't exactly remove the cave, it sorta removed itself when it collapsed (hence why the rapids were closed so long a couple seasons ago).

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Jonathan Hawkins
Starcoasters.com
"There is a cluster of bees at the top of the lift. Sorry for the inconvenience."

hmmm didnt know that, good point though lol. I just think that if they added a few cheap, correctly placed, DRENCHING water falls or sprayers spreading the length of the river, the ride would improve dramatically. Not to mention any theming what so ever. After riding roman rapids at BGW (i know its not much better) the theming on that kinda added to the ride. Carowinds has none of this on their ride.

Perhaps one of the reasons why we havn't seen any B&M's outside of Carowinds & PGA is because SF has been requesting a lion's share of B&M's market lately.

Remember B&M can only turn out about 3 or 4 rides a year in the US & with SF being the top contender season after season it should come as no surprise why we havn't seen more B&M's in the paramont chain,however 04 just might be the year for paramount & B&M.

It seems that B&M might,just might be doing a few coasters for them in 04 at PGA,PKI &PKD.There is the possibility of a 4th coaster going to either PCW or Carowinds as well & with coastercon coming up at PKD ACE may be able to get more info on this,seeing as they originally got wind of it while organizing the event,word has it we could be hearing announcements as early as june. :)

PCW will most likely not get a Hyper coaster nor Carowinds, BG could!
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