Carowinds by Paramount, anyone else miss this?

[maxairmike]

Lol.. so maybe this is the better question-
Do you buy FL+ at Cedar Point? I absolutely won’t go without it.. with Kings Island we do go to KI enough that I only buy it once per year.. on other crowded days we may just watch a few shows and leave.. but, I don’t have to travel out of town to visit there.

If I'm only there for one day in the summer or during Halloweekends, probably. 2 days, much less likely. 2014 was my first visit back since FastLane, so that's my only experience with it (did have it, and it definitely allowed me to ride as much as I was used to doing before FastLane). Since CP was my home park before I moved to FL, I'm not as bothered not getting to ride everything, despite it having been 4+ years between visits. Oddly enough, I'd probably be more likely to buy it when going to CP than KI, even though I've been to CP way more and know how to work around the crowds better there.

Really though, unless you plan on going during a holiday week(end), you probably don't need FastLane for Carowinds, IMO. The longest I waited other than Nighthawk was about a half hour for Fury. Intimidator, Fury, and Top Gun all eat people, and those are the main attractions anyway, if you were to ask me.

 

[21stamps]

If I'm only there for one day in the summer or during Halloweekends, probably. 2 days, much less likely. 2014 was my first visit back since FastLane, so that's my only experience with it (did have it, and it definitely allowed me to ride as much as I was used to doing before FastLane). Since CP was my home park before I moved to FL, I'm not as bothered not getting to ride everything, despite it having been 4+ years between visits. Oddly enough, I'd probably be more likely to buy it when going to CP than KI, even though I've been to CP way more and know how to work around the crowds better there.

Really though, unless you plan on going during a holiday week(end), you probably don't need FastLane for Carowinds, IMO. The longest I waited other than Nighthawk was about a half hour for Fury. Intimidator, Fury, and Top Gun all eat people, and those are the main attractions anyway, if you were to ask me.

Thanks! That’s helpful. I can deal with half hour waits.

 

[Swoosh32]

Will you post photos, please? We have Cedar Fair platinum passes but I have only been to Kings Island, Cedar Point, and Kings Dominion. I haven’t been to Kings Dominion since it was owned by Paramount though.
I’d like to use our passes for more than the Ohio parks, but haven’t seen a good enough reason to make a weekend out of it.

Check out this report with photos we took a few years ago. It hasn’t changed too much since then. http://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2015/06/carowinds.html

 

[martymcflyy85]

I am from North Carolina and I can tell you with a very clear certainty that you do not need any type of fastpass/fastlane at Carowinds.

 

[Bairstow]

I've never been to Carowinds but I grew up going to Paramount's Kings Dominion. It's a great park! I haven't been in a while so I can't attest to any changes after it was sold, but the rides were excellent. We go to Busch Gardens Williamsburg now and it is much prettier and they do have some great rides, but the roller coasters at Kings Dominion are pretty impressive.

We visited Busch Gardens Williamsburg, King's Dominion, and Carowinds for the first time last weekend. Busch Gardens was definitely our favorite of the bunch and I thought it was better than the Tampa location. Their food and wine festival was on which I think is at least as good, if not better than EPCOT's, and certainly more affordable if you buy a pass.

The two Cedar Fair parks were almost redundantly similar, though I probably would give the edge to Dominion for having better themeing. Intimidator 305 was the most intense ride I've ever been on as I greyed-out consistently during the first turn. Twisted Timbers is similarly brutal and I ended up with a bruise on my thigh from all the ejector air.

Carowinds was nice but other than the new Camp Snoopy area it was practically unthemed. It was also brutally hot there, to the point that the park was making announcements over the PA system, reminding people to drink something. Fury is amazing, though and I have to say that the teenagers operating the coasters at Carowinds have got to be the fastest and best-motivated dispatch crews I've seen in years.

We had express passes for all three parks, since this was our one chance to see any of them, but they probably wouldn't have been necessary were it not for the brutal heat at Dominion and Carowinds and the frequent storm-related downtime at Busch Gardens.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I am from North Carolina and I can tell you with a very clear certainty that you do not need any type of fastpass/fastlane at Carowinds.

Ha! Yes, my husband and I witnessed this very undecisive couple talking throughout the entire line of Nighthawk. Granted it was about an hour or 2 long wait for the ride, but by the time we got about half of the way through the line, the couple behind us finally left to get Fastlane passes.

We saw them again in the Fastlane...as we were getting on!

Yep, not worth it.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I agree, the loop was the best part, I was sad to see it go.
Adventure Express is one of my last favorite rides.. but kiddo enjoys it as a filler if there’s no wait.

We may have to check out Carowinds, is it necessary to get a Fast Lane Plus pass there?

@KBLovesDisney Did you buy the Fast Lane?

Sorry for the late response! I never got notifications from this thread again.

Don't get Fast lane passes. The only ride you will have to really wait for is Nighthawk, and honestly it isn't that great.

Fury 325 goes fast...and so does the line.

 

[Bairstow]

Better solution: don't ride Nighthawk. The lengthy boarding and unloading ordeal is thoroughly unpleasant. There's a reason no one buys flying Dutchmen anymore.

We were grateful to have our fast lane passes for their raft ride. It's not a particularly nice raft ride as far as they go, but the capacity is poor and the queue was very long.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Better solution: don't ride Nighthawk. The lengthy boarding and unloading ordeal is thoroughly unpleasant. There's a reason no one buys flying Dutchmen anymore.

We were grateful to have our fast lane passes for their raft ride. It's not a particularly nice raft ride as far as they go, but the capacity is poor and the queue was very long.

I feel like the Nighthawk is so much more rough than the Borg was. Not sure what happened there.

Do you think they sped it up?

 

[maxairmike]

I feel like the Nighthawk is so much more rough than the Borg was. Not sure what happened there.

Do you think they sped it up?

I believe Borg was one of the early models, and a quick look on RCDB does show that it was the first one that opened, back in 2000 at CGA as Stealth. I would attribute it to that and probably just that park's ability/attitude towards that ride maintenance-wise. They definitely didn't speed it up, as you can't just speed up a coaster arbitrarily. I remember Firehawk at KI being smoother than Nighthawk, and that is technically the "newest" of the 3 Flying Dutchmans, having been thoroughly refurbed in the move from Geauga Lake to KI back in '07. I know when parks do thorough refurbs with moves the rides can come back better. Thunderhawk at Michigan's Adventure remains the smoothest SLC I've been on, since they not only sandblasted and repainted the track, but I believe it was also one of the first SLCs to get Vekoma's new trains/restraints for that model. Riddler's Revenge at SFNE the other weekend, in comparison, was extremely rough despite a repaint this offseason to its new color scheme.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I believe Borg was one of the early models, and a quick look on RCDB does show that it was the first one that opened, back in 2000 at CGA as Stealth. I would attribute it to that and probably just that park's ability/attitude towards that ride maintenance-wise. They definitely didn't speed it up, as you can't just speed up a coaster arbitrarily. I remember Firehawk at KI being smoother than Nighthawk, and that is technically the "newest" of the 3 Flying Dutchmans, having been thoroughly refurbed in the move from Geauga Lake to KI back in '07. I know when parks do thorough refurbs with moves the rides can come back better. Thunderhawk at Michigan's Adventure remains the smoothest SLC I've been on, since they not only sandblasted and repainted the track, but I believe it was also one of the first SLCs to get Vekoma's new trains/restraints for that model. Riddler's Revenge at SFNE the other weekend, in comparison, was extremely rough despite a repaint this offseason to its new color scheme.

So, it is pretty much just poor maintenance and age?

Not to mention the Vortex is now absolutely horrible. Side story: I just got my double helix re-pierced the week before we went to Carowinds, and it was the most painful piercings I have ever gotten in my life...and I have face piercings and what not. This was because it was pierced through bad scar tissue. (I was young and dumb and decided to purchase the gun kit to pierce my own ears...don't do this folks. Stupid stupid stupid idea.)

Anyhoo, rode the Vortex forgetting it slams your head against the restraints especially if you are like me and are only 5 foot 3 inches tall.

Yeah, that REALLY hurt like the dickens.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Oh, and for Carowinds pictures...I only took like 3 because 1) I was over-excited to be there and 2) had to store my things in a locker for the Fury.

But here is what I got:

Afterburn (which will always be Top Gun to me) Love this ride.

And lastly:

Back to front: Fury, Vortex, Nighthawk...and whatever the name of that tower thingy is. I can never remember.


Sorry guys! I will definitely take more pictures when we go back. I miss it already

 

[TwilightZone]

Afterburn (which will always be Top Gun to me) Love this ride.

I think every ride once called top gun will forever be called top gun to those who remember the ride being called that.
I for one don't remember what the top gun ride at california's great america is called now.

 

[Bairstow]

Has anyone done the plants and zombies shooter game thing? I thought it was a neat twist on shooter games like Midway Mania but it seemed to me missing much of the audio- there's no sound made when your shoot your gun or hit a zombie, and the lack of audio feedback is really weird. Also, there was no preshow. Are the screens on the trailers parked in between the queue lines supposed to do something?

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Has anyone done the plants and zombies shooter game thing? I thought it was a neat twist on shooter games like Midway Mania but it seemed to me missing much of the audio- there's no sound made when your shoot your gun or hit a zombie, and the lack of audio feedback is really weird. Also, there was no preshow. Are the screens on the trailers parked in between the queue lines supposed to do something?

Was that the one that used to be Scooby Doo Boo blasters?

 

[Bairstow]

Was that the one that used to be Scooby Doo Boo blasters?

No. Boo Blasters is still operating too.

 

[HwdStudio]

Not sure where else to post this, but nostalgia is hitting me quite hard today and not just on the Disney World that once was but also the Carowinds that once was as well.

IMHO, when Carowinds was owned by Paramount, the rides were well themed and the park felt more like a Universal side park.

My favorite ride was Top Gun (an oldie yes I know), but even the queue was rather nice with the theme from Top Gun playing or Danger Zone. When you got on the ride and were about to "take off" one of the Top Gun songs would pipe up and then you would zoom up the hill.

Yes, I know the ride itself is still there and Carowinds actually might be doing somewhat better today than it did before, but I miss this Carowinds.

Anyone else miss this side of Carowinds? What do you miss about it?

I miss it

 

[Swoosh32]

It’s a better park now. Paramount had basically allowed the park to become stagnant. In fact if the park wasn’t named Kings Island or Canada’s Wonderland, Paramount did only the bare minimum to keep the park going - all they cared was that it was profitable.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

It’s a better park now. Paramount had basically allowed the park to become stagnant. In fact if the park wasn’t named Kings Island or Canada’s Wonderland, Paramount did only the bare minimum to keep the park going - all they cared was that it was profitable.

Agreed. Even though the theme was on point during those years when Paramount took over, the park did feel lacking with quality.

Fury 325 well beyond exceeded my expectations. Wonderful ride!! (Miss it already)