[AMartin777]

We find ourselves, once again, on the cusp of a new and exciting moment in the history of Carowinds. Much like the excitement we felt with the opening of Fury in 2015, many of us will be sharing that feeling once again on opening day this weekend as we welcome the latest coaster addition to the park, "Copperhead Strike". Along with the new ride comes the expansion of heat-resistant pavers, the new Country Kitchen and a relocation of the beloved flyers to their agreeable home in the new "Blue Ridge Junction" area of the park.

This newly themed area strikes a dramatic change to the appearance of the park bringing a distinct feeling that something different is in the air. The Country Kitchen redux and re-themed "Wings" will bring welcome changes to culinary offerings in the location as well. The visual skyline changes brought about by the new coaster alone alters the atmosphere in significant ways. Where we once gazed upon a large flume ride and beautiful double-tracked racing woodie, we now see twin-tubular rails reaching to the sky in an exhilarating series of twists, turns and inversions.

"Copperhead Strike". The name alone is at once nostalgic and wholly appropriate. It makes a knowing nod to the renamed "Carolina Cobra", it's adjacent, older sibling (Renamed to fit into the "County Fair" location but also, I suspect, due to the in-congruent aspect of that snake's native location) while also recognizing a callback to an earlier lost Carowinds coaster, "White Lightening". For those old enough to remember rides on the wonderful Schwarzkopf shuttle-looper, you may recall the station announcement made with each launch, "Lightening strikes. . .NOW!" That sudden burst of speed down the track will be felt in a similar way once again, with a new interpretation and distinct flair. Along with excellent, spared-no-expense theming where we play the role of trespassers on Granny Byrd's farm seeking to recover her lost delicious jam recipe and get away, we will be afforded a coaster experience with a unique double-launch, the second of which passes over a curved hill no less and multiple inversions adding up to more than any other of it's kind. It may not be the tallest or fastest coaster in The Carolinas but it will undoubtedly pack a lot of fun into it's visually compelling, compact and intriguing layout.

Relocation of the flyers to their new home adjacent to Copperhead will bring back a sorely-missed flat to the area. The new name, "Mountain Gliders" may be the most pedestrian name the ride has ever been given but it certainly fits comfortably within the "Blue Ridge" theme. Assurances have been made that the ride will continue to run full steam with snapping aplenty. One has to wonder if you are more excited for having the flyers back or Copperhead? Thankfully, we are being treated to both.

Cedar Fair continues to impress with the updates being made to Carowinds since their takeover of the property in 2006. Serious capital investments have been implemented resulting in updates to entrance areas, new world-class coasters and updated guest experiences. With the latest investment, the parks largest to include a new resort hotel, the company shows no sign of slowing down on it's promise to showcase Carowinds as the premier vacation park of the south. It just keeps getting better and i'm all in. Now, where's that jam recipe? uh oh, jump in the car, let's get out of here!

[yawetag]

Assurances have been made that the ride will continue to run full steam with snapping aplenty.

I watched it run on the webcam the other day. The sway distance outside the middle was crazy. I'm not a fan of a ride that goes in circles, but I can't wait to try this one out.

[Chris]

Great write-up. Looking forward to this and excited for Carowinds' future.

[gabed]

I still can’t believe it sometimes when I think about how far the park has come. I first became a passholder and enthusiast ten years ago in the 2009 season. There is just no way I, or anybody here, would have believed their eyes if they could have glimpsed a decade into the future.

I was really too young at the time to appreciate the scale of something like Intimidator coming to a park like Carowinds a year later. Now though, I think we all see it as a pivotal moment in the park’s history. It was a massive gamble, spending $23 million on a park that had yet to prove itself as ready for such an investment. But it worked, and paved the way for the facelift we saw begin in 2014.

It’s been nearly six years, if you can believe it, since the news broke in 2013 about a “massive” new expansion coming to the park. To think that not even a price tag of $50 million could accurately describe the scale of said expansion, is truly remarkable.

I applaud Cedar Fair and Carowinds for all they have done to make the park into what it is today. I can’t wait to see what the next ten years has in store.

[dirkdiggler1992]

It’s been an exciting last twelve months, following along with new coaster additions never gets old. Park is a much more enjoyable experience then it was even just five years ago, really glad to see the Gliders back. Hope everyone has fun this weekend. I may dodge Saturday so y’all post pics of how packed the queue gets lol.

Also don’t let the coaster community at large take the fun out of it for you, although I think many will be surprised by how fun it will be you just aren’t going to make everyone happy, but I think everyone here agrees it is the perfect fit for Carowinds.

[tarheel1231]

Beautiful write-up, and I couldn’t be any happier with what we’re getting.

Every time I see a new theming element of this ride, I’m amazed. There’s been a genuine effort to create an experience that tries not only immerses you in a story line, but looks authentic while doing so. Copperhead Strike almost feels like a pipe dream that I would have put into the wishlist thread on the many, many occasions that I have spammed it. To see that it’s actually real, that Carowinds has installed what is perhaps the most immersive coaster experience in the entire chain (possibly only rivaled by the Backlot and Flight of Fear coasters) is something that makes me extremely excited for the future of the park. Gone are the days of the basic unthemed station and bare queue line, each and every new attraction we see make its way into the park will be accompanied by a storyline, or at least some level of atmospheric theming. And that’s what I think, more than anything, truly indicates that we’re in a new era for Carowinds.

[gabed]

Carowinds has installed what is perhaps the most immersive coaster experience in the entire chain (possibly only rivaled by the Backlot and Flight of Fear coasters)

Having ridden both of those I can happily tell you that Copperhead’s theming beats them both.