[coasterbruh]

What have I walked into!

I have a question. The people who are proclaiming they aren't getting a season pass . . . you do know the rest of the park will still be there to enjoy if you don't like water park stuff? A lot of you guys are being real "difficult" right now and acting very extreme. What did you guys think Carowinds would do? Build another fury 325? Forget Afterburn, forget the flyers . . . forget everything else the park has to enjoy. Because they didn't receive what YOU felt they should have gotten or should not have taken away you say no to a pass? By all means, it is all of our choice to purchase/renew our pass.

I love my pass because it give me a chance to HANG WITH FRIENDS, it GIVES ME A CHANCE TO ESCAPE REALITY, it gives me a chance to do so much more. . . oh, and it also lets me ride cool coasters and rides. I swear, do you guys go to the park alone every time? That's the only way I can see wanting to give up a pass so easily. Do you make a bee line to rides and that's it? I think for those of you who are so quick to say i'm not renewing because I don't like water parks you do realized you had a pass this year and still didn't do water park stuff so what would be so different about next year.

I don't get how people with ZERO experience with managing and running a local pizza joint can have the balls to THINK they know what is good for a national theme park. FYI . . . the park has several focus groups and rely on feedback from patrons and all alike. Guess what they wanted? TA DA . . . a better water park experience. So guess what they are getting.

I don't get it. For YEARS I did not like some of the additions the park made but I still got a pass and enjoy the attractions they have that I enjoyed. I enjoy parks. I don't feel the park owes me anything and am thankful for the fact that they are expanding after such a huge investment in fury 325. but i'm a pretty optimistic person and I enjoy my hobby of theme parks and roller coasters.

[tarheel1231]

^^ I'm confused, is the new road for entering and exiting the Carolina Harbor parking lot? It seems like they'd want you to go through the toll booth.

[SeasonDiningPlan]

The new entrance from Carowinds Blvd is a very nice, much needed addition as well as the new outside entrance into the waterpark. Gonna miss Thunder Road but there's no point in pouting about it now. I'll be renewing my pass once again as I have been for the last 20+ years.

Yeah the entrance is good.
Thats the only good part about it!

At least Universal Studios announced Fast and the Furious ride today for 2017. Something really innovative.
(And they didn't make us wait to hear it)

[intaminboy]

Lets take a look back at Kings Dominion and Canada's Wonderland the years after they got their giga coasters. Kings Dominion got a Windseeker in 2011, which is what, a $4 million project? Canada's Wonderland (correct me if I'm wrong on this one) got nothing notable in 2013. Look what we're getting! A roughly $15 million water park project with another possible notable attraction on the way. Who cares if it's innovative or not?! In Carowinds "dessert" year we get what looks to be the second largest addition in the chain capital-wise. I would not like to witness what you would say if your home parks were Valleyfair! or Michigans Adventure. They very rarely get sizable investments.

[coasterbruh]

At least Universal Studios announced Fast and the Furious ride today for 2017. Something really innovative.
(And they didn't make us wait to hear it)

Every dang ride at universal uses 3d glasses and/or screens. As a huge fan, there is nothing innovative about that. And besides, they announced NOTHING about the ride system, vehicles, story line . . nothing. So explain to me what so innovative about F&F?

[Jonathan]

^^ I'm confused, is the new road for entering and exiting the Carolina Harbor parking lot? It seems like they'd want you to go through the toll booth.

Only for exiting.

[SeasonDiningPlan]

At least Universal Studios announced Fast and the Furious ride today for 2017. Something really innovative.
(And they didn't make us wait to hear it)

Every dang ride at universal uses 3d glasses and/or screens. As a huge fan, there is nothing innovative about that. And besides, they announced NOTHING about the ride system, vehicles, story line . . nothing. So explain to me what so innovative about F&F?

Not forbidden journey. It is innovative, no 3d half practical and half projection. and the reason they didn't do the similar thing for Escape from Gringotts is because they wanted to make a more family friendly ride (I can agree with that)
FJ made me sick on re-rides.

Fast and the Furious is probably going to be an adult ride if I had to guess.

[arby]

My 2 cents.

<soapbox>
I value everybody's right to an opinion and actually relish hearing them. However, I am reminded every day of how blessed my family and I are to be able to travel. My wife works in an 'inner city' school where 90% of her students get free or reduced lunches. While the new slide complex might be cookie cutter to us, I am certain that to at least a notable percentage of the average guest at Carowinds, they are something new and exciting and a season pass to Carowinds is probably their primary form of summer fun. They can't afford to go anywhere else. I remember when we first moved here and could barely afford to go to Carowinds when season passes were only $50 each.
</soapbox>

I guess my ability to see the big picture that has taken me far in my career is coming into play here. I have an idea of the big picture that Carowinds is trying to achieve and it is going to take YEARS to get there and many phases to achieve it (unless someone has a spare couple hundred of million that you would like to donate to the park)

Universal is in the mecca of tourist areas and surpassed NYC recently in the number of annual tourists. While it is our favorite park, it costs us a lot of money to go there. It's really not an apples to apples comparison to correlate Carowinds and Universal Studios when season passes to Carowinds is still less than a four day trip to Universal Studios.

[fishels]

What have I walked into!

I have a question. The people who are proclaiming they aren't getting a season pass . . . you do know the rest of the park will still be there to enjoy if you don't like water park stuff? A lot of you guys are being real "difficult" right now and acting very extreme. What did you guys think Carowinds would do? Build another fury 325? Forget Afterburn, forget the flyers . . . forget everything else the park has to enjoy. Because they didn't receive what YOU felt they should have gotten or should not have taken away you say no to a pass? By all means, it is all of our choice to purchase/renew our pass.

I love my pass because it give me a chance to HANG WITH FRIENDS, it GIVES ME A CHANCE TO ESCAPE REALITY, it gives me a chance to do so much more. . . oh, and it also lets me ride cool coasters and rides. I swear, do you guys go to the park alone every time? That's the only way I can see wanting to give up a pass so easily. Do you make a bee line to rides and that's it? I think for those of you who are so quick to say i'm not renewing because I don't like water parks you do realized you had a pass this year and still didn't do water park stuff so what would be so different about next year.

I don't get how people with ZERO experience with managing and running a local pizza joint can have the balls to THINK they know what is good for a national theme park. FYI . . . the park has several focus groups and rely on feedback from patrons and all alike. Guess what they wanted? TA DA . . . a better water park experience. So guess what they are getting.

I don't get it. For YEARS I did not like some of the additions the park made but I still got a pass and enjoy the attractions they have that I enjoyed. I enjoy parks. I don't feel the park owes me anything and am thankful for the fact that they are expanding after such a huge investment in fury 325. but i'm a pretty optimistic person and I enjoy my hobby of theme parks and roller coasters.

Just because I don't get a pass doesn't mean I won't come. They have to add something truly special for me to be content to drive a long distance more than a few times. But what was I expecting? More slides. I really didn't think we needed a new wave pool. I also would have like a flat ride. And yes I come alone.

[Jarsh]

The thing is. The water park has had wave pools and slides. So really this is nothing new

With this thought in mind, explain how a new coaster makes any difference then. If the park already has wooden and steel coasters, how is adding a new one adding "something new"? By your thoughts, you don't care what a new water slide does because we already have one so there is no need for new ones. Apply that to coasters please...

And these new slides are bringing something new to the table. There aren't any floor dropping slides at the park now. There aren't any constrictor slides at the park now. I'm confused how adding something the park doesn't currently have comes off as "nothing new."

I long for the days when enthusiass's get their heads out of their butts long enough to realize the parks don't revolve around us or what we what them to build. When people stop getting mad because a park didn't build what THEY wanted them to build and realize that they instead built something that OTHERS wanted built, you'll start to love this hobby more.

[tarheel1231]

Some of these Thunder Road extremists are matching Kings Dominion fans in terms of annoyningness......

[SeasonDiningPlan]

My 2 cents.

<soapbox>
I value everybody's right to an opinion and actually relish hearing them. However, I am reminded every day of how blessed my family and I are to be able to travel. My wife works in an 'inner city' school where 90% of her students get free or reduced lunches. While the new slide complex might be cookie cutter to us, I am certain that to at least a notable percentage of the average guest at Carowinds, they are something new and exciting and a season pass to Carowinds is probably their primary form of summer fun. They can't afford to go anywhere else. I remember when we first moved here and could barely afford to go to Carowinds when season passes were only $50 each.
</soapbox>

I guess my ability to see the big picture that has taken me far in my career is coming into play here. I have an idea of the big picture that Carowinds is trying to achieve and it is going to take YEARS to get there and many phases to achieve it (unless someone has a spare couple hundred of million that you would like to donate to the park)

Universal is in the mecca of tourist areas and surpassed NYC recently in the number of annual tourists. While it is our favorite park, it costs us a lot of money to go there. It's really not an apples to apples comparison to correlate Carowinds and Universal Studios when season passes to Carowinds is still less than a four day trip to Universal Studios.

I think more than likely what will happen is Carowinds will end up going bankrupt again and being bought out by another company. This park has never been in good hands or good management. Paramount really didn't do it any favors and cedar fair hasn't either. (Stinky trash cans every 10 ft that smell like sewage)

Fury 325 and intimidator are bringing in the guys who hunt coasters for a living. Giga coaster hunters. But once that appeal has worn out. You don't have any other substance to bring visitors in.

I think the real reason the park is investing money is because they know without investments Carowinds will fail. So this is a return on investment thing. They're hoping that this money spent on Fury and the water park "upgrade" will turn a bigger profit in return.

I'd be interested to look at the books for this park and see what their profits or debts looks like sometime in the future.

One thing is for sure. They should have spent the money on actually building some air conditioned rides because Boo Blasters is a major joke (The guns don't work half the time) and if you've been on Men in Black from Universal you'll know what real indoor rides should be. Kinda impressive considering it is 15 years old and still one of the best arcade shooting indoor rides in history.

[Littlegiles]

^Will those slides be handing out collectible posters? Just curious.

[Jarsh]

Some of these Thunder Road extremists are matching Kings Dominion fans in terms of annoyningness......

It's just sad and embarrassing when some of the parks most devoted and loyal fans go beyond being disappointed with something to being downright a$$holes about stuff. If you don't like their new additions, fine, that's your right to have that personal opinion. But when you start being rude towards the park and it's personnel about it, you've crossed the line and that makes us ALL look bad.

I think more than likely what will happen is Carowinds will end up going bankrupt again and being bought out by another company. This park has never been in good hands or good management. Paramount really didn't do it any favors and cedar fair hasn't either. (Stinky trash cans every 10 ft that smell like sewage)

Fury 325 and intimidator are bringing in the guys who hunt coasters for a living. Giga coaster hunters. But once that appeal has worn out. You don't have any other substance to bring visitors in.

I think the real reason the park is investing money is because they know without investments Carowinds will fail. So this is a return on investment thing. They're hoping that this money spent on Fury and the water park "upgrade" will turn a bigger profit in return.

I'd be interested to look at the books for this park and see what their profits or debts looks like sometime in the future.

One thing is for sure. They should have spent the money on actually building some air conditioned rides because Boo Blasters is a major joke (The guns don't work half the time) and if you've been on Men in Black from Universal you'll know what real indoor rides should be. Kinda impressive considering it is 15 years old and still one of the best arcade shooting indoor rides in history.

You've lost it. Cedar Fair isn't trying to be like Uni or Disney or even Busch. Stop comparing them against each other. A fair comparison would be the new dark rides from TrioTech to the Justice Leagues that have been built.

[Jonathan]

I think the real reason the park is investing money is because they know without investments Carowinds will fail. So this is a return on investment thing. They're hoping that this money spent on Fury and the water park "upgrade" will turn a bigger profit in return.

Well uhhh yeah. That's how businesses work.

if you've been on Men in Black from Universal you'll know what real indoor rides should be.

You reference Universal in nearly every post you make. I don't think you really get the fact that they are playing on a completely different field financially. They don't even really compete in the same industry as Carowinds. It's like saying you won't go to any Charlotte Knights games because the New York Yankees are better.