Carowindsman wrote:Hit or Miss?
I guess they never miss, huhhhh?
Dead memes aside, Copperhead Strike is an absolute hit. It fills gaps that the park has had for years, and surprised me by filling gaps I didn’t even know I wanted filled.
Launch Coaster? Check. Carowinds hasn’t had one for
over thirty years. I’d argue that this was more urgent than getting another major wooden coaster at the park.
Coaster with generational appeal? Check, but kind of iffy. Having ridden it several times, I can tell that this is a coaster that everyone in your family could have fun on, but from an off-ride standpoint and from the perspective of a non-enthusiast, the Jojo roll and the hangtime could be intimidating to some newcomers. However, I’m confident that someone could enjoy this as their first coaster. IMO, that was a gap that was left by Thunder Road’s closure and has only been somewhat fulfilled by Hurler (though Hurler might be be less intimidating as it has no inversions).
Extremely well-themed coaster? Check, check, a million times over, check. This is what makes Copperhead Strike the best attraction built by the park, period. The Weber Group did an amazing job, from the building Granny’s house and the outhouses in the queue, to smartly re-utilizing sheds from past attractions in that area (most notably, the tool sheds). The cars and tractors are a really nice touch, the scarecrow is pretty neat, and all the crates with nods to other parks (Calico Coal) are pretty cool. Right now, they’re currently in the process of planting crops.
But the barn. I could write an entire page about how much I love the barn. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll just list the highlights:
-I loved that they used a screen behind a window to show Granny and the boys. It may not be an animatronic, but it’s a hell of a nice touch and the fact that it’s on a screen ensures that we’ll get to enjoy it for years to come.
-I love the chickens on the right. They’re static, but a quick gust of air into the pens does the trick, blowing the feathers up to make it appear as if the chickens are startled.
-All the moonshine machinery just looks really nice and authentic, and I love the lighting effects used to simulate the moonshine boiling. I would love if they busted one of the pipes open and sprayed out mist, but as it is now, it’s still extremely well done.
Blue Ridge Junction as an area is amazing too. Even with the roller coasters roaring in the background, when I’m in that section of the park, I don’t feel like I’m at Carowinds. The park has scored four home runs with Carolina Harbor, County Fair, Camp Snoopy, and now this. I still haven’t eaten at Blue Ridge Country Kitchen yet, but from the pictures I’ve seen, the decor looks really nice. The gliders are a nice touch and bring a nice family ride to this section of the park. It’s all the little things, really. I applaud Cedar Fair for going in this direction, and I can’t wait to see what the park looks like fully-transformed in the next ten years.
So TL:DR; Copperhead Strike is an unquestionable hit, and it will continue to be a hit for years to come.
. The beams that feel like they are going to hit your arms we’re great. I think the last ejector as you think the ride is ending is my favorite moment (really the whole ending after the top hat is incredible). 
