General Carowinds discussion
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By coasterbruh
#108569
Probably won't start until after the new year. The water park won't open until may anyway, that's still 4-ish months to get it ready.
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By Hiveminded
#108580
Looks like they will be able to open it pretty soon, if they are planning on doing it this season that is.

I'm sure its been answered but why did they stop using the drop off lot just a few weeks after it was built?
By jeffdavis
#108585
I always assumed they abandoned the drop off lot because the people dropped off had to navigate across heavy traffic and across the whole parking lot to get to the gate. I suppose parents were dropping off older kids/teenagers and didn't feel comfortable with them playing Frogger. Maybe there were other reasons?
By phareous
#108587
jeffdavis wrote:I always assumed they abandoned the drop off lot because the people dropped off had to navigate across heavy traffic and across the whole parking lot to get to the gate. I suppose parents were dropping off older kids/teenagers and didn't feel comfortable with them playing Frogger. Maybe there were other reasons?


I assumed this too... I think the bus lot is the drop off point now? It's practically by the front gate so its a much better location. So I think they made a major mistake with that first drop off lot and realized it pretty quickly and closed it. Complete waste of money. It was an ideal location for cars, but not for the pedestrians
By uscbandfan
#108588
I hope they're able to work out something. The way it is now, you can technically park for free if you're willing to risk it. You can pull through to drop someone off in the bus lot and on your way out, simply park in the car lot. Unless staff is really paying attention, no one would be the wiser.

Not really sure how they can make a drop-off lane that does not allow access into the main parking lot unless they drop off under Fury and make them continue around the park on Catawba Trace. The old configuration (before Fury) with the bridge over the toll booths was great for not allowing the drop-off cars to mix with the cars that were parking. Probably not with accessibility standards of today.... but the cars didn't mix.
By Grobble
#108589
sccoasterbear wrote:With KI retiring Vortex, wonder how much time we have left for Cyclone. Oh and now there will be another Vortex gone in the chain, is this a sign of things to come?


Wouldn't draw to broad of a conclusion about this. CF has other Arrow loopers that were older than Vortex. They just refurbed Corkscrew last year....40+ years old. There might have been something going on with Vortex that they didn't want to sink money into, track or trains, etc...Maybe track sections were going to be needed to replaced or testing was showing fatigue rates that shortened its life cycle over the several other over or close to 40yr old Arrow loopers in the chain. Vortex poor ridership surely didn't help it's case if there were other issues. CF with increasing labor costs aren't going to keep around low ridership rides that may have potentially increased maintenance costs b/c of age or problems that require much money. These old loopers cost like 2 or 3M when they were built and the parks got a lot of use from them already.
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By cwgator
#108593
Grobble wrote:
sccoasterbear wrote:With KI retiring Vortex, wonder how much time we have left for Cyclone. Oh and now there will be another Vortex gone in the chain, is this a sign of things to come?


Wouldn't draw to broad of a conclusion about this. CF has other Arrow loopers that were older than Vortex. They just refurbed Corkscrew last year....40+ years old. There might have been something going on with Vortex that they didn't want to sink money into, track or trains, etc...Maybe track sections were going to be needed to replaced or testing was showing fatigue rates that shortened its life cycle over the several other over or close to 40yr old Arrow loopers in the chain. Vortex poor ridership surely didn't help it's case if there were other issues. CF with increasing labor costs aren't going to keep around low ridership rides that may have potentially increased maintenance costs b/c of age or problems that require much money. These old loopers cost like 2 or 3M when they were built and the parks got a lot of use from them already.


Refurbishing a ride, does not mean it' s safe from the chopping block and CF has proved this before. They refurbish pretty much all rides in the off season. It got a paint job, whoop-de-doo. That means nothing. If Corkscrew makes it 5 more years I'll be shocked.
By Justin
#108594
Hiveminded wrote:Looks like they will be able to open it pretty soon, if they are planning on doing it this season that is.

I'm sure its been answered but why did they stop using the drop off lot just a few weeks after it was built?


That was a temporary drop off lot built in 2014 just before Scarowinds season opening. It was built because at that time the main gate was undergoing renovations as part of Fury 325/main gate rebuild project. The temporary gate for the rest of the 2014 season was through the wooden fence behind the Intimidator station. The temp drop off lot was placed close to the temp gate. That is why it is located where it is at.
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By pproteinc
#108597
cwgator wrote:
Grobble wrote:
sccoasterbear wrote:With KI retiring Vortex, wonder how much time we have left for Cyclone. Oh and now there will be another Vortex gone in the chain, is this a sign of things to come?


Wouldn't draw to broad of a conclusion about this. CF has other Arrow loopers that were older than Vortex. They just refurbed Corkscrew last year....40+ years old. There might have been something going on with Vortex that they didn't want to sink money into, track or trains, etc...Maybe track sections were going to be needed to replaced or testing was showing fatigue rates that shortened its life cycle over the several other over or close to 40yr old Arrow loopers in the chain. Vortex poor ridership surely didn't help it's case if there were other issues. CF with increasing labor costs aren't going to keep around low ridership rides that may have potentially increased maintenance costs b/c of age or problems that require much money. These old loopers cost like 2 or 3M when they were built and the parks got a lot of use from them already.


Refurbishing a ride, does not mean it' s safe from the chopping block and CF has proved this before. They refurbish pretty much all rides in the off season. It got a paint job, whoop-de-doo. That means nothing. If Corkscrew makes it 5 more years I'll be shocked.


Uh no Corkscrew is a lot more sturdy than Vortex. I was in Ohio this past weekend for Cedar Point and King’s Island’s haunts. Vortex looked like it was literally about to topple over off of that first turn around off the pre lift going into the double loops. I understand rides are build to sway to transfer energy but not sway to a point just about leaning to almost shifting the track and structure lol
By HiveDive
#108598
pproteinc wrote:
cwgator wrote:
Grobble wrote:
Wouldn't draw to broad of a conclusion about this. CF has other Arrow loopers that were older than Vortex. They just refurbed Corkscrew last year....40+ years old. There might have been something going on with Vortex that they didn't want to sink money into, track or trains, etc...Maybe track sections were going to be needed to replaced or testing was showing fatigue rates that shortened its life cycle over the several other over or close to 40yr old Arrow loopers in the chain. Vortex poor ridership surely didn't help it's case if there were other issues. CF with increasing labor costs aren't going to keep around low ridership rides that may have potentially increased maintenance costs b/c of age or problems that require much money. These old loopers cost like 2 or 3M when they were built and the parks got a lot of use from them already.


Refurbishing a ride, does not mean it' s safe from the chopping block and CF has proved this before. They refurbish pretty much all rides in the off season. It got a paint job, whoop-de-doo. That means nothing. If Corkscrew makes it 5 more years I'll be shocked.


Uh no Corkscrew is a lot more sturdy than Vortex. I was in Ohio this past weekend for Cedar Point and King’s Island’s haunts. Vortex looked like it was literally about to topple over off of that first turn around off the pre lift going into the double loops. I understand rides are build to sway to transfer energy but not sway to a point just about leaning to almost shifting the track and structure lol


Huh? I see rides sway & flex way more then Vortex. Metal fatigue is probably one of the main reasons for its removal. Ridership was not this rides downfall (even the park said the ride was still popular). Corkscrews renovation was just painting the trains… that doesn’t say anything about the condition of the ride.
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