[formeryogi]

Confirmation that more growth is coming to Carowinds from CEO Richard Zimmerman. I think it's interesting that this is coming from a man who spent time at King's Dominion and Canada's Wonderland.

Quote from Toledo Blade:
"And he plans to focus on growth opportunities mostly at four of the company’s parks, Cedar Point, Carowinds near Charlotte, Knott’s Berry Farm, and California’s Great America near Santa Clara. 'The chain has performed really well. All the parks have done well, but those four in particular have helped drive our business,' Mr. Zimmerman said.

full story:
http://www.toledoblade.com/business/201 ... uture.html

[Edwardo]

He’s a businessman. He’s not going to focus on parks that are already where they need to be and maintaining their base. Those four parks are in growth areas and need to grow to serve the market and increase attendance.

[tarheel1231]

Smh but Valleyfair deserves a new coaster!!! How dare they try to focus on the most profitable parks when I want a coaster right now!

[formeryogi]

He’s a businessman. He’s not going to focus on parks that are already where they need to be and maintaining their base. Those four parks are in growth areas and need to grow to serve the market and increase attendance.

Exactly Edwardo. Meaning he has intimate knowledge of those two parks yet sees more return of investment at Carowinds. I think the takeaway is that much more is in the works after/in addition to Project Alpha.

[gabed]

Very good to hear! I imagine this means these big additions each year are the new norm for awhile (as they kinda have been since 2016).

[Capler]

It's a share holder thing. It is all about future growth potential. Apparently those are the parks they feel are underserved and can grow the bottomline. Also Carowimds has likely responded positively to the additions that have been made since they acquired the park. If those numbers keep going up, they will keep investing. At this point the park has so many options for growth. There is a need for wood, a Hurler rehab, a Vortex and a Nighthawk replacement. I really don't have an issue with Nighthawk, other than the line is so slow. I've only been able to ride it 3 or 4 times since it was installed.

[redrunner97]

Is there any chance in hell that Carowinds' Hurler closes at the end of this season to give them a year and a half to get it ready for a 2020 RMC re-opening? Bold (almost greedy) prediction, I know.

Cedar Fair would be crazy not to try and replicate the success of Kings Dominion's Iron Hurler here. And I don't see them waiting 4 or 5 years to do so, especially with Twisted Timbers just a state away. If it's going to happen, my guess would be it'll happen soon. The ball is probably already rolling, if not then I doubt we're going to get a hybrid transformation at all.

[tarheel1231]

I’ll just say again that Hurler is the fourth most popular attraction in the park, and other members such as Edwardo have pointed out that it’s still likely to be here in the foreseeable future. I’ll also say that the success of Twisted Timbers has yet to be seen. It’s still fairly early in the season, and if it doesn’t have the impact on attendance that they’re expecting, I doubt it gets replicated here.

Carowinds “needing” a good wooden coaster seems to mostly be enthusiast talk. I doubt 99% of visitors to Carowinds are going “well, it doesn’t have a GCI in the park to round out the coaster lineup, let’s go to Dollywood instead”. Cedar Fair will add attractions that are the most profitable. Could that be a GCI? Sure. Could that be an RMC? Absolutely. The point is, they’re probably not concerned about filling these ‘gaps’ in the lineup that enthusiasts are so worried about, more than they are with adding enough attractions to the park to make it a multi-day experience.

[arby]

I see the chance of of Hurler being closed to RMC it next year as about the same chances of it snowing here in the Charlotte area today. It is a significant investment and Cedar Fair has said numerous times that their current focus is ROI. They aren't going to bring a coaster next year and then essentially a brand new one the following year.

[uscbandfan]

I'm sure I'm in the minority, but as long as Hurler stays as it is, I wont be one of the people on it. It's definitely not MY fourth favorite ride in the park. (For that matter, I never see a line so those numbers sound weird to me.) Anyway, regardless, I'd love to see a conversion. That said, if a conversion is done, I think Carowinds would need a new woodie in it's place. If "Alpha" isn't a woodie (which everyone seems to think it's a steel Mack launch), then I think a conversion would be a few years out.

Maybe the Jurassic area could host a woodie. It's certainly big enough. It's also got some terrain to build around.

[carolinaman]

I agree Hurler is not The best woodie we could have and it would be better as an RMC. But I don't see that happening anytime soon. Me personally if we need to "fill gaps" in the ride line up, we need a good log flume ride before a wooden coaster.

[uscbandfan]

I would go for a flume instead of the dinos.

[CarowindsFan]

I would go for a flume instead of the dinos.

I would go for a flume through the dinos.

[arby]

Yes! A log flume would be awesome!

[redrunner97]

I see the chance of of Hurler being closed to RMC it next year as about the same chances of it snowing here in the Charlotte area today. It is a significant investment and Cedar Fair has said numerous times that their current focus is ROI. They aren't going to bring a coaster next year and then essentially a brand new one the following year.

That's not what I said. I said what are the chances is CLOSED at the end of '18 and re-opened at the start of the 2020 season.

KD's Hurler closed early before it's transformation, and Carowinds' current offseason is considerably shorter than KD's was the past two years. And I seem to recall a presentation on coaster conversions across the chain showing an every-other-year pattern... I'm not suggesting anything's happening, just trying to have a discussion.

I’ll just say again that Hurler is the fourth most popular attraction in the park, and other members such as Edwardo have pointed out that it’s still likely to be here in the foreseeable future. I’ll also say that the success of Twisted Timbers has yet to be seen. It’s still fairly early in the season, and if it doesn’t have the impact on attendance that they’re expecting, I doubt it gets replicated here.

I think we all understand that. But Hurler's proximity to Fury, the park's headlining attraction, is likely the main reason it sits at #4. Let's not forget that Hurler has a reputation for being notoriously unpleasant, albeit "better" than the one in Virginia.

That reputation improved considerably thanks to the park's retracking efforts over recent seasons, but there's no way they aren't already at least considering an RMC conversion. After all, why wouldn't they trade out a #4 for the chance at a new #2 (RMC Hurler) and a legitimately fun, comfortable woodie later on down the line? It just makes sense.