[theamazingbobbo]

Hey guys,
I'm new here - but a rollercoaster enthusiast for pretty much my whole life. Cedar Point is my home park, but over the last four years I've traveled to USF/IOA (3x), WDW (3x), KI (3x), Hersheypark (3x), Dorney Park (2x), Six Flags Great Adventure, Darien Lake (2x), Kennywood (2x), Kentucky Kingdom, Holiday World, Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion.

I've been planning to hit Dollywood and Carowinds, and this spring, I might get my chance to get to at least Carowinds.

Over our spring break from school (I'm a teacher and a coach), we're bringing our baseball team to Myrtle Beach to play at the Ripken Experience. The dates are April 2-9, 2015.

What I'm wondering is (because the Carowinds guy wouldn't give me any indication of what their hours might be), but historically, when does Carowinds open (to me it seems like the last weekend in March usually unless Easter falls that weekend, then a week earlier). I'd like to hit in on the way there or back, but I think we have games on April 3rd and 4th, so likely the way back. Also, I would assume the park IS open on Easter, correct? If I can't get there on the way there or back and its open on Easter, I might go then.

Sorry for the rambling nature of the post, but any info you regulars might have will help with our planning.

Thanks

[Jarsh]

Regardless of when the park opens, it will only be open weekends only at that time. So if you have games on Friday and Saturday (the 3rd and 4th), then Easter Sunday (the 5th) would be your only time to go.

[CarowindsCentral]

Opening day is March 28th, it has been confirmed on the Carowinds facebook several times. The park also opens around 10-11AM.

[TinaC101]

Unless something has changed for the 2015 season, the park is also open during the week of spring break. This year it's March 29th - April 5th for the Fort Mill area.

[swampfox43]

...we're bringing our baseball team to Myrtle Beach to play at the Ripken Experience. The dates are April 2-9, 2015.

You being a coaster enthusiast, I would recommend a ride or 3 on the Swamp Fox, 1966 classic woodie while you are in Myrtle Beach. It will be open every day you are there. Oh! And their Wild Mouse is awesome. It runs the entire course without any trims.

http://rcdb.com/337.htm

[Jarsh]

Unless something has changed for the 2015 season, the park is also open during the week of spring break. This year it's March 29th - April 5th for the Fort Mill area.

I suppose that's one way to get away with not giving the students/teachers Good Friday off, lol.

[Firechaser]

I know for us we have our 8th grade Washington D.C. trip on the 31st to the 2nd and then we don't go back until the 13th. Almost as good as Christmas!

[Tawny71]

It's true that Carowinds is usually open for Spring Break week. However, CMS Spring Break is actually the week after the dates listed for the Fort Mill area this year. (Which is odd...it usually ends Easter weekend, but is starting with Easter weekend this year.) I wonder which week Carowinds will add to its operating calendar?

[tarheel1231]

I think Carowinds will be open during CMS' break, since it is a larger school district. That, and they will have more employees to work with.

[theintimidator]

It would be funny if Carowinds operated for both weeks!

[Dkittl20]

...we're bringing our baseball team to Myrtle Beach to play at the Ripken Experience. The dates are April 2-9, 2015.

You being a coaster enthusiast, I would recommend a ride or 3 on the Swamp Fox, 1966 classic woodie while you are in Myrtle Beach. It will be open every day you are there. Oh! And their Wild Mouse is awesome. It runs the entire course without any trims.

http://rcdb.com/337.htm

Yes the wild mouse is awesome but be careful as its killed two people when it was at different locations, so if you have little ones hold them in tight...

[Tawny71]

I've actually ridden that wild mouse when it was at Magic Springs. I loved it! (Although I prob would've been nervous riding it if I'd known about the previous accidents.) If I rode it again in Myrtle, would you consider that another credit? I wouldn't think so, since it's the same coaster, but I know different people have different thoughts on credits.

Back to the original topic...when does Carowinds usually post their calendar for the upcoming season?

[tylerSC]

...we're bringing our baseball team to Myrtle Beach to play at the Ripken Experience. The dates are April 2-9, 2015.

You being a coaster enthusiast, I would recommend a ride or 3 on the Swamp Fox, 1966 classic woodie while you are in Myrtle Beach. It will be open every day you are there. Oh! And their Wild Mouse is awesome. It runs the entire course without any trims.

http://rcdb.com/337.htm

Happy to hear the Swamp Fox is still standing. I thought maybe they had torn it down. But I guess I was confusing it with the old Pavilion Park. Which still upsets me that it is gone. A great Grand Strand tradition and a landmark, and a nice clean family amusement park. Such a shame they tore it down. But what did they do with that Corkscrew coaster?

[pproteinc]

It is true Carowinds opens on March 28th this year and will be weekends only not including Fridays for some who do consider that day part of the weekend. Typically and most likely the hours are 10am to 8pm until June which it then extends to 10pm. The Spring break week operation for Carowinds is normally the second or third week of April.

[RollerBee]

Ah the famed Wild Wonder accident, if memory serves me correctly the pier was fined after investigators determined that the anti rollbacks had been intentionally disabled. That accident was in 1999, the ride barely operated for a month total. Later sold to Magic Springs and the ride since has operated for 14 seasons without a similar accident.