General Carowinds discussion
By RollerBee
#105530
jeffdavis wrote:I think it's bad press to announce a ride removal unless it's tied to an announcement of a bigger/better attraction in its place. Therefore I understand the quiet closures of WWF and RRR. Can you imagine the park wanting to get the message out that there is now one less ride than before?

Thunder Road....
I think the behavior of the way people reacted to it could be why the park has changed how they announce ride removals.
By phareous
#105533
RollerBee wrote:
jeffdavis wrote:I think it's bad press to announce a ride removal unless it's tied to an announcement of a bigger/better attraction in its place. Therefore I understand the quiet closures of WWF and RRR. Can you imagine the park wanting to get the message out that there is now one less ride than before?

Thunder Road....
I think the behavior of the way people reacted to it could be why the park has changed how they announce ride removals.


Even still, it's a classy thing to do to let people get last rides in (when possible). Yeah, there will be complainers, but that comes with the territory. Those same people could just as easily complain once the new season starts, so I don't think they can be avoided completely.
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By yawetag
#105539
RollerBee wrote:Thunder Road....
I think the behavior of the way people reacted to it could be why the park has changed how they announce ride removals.

Being out of the loop, how did people react?
By phareous
#105541
yawetag wrote:
RollerBee wrote:Thunder Road....
I think the behavior of the way people reacted to it could be why the park has changed how they announce ride removals.

Being out of the loop, how did people react?


https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/ ... 53312.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/b ... winds.html

From what I have read, people seem to be more understanding of Volcano due to all the technical problems. But back when Thunder Road was being removed, the coaster was in good shape, and Carowinds had been replacing wood on it for the last few years prior.

And also, the park has been very forthcoming about why they are removing Volcano: "over time it became nearly impossible to keep the ride up to our high standards of reliability and guest satisfaction"

But yet Carowinds is being tight lipped which only adds fuel to the fire... since nobody knows their reasons for removing it.
By Techedchart1551
#105543
then again here is some Q&A
Why didn't cedar fair retrack volcano and update the techology?
a. cedar fair and intamin don't work together that much
b. money and it's very expensive
c. all of the above
User avatar
By pproteinc
#105546
Back on topic! I can see the RRR being turned into a "Forbidden Frontier" type attraction since CF is going that route per the conference call. It is essentially an island per say.
By phareous
#105548
pproteinc wrote:Back on topic! I can see the RRR being turned into a "Forbidden Frontier" type attraction since CF is going that route per the conference call. It is essentially an island per say.


The Dinosaurs Alive land would be better suited to that in my opinion
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By yawetag
#105549
phareous wrote:
yawetag wrote:
RollerBee wrote:Thunder Road....
I think the behavior of the way people reacted to it could be why the park has changed how they announce ride removals.

Being out of the loop, how did people react?


https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/ ... 53312.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/b ... winds.html

So, petitions and a Facebook page? That's nothing and probably what happens any time a closure is announced. I was expecting protests, sit-ins on the last day, "I rode Thunder Road on its last ride, and all I got was a splinter" t-shirts.

If Carowinds is worried about 3,000 people signing a moveon.org petition, then they need thicker skin.
By RollerBee
#105550
yawetag wrote:
phareous wrote:
yawetag wrote:Being out of the loop, how did people react?


https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/ ... 53312.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/b ... winds.html

So, petitions and a Facebook page? That's nothing and probably what happens any time a closure is announced. I was expecting protests, sit-ins on the last day, "I rode Thunder Road on its last ride, and all I got was a splinter" t-shirts.

If Carowinds is worried about 3,000 people signing a moveon.org petition, then they need thicker skin.

There were protests in front of the park leading up to it’s final day, people made shirts and signs. On the last night during the last hour there was a group that staged a short sit in.

I signed the petition, supported the Facebook page and protested on my Facebook page but I was not part of anything that happened at the park.

I wasn’t risking getting security called on me, I complained at Guest Relations but went home that was it. I enjoyed my visits and rides.
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By yawetag
#105551
More context, and understandable now. Neither of the two articles mentioned that, and appeared to be written some time before the actual closing.
By Techedchart1551
#105556
Jeez. That's a lot of damage

anyway, I didn't know how many people ACTUALLY had a HUGE connection with this ride. I knew it was historic and all, and i knew it had it's fans, but i didn't know people would go THAT far when it closed.

Here's a little story about the connection to Thunder road and my parents- both are very small.

My parents- one from NJ and one from SC.
In line for racer 75 at KD
Mom: "so wait this is a racing coaster, right?"
Me: "yeah"
Mom: "like rolling thunder, wait what's the one at carowinds?"
Me: "you mean thunder road."
(mom rambles on how rolling thunder was terrible)

My dad never had a huge connection with thunder road, but he remembers the ride vaguely.
User avatar
By CoasterDad
#105572
You can be sure upper management at Cedar Fair AND Carowinds know exactly what is going on with RRR. Although we always enjoyed the ride, we didn't enjoy waiting in the long line. It is a very low capacity ride. Most other parks who have a similar rapid ride have rafts built for 12, not 6. I seriously doubt a refurb is planned. Probably a 2020 or 2021 attraction. Everyone on this forum knows that Carowinds is getting an RMC at some point. So the question is, how might this fit into that plan? If not an RMC, I wouldn't be at all surprised with a B&M Drop Machine either. CF doesn't want Carowinds to be a mediocre park, as we've seen over the past few years and like our sister park, Canada's Wonderland, we too are destined for greatness. This closing is just another step in that direction.
By RollerBee
#105573
I wonder if the park knows they are getting an RMC at some point....

Trying to be somewhat realistic, I wouldn’t expect another major coaster until 2022 or later.
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