Last Thursday the 24th I decided to make a spur the moment trip to one of my home parks just a few hours down the road in Charlotte, NC: the beautiful & up-and-coming Carowinds. I lucked out tremendously with the crowds—one of the reasons I decided to make the trip in particular—but it turned out to be beyond anything that I could’ve expected. I essentially had the entire park all to myself, and I was able to knock out a ton of rides in a short period of time. Come along with me on my video recap of my epic day at Carowinds:
I am still not entirely certain why the park decided to operate this day—A thursday in the middle of March—but I am extremely grateful to them for doing so. I assumed a school day would be less busy as is, but on top of a sketchy-looking weather report, I figured the park could be deserted. This turned out to be the case, and thankfully the weather stayed away for the entirety of my time at the park.
My decision to make the trek came earlier in the week on Monday when I noticed the rates at the new Springhill Suites of Carowinds were extremely low, and since I have yet to stay at this Marriott property I knew I had to jump on it. As icing on the cake, one of my favorite bands had a show scheduled for Wednesday evening near downtown so it really was just meant to be. I got in my vehicle Wednesday afternoon and arrived at the hotel just before rush hour traffic.
I was very pleased with this brand new hotel offering. It had all the modern amenities you come to expect from a Marriott-brand hotel, and the fact that it was just over two years old (1.5 of those being during the pandemic) everything was ridiculously fresh, clean, and new. I stayed in a king suite and the room was super spacious, unfortunately without a view of the park but that was more than compensated for with the fantastic amenities offered. Upon checking in and getting to my room, I changed for a quick workout in the hotel’s gym (which was great as well) and then proceeded to get ready for the evening’s concert.
The concert was incredible and only a short ten minute drive from the Springhill Suites. After a fantastic night’s sleep, I helped myself to the excellent continental breakfast that was offered and got myself psyched to head into the park at opening (9am).
When I tell you the parking lot was nearly empty, I am not going in the slightest. Maybe 30 cars had parked by the time I was making the quick walk over—another fantastic perk of this hotel. With non-existent lines at security and the turnstiles, I was in the park shortly after opening and immediately headed for my first attraction. I thought I would hit Copperhead Strike first to beat any potential morning rush, but once I noticed the park was a ghost town, I decided to hop straight on Intimidator. I was treated to the best ride I’ve ever had on this coaster, as the typical airtime hill trims were completely turned off. The temperature was in the mid-70’s, so with the warm conditions and non-existent trim brakes, this bad boy was flying through the layout. I have always liked this coaster, but it truly blew my mind this morning and I was lucky enough to lap it four times without leaving my seat. Check that, I did move from the back row to the front on one of my rides, but the ride ops were super cool and didn’t even make me go back around through the entrance. That’s how dead this place was.
From there, I made my way to the back of the park to checkout Afterburn and Copperhead, both of which had yet to open for the morning. No big deal, as I was just as happy to head to the park’s signature coaster Fury 325. This beast is always so much fun to ride and I am so spoiled to have it so close to home. Same deal here—I was able to get three back to back rides without leaving the back seat. What a start to the morning! Next, I hopped on Hurler in the front row (which was underwhelming), followed by another front row ride on the freshly repainted Carolina Cyclone. For whatever reason, there was standing water in my car for this ride so I spent the entirety of the course trying not to get splashed. Not super great but thankfully I managed to stay dry.
By this point, Copperhead and Afterburn were back up so I was able to hop on both for two rides each, front and back again. Copperhead really surprised me this visit as well, and although I already thought it was a great coaster, the rides that I got this day only further solidified my feelings. The hangtime in the front seat is phenomenal, while the quick pops of airtime are so much fun in both the front and back rows. The launches also seemed a bit punchier to me but maybe I just felt that way because I was vibing so hard from the incredible day I was having at the park.
I made another lap around Carowinds before taking a break at the Springhill Suites to make a few work calls, only to return back to the park for another lap and a couple more early afternoon rides. Once I was all coaster-ed out, I walked back to the hotel where my car was parked (for free) before heading back home to Raleigh. I was exhausted by this point but had a smile from ear to ear from how great the visit was. All in all, my ride counts were as such:
Intimidator – 6 laps
Afterburn – 3 laps
Copperhead Strike – 3 laps
Hurler – 1 lap
Fury 325 – 5 laps
Carolina Cyclone – 1 lap
I always say in my videos if you can visit either of my home parks (BG Williamsburg or Carowinds) during their early season—particularly during the week—you will be treated to super low crowds and an amazing day riding coasters. This Thursday was one of those epic days.
I am so glad that I decided to make the trip down, and I highly recommend a visit to Carowinds if you have not been yet. It is an incredible regional park with a solid top-4 lineup and an enjoyable supporting cast. The park is always well-kept and is a pleasure to spend a day at. Although I’m not sure when I’ll be making a return trip this season, I’m sure I will be back to Charlotte sooner than later. Thanks for following along with my trip report and be sure to stay tuned for plenty more here at T-R Travels!
– Walker
Texas-Ranger Travels 