Carowinds

Carowinds is a 398 acre amusement park, located adjacent to Interstate 77 on the border between North and South Carolina, in Charlotte and Fort Mill, respectively. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at a cost of $70 million. This was the result of a four-year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall, who was inspired to build the park by a 1956 trip to Disneyland and a dream of bringing the two states closer together. It is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

Boomerang Bay is a 20-acre (81,000 m2) water park located within Carowinds's 398 acres and is included in regular park admission.

History


The Carowinds theme park was originally envisioned as a component of a large resort which would include hotels, a shopping center, a golf course, and an NFL stadium. However, attendance at Carowinds was curtailed by the 1973 oil crisis, and plans for the proposed resort were put on hold. Hall and the other stockholders of the Carowinds Corporation continued to operate the theme park through 1974, though sagging attendance and mounting debt forced the company to sell to Taft Broadcasting in early 1975. The park was purchased by Paramount Communications in 1993 and joined the Paramount Parks family. Ownership had transferred from Family Leisure Centers – a joint venture between Taft and Top Value Enterprises) – to Kings Entertainment Company, which in turn was acquired by Paramount. The park was renamed Paramount's Carowinds in 1993 and later became an asset of Viacom following its acquisition of Paramount in 1994.

The name "Carowinds" was derived from the park's original theme of the history and culture of the Carolinas, and is a portmanteau of "Carolina" and "winds", in reference to the winds that blow across the two states. Carowinds opens in late March each year and closes in early November, after the park's Halloween event, "Scarowinds." In 2005, a portion of the park reopened during December for the Winterfest Christmas festival. However, the park did not repeat the event in 2006, citing poor attendance. A similar decision was made regarding Kings Island's Winterfest.

Sale to Cedar Fair
On January 27, 2006, the Dayton Daily News reported that CBS Corporation (which split from Viacom at the end of 2005) would be selling Paramount's Carowinds and other parks in its Paramount Parks division.

On June 30, 2006, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company acquired Paramount Parks, including Carowinds.

Although Cedar Fair continued to use the Paramount's Carowinds name through the remainder of the 2006 season, it began to phase out the Paramount name in press releases, the park website, and on signage within the park. In January 2007, a new logo featuring the Cedar Fair icon but lacking the "Paramount" name, was revealed on the park website. The new logo featured the trademark Cedar Fair flags, flying on the letter "I" on the Carowinds name. The other four Paramount-branded parks that Cedar Fair acquired all received similar changes. The "Paramount" name was dropped from all of the parks after the 2006 season.

Cedar Fair era
On August 26, 2013, Cedar Fair announced a $50-million investment plan to expand Carowinds over three years starting in 2014. The expansion will include a $30-million roller coaster, a $2.5-million water slide, a $7-million food complex, and $4 million to improve the park's ticket booths and front areas.

On August 21, 2014 Carowinds announced the addition of Fury 325 for the 2015 season. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride is the fifth-tallest roller coaster in the world, after its debut in the spring of 2015 as another component of the park's previously-announced "top-to-bottom" expansion program. A new front entrance, replacing the original North Gate entrance of the park, also opened along with Fury 325 for the 2015 season.

On August 27, 2015 Carowinds announced that Boomerang Bay Water Park will be renovated into the all new Carolina Harbor Water Park. The Australian theme will be removed and replaced with a Carolina harbor theme. This also includes an all new water park entrance, sand volleyball courts, more cabanas, more lounge chairs, new complex of water slides called Black Beard's Revenge, new multi-level play structure called Seaside Splashworks, new play area for toddlers called Myrtle Turtle Beach, new kids area called Kitty Hawk Cove, new 27,000 gallon wave pool with up to 6 foot waves called Surf Club Harbor.

Themed areas and attractions
The rides at Carowinds are based loosely around eight themed areas.

Boomerang Bay
Boomerang Bay is Carowinds' water park. It has an Australian theme and opened in 1989 as Riptide Reef. It is included with the price of admission to Carowinds.

Paladium
The Paladium is an outdoor amphitheater located at Carowinds. It opened in 1975 and was the Charlotte area's premier outdoor concert venue until the opening of Blockbuster Pavilion, now PNC Music Pavilion, in 1991. Admission to the Paladium is separate from admission to Carowinds.

Fast Lane
Fast Lane is a limited-access line queue system offered for an additional charge at Cedar Fair amusement parks. Visitors can purchase access, which includes a wristband that allows them to bypass standard lines in favor of shorter ones at many of the parks' most popular attractions. Fast Lane Plus is a more expensive, higher-end version that includes several additional attractions.

SCaroWinds
In 2000, the park introduced SCaroWinds; an annual Halloween attraction. SCaroWinds is presented on select nights in September and October, as well as the first weekend in November. The park is open with The Great Pumpkin Fest starring Snoopy and rest of the Peanuts gang throughout the day, typically closes at 5:30pm, and reopens as SCarowinds at 7pm with the evil witch and SCaroWinds' 1st lady of terror Lilith. The experience includes numerous haunted attractions and incorporates most of the existing park rides into a nightmarish experience. The SCarowinds Halloween Haunt is recommended for ages 13 and up, but any age is permitted for admission.

List of attractions
, SCaroWinds features 12 attractions including seven mazes and five scare zones.

Carowinds Festival of Music
The annual Carowinds Festival of Music allows music students to play in public performances and receive comments and ratings from nationally-recognized adjudicators. Bands, choirs, show choirs, and orchestras can all play for ratings. Plaques and ribbons are awarded for performances which receive ratings of superior and excellent.

Timeline

 * 2015: Fury 325 debuts along with a new 8.2 acre main entrance plaza which was opened in association with the new coaster. Sling Shot, a new ride that catapults riders nearly 300-feet into the air at speeds up to 60 mph, was also added to the park in 2015. Woodstock Express was repainted and Thunder Road, which operated for 39 years, closed permanently on July 26, 2015. Boomerang Bay was expanded and renamed Carolina Harbor.
 * 2014: Two new slides were added to Boomerang Bay: Surfer's Swell and Dorsal Fin Drop. New Harmony Hall marketplace is built in the Intimidator field, replacing Snoopy's GR8 SK8. Chick-Fil-A moves into the former Country Kitchen building and a new restaurant, "Chickie's and Pete's" replaces Outer Hanks. Xtreme Skyflyer is renamed to Ripcord and is relocated to the Nighthawk lake. Ricochet repainted. Go-Karts are removed and land clearing begins for a future roller coaster.
 * 2013: Dinosaurs Alive!, a walk-through Dinosaur Exhibit; Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia 3D (feature in Action Theater); $50 million expansion announced on August 26, to include multiple new attractions, concessions, games, and 285 jobs. This places Carowinds as the fourth largest Cedar Fair park.
 * 2012: WindSeeker, a 301 ft thrill ride opens, Fast Lane added, Joe Cool's Driving School closes
 * 2011: Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular, a million-dollar nighttime walk-through light and sound experience featuring the Peanuts characters. Snoopy's starlight spectacular utilizes light, sound, and motion to create a full sensory experience. Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular runs from May 28 to September 4 in the County Fair and the Planet Snoopy sections of the park. Carowinds will stay open till 10pm every night June 27 to August 7. "Nights of Fire", a nightly fireworks show will play July 1 to September 4 at Carowinds Plaza at 10:00 pm. Vortex receives a new red track and grey support paint scheme. Ricochet receives a touch up paint job. Work continues on Thunder Road and Hurler's rehab and work continues on replacing pavement with brick pavers to help reduce heat flow from walkways. Carowinds has also expanded the park by 61 acre.
 * 2010: Intimidator: A 232 ft, 5316 ft Bolliger & Mabillard hyper coaster. Nickelodeon Central becomes Planet Snoopy. Carolina Cyclone is repainted blue, yellow and orange.Scooby Doo's Haunted Mansion becomes Boo Blasters On Boo Hill, with new special effects; all connections to Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo have been removed. Carowinds rebuilds more sections of Thunder Road. Carowinds starts replacing pavement with brick pavers to help reduce heat flow from walkways.
 * 2009: Carolina Cobra, a Boomerang roller coaster featuring new trains from Vekoma, opens in the former location of the Nickelodeon Flying Super Saturator. Carowinds rebuilds more sections of Thunder Road. Nighthawk was repainted with yellow track and navy blue supports. Hurler receives some re-tracking. Scarowinds returns for its tenth year. Wild Thornberrys log flume removed for a new attraction.  Dora the Explorer Azul's Adventure's track is also modified.
 * 2008: A second wave pool named Bondi Beach added along with cabanas in Boomerang Bay. This added 20 acre to the park making it 112 acre. Geauga Lake's Yo Yo swing ride was also added in the County Fair section. Flying Super Saturator only operates on the Boomerang Bay operating calendar. Thunder Road now runs both sides going forwards again. The Flying Super Saturator is removed from the park in August.
 * 2007: Frenzoid was put back in as Southern Star in County Fair section. The price for a single day ticket dropped for the first time ever. Carolina Skytower was repainted to look like an American flag.
 * 2006: Frenzoid was removed. WaterWorks was rethemed and renamed to Boomerang Bay and converting the old Frenzoid lake into a heated lagoon. Thunder Raceway Go-Carts was built in the Thrill Zone. The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera (feature in Action Theater) was also added. Paramount Parks is sold to the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company for 1.24 billion dollars. This puts Carowinds under the Cedar Fair family of parks.
 * 2005: Nickelodeon Central expands into Animation Station, featuring Phantom Flyers (relocated from Kings Island as Flying Eagles), Flying Dutchman's Revenge, Little Bill's Cruisers, Dora the Explorer Azul's Adventure (Formerly Yogi's Jellystone Tour) and Frenzoid removal begins in September.
 * 2004: BORG Assimilator (later renamed Nighthawk) Flying coaster added.
 * 2003: Nickelodeon Central, featuring Rugrats Runaway Reptar (New Vekoma Jr. SLC), Wild Thornberrys River Adventure (Formerly Powder Keg Flume), and Rocket Power Air Time (Formerly Gauntlet); SpongeBob SquarePants 3D (feature in Action Theater); Carolina Sternwheeler (Original Ride) riverboat removed.
 * 2002: Ricochet and rethemeing of Carolina Crossroads area to Carolina Boardwalk.
 * 2001: SCOOBY-DOO's Haunted Mansion; WaterWorks expansion; Stan Lee's 7th Portal 3D (feature in Action Theater); Whirling Dervish (swing ride) removed
 * 2000: SCarowinds; Flying Super Saturator (steel coaster)
 * 1999: Top Gun: The Jet Coaster (Later renamed Afterburn) was added in the County Fair section of Carowinds.
 * 1998: Taxi Jam (Later renamed Lucy's Crabbie Cabbie), TV Road Trip (Later renamed Joe Cool's Driving School), and Chopper Chase (Later renamed Woodstock's Whirlybirds).
 * 1997: WaterWorks water park
 * 1996: Drop Zone: Stunt Tower (later renamed Drop Tower: Scream Zone) was added in the Wayne's World (later renamed Thrill Zone) section of Carowinds.
 * 1995: Xtreme Skyflyer was added in the Wayne's World (later renamed Thrill Zone) section of Carowinds.
 * 1994: Wayne's World (later renamed Thrill Zone) section with Hurler and Carowinds Monorail removed.
 * 1993: Action Theater was added in the County Fair section of Carowinds. Paramount Communications buys Carowinds, King's Dominion, Kings Island, Great America, and Canada's Wonderland
 * 1992: Vortex was added in the Carolina Showplace section of Carowinds.
 * 1991: Expansion of Paladium; Speedway Cars removed.
 * 1990: Gauntlet (shooting star, later renamed GR8 SK8).
 * 1989: Riptide Reef water park; Expansion of Paladium.
 * 1988: WhiteWater Falls; White Lightnin' coaster removed; Black Widow (thrill ride) removed.
 * 1987: Expansion of Hanna-Barbera Land with three new rides; Old Jalopies antique car ride removed; Oaken Bucket removed.
 * 1986: Frenzoid, a looping Viking ship was added.
 * 1985: Blackbeard's Revenge (mystery house).
 * 1984: Smurf Island (themed area).
 * 1983: Cable Skyway removed.
 * 1982: Rip Roarin' Rapids; Ocean Island (water park).
 * 1980: Carolina Cyclone was added in Frontier Outpost.
 * 1979: County Fair area added. Meteorite (enterprise); PT Bumpem's Auto Stunt & Thrill Show (bumper cars); Whirling Dervish (wave swinger); Wild Bull (Bayern Kurve); Carousel.
 * 1977: White Lightnin' (Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster) in Pirate Island (entrance in Country Crossroads); Whirling Well renamed Oaken Bucket and moved to east midway.
 * 1976: Thunder Road; narrow gauge Carowinds and Carolina Railroad removed.
 * 1975: Paladium Amphitheatre; Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera (themed area) featuring Scooby Doo coaster; Surfer (Tagada); Wagon Wheel (Chance Trabant); Waltzer (Schwarzkopf spinning ride).
 * 1974: Country Kitchen is added; Whirling Well (Chance Rotor); picnic areas open. The Double-Decker Carousel is removed from the park at the end of the season and placed in storage.
 * 1973: Carowinds opens on March 31; the Monorail is still under construction and opens later. Original theme areas: Plantantion Square, Contemporary Carolina, Frontier Outpost, Pirate Island, Indian Thicket, Country Crossroads and Queens Colony.