Carowinds recently revamped their midway area and re-branded it the "County Fair" adding four new…read morerides with a small town carnival feel. One of those new attractions is the DoSiDo, and its a fun take on an amusement classic. In similar a fashion to most "scrambler" style rides you're placed in a two person seat and strapped in by a bar and belt. Each seat is attached along with its sibling carts to a large arm, which is then attached to the center tower. The ride starts up and you begin to spin in a circle on your individual arm while the entire apparatus spins as well. Just before it gets up to what you think would be top speed the arms tilt upwards! Your seat is now spinning at a 45 degree angle to the ground while the center spins parallel to it. It's just as much fun as the ground based version, but a little less intense. Somehow the tilt actual puts less force into each rotation while at an angle so it's rather nice. Exciting enough to enjoy, but gentle enough to relax while riding. Great ride for the whole family.

Visited Carowinds recently and overall had a decent time, but there were a few frustrations. When…read morewe arrived, there were no clear signs showing where the EV chargers were located, and once we finally found them, the charger didn't work. It may not completely be Carowinds' fault, but it would be nice if they made sure the chargers are serviced and working properly. We also wanted to try some of the food in the park, but the lines were extremely long, so we ended up skipping it. I'm not really a coaster rider, but I still enjoy visiting the park for the atmosphere and entertainment. One of the highlights was Viva La Fiesta -- the dancers were so energetic and fun to watch. We also grabbed some fudge, which was really good. Despite a few inconveniences, we still had a nice visit overall.

Carowinds cuts a cool profile off the instate with Fury 325 and The Coaster Formerly Known as…read moreIntimidator making up its skyline. It's not too friendly to pedestrians like me who stay at one of the hotels across Carowinds Boulevard and want to avoid parking fees. Leaving out at night on foot especially was like keep your head on a swivel! Carowinds has a top notch top four when it comes to coasters with Fury 325, Intimi- er - Thunder Striker, Copperhead Strike and Afterburn. Beyond that there's nothing too remarkable besides their mine train coaster Carolina Goldrusher which is more fun than I expected from an older family coaster. Avoid the dreadful Vortex which flipped the script on the drawbacks of a standup coaster by being painful everywhere EXCEPT for the family jewels. Also the herky jerky Ricochet isn't worth it unless there's a short line. It's not one of the better basic wild mouses that I've ridden. What is worth riding is the bucket list worthy Fury 325, my main reason for taking an extra day on my drive back from Florida to visit where the Carolinas come together. I got in 7 rides on this epic exhilarating experience and wouldn't mind 70 more. I was even tempted to buy a 70s style ringer Fury shirt with 3/4 sleeves but they sadly didn't have it in my size. Thunder Striker and Afterburn are great, too, but not outstanding like Fury. There's similar and sometimes better versions of these type of coasters at other parks so it's not worth it to make the trip out this way for them. Copperhead Strike is a lot of fun but never scratches the ludicrous speed itch like say Maverick at Cedar Point does. I only managed 7 rides on ferocious Fury by buying Fast Lane which I don't usually do but it was Saturday and Opening day. The one other time I had Fast Lane was at Kings Island where they used wristbands and it worked great. Well, Six Flags is testing out all online Fast Lane at this park and mine glitched out, not working anymore after my first two rides of the day, a couple laps on Thunder Striker. (That name sounds more like a cheesy James Bond villain than a racing reference.) So I had to waste about twenty minutes at customer service getting it reset. Just about the whole queue there was other people whose Fast Lane also crapped out on them. First day of the year and I hope they get it straightened out but I say bring back wristbands. But I also say bring back the old Cedar Fair without the Six Flagification dragging it down so I know my opinion is moot. Carowinds has some pretty good atmosphere. The painted state lines of North and South Carolina are charming and a good photo op. Carolina Skytower is some good throwback atmosphere. Those observation towers are a dying breed. They don't elicit the same glee from me as cable cars, which Carowinds lacks but points for the Skytower. Windseeker was down when I visited and Carowinds is pretty lacking on other large scale flat rides. No giant swings, no giant frisbee (I always love those) and most strangely no drop tower. No water rides either which seems odd what with hot Carolina summers. I hear they're working on remedying that though, and I didn't much care on a March day where temps topped out in the low 70s. There's plenty of different themed, or more often semi-themed areas. Too many. Crossroads could be absorbed into Aeronautica Landing which kind of has a cool steampunk vibe. County Fair is fun and retro but apart from 50s and 60s vs. 70s music ain't too different from Carolina Boardwalk. Same with Carousel Park which has super old timey music. I'm surprised there aren't more attractions in Blue Ridge Junction just given the part of the country this park is in. Thrill Zone is just basically Fury dominating that part of the park, especially with Hurler closed. I don't know if that's maybe permanent. Is it too rough? Maybe a retrack or the RMC treatment? My chicken lunch was basic and a long wait, more than any ride what with my entitled Fast Lane. Dinner was a snack of frozen yogurt with fruit and other toppings paid for by the wait that was actually really good & healthy feeling. Ride ops were good, especially Fury which seemed to have their A team. Fury did go down for a while in the afternoon or I would have ridden it even more. Besides that and the two rides down all day things were up and running, a good start to 2026. People watching was fun at times but nothing too crazy. I'd say that if you took away Fury than Six Flags Over Georgia would be a better & more well rounded park than here but Carowinds does have Fury and more charm, too. I'd return if I found myself in the area with time to spare, especially if I was with someone who has never ridden Fury 325. Have I mentioned how awesome Fury is in this review or the one I wrote just for that coaster? Seriously, someone could probably build a coaster that went through 3 states and it still wouldn't be as good as Fury.

Add this to Cheetah Hunt to go in the category of "Roller Coasters ruined for me by Maverick". Of…read morecourse it's not an Intamin but made by Mack but it just seemed so much like the Carowinds version of Maverick. Of course it's a horse, er, a snake of a different color. And when I say "ruined" I just mean brought down from my lofty 5 stars wish-I-could-give-it-6 expectations to a still very solid 4 star piece of thrill ride machinery. The launches aren't astronaut training intense but they're still fun. Inversions are the main thing here and Copperhead Strike does this odd thing where it barely gets over the uphill on the loops, slowly down and then nearly stalling out at the top leaving you hanging there. The hangtime is an interesting sensation and the restraints are fortunately really easy on the body but I just really prefer rocketing through everything. This ride is so much about hangtime that it turns you upside down with a slow mo roll they call the Jo Jo roll. I'd call it the No No Roll as it's in no way thrilling but just kind of annoying. It's like they want to know who's ignoring the signs saying no unsecured items and can go scoop up cellphones, change and whatever else from that spot and pocket it instead of taking it to lost and found. Fortunately there's a shed around the corner from there with more the rustic hillbilly theming of this ride and a pretty decent launch to begin the ride in earnest. CS is buttery smooth and has a couple floater airtime hills but as I said is more about the Upside Down than Stranger Things. I think I would have actually liked a theme like that better as stuff like the misspelled spray painted words warning of danger got pretty tiresome. I get it. They're hillbillies with ninth grade educations - haha, I'm slapping my knees over the sheer hilarity of that. The actual Copperhead Strike sign is super dope, though, complete with the fierce snake head protruding out that you'd wanna see. It kinda looks like redneck steampunk or something. I rode Copperhead Strike twice and could have gone for more but the trains are low capacity compared to the other elite coasters here, Thunder Striker, Afterburn and Fury 325. Copperhead Strike was a longer wait than Fury and I couldn't get enough of Fury so why wait longer for this? These top four coasters are all the ones to get a least a lap on so I'm glad I got to ride the snake as Jim Carrey would say.

I finally got to ride this ride and I was not disappointed. The theming was great and better than…read moremost of the rides. I like the rock work and detail. The line I wish was more better laid out as sometimes people hop over the rails and cut people. I wish they had the chain instead of the full metal of the zip zag. One thing is you have to get a locker for the bag or anything loose. One thing to note in the morning, the ride does run slower and more towards the afternoon it runs faster. The ride itself is fun, but if you hate inversions this ride is not for you. Do not ride this ride on a full stomach as the restraint can get tight on the stomach. I did enjoy this ride and my 3rd favorite on the park.

Fury is basically the sole reason I chose Carowinds over Dollywood on my trip back from Florida and…read moreit was every bit the bucket list coaster I expected it to be. WOW! I don't usually spring for Fast Lane either but seeing how it was Saturday and Opening Day where The Carolinas Come Together I shelled out mainly with this magnificent mechanical monstrosity in mind. I got in seven rides on this beautiful beast. Carowinds doesn't let you choose what row you want to ride but the luck of the draw eventually rewarded me with both the front and back rows. Front is very scenic. Carowinds still had some skeleton from Halloweekends laying on the ground at the end of the veeery looong first drop which was a nice touch. Front row had my eyes watering like crazy from all the air rushing by at such high speeds. It took several rides before I got anywhere near the rear of the train but when I did I landed in the very back row and Jesus Murphy! The way that train yanks you over the crest of the lift hill had my heart in my throat! That first drop is a doozy. I couldn't get enough of it. Nor of the rest of the ride. The huge overbanked turns, the airtime hills, the flyover and flyunder of the concourse leading to the park entrance, just the overall speed - Fury is the complete package. That tunnel under the walk up to the main entrance is so much better and more dramatic than Gatekeeper's keyholes up at Cedar Point, which doesn't seem like it should be the case since they're so cool looking and unique but this coaster is much faster, bigger and better. What a way for a park to announce itself. Fury is also much better than Cedar Point's giga coaster, Millennium Force. Better pacing and elements and you really feel those extra few feet in that first drop even if it lacks that beautiful Lake Erie setting. Because of this the Cedar Point fanboy in me is glad that Carowinds has nothing like Top Thrill 2. (Which I haven't ridden yet though I've been on its predecessor.) After 7 rides on Fury I'd place it as my third favorite coaster of all time, behind only RMC hybrids Iron Gwazi and Steel Vengeance. So I see why it won all those awards for Best Steel Coaster. It's got a great color scheme and lighting package too, even if short daylight and park hours kept me from getting a night ride in. As a Pistons fan I'm not a big fan of the blatant ripoff of the Charlotte Hornets for the theming but it's funny they don't get any royalties and even I have to admit the logo and hexagon hive theming look pretty cool. Hell, I almost bought a 70s style ringer Fury t-shirt with colored sleeves but they didn't have it in my size. Ride ops were top notch even on opening day. I imagine they staff this one with their best people. I don't know if I'll ever find myself at Carowinds again. I probably won't go out of my way unless they build at least two more amazing coasters but this one here is worth the trip if you've never been. And if I lived around here this one would keep me coming back.

This was a mental health day for me! I would ride this roller coaster for hours. The drop, speed…read moreand G-force are amazing.

Classic B&M hypercoaster with plenty of airtime. Trim brakes put a slight damper on the good times…read morebut there's still plenty of fun to be had here. Mako down at Sea World Orlando is still my favorite hypercoaster but Intimid, er, Thunder Striker was still worth 3 laps on my recent visit to the Carolinas. (I'm not even trying to create a new Yelp listing for the rebrand but somehow the Thunder Striker identity seems lacking compared to its former incarnation as the Intimidator. Raise Hell and Praise Dale!) I probably would have found myself Thunderstruck more but nothing in this more than decent park stacks up to the fantastic Fury 325.

The roller coaster of a car ride that you get to great speeds and sudden drops on of pure racing…read moreaction across the track and back! This is one of those coasters that doesn't go upside down it just drops curves and speeds across an extensive length of track pretty much you start off high up and just race the whole thing and back making for a thrill each time you try it! They have bins at the top of the station for you to leave your items in wile you ride it's kinda nice because the staff shuts them wile your riding as they have a few bins mostly to separate your items from the next train so you don't have to worry too much about leaving your items behind wile you ride. This coaster is super fun and just an awesome experience for anyone who enjoys rides that go super fast and really high up because they run a few trains at a time the line moves kinda quickly so you won't be chillin for that long until you get to ride! Overall this is an awesome Coaster that I believe is just as fun as the Fury even though it's a bit different in it's own kinda way being it's named after a race car icon even though you pretty much forget about that wile on the ride as your hitting those high speeds and tight turns around the awesomeness that is Carowinds!

Another fun addition to the new "County Fair" area at Carowinds is the simple yet delightful Rock'N…read moreRoller. No crazy flips or intricate tricks here, you pretty much just spin in a circle (simple premise with this one, I know.) Each guest is seated in a roller coaster-esque cart with a lap bar, up to 2 people per seat, and you go around the self contained loop. The platform is at an angle so there's some elevation change and there are man made bunny hops built into the track for a bit of extra excitement. As for the "rock" in the Rock'NRoller there's a pretty catchy 50's style soundtrack that plays while you go around. Really makes it feel like you're at an old carnival and not a modern amusement park. There isn't much else to say about this one, if you like rides that spin and some cool jams to listen to stop on by!

This ride isn't a thrill ride or unique by any means but it is a classic and throwback to the…read moreMyrtle Beach Boardwalk days or Coney Island when they were in their prime so I enjoy the nostalgia of it it and for that would give it 4 stars. I awarded the fifth star for every time we rode and/or walked by while the ride was going they were playing an Elvis song... because he is welll... The King that certainly earned the 5th star!!!

Came to the Waterpark on a Friday around 12:30 pm and visited their adult pool Bar "Paul Metto's…read moreBoathouse Bar" I loved it! Great music and ambiance. Plenty of lounge chairs to choose from and plenty of swimming places in the pool. They have about 4 tabletops in the pool which once it gets busy, it will be hard to snag a spot there. They do have plenty of bar seating and benches inside and around the pool to sit down as well. They do not offer food so you will need to go outside the pool Bar area to purchase some food. They have everything from beers, seltzers, frozen cocktails, and canned wine. Definitely something fun to do on a summer weekend. After, you can always walk the theme park and enjoy some rides afterwards. Love it! They do offer cabanas as well and they offer food if you rent a cabana. This is located immediately to your right when you enter through the Waterpark entrance.

I love roller coasters and water parks. When I heard that there was a new adults only bar at…read moreCarowinds, I knew I had to check it out. The adults bar is located inside Carolina Harbor, and it is called the Paul Metto 's Dockside bar. They do a strict I.D. check before getting a wrist band to enter the bar area. Once inside, they also check your i.d. when ordering at the bar. If you have to use the restroom, you do have to leave the Paul Metto bar, but the wrist band lets you back in without having to show your i.d. again. The adults bar area is pretty small, so getting lounge chairs is first come, first serve. I went on a Friday, and the Paul Metto bar closed at 6 p.m. and we were able to ride a few roller coasters at Carowinds.

I've been to this amusement park so many times as a kid that I know everything about it..almost…read morebecause every year they are adding something new and it keeps getting larger and larger and more and more fun.. now my nephews and niece are experiencing the fun and thrills of this amusement park that I did as a kid well done carowinds for staying established and giving those of us who were once kids that thrill over and over again!

The good part is that this is a very fun and enjoyable ride. The drop was nice, and it's even got…read moresome airtime on it. The bad part is, its the roughest ride I have EVER been on. This ride rocks my head so hard that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I get off this ride, I get the worst headaches. Despite the roughness, it's a pretty fun ride!

This ride sucks! So rough like the Chance Toboggan at Little Amerika in Wisconsin. Replaced the PTC…read morerestraints with tight lap bars and now has no airtime. What the frick is this layout? It only had swooping turns which are the roughest parts, and the "airtime" hills. This ride NEEDS to be RMCd like the one at Kings Dominion. (Back in 2017, the one at Kings Dominion got RMCd and is named Twisted Timbers today.)

Went for a special dinner and show, a Billy Joel tribute. The place is beautiful and clean and the…read moreband was awesome. But the food definitely lacked flavor. Chicken could have been cooked longer and seasoned better. The pasta could have had more seasoning and more sauce. I honestly really only ate salad because the food was so bland. Don't know if it was an off night or if this is how it always is since it was my first time there but if I attend another show I'll make sure I don't go hungry. The staff was awesome though.

We went for lunch and our server was excellent! Very friendly and helpful. Hubby had burger and I…read morehad Philly cheese with delicious sweet potato fries! I am in charge of our ladies luncheon and plan on bringing everyone here.