The front entrance to Carowinds – we can’t even do it justice! When you enter this park, you are greeted by the Fury 325 screaming through the park, EPIC music blaring on the speakers, and all kinds of beautiful colors.Are we in North or South Carolina? The world may never know … as you travel through this thrilling amusement park, you’ll cross both state lines many times.Another thing to mention is that the majority of the kids’ areas in Carowinds are themed after Peanuts and Snoopy, you’ll find plenty of these cuddly creatures in larger than life sizes! Perfect for the kids … or the adults that are still like kids! 😉
Listen, I tried guys. I really did. I was going to bring my GoPro with chest mount into the park to video all of the rides first hand so you could seem them! Or more accurately, document myself screaming like a little child on all of the rides. Unfortunately, I was told that they do not let cameras onto the rides. One, I’m sure that they have had problems with them flying off in the middle of the ride, and being lost. Or worse, knocking someone out in the face. Two, their rides are proprietary and they do not want them all over the internet. Fair play.
Matt, 26 years old, roller coasters = 0
Hi, I’m Matt and I’m 26. I have avoided roller coasters for the majority of my life. I have always had this intense, knee-shaking fear of heights since I was a kid. Roller coasters, heights – not my thing. Although recently my girlfriend and I sold my house, cars, possessions and took off on this grand road trip of America. I have promised myself that we would constantly be trying new things, and that I would be brave every step of the way. Here it is at 26 years old, Matt finally gets on a roller coaster – and spoiler alert – rides many of them, and actually has a blast by day 3 of being here!
Presenting: Carowinds of Charlotte, NC
After Burn
After Burn: a furious 113 feet tall coaster that speeds up to 63 mph, and performs various fighter jet pilot moves for an almost 3 minute ride. The screaming sounds of this coaster echo through the park like a jet reaching Mach speed.
After Burn video – Ground POV
Carolina Cyclone
Carolina Cyclone: Two vertical loops, two barrel rolls, up to 41 mph, for a 1 minute ride! This one was a blast (Matt says)!
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Carolina Goldrusher
Carolina Goldrusher: This wooden coaster keeps it chill with only a 43 foot drop, speeding up to 30 mph, and lasting an entire 2 minutes, 20 seconds. Honestly, this was Matt’s favorite coaster for the first two days. A great beginner ride for a scaredy cat.
Copperhead Strike
Copperhead Strike: The Carolina’s first double launch coaster. Prepare for 5 inversions as you launch from 0 to 42 mph in 2.5 seconds, then launch a second time from 35 mph to 50 mph in 2 seconds during the middle of the ride. This is an INTENSE ride. Matt basically closed his eyes for the entire time, and was scared out of his britches.
Fury 325
Fury 325: This is the tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America. You ride up to 325 feet high, instantly drop over 300 feet down, soaring up to speeds of 95 mph for a solid 3 minutes, 25 seconds. This thing is INTENSELY terrifying.
Hurler
Hurler: This bad boy wooden coaster built in 1994 is one to leave you feeling nauseous by the end. Experience multiple jumps with air time and quick turns, getting up to 50 mph. Plus it’s a wooden coaster. You know how that goes.
Kiddy Hawk
Kiddy Hawk: The seats are inverted so that your legs and feet dangle freely from the ride seats. After climbing up a 49 foot hill, you take multiple turns flying up to speeds of 26 mph. You’ll feel like a bird soaring through the skies! This was one of Matt’s favorite rides, as it is very calm and relaxing compared to the rest of the roller coasters here! 😉
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And Here We Have It Folks
The moment we have all been waiting for …
Matt’s FIRST Rollercoaster, at 26 yrs old
Ricochet
Ricochet: Looks like your average kiddy coaster at first. It’s only a four seater, and about 25 feet in the air. However, looks can always be deceiving. This sneaky ride has turns with enough jerk to make you think this little cart will fly off the rails at any moment. Great for a beginner … clearly not!
Matt’s first – and last roller coaster. Just kidding, I rode almost every coaster in the park within three days, against my will of course. This one was intense … we thought it was a kiddy coaster, but it feels INSANE! It’s also pretty high up in the air, at least for someone who struggles with a fear of heights. Let me say I was in shock after this one. I’d rather die than get back on one of these death contraptions. And you are telling me that people like to do this for fun? Wow.
The Flying Cobras
The Flying Cobras: Prepare for this 125 feet tall ride that speeds through multiple inversions at up to 50 mph. Oh but there is a trick, half way through the ride you’ll go up a hill … and be launched backwards through the entire ride again. Spicy noodle.
Vortex
Vortex: I hope you don’t get sick easily. This ride spins you through multiple high-speed loops. Oh, but did I mention that you STAND up on this roller coaster? Yes, no sitting allowed. This one is a doozy. Matt enjoyed this one, even though it was scary looking.
We Didn’t Get to Ride:
Intimidator
Intimidator: This MONSTER of a coaster is based off of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, who was a North Carolina native. Prepare for a 232 feet climb, speeds up to 80 mph, and a total ride of almost 4 minutes. They say this one is like taking the victory trophy home with you.
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Nighthawk (closed)
Nighthawk: Try laying on your back with a 115 foot hill climb, to then be flipped upside down so that you are facing the ground as you soar up to 51 mph and spiral through multiple inversions for 2 minutes. This one looks fun, and it goes over a nice pond. We wish that it had been open when we were there.
Other Kiddy Rides:
Wilderness Run
Wilderness Run: This is roller coaster training 101 – this features kid-friendly hills with a top speed of up to 6 mph, multiple sharp turns for your kiddos to get their confidence up for the Fury 325! That’s a joke, almost. I did see many kids excited about the Fury. Bless their heart.
Woodstock Express
Woodstock Express: A kid friendly exhilarating adventure speeding up to 35 mph, being the fastest ride in Camp Snoopy (the kid’s area in Carowinds).
Honorable Mentions (these aren’t rollercoasters, but just rides):
Drop Tower: Ready to hurl up your lunch? We weren’t. Once you get 174 feet up in the air, prepare for a free fall of 100 feet in seconds – reaching speeds of up to 56 mph.Electro-spin: I don’t know about you, but I don’t particularly like being spun viciously in circles, upside down and all around. This one will make you feel intoxicated, to say the least. I’d rather drink a beer personally.
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Ripcord: Basically like jumping out of a plane … you rip the cord and free fall up to 65 mph down towards the Earth, skimming it by mere feet as you continue to swing at the mercy of this cord. No thanks.Scream Weaver (closed): Do you like ferris wheels? How about Ferris wheels that spin faster and faster until you tilt 90 degrees from horizontal to vertical orientation? Wow.Slingshot: Do you see the little black speck in the picture? Yeh, that’s you if you choose to go on this ride. See you on the Moon, Buzz Lightyear.WindSeeker: The second tallest ride at Carowinds, only behind the Fury 325. This 3 minute chair lift takes you up 301 feet high, and swings you around and around, allowing magnificent views of the Charlotte, NC area. I can see my house from up here! Just kidding, I sold it.
Barracuda Blasters: Grab a tube and pick your opponent to race through this ride of total darkness, twisting and turning until you fly out of the end into a pool! Who won?
Blackbeard’s Revenge
Blackbeard’s Revenge: Contains multiple rides. Pirate’s Plank is a near vertical drop down through a water slide to your doom. Captain’s Curse is a tube ride that has four intense 360-degree turns. Cannonball Drop goes through spectacular drops and turns with a tube as your best friend.
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Boogie Board Racer
Boogie Board Racer: Doesn’t this picture look fun on its own? Grab a board and race the competition down this high-speed and thrilling experience.
Seaside Splashworks
Seaside Splashworks: Even if you’re an adult, this kiddy playground has something for everyone. You can’t walk through this area without getting SOAKED, it’s the ultimate Summer fun time. There’s slides, sprayers, twists, rain, and a HUGE bucket that sends avalanches of water down. Joy for the whole family.
Tidal Wave Bay
Tidal Wave Bay: Carowinds Ocean. No, literally. This huge 400,000 gallons of water pool has intense wave generators for the entire park to enjoy. I JUST WANNA SOAK UP THE SUN … AND TELL EVERYONE! (song: Soak up the Sun – Sheryl Crow)
We Didn’t Get to Ride:
Coastal Currents (closed)
Coastal Currents: You know what a lazy river is! We all enjoy this fun experience. Grab a tube and soak up the sun on this 1,000-foot long river of bliss.
Hurricane Falls (closed)
Hurricane Falls: Grab your best friends’ arms and slide down this HUGE water slide together on a raft! Everything is better with friends!
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Storm Surge (closed)
Storm Surge: The tallest water slides at Carowinds. Over 80 feet in the air, zip through winding tunnels of water sliding goodness. See you at the bottom!
Other Kiddy Rides:
Kiddy Hawk Cove: shallow pools of water with slides, spray jets, splash areas to entertain all of the kiddos!Myrtle Turtle Beach: This is the name of our RV! Seriously, lol. Bring your tinies here to have a blast, while you can sit on the ground and help entertain them with various interactive water toys. Pelican Plunge: This one here is a horizontal water slide with barely any slope. You must be a kid, or a parent accompanying a kid to ride this one! A GREAT introductory slide for your little ones.Pirate’s Landing: This is a much smaller version of Seaside Splashworks which we thoroughly enjoyed! Let the kiddos run around on this one – no adults really here except the ones watching their monkeys jumping on the bed!
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Time to Eat!
It’s worth mentioning quickly that Carowinds offers various Drink and Dining plans – whether as a season pass, or day pass. If you do not purchase one of these, you can pay for food individually (albeit expensive per meal). However, we recommend the Premium All Day Dining Pass for $39.99 (at the time we were there). This includes soda refills every 15 minutes and a meal or appetizer every 90 minutes. If you are going to be at the park the entire day, just grab the pass. Otherwise, you will spend close to $15-$20 per meal. The pass is worth it!
Restaurants
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
Beach Bites: Huge hot dogs, hamburgers, fries.
Beer & Snacks: Good beer tap selections, popcorn.
Beer & Snacks: Matt’s favorite ride at Carowinds.
Boathouse Bites & Beer: Decent beer taps near the waterpark, popcorn.
Chickie’s & Pete’s Sports Grill: BEST food we had at Carowinds. Highly recommend.
Dippin Dots Ice Cream: Everyone likes ice cream, yum! And they were out of chocolate self-serve ice cream everywhere else. They also have an exclusive Fury flavor modeled after their premiere ride.
Granny’s Ice Cream Shop: OUT of chocolate ice cream… but I got popcorn.
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Harmony Hall Marketplace: Food hall, offers 4-5 different styles of food. American (hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders), Grilled Cheese (plain, with chicken, or pork), BBQ Restaurant (Ribs, pulled pork, turkey leg), Pizza Restaurant (cheese, pepperoni, breadsticks), Poke restaurant (health food bowls with veggies, fruits), they also have ice cream, snacks, and soda fountains.
Panda Express: Asian food! Chicken and rice is still undefeated. They were out of rice, which was disappointing. Noodles are a good backup.
Papa Luigi’s: Pizza! Cheese, pepperoni, bread sticks, salads. Absolutely banging food if you love pizza as much as we do.
Schooners: Beer selection, pretzels.
Sharky’s Grille: Pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, by the water park!
Honorable Mentions:
We did not try: Blue Ridge Country Kitchen (rotisserie chicken and country sides), Burrito Cafe (Mexican snacks), Camp Cookout (American food burgers, hot dogs, fries), Carolina Candy Shoppe, Chic-fil-a (come on, these are everywhere), Cinnabon (chain), County Fair Funnel Cakes, Fair Fries, Juke Box Diner (American food), Rita’s Italian ice (chain), Shake Central (HUGE milkshakes, hardly open), Starbucks (really?), Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt (chain).
If you can’t tell by now, they have quite a lot of options to choose from. Getting the Premium Dining Pass allows you to eat at the majority of these places every 90 minutes in a day. Worth it!
Carowinds Camp Wilderness Resort
We camped on site at Camp Wilderness! You know we are loving that RV life, hotels aren’t for us.
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We pulled our beauty into Camp Wilderness Resort by Carowinds and enjoyed every minute. Here they have plenty of tightly touching campsites, although we were by ourselves without any neighbors the whole time! They have a camp store with all of your basic necessities on site, bath houses with showers, a laundry room, and a pool. There’s no playgrounds or dog parks here, but they also have a volleyball court and even cabins on site that you can rent as well. I’ll admit, the nightly rate is pretty high for what you get here … but it’s cheaper than a hotel and there’s shuttles that run all day back and forth from the campground to the amusement park!
Our beauty, 2022 Coachmen Cross Trail XL 23XG – Class C motorhome.
Our Thoughts:
Overall, we had a blast at Carowinds. Matt got to experience his first roller coaster, along with many more afterwards. After having rode many of the coasters by day 3, Matt was definitely starting to enjoy them. It’s no longer a wonder why people enjoy these crazy metal contraptions. Breanna, being a veteran roller coaster lady from the glorious land of Florida, thought that the roller coaster selection at Carowinds was superb. Every ride seemed to have a different theme, or gimmick to it, as compared to other amusement parks. The food options were plenty, shopping was located all over, and we spent multiple days walking the park to find new things. We definitely recommend that you stay AT LEAST 3+ days, as we found that still was not fully enough time for the entire park. Well done Carowinds.
No Place Like Gone 