Carowinds

Boomerang Bay at Carowinds is a really cool water park, with something for 'kids' of all ages and heights, including splash parks/play areas from zero-depth and wading-pool-depth for smaller kids to tube rides ranging from lazy-river-type floats through all levels of water slides and wave pools for all sizes. Everyone can find something to do here! One word of caution: DON'T RENT A CABANA. Located on the very back side of Bondi Beach, they are as far away from any other waterpark attraction as they could possibly be, making them incredibly inconvenient to anything else. So unless you have only teen-aged or older guests AND plan to remain ONLY at a single waterpark attraction (Bondi Beach) for the entire day, they are completely worthless.\r \r The theme park portion of Carowinds also has a variety of rides and shows that appeal to 'kids' of all ages, sizes and thrill-tolerances. \r \r Also, very expensive once inside. So, eat offsite before you come and take advantage of the free fountain water (cups provided by the park) throughout the park. And, of course, don't waste your $$ on the Cabanas...they're a HUGE disappointment and, in fact, completely unusable for most. more

in 2010 we had three deaths by motor cycle and I forgot about giving my son his pass that I got . So when i found this year I asked for Carowinds to honor due to death......they said NO!\r I hope that they never have to deal with losing family and dealing with the pain of our loss.\r They made $60.00 and that is all that matters to them! \r \r more

First of all let me say that CArowinds is a good park with a good variety of rides for kids of all ages and the waterpark is great although very crowded. But the employees...MAN-O-MAN!!!! Rude, slow, unhappy...they should all have to go to Disneyworld to train with people that KNOW how to treat guests. Disney can load 60 people on a ride and have it going in 2 minutes. Carowinds it takes 10 minutes and then they are coming back around to check your seat belts (for the 3rd time because they forget if they had checked it or not!!!) The park is also dirty...bathrooms are disgusting...no picnic tables anywhere outside and food inside is OUTRAGEOUSLY overpriced!!!! I will go again because I am a local and have been going for years but not nearly as often as I went in the past and I do not buy season passes anymore. more

I enjoy going to Carowinds. I bought a season pass so i could go all summer. But the restrooms are nasty. more

i took my daughter there for her birthday. we had a really good time, however several hours after eating at the juck box dinner i became very sick. on the way home we had to stop several times. one of the last stops my daughter actually had to call 911she was so scared and dindt know what was going on. come to find out i had food poison. after getting better i called carowinds and had wanted them to pay for my medical bills and two days out of work. that was all!!! they called back to say just because no one else had reported getting sick they could not do that. i know for a fact i got it from there! the doctors even said it too! i pray if you read this take your on food in coolers! i pray you dont eat there or the same can happen to you. most people that get food poison chalk it off to be a flu bug or a 24 hour thing. i have had surgery several years ago that i can never throw up so it is really bad on me and i have to seek emergancy help. you would think that someone like them would care about the customers. you would think they would want to make things right?????? thank you. may god bless you and your food. Pros: go ride the rides but pack your own food! Cons: after getting food poison(i pray you read this) more

Depending on the time of year, Carowinds can be a great place to take the kids. We have season passes and start going early in the season when it opens. They have a great variety so our 2 year old has as much fun as our 5 year old. The Dora show is great too and keeps them entertained. \r The adult rollercoasters are great too. The Borg is one of the scariest I have ever been on!! Long lines but worth it for 40 seconds of terror!! Pros: Lots of fun for all age kids Cons: at times long lines more

Long lines. Slow moving. Dirty. No paper in bathrooms. Bathrooms far apart and nasty. I've been to other Paramount amusement parks (fav. is Cedar Point). Even short lines moved slow at Carowinds- and God knows the Carolina sun is not that forgiving in summer. The ride ""directors"" didn't seem to know how to effectively shuffle people on and off. The bathrooms were gross- wet floors, no TP, long lines, nobody on duty to assist. It made taking my kids to the restroom worse than normal. I didn't expect perfection but some TP would have been nice. Stalls were dark, too, and that did not hide the grossness. My daughter stood in line for an entire hour for a kiddy ride with my four year old... the line was not long at all and it wasn't all that busy that day. When she got to the ride she was told she couldn't take him and he couldn't go by himself. ...So my husband took him and had to start at the back of the line!!!! I just wouldn't spend the cash there again. Not for almost $45.00 an adult... no way. Pros: cute idea on kids rides Cons: VERY slow moving lines more

THis is the best place ever. I had so much fun playing all of the games, especially that basketball one where i met this really cute guy named matt he is really nice and he should be a manager Pros: HOT guy at the basketball game more

I don't get alot of the over critical jabs at Carowinds. I live in High Point, NC (about 90 miles from Carowinds) and have a Platinum Season Pass. I've been to many amusement/theme parks including Busch Gardens Williamsburg & Tampa, several trips to Disney World, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, Six Flags over GA, Kings Dominion, etc...etc. There is bad, overpriced food in each and every one of them...nasty restrooms in each and every one of them (the worst restroom I ever saw was one at Disney's Animal Kingdom) and yes rude employees at each and every one of them (even at Disney...*gasp*). Now granted, given the size of some of the bigger parks I've mentioned you are bound to find more things you might like about those parks, but Carowinds is an excellent amusement park. Top Gun is one of the best coasters ever designed. It is amazing! Thunder Road is a classic woody! The Hurler screams with speed! The Carolina Cyclone is a Carolina steel classic. The Borg and Vortex are not favorites of mine but I understand those who enjoy the change of pace they present. My whole family enjoys The FairlyOdd Coaster, Runaway Reptar, Rocket Power, the River Adventure, the Super Saturator, the classic Goldrusher, Ricochet and many others. My children are ages 15, 12, and 4 and we have an absolute blast every time we go to Carowinds. They even improved the laser guns on Scooby's Haunted Mansion so that now that is one we ride every time we go. No, Carowinds is not perfect. I do hope Cedar Fair injects more energy and politeness into the employees. They have said that they will incorporate the food from their other parks into Carowinds and I seriously hope they maintain the Paramount license long enought to have some theming around next year's Transformers: The Movie (a Paramount release). Other than that, I love Carowinds! It's MY park...it's OUR park (the Carolinas) and its a damn good one. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder. more

I went to Carowinds on 5/19/06 with my school chorus and the rides were fun but we were supposed to perform and no-one not even the judges showed up! We waited for about 15 minutes still not audience and no judges. We ate at a buffet style lunch but the food was horrible! HotDogs were cold and Hamburgers were bricks! Me and a friend went to The Pastry shop kind-of towards the exit and the line was long and hot! \r \r Pros:GREAT RIDES // GREAT RIDE VIEWS\r Cons:LONG LINES!! Pros: Great RIDES // GREAT ATTRACTIONS // GREAT RIDE VIEWS // FUN WATER RIDES Cons: lack of sercurity // long lines more

If you are a local it is something to do with the kids in the summer -if you get a seasons pass. If you live outside of a 50 mile radius I would not make a special trip. The water park is the best part but the staff, food and lines can be dissapointing. more

This is an awesome park, it is clean and everything is close. The waterpark is attach to the amusement park so you can walk from one to another. Carowinds have an amazing rollercoaster like ""the borg"" where you ride upsidedown and ""the Vortex"" where you ride stand up. At the waterpark they have the usual wavepool and a lot of diferent slides.\r \r This is my 4th. consecutive year that I bought the season pass with the season parking lot, I really recommend it.\r \r The kids love it and they always ask to go there in the hot summer and believe me they dont have to insist. Pros: Waterpark attach to the amusement park, no crowded on weekdays, good ambience Cons: weekends after noon usually is crowded, for some rides you have to wait long time more

I agree with the person who said that Carowinds isn't for all northerners. The food isn't that bad. I mean you don't come for the food anyway. The bathrooms aren't that far apart either. My only complaint is the price for disposable cameras. I forgot to bring my camera one time and their prices are outrageous. The rides are amazing & if you don't like it then don't come back. No it isn't Disney World, but the rides are a ton of fun. Pros: Rides Cons: Gift shop prices more

Not reccomended for ALL yankees....... It is alot easier (especially for we southern folk) if you don't plan to visit and waste your time complaining if you decide to visit.... If you DO happen to enjoy your experience, then thank you and the warmest of wishes... If NOT... please continue toward florida because Mickey and the gang are waiting for you to daunt the Goofy suit for the daily parade through Magic Kingdom...\r \r Pros: all Cons: shading in heat more

The staff at Carowinds is lazy and rude. The operators and security turn a blind eye to rampant line jumping on every ride. The operators on the flume ride were literally yelling at guests because they weren't the proper size party. Hopefully, Cedar Fair's recent purchase of the Paramount parks will give Carowinds a Cedar Point like level of quality before the 2007 season. As for 2006, I'll spend my money on a road trip to Sandusky! Cons: staff, food more

Its not sumer unless you go to Carowinds at least 2 times. The rides are great. Be prepared to stand in line in the middle of the day. Go early and stay late. I recommend the wave pool around lunch time. The price is a litle high, but you can get good deals on their website. Pros: great coasters, plenty of parking, alot to do Cons: ticket price, food price more

Carowinds seemed ok but the hours suck, by the time you get there and go on a few rides, and maybe grab a snack they're closing they need to be open longer to be worth the money Cons: short hrs more

Everyone I communicated with at the park was rude and not helpful. The staff seemed to be bothered and annoyed at the heat and the crowds. The Nicktoons cafe had decent food, but the facililty was not very clean. Waited for the Borg Assimilator in 95 degree weather for one hour. I got almost all the way to the platform and they announced the ride was temporarily delayed. Fifteen minutes later it was back on, then delayed again immediately. All said I waited for one hour and 30min and never got on the ride. The staff wasn't very friendly and offered no water or an explanation for the delay. Rides seemed like they would have been fun, if you could ride all in one day. The friendliest people were the staff on the Rip Roarin' rapids that waved at you from their lookouts throughout the ride and before the waterfall. Pros: Rides, Good Parking, Good Food Cons: Staff, Lines, Facilities more

Carowinds can be a good or bad experience, depending on what you are looking for. If you want many coasters (more than most theme parks) and short lines this is the park for you. If you want themed attractions with everyone in costumes and a good selection of children's, especially older children's rides, this is not the place for you. By older children's rides, I mean rides for kids who have graduated from the circular rides but may not be ready for most coasters (6-10 years?). However, it does have many character greeting oppurtunities and shows, although the latter lacks in quality. All in all, I like going to Carowinds because I like riding roller coasters and I like the fact that, with a season's pass, I can ride virtually all the coasters within an hour and spend the rest of my day somewhere else. more

Pity some haven't enjoyed this wonderful park like my family does! Season Passes 4yrs running and WILL buy again! Best time to buy passes is when they're offered at lowest of season, just before/through Scarowinds (we attend every year). I've got Platinum Passes allowing parking in reserved section near ""Top Gun"" gate for FREE. We go at least 3-4 times/season - all for about $300! About 11 roller coasters, ""Top Gun,"" ""The Borg Assimilator,"" and ""The Flying Super Soaker Saturator"" being my personal favorites. Sometimes like to spend majority of day at WaterPark, until closing then a few coasters. LOTS for young'uns to do. Love all the entertainment - ""School of Rock"" does exactly that! Yes, food is pricey, it is anywhere you go for entertainment, even the movies! We keep coolers in vehicle for mealtimes. I've never had problems with staff, either. M-Th is less crowded. Love This Place! Pros: Variety, Value, Fun, Fun, Fun! Cons: Add more carnival ri, Pricey Food, Some Long Lines more