Season Pass Holder here. Rides are fun and awesome, staff is super friendly and Helpful.. Now the food on the other hand is super expensive, I paid $36 for 1 slice of pizza and 3 chicken tenders and 2 drinks. The price wouldn't bother me if the food was at least half good but it was not. Microwave Pizza Taste better. Advice eat before you go, and take a cooler with snacks and drinks for later. (Don't forget to get your hand stamped so you can reenter the Amusement park)
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Great deal season passes well worth it parking+,rides+,water park+. I love how they switch things up. Water park and amusement park. Great value. Willing to drive 2 hours 2 times a month.
A must go to place for fun in the sun.. If you like roller coasters, water rides and games for day.....this spot is for you .! Get the season pass and rock out all summer..!
Carowinds isn t terrible. But I am tired of the rides always having problems. I work there this year and almost every ride that I work at it will always go to downtime sooner or later. Not all of them but some of them especially the hurler. I don t think the staffing is the worst part. The biggest part is Maintenance I think if they could always test the rides several times before the park opens that would be amazing. About the staffing tho they don t have as much employees this year for some reason. I think Carowinds needs a lot of improvement within the next few years
This was the first year attending Winterfest, had a great time enjoying all the lights. Several of the smaller rides were open and as a bonus the lines where not that long.
Great amusement park with lots of rides, entertainment and foods. It even has a section for kids and a water park. Bring plenty of money--it's a bit pricey! A great destination for families. They offer group rates and season passes.
Wait lines to long. Rides broke down. When you wait that long and ride is closed down customers should be compensated with a free drink or something, and do away with those fast lane passes.
I have been to Carowinds a lot of times if your there for the little kids you have some fun if you don't take the little ones you have a lot of fun there is to mini rides they can't ride so some one staying with them in kids part of the Park not saying I didn't have fun with the kids when they were little bcut a whole lot more now that they are older I have been coming to Carowinds since 1975 I was a child my self seen it change
Extremely overpriced. Prepare to wait for hours just to get into the park. Security hand checks every bag, but they do not have enough people performing this task. We waited for an hour in a short line because there is a complete lack of organization, leadership, and appropriate staffing. Many employees can t answer basic questions about the park and seem very unpleasant. It seems like they have decided that people will pay to get in for the chance to have fun, but they just don t care what the experience is like.
The Fury!!! Best Ride Ever & will Never Ever ride it again. LOL!!! Plenty rides for All ages.
Water park also great. Wave one is Slippery when you enter.
Hard to find umbrella for shade but not impossible depending hours and days you go. (Hint: go on weekdays)
Dress comfortable and hat is a must!
Great place, not as Expensive as Disney on Food and extras. Prices are steadily climbing though with new rides, and new fast food eateries. Buy a pizza pie instead of per slice.$$$
The staff running the kids rides, small kids, need to do a better job of helping them off the ride. Numerous times I saw kids fall who were not able to get off the rides properly. The male bathrooms needed some serious work on our visit. They were horrible. The lights and shows going on as you walk around the park for the Christmas season were excellent. Overall it was a enjoyable experience and worth visiting again.
I loved Carowinds. I live in Jacksonville and didn t know about this. When I went there last year I rode rides, I saw The peanuts. I recommend coming in the spring or halloween for scarowinds.
I love this place. We have been coming up here for over 10 years. My kids love the rides and water slides. I love that you have everything you need right at the park.
Neat Christmas lights. restaurant foods just ok. pretty busy than what I expected. longer line than normal for each ride. traffic out of parking lot need better organize or need authorized person helping direct it.
I visited Carowinds this past weekend for the very first time and it was the worst experience I ever had ! I waited on two separate occasions for 40 minutes for the ride to just shut down . Without anyone making an announcement about the closing of the ride or any explanation . The only reason my boyfriend and I knew the ride was shut down is because people were walking back from the beginning of the line . Not to mention some of the rides weren t even running for the whole day which was pretty upsetting . Drinks were overpriced and we didn t even get lids or straws to preserve our frozen drinks ! I love amusements and I was definitely looking forward to Carowinds and all it has to offer and I was highly disappointed!
Food and Bev operations could use some work. Unknowledgeable staff at multiple food and Bev outlets. Unaware of offerings, season pass discount, sense of urgency. Other than that excellent!
I went to Carowinds for the first time this past weekend, and unfortunately it was NOT the greatest experience... the first thing was that upon entrance to the park, my husband and I noticed a sign that read, "Limited attractions available today". Literally half the park wasn't running... we barely rode any rides. If you're not going to have the full park running, you shouldn't be charging people the full price for tickets! It's unfair that people who go on weekends and during the summer get to do everything the park has to offer for the same price I paiyd. On days when half the park isn't running, people should be charged less. It's a rip off! So since there wasn't much to do in the amusement park, we decided to head over to the waterpark, Carolina Harbor. As soon as we got there and changed into our bathing suits, we noticed a bunch of the attractions including the lazy river and water slides were not running. We asked one of the nearby employees and he told us they had just experienced a "power surge" and that they were currently working on getting the park back up in running, but they didn't know how long it would take... at this point I was extremely frustrated and wanted to just leave, but we had just paid $17 to rent a stupid locker, so we decided to stay a little while and see if they would start running again. We went to the wave pool and waded in the water since it was very hot, but the waves weren't on. So basically we spent $110 to do almost nothing... we were there to celebrate our anniversary and were extremely disappointed with our experience to say the least.
Winter fest was a lot of fun for kids. The park was decorated well for the holiday and there were many things for my 2 year old to do. Not all of the rides were open, but we had a great time still as a family.
Terrible lost item process. My phone came out of my pocket on the Kiddy Hawk snoopy ride. It fell into the ride enclosure and was visible to me. I spoke to one of the ride operators who told me I would have to wait till the park closed to get it. I stopped worrying about it because I could still see it and figured it would be handled properly by park employee's. Well closing time came around and Lost and Found and Guest Services had not received it yet, but said that they still needed more rides to check in with lost Items so i left contact information and went home. I log into Find My iPhone and see that it is currently in DURHAM NORTH CAROLINA. Clearly the ride operators handled the situation terribly. Either a park employee stole my phone or gave it away to somebody who just asked for it. I have left a phone on a ride in a previous visit and figured nothing like this could happen because when I asked for it back, the ride operator extensively asked me questions so that i could prove it was mine. There is no way that somebody could randomly guess my password. It is a 10 random digit code that i memorized. I also had my fingerprint set to unlock it. It is in Lost Phone mode and i called sprint so that they could Flag it. Now it's just a paperweight that the thief can get no entertainment out of but still. I had bought that phone a week ago and am now out hundreds of dollars because the staff isn't trained properly. TERRIBLE VISIT
Rides are fun, but rough!!!! They need to invest in good head rest! Food is REALLY over priced! Received 4 'meals' that consisted of burger and fries and 2 drinks. $67! Ekkkkkkkk!
It rained but they still tried to keep some rides going. I'm not a big rides person but they had other things close to the ground lol I had fun doing. I loved the water park.
Had a great time. This place is for kids and family . Plus rollercoaster is great. You can get a child ticket for less then 60$ and adult tickets are reasonable .
Im a local and I always have a blast here! Love the adrenaline rush on these rides my son loves Carowinds too. We're actually heading over there today haha
It was good. Had a good time. No issues or concerns while at the park. Come prepared for high temps, proper shoes, proper dress or you will regret it. Lot of walking! There are shaded area's! Prepare to spend at least 100-150 foe a family of 4-6 on food, snacks, and drinks throughout the day; everything is expensive at theme parks so, again, be prepared. Lots of rides for all ages, water park areas, gaming areas. You will be bored. I will say that over recent years a lot of fights have broken out with the unsupervised teens so, I don't advise going alone as a precaution and whomever you're with, keep a head count and close watch; especially a watch on the kiddies. Security enforced everywhere to make the experience a great one. The staffing is normal young and seasonal so customer service is hit or miss.
Good place to have some fun but a bit pricey on some of their ticket prices, could use some improvements on their wait times on some of the rides or at least have more fans & shade to combat the heat to compensate for the long wait time in lines
Good rides, when they work. Good price on season pass. Wish they would allow you to bring in your own food, snacks or at least your own water bottle. Or allow you to bring in food if you have dietary restrictions. Food & drink prices are ridiculous! They would get more business if they lowered food & drink prices a bit.
We bought our platinum season passes at Cedar Point in Sandusky and those passes worked here as well. We get the same perks here as well such as free parking and the meal deals. Very cool park with some great rides.
I loved visiting here with my daughter & grandson, but as a disabled person, I feel there should be more places to sit throughout the park. Other than that, I can't wait to go back and watch my folks enjoy the rides again!
I personally love this place it's always clean and the workers are super nice they have good shows to watch in the theatres sometimes also the fury is my favorite ride the lines to the rides gets you onto the ride in less than 45 min sometimes way better than 1-2 hr waits .. I get a season pass every year and I enjoy going with my friends you can also get a food and drink pass on your season pass it's way way cheaper than paying everytime you go!!
I went to Carowinds with 3 of my friends and another girl that I didn t really know. The day was ok I guess but only being there 4 hours the other girl (Noelle) felt sick. SHE DIDNT EVEN RIDE ANY RIDES!!!!! The air quality must have been EXTREMELY SICKENING!!!!!!! I am VERY disappointed with the service at this park. I wouldn t even recommend this park to my greatest enemy!!!!!!!
TLDR: Carowinds is a great theme park for thrill rides, people on a budget, and regional residents. If it's more than a couple hours drive and you have the money though, go to Orlando.
Full Review: My family and I purchased 2019 season passes and have visited the park multiple times with our 2 sons, ages 6 and 12.
The best thing would definitely be the thrill rides, The Intimidator and The Fury 325 being the best. There are even a couple kiddie roller coasters, The Woodstock Express and Kiddy Hawk, that my 6 year old loves.
Dining is like any theme park, limited choices, poor quality, and over priced. One unique perk that helps on most days though, there is a Chick-fil-a in the park.
The biggest issue I see is the park is not run in a very efficient manner and it appears to mainly be from poor training. Although I have not experienced anything I viewed as dangerous, it is concerning the staff seem to be sub par or just lack adequate training. Many times popular rides run with empty seats, something that makes lines move slower yet could easily be prevented by properly loading the ride completely. I also have witnessed popular rides being closed for maintenance more than I am used to compared to parks like Disney or Universal.
Another issue, the parks are not open year round, they have seasons, some of which they close for entirely or have limited operating days. This wouldn't be so bad if maintenance was done during these times and rides were running at full capacity when open but it doesn't seem to be the case.
A big positive though is definitely pricing. Compared to Universal and Disney, Carowinds is a steal. Season passes are dirt cheap and there are certain times of the year when day passes are unbelievably cheap as well.
Wish we got there earlier, but the rides (we actually got to try) were great! Especially Nighthawk, if you're only there for one day, get the fast pass just for that
Winterfest review for Carowinds. If you do not have a season pass be prepared to pay $20 for parking. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate, however, either way you will be charged a processing fee in addition to your ticket price. The rides are very limited, no rollercoasters were open to ride. Very few rides were open, except in the kids land. Ice skating is available as well as horse and carriage ride. Extra costs. Food also is very expensive. $14.99 for 4 sugar cookies to decorate. Beautiful lights and decorations. Different singers/shows all over the park.
This is a great place to spend time with or without kids! My husband and I went and spent the day, I think the hottest day of the summer yet! The staff was very nice! At one point, we were looking for a certain shop and a staff member stopped what she was doing and walked us to the other side of the park to show us where we needed to go! Thanks so much!!
Periodically over the intercom, it was announced that they care about people's health and well being that they provided free water to everyone, to please stay hydrated! I know they lost a lot of money that day, but they gained my respect for caring about others!
Horrible experience... went to Charlotte on vacation and hadn't been to an amusement park in 35 years so Carowinds it was. It cost $150 for me and my fiance on a daily pass and I got screwed. Most of the good waterslides and one of the wavepools was closed due to short staff. Had I known that, I would not have bought a coupke tickets to get in. Also the lines were so long and the one wavepool was so crowded you were bumping arms at every turn. I know this was due to short staffing. Not happy at all. Amusement side was no better. Just one big disappointment and I feel like I was a mark and they got me... Never again...
Loved this place when I was a kid. Used to go every summer with my Daycare. 20 years later, and its still a pretty fun park. Its not Disney or Universal, but it has its charms.
Buy the fast pass. No waiting in lines. We ride every ride we wanted to, some multiple times. Probably the best amusement park experience we have ever had.
Can you get a better day with friends and family?? This place is always a go to for Charlotte visits. The maps provided make it easy to navigate and find any ride or concessions, restaurants or bathrooms. They have an entire park dedicated just to water rides and slides. Both parks have an entire section for children so any age can have fun riding rides.
I love this place. Carowinds has literally just about everything you want. From plays, roller coasters, waterslides, and arcades. This is an amazing place to bring your family.
A lot if rides we're not opened, due to some operators being in school!! Finally they started to arrive, some tides did open but not all rides unfortunately they took rip roaring rapids out very disappointed was a family tradition to do that every year!!!
I love the roller coasters here. However, this park isn't worth the price in my opinion. Small, a little ratchet and expensive(but in a bad way). I had fun for the day I went but was disappointed in how small the park really was, lack of other styles of rides and the food wasnt that great. It's not a bad theme park but I can have fun elsewhere and at least feel like I get my money's worth.
Had a blast, got the fast pass, and the thing where you can eat like every two hours or something, tried Panda Express one of those times, I didn t like it.. It was fun though.
P.S. Don t have metal on your bathing suit or you can t go down a few of the rides! It s a safety thing.
I ve been to carowinds multiple times and it s always a nice experience! The ride operators and anybody else around the park are always willing to help out anybody in need of assistance. The waits for the rides can get long and unbearable during the summer months so going earlier in the morning guarantees a short wait and the ability to get on more rides.
So I have a platinum pass for all cedar fair parks. Fury 325 is an amazing coaster I rank it as #1 on my list in a tie with top thrill at cedar point this park is under rated and deserves 10 stars great selection of kids rides as well as adult rides. Second only to cedar point in number of coasters. I was amazed at how fast the lines were and how good the coasters were. I'll be back there before the end of the season
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