Carrowinds Amusement Park of the Carolinas Reviews

Amazing park. Good amount of stuff for little kids also. Fury 325 and intimidator seats are based on thigh size so bigger legged people might have issues getting in

Rides are good but poorly maintained. Four rides were down when I visited.

Amazing time with my kiddo.. pack for inside of park lightly and where comfortable shoes. Travel to and fro comfortably. And everyone having fun.

Each member of my family has a park pass and it s been nice to enjoy the park this way. The app for ride times in the park is not always accurate, so don t believe that completely.

Beautiful place!! Worth the time going there. the rides are awesome

One of the Charlotte area's best and most fun attractions...hands down!!!

I love the rides but it's really only worth it if you get the fast pass. Most of the lines you have to wait over an hour.

We love going here, but wish they didn't allow smoking inside the park. My daughter and I both are allergic to cigarette smoke. When we get around it we both start itching, coughing and it gets hard to breath. Last night we went to Scarowinds and because of all the smoke we both gave had migraines all day that have left us feeling extremely ill. I know there are smoking areas but the last few times we have gone people are just smoking throughout the park and in the ride lines. Something needs to be changed here.

Winterfest was so much fun! Looking forward to summer!!

Left the park immediately after the fireworks display (just before 10:00.) Was stuck in our car in the parking lot until just after 12:00. No explanation as to why everyone was penned up for 2 hours when trying to leave. There was no one to direct traffic out smoothly until we were nearly AT the only available exit anyway. The fireworks display was nice, but the inexcusable delay in trying to leave made it not worth it.

Great experience for a day with the family. Inside food and beverage prices are out of this world. It's one thing to charge a bit higher for park prices but 11 dollar funnel cakes 2 -16 oz. Screw top drinks for 6.50. Chick fil a was 53 dollars for 3 people. That's a drink 8 piece nugget and fries a piece. Let's get real Carowinds.

Love their free military admission tickets. Their food selection is great and their rides are excellent! My only complaint was the customer service at the ticket booth wasn't the best. Other than that, its a great place to take your family and spend the day!

Was having a great time until I tried to ride the new coaster Copperhead Trail with a pair of friends. While trying to get on the ride, I was told that I was either required to rent a locker or wait. This would be fine if they didn t offer a location to hold your bag on every other ride. The park seems to just be geared towards making sure you spend as much money as humanly possible while there. In all honesty, I m surprised it doesn t cost money to use a restroom. Feels crazy that I have to spend $40 for a ticket to then immediately have to spend $60 to actually access and spend the day at the park. I figure this is due to my inexperience with amusement parks, but it s appauling how much in hidden cost there is.

Went on the bmw family day, lines weren't horrible.

I love this place! They have great rides for all ages. They have a spot for little kids, and they have rides for older ones. Only gave 4 stars because, the food is pricey. Otherwise, great amusement park, just high prices for drinks and snacks.

There was just a fight tonight at scarowinds and someone pulled a gun and when we ran to leave someone almost ran us over the first time I came here I was 5 and everything was normal now I m 13 and this place has changed and when I mean change I mean as in a bad way it s horrible that the people working there don t even care about the metal detector if it beeps they let you through I don t understand why the world is like this there s literally no way to have everything normal without these things happening my little brother was there what if he got shot ,these are the type of things that people need to be more aware of. I rest my damn case

It's so amazing and fun and it has a water park and a theme park it's so amazing

Always have fun with the family here! And I finally got my daughter on the drop zone and the afterburn.. she's never been on a rollercoaster and she's 9. Proud dad here!

Ever since the company, Cedar Fair Amusement Parks, that owns the great Cedar Point in Ohio, bought Carowinds.... this park has blossomed into one of the best parks in the country.... the was the best thing that could have happened to Carowinds... I love going there now! The coasters get better and better! Keep it up Cedar Fair, and thanks!

Over crowded lones where long but other than that a great place to have a fun time with the family

Love the camp snoopy part. Me and my younger cousins and niece love meeting the peanuts gang. It is also fun around harvest time!

Best roller coasters I've ridden in awhile. Rides are well-kept, clean, and very thrilling. Lots of eatery choices too

What a beautiful display of lights, music and costumes. The parade was so fun and the singing was great. Even eating dinner we had a show and it kept everyone entertained.

Really cool park with rides for everyone, lines can get to be pretty long and it can get hot but if you get hot you can swim in the pool so it works out.

Had a great time. Just walked RT up to the rides. Some of them we rode 2x. Very helpful staff. Food was good as well!

Wanted to take the nieces to Carowinds for the first time. Bought tickets online and tried to get a refund (2 weeks ahead of scheduled trip) due to the nieces getting sick with mononucleosis. Carowinds refused to understand our situation and refused to refund our money. Told us we have 4 months to use the tickets but will have to pay an up-charge fee for each ticket at the door. I explained that mono can last for much longer than 4 months and they didn t care. They couldn t tell me what the up-charge would be because it depends on what they are selling the tickets for that day. Bottom line, they don t care about the customer- they only care about their bottom line and profits. I get a business needs to make money, but I work hard and need to value my money and will spend it elsewhere - with businesses who appreciate their customers, do the right thing, and realize that happy customers return.

Much nicer and cleaner than it used to be. There seems to no longer be a stench in the air like there was a few years back. The food was good and staff was nice.

My family always has a great time here! The rides were awesome, the lines were not bad at all, and the park was very clean. I would advise purchasing the refillable drink cup, it is well worth the price considering the hot temps.

Horrible dining plans. Included meals are smaller and cheaper sizes, not the regular sizes.

2 great rides for the thrill seekers - Fury 325 & The Intimidator. (Ripcord & Slingshot don't count because they're an additional $25 for each ride) The new coaster Copperhead Strike was kind of a letdown but it was still ok. I wish they had rebuilt a new version of Thunder Road that used to have 2 coasters riding parallel to each other. The older Afterburner is still hangin in there - other coasters need to be retired (especially The Vortex because they're outdated and either assault you or bore you. Try to eat before you go in because avg price for a simple combo is $15 per person...bottle of water is $4. Fun can be had but be prepared to pay dearly for it - and make sure you wear good walking shoes

There is no shade here so wear a hat or bring an umbrella because you will BAKE if it is over 80 degrees. I have been here several times now and that remains my biggest issue. Also the coasters do not accommodate larger rides but that is another issue. I will say we really enjoyed the Plants vs Zombies interactive attraction, it's unique and not something I see in every park. I hope it stays awhile. The new area of the park did not impress me, I hope they were not done with it yet but the music express ride had some theming then the whole part of the front was white. Again hope it wasn't done yet... I was happy to find a shirt for Thunder Road, in 2XL. So unlike many other Cedar Fair parks, they DO carry merchandise for larger people. We only stayed a few hours mostly due to the heat (Easter weekend) but they made money off me by having my size shirt. Thanks for that!

I visited Carowinds a few months ago, but I say that it was terrific! even better than kings dominion! all the rides were great, I also got an airbrush art hat for a souvenir. the fury325 was one of the best rides I have ever been on!

Great place to spend a day with your friends or family! Perhaps if you're a person who loves amusement park then I would suggest for a 2 days pass because you can't cover everything in a day! It's huge and there are too many attractions to cover on one day.

Roller coasters are exceptional. Especially After Burn and Fury 325.

My opinion is that it s better than Disney because there s rides for everyone. If you want big rides there are rides like the fury than there s snoppy land but I don t think it s called that anymore. I could honestly live there everyday and I would go everyday if I didn t overheat. My experience we could just walk right on to the ride or there s like a 5-10 minutes wait. For night hawk, it s a little longer of a wait like 30/40 minutes or so. I really recommend going if you haven t been or if your visiting.

Best place to take the family! Especially when the waterpark is open. Best thing to do is get season passes, and a meal plan.

Went to scarowinds last night was really anything but long lines. The actors were boring as they could have possibly been, the lines to everything were insanely long,and it was a complete waste of over 100 dollars

1) employees talking about other guest as they were checking our seat belts.

2) I paid for the Freight passes ($160), but they were letting so many people in at once that nothing was scary because you could see the actors jumping out at the people in front of you.

3) I saw more of the actors talking to each other in the scare zones than trying to scare guest. We walked the park four times and not one time did an actor try and scare us.

4) Park needs a LOT of renovations. It is very outdated.

5) Paid $10 for a funnel cake that could have chipped my teeth. It was horrible and I threw it in the trash. Food is extremely over priced for the quality.

6) When we returned Sunday half the roller coasters were not running.

7) Staff was less than polite and everyone looked like they hated their jobs.

For the money I have spent on season tickets and freight lane passes I expected more. I'm definitely having buyers remorse.

It was very fun and entertaining! The rides we're awesome and safety of passengers was taken very seriously. Very Fun!!!

Our first visit to the park.very clean and well ran. It was a very hot day so we did not stay all day. Plenty of rides for kids, teens and young adults. Great coaster rides covered the park which also includes admission to the water park. My main two complaints was not enough cooling stations or much to do for over 50 crowds.

Amazing theme park I love the rollercoaster the staff are great and friendly. It's a must if you rollercoasters. And if you visit during Winterfest you won t be disappointed because there are lights everywhere and the music and shows are fun

Rides are fun.. by far one of the most expensive parks for food vending though. Pack a picnic, and get your hand stamped.

First time I've been since 2002. Our group got there around 10:30 and we stayed until almost 7. Didn't have any issues with parking or anything else for that matter. The rides were a lot of fun, and the lines never seemed to take any longer than 15mins to get through. I would recommend taking a cooler for drinks and snacks to keep in the car unless you want to pay an arm and leg to eat inside the park, but that's expected. Overall we had an amazing time.

So much fun! Winterfest was just wonderful. The lights were beautiful. The parade was a blast. Can't wait to go again!

Okay lines way too long. Need the same setup as Disney or Universal to avoid dying in line. Great roller coasters tho

Carowinds added quite a few rides for smaller kids this year - which, overall, is a great improvement to the park. Kids area is now Camp Snoopy and has been improved in appearance and quantity of rides. Be aware though - the Carowinds app hasn t been updated yet with the new rides. Carousel has been relocated to area close to the Fury.

My favorite three rides are the Fury, the Intimidator, and the Southern Star. Fury is simply an AWESOME roller coaster. The first hill is 325 ft off the ground - the view is incredible but a little scary if you don t like heights. Lines can be pretty long. The Intimidator is also incredibly fun, and the line moves fast as they have 4 Cars running usually. The southern star is older, but so much fun and lines don t get too long there. The Afterburn is a pretty awesome roller coaster too.

Carolina Harbor is a really fun water park, and the water seems to be kept pretty clean. You could spend a whole day in there and not even go to where the other rides are.

For food, Harmony Hall is my favorite. The selection is huge, food is very good, lots of seating, and there s often music videos playing on a huge screen. It s expensive though - as are all good options at Carowinds.

Best parking is by the Southern Gate (there are two entrances) - usually fewer cars here, and shorter lines. That gate is typically open only on the weekends, I think.

Carowinds has improved greatly since acquired by Cedar Fair 12 years ago. Seems there are major additions and improvements made every year. I get season passes every year, and they re well worth it as often as we go. I really love this park...it s awesome!

Beautiful decorations & lights, as well as various characters & entertainers all around the park! Plenty of rides operating, & Christmas music to enjoy!

Went for Scarowinds and had an extraordinary time! Everything was so well themed, and there was more than enough to do! The only critique I would have was for the Nighthawk ride. It ceased operation twice while there, and costed everybody in line 20-30 minutes both times just to reopen once a new line formed. That was truly the only disappointment. Such a wonderful experience overall!

Although it's fun amusement park, the management isn't great. It would be so much better if they staffed well and managed better so the lines would not be crazy and half of them wouldn't be closed.

Was a real fun time, just wish the coasters were a bit less expensive.

It was great but some of the rides wore kinda rough manley the wooden rides and some of the metal ones but the other wore good the water park was great the slides wore fun but some hurt your back when going down them the wave pool but you have to wait five minutes and then five minutes of waves great for kids and adults

We come here almost every summer and it s so much fun. My son absolutely loves the rides

Need some air flowing somewhere and more awnings for shade. I know it's a park but dam.

The park is great during the week, with short or no lines for the rides. Skip the water park. Its just too crowded. While we were there on a Monday, they closed the wave pool twice due to a "Baby Ruth" sighting.

i see people that complain about high drinks and food prices. here's a solution. if you only go once or twice buy a all day food plan for under 35.00 that's up to 8 meals per day, buy a collector's cup for under 20 dollars that gets free refills the day of purchase and 1.00 refills after. season pass holders can get the all season food and drink plan. i get every plan and pass on payment plan.

I enjoyed Carrowinds the only ride I didn't like Vortex it was not enjoyable and slams your head from side to side into padding. This for me was not enough causing pain. The only other thing was the the bungie ride not worth an extra 25 per person. It was ok but should be included with park admission. I did know that is was $25 before riding so your mileage may very. Over all had fun with my kid and the heat was not over whelming.

The lazy river was closed again. And the volunteers they have work there are very rude.

We love where the Carolinas come together looking forward to returning in the near future

Where to start? The entrance... 6 lanes of complete anarchy, and last minute merging without clear signage as you're waiting in LITERALLY a half mile long line to get the privilege to pay like $15 for unsecure Parking. Let's not forget the "drop off lane" where people pass the line, and park their cars with the busses, or simply drive over the sidewalk to the regular parking area. Then we get to the line to pay almost $70 each to get in. What a joy to wait half an hour to pay again. But I could buy online and it would "slash" the price by $11... so, an hr after hitting the road to drive up, we're in for nearly $225 and have just now stepped the first foot in the park. But, it got better, 20+ minute waits for each ride, as people who paid even more to "skip the lines" take priority. Then there's the food and drink prices... thanks for reminding why I don't go to amusement parks.

Me and my daughter lost our seats on two different rides because of the incompetence of the employees. It's absolutely unbelievable how unprofessional the staff is at this park! We will be going to Six Flags from here on out!

A season pass with a meal plan is very expensive and when you ask for a to go container to carry your food home at the harmony hall or any other restaurant in the park, that you paid for it shouldn't be a problem. Especially because the food is over priced anyway. Than we ask ask to speak to a supervisor you get the three stoogies. All coming up with different excuses that make no sense. Than to suggest I buy a salad and throw it out and than I'll have a container. Calling corporate 1st thing tomorrow.

Enjoyed the park but still haven't been able to download the picture I purchase for $17 of my family together. Called support and it was useless. The hours are not flexible for the customer care are not flexible for working people and they open and close while I'm at work. Out of $17!! Rip off. I want my picture or my money back.

Fun but they close the water park down way to early in the day.

The rides are pretty fun. Its packed as expected. Sadly they don't have a ton of kid coasters.

We had an awesome time. Very hot but park was giving away small cups of water to keep hydrated. First time I have been and brought my 3 grand kids who had never been. They loved it! Just wish it wasn't so expensive. I'm a single grandmother low income but I saved and it was worth it. They had a blast! Could only afford 2 day pass but it again it was awesome!!

As usual the rides are fun and the lines are not longer than should be expected at a theme park. I find that Carowinds has done a great job improving the experience with the new coasters. In addition to the new coasters the value offered by a gold pass is near unbeatable and with a drink plan added on a gold pass the value provided is even greater. I recommend the purchase of a gold pass and frequent visits to the park in order to reap the true value that Carowinds has to offer.

Such a fun park! Rollercoasters, waterparks, and seasonal events such as scarowinds!

Closed early bc they weren't making enough money... Didn't care about the ones that had already bought tickets.

It was awesome like always, nothing I can think of to try and fix, at least nothing within the power of the employees. Always fun for the entire family. Really enjoyed the Dinosaur Alive walk through!

This amusement park gets bigger and better every year. In the last 2-3 years, they've added to incredible coasters and expanded the water park. They've also added a Christmas Winter Fest to compliment their October Scarowinds. Fun for all ages.

Awsome place has a water park, a ton of roller coasters. And tons of family filled fun!

My family and I had a blast all day long. The lines were short for wait time to ride rides. In my opinion going on a Monday was the best day we could've possibly picked!

I love the rides and the water park at Carowinds. If you are stopping through Charlotte on a day trip or have out of town friends visiting this is a great way to spend a day out.