A Visit to Carowinds, Part One

I was able to spend the day at Carowinds a little while ago. It had been a long time since I had the chance to visit the park and I wanted to see how it's changed over the past few years. Also, I wondered how I would look at the park from the standpoint of a Disney historian and theme park nerd.

Carowinds opened in March, 1973 and was the brainchild of Charlotte entrepreneur E. Pat Hall. He'd visited Disneyland in the early years and felt that a similar park would do well near Charlotte, NC. One of the unique features of Carowinds is that it does straddle two states. Carowinds is now a Cedar Fair park, along with King's Dominion, King's Island, Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm. Carowinds also has the reputation of being more of an amusement park offering more coaster experiences than story-based attractions like at Disney parks.

E. Pat Hall

1921-1978

An entrepreneur extraordinaire, E. Pat Hall conceived and built Carowinds for the enjoyment of millions of Carolinians, because of his determination to make a reality what most people only dream of, the Carolinas are a far better place to live. Carowinds, which opened in March 1973, is dedicated to the creed he lived by: No idea is too bold; no challenge to great.

Sadly, the flowers and plaque are rarely seen by guests since the entrance from the parking lot skirts the Carowinds flower planting. This could be a really great photo op if more people had a chance to see it!

Parking was rather straight forward; the parking area is large and curves around the South Carolina side of the park. If the South Gate isn't open and you show up late morning, then you're going to have quite a walk. We were there early enough to only have a few minutes walk to reach the gate. Outside food isn't permitted, so paying for the parking near the gate could be helpful if you're going to grab food outside or if you need to return to your vehicle multiple times a day.

2014 daily parking rates are $15.00 for general parking and $25.00 for preferred parking.

The toll plaza seen from the Carowinds planter.

You can see the outlines of several of the coasters as you approach the ticket booths.

The best parking for the North Gate is directly to the left of the toll plaza. You still need to drive all the way around the parking lot to access it.

Several ticket booths are open to handle the crowd. It can be crowded first thing but you can buy your tickets online to save some time and money.

There were a few strategically placed Snoopys throughout the entry plaza and inside the gate to make sure your little one does (or doesn't) meet the height requirement of certain rides. You can see the Rider Height & Safety Guide, here.

I didn't get a chance to check out the Dinosaurs Alive attraction in the park. There was a separate admission fee for it, even though it was inside the park.

Outside food isn't permitted. According to Carowinds' web site, over 30 restaurant and food vendors are located inside the park. This will be an issue later on in the day when I look at the food.

Admission prices are much less than those at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, but that shouldn't be surprising since it is a regional park and offers a different experience.

As you approach the entrance, you'll notice that it's dwarfed by the security gates. These gates were very similar to the ones that you'd find a few years ago at most airports. I only had my camera with me, but I still had to take out my keys and change before I passed through the metal detectors. I'm assuming that a backpack would be more thoroughly searched, especially for food.

Sadly, a lot of the more interesting architectural details are hidden by the security gates. It does have a great entrance effect, though. Once you walk through the building, your view is restricted until you pass through, similar to the train station at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.

Admission Services is located to the right of the admission gate. It took us about 15 minutes to get through the line. This is where you'll go to pick up Will Call tickets or to get online tickets that you couldn't print. 

Carowinds is a partner in the IAAPA World Passport for Kids and the amazing Give Kids the World Village. It made me smile to see this. 

The backside of the entrance building!

A view into the park.

The fountain at the entrance plaza.

Another shot of the entrance plaza and fountain.

You can straddle two states in one amusement park!

Ride Smart...Ride Safe
I didn't notice this until I left, but it was an easy way to have your child pre-measured for the various rides and attractions in the park. I'm pretty sure that your child can get a color-coded wrist band, but I can't find any mention of it online.

I'm not sure Snoopy can ride many of the roller coasters!

Obviously, we hit the restrooms, first!

There were some upcharges available in the park (you can also buy them online). The Carowinds Dining Plan costs $29.99 per person and it allows you to get one full meal every 90 minutes. When we were in the park, most counter-service meals were $14.99 per person. After two meals, you've met the dining plan cost. Granted, outfitting a family of four is quite a hefty price tag.

Fast Lane is similar to Fast Pass, except there is an additional charge for the program. There's the Fast Lane and the Fast Lane Plus.

Fast Lane
RIDE MORE. WAIT LESS!
Make the most of your day with a Fast Lane wristband that allows you to bypass the regular lines on 12 rides and attractions including Afterburn, Carolina Cobra, and more. Ride as many times as you want all day long.

Fast Lane Plus
FOR THE ULTIMATE CAROWINDS EXPERIENCE!
Upgrade to FAST LANE PLUS. Enjoy all of the Fast Lane attractions PLUS, unlimited rides on Intimidator and Nighthawk! A very limited number are available each day so buy yours today!

Is it worth it? It really depends on what you're after and how crowded the park is going to be. Even within the first hour of our visit, Nighthawk was already a 45+ minute wait. Still, you're adding $35.00 to $50.00 per ticket to enjoy the Fast Lane. If I only had one day to visit and it was a crowded weekend day, then I might consider it.

Up next...COASTERS!

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Have you had the chance to visit Carowinds?

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You know that I've got to recommend a book whenever I can! Carowinds by Scott Rutherford is a great look back at the first 40 years of the Carolina amusement park.  

Review: Decal Girl iPhone 5S and 5C Cases

I've been receiving product press releases from Decal Girl for a long time, but never really looked into them . I assumed they were just selling skins for smart phones and tablets. I finally took a look at their site and was surprised to see different types of smart phone cases, as well!

I emailed the contact about getting review cases and all we had to do was pick out the type of case and the design.

My eleven year-old son has an iPhone 5C and I have the iPhone 5S. With an expensive smart phone, you want to have some protection and I almost always buy an Otterbox. I always go with a case that has a rubber shell and a hard plastic case combined. I've had too many friends that just bought the hard case and they end up with a cracked screen.

I knew we needed to have the maximum protection available and the Bumper Case sounded perfect.

A perfect blend of exceptional protection and style - their dual layer design provides double the protection.

• Superior impact and abrasion protection
• Rich, glossy clear-coat finish
• Innovative two piece construction
• TPU base layer with a high-impact shell
• Infused with Chroma Plus™ ultra vibrant inks

They offer quite a few Disney-related and licensed designs, so picking out the cover was harder than it looked! The current lineup, includes: Villains, Frozen; Mickey & Friends; Disney Princesses; Wreck-It-Ralph, Tron: Legacy; Pirates of the Caribbean; Planes; Cars; Muppets; Bambi; Winnie the Pooh; Monsters University; Lion King; and Phineas and Ferb!

I went with a simple Mickey while my son chose the light cycle from Tron: Legacy.

Once we'd ordered the cases arrived in less than five days. The packaging was pretty simple and included easy-to-follow directions. I had both of our phones in their new cases within a few minutes.

You can see the two pieces that make up the bumper case: a rubbery inside case and a hard-shell plastic case (the inside of this case was white). It only took a few moments to have the case installed on the iPhone, compared to the several moments for the Otterbox.

The cases fit together perfectly and I dry-fit them first with no issues. The protection seemed rather solid once I put the cases on both of our iPhones. The biggest question is whether the cases would hold up after a few weeks and if they would protect our iPhones.

I have to admit that I was pretty surprised by how much protection it felt like I had for the phone. I'm used to Otterboxes which come with a grippier outer case while the Decal Girl cases were hard plastic. It took a few days to get used to how the case felt in my hands, but it never felt awkward. The volume and power buttons were easy to access and never felt hindered by the case. The cutout for the camera and flash never interfered with any shots or the flash. 

Even after a few weeks, the cases held up extremely well and there's been no discernible damage to either my iPhone 5S or my son's iPhone 5C. Both phones were protected after several drops on different surfaces.

I'm very happy with the case wouldn't hesitate to purchase another design or get a custom design made.

I posted the photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and was surprised at how many of my friends thought the Tron: Legacy case was pretty spectacular. My son's friends liked the case design and the case protected his iPhone when multiple kids were wanting to play games and handing it off to each other.

Be sure to visit Decal Girl and get yourself a new case, today!

Tarzan, Hercules, Bedknobs And Broomsticks, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, & The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad

A massive Blu-ray release from Walt Disney Studios is coming on August 12, 2014: Tarzan; Hercules; Bedknobs And Broomsticks; Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers; & The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad. All five of these animated films are being released to Blu-ray for the first time.

Which one is your favorite?

• The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad

• Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers

• Tarzan

• Hercules

• Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Which one of these films is your favorite? Which is a must have?

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Spoiler Free Guardians of the Galaxy Review

We saw a regular showing of Guardians of the Galaxy Saturday afternoon. I've stayed away from most reviews and websites in order not to learn anything that could ruin the film. So, no spoilers here!

The short review: we loved it and left the theater really excited.

The theater was at least 80% full, which was a great sign. I'd always heard that films released in August and February were expected to not do well, so I wondered why this film was being released so late in the summer. Talking to some friends, we agreed that there hadn't been any releases this summer that we were excited about until this film. From the trailers, it looked like it was going to be a light and funny romp with a side-crew, so to speak, of the Marvel/Avengers universe. Chris Pratt's character on Parks and Recreation is a charming bumbler and I assumed his portrayal in Guardians would be similar.

A co-worker and I have been talking about this movie for a while and we both assumed it would be a comedy in the midst of the darker Thor and Captain America films. Sort of like a palate cleanser. I was extremely surprised by the depth of the stories and the development of the characters.

Groot was an amazing character. Probably Vin Diesel's best role since portraying the Iron Giant.

As in the other Marvel films, the special effects were top notch. There wasn't a single moment in this film that wasn't photo-realistic and completely believable. The movie never slowed it's pace and offered great one-liners and dialog between the characters. Although parts could be seen as a little formulaic, it was still an incredible ride that had the audience laughing in all of the right places and glued to their seats for most of the film.

If I have one complaint about the movie, it's that it was simply too dark and most of the space scenes were very dark and seemed almost monotone. A major fight scene was so dark that I had problems keeping up with the action.

Guardians of the Galaxy is as violent as the other Marvel films of late. It's not a bad thing, but it felt like it was marketed more as a comedy and anyone not prepared might be thrown off a bit. 

One thing that surprised my wife and myself has been the high caliber of talent that has shown up in the most recent films. Glenn Close and Robert Redford brought a certain decorum to the films. John Reilly brought a wonderfully comedic role to the screen that could have been a simple throw away part. Of course, I was wondering how Amy Pond, er, Karen Gillan would show up in the movie. A far cry from her role in Doctor Who, Karen showed that she can be a bit more forceful and action-oriented. And a lot more blue.

I'm blue da ba dee da ba die...

We left the theater pretty excited and talking about the next film and how the story line might proceed. The eleven year-old thought it was spectacular. I have to agree. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

But, there's no real need to stay till the end of the credits. Usually, you get a teasing glance at the next film, but this seemed more like a straight comedy bit. Although, there's really no telling!

Review: Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United on Disney Movies Anyhwere

I've never used the Disney Movies Anywhere program that was released earlier this year. We don't own an iPad or Apple TV, so it seemed like it would be more of a hassle hooking up my laptop to the main television when we usually had the Blu-ray release of most films. When I was offered a review code for the new Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United on Disney Movies Anywhere, I decided to give it a try.

Redeeming the code was simple at DisneyMoviesAnywhere.com. Once I logged in, I was asked if I wanted to connect my iTunes account and get a free digital copy of The Incredibles (my favorite Pixar film). I did and I realized that being able to stream from an iOS device might be the easiest way to go, since Disney Movies Anywhere isn't available on the Xbox 360 or the Roku.

The most interesting aspect of the Disney Movies Anywhere was that every movie we received over the past two years had a Disney Rewards card. Most of the recent releases also had a free digital copy that was now stored at Disney Movies Anywhere! We had access to over 30 movies.

Ok, on with the review of Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United!

In Marvel’s “Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United,” Iron Man and Captain America battle to keep the Red Skull and his triggerman, Taskmaster, from unleashing an army of Hydra Brutes on the world! With Iron Man's intellect and Cap's combat training, the two born leaders must learn to work together and appreciate each other's skills in order to save the world from the evil throes of Hydra. All the fun of the Iron Man-Hulk dynamic from the first “Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United,” is matched here with the rapport between Captain America and Iron Man. With surprising twists and a surprise appearance by one of your favorite Marvel Super Heroes, this action packed feature highlights two of the mightiest Avengers as they take down the vicious Red Skull and deadly Taskmaster!

I wasn't a big fan of the first release in the series, Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United, but my eleven year-old was very excited about this, so I moved the laptop to the big TV and hooked it up. It was easy to login and get the movie streaming. 

After viewing the film (it clocks in at over an hour), I was surprised to discover that it was a fairly sophisticated story with good voice acting. The animation was a little choppy when there were close-ups on the characters' faces but the action scenes were very smooth. The film takes place in modern times and could be confusing to those who've only followed the latest cinematic releases. Yes, the Red Skull is in this episode so you have to remind yourself that it's part of it's own universe, so to speak. My wife did have a few questions about continuity until I reminded her that this was a different timeline, so to speak.

But who cares what I thought about the film, really. It's all about my eleven year-old. Put it this way: he's watched it three times this week and would love to see more of them! His two favorite characters are Iron Man and Captain America, so this film is perfect for him. He thought the characters were great and the it was fun to watch the Taskmaster in action. As he put it, "The movie was awesome!"

He thought the very last battle with Captain America in a very special suit was spectacular.

Obviously, if you're a fan of Marvel, especially the Avengers, then this is a great title to add to your collection, except it is only in digital format. If you don't use Disney Movies Anywhere, you can rent it or purchase it from Amazon.

But if you happen to have a super hero freak living in your house with his/her own iPad, iPod or iPhone, then they can enjoy Iron Man & Captain America: Heroes United anytime!