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.  

Press Release: Carowinds In Bloom

Carowinds has some pretty cool stuff planned for this spring and summer. The Carowinds In Bloom is a new week-long festival set to debut on April 11. It looks like it's a not to be missed event!

Charlotte, NC- Carowinds debuts a new festival this year featuring food, thousands of flowers, bluegrass, and special activities for kids. “Carowinds In Bloom” takes place in the Carolina Showplace area of the park from April 11-20. Admission to the festival is included with park admission.

“It’s been a cold winter we‘re ready to celebrate Spring and what better way to do that than with the music, flowers, food, wine and craft beer of the Carolinas. All that plus our coasters and other attractions our guests will have so much to enjoy, “said Bart Kinzel, Carowinds general manager, adding “we look forward to making “In Bloom” an annual event.”

Carowinds In Bloom Special Events 

• Topiary Tasting Garden - A Taste of the Carolinas- Sample some of the areas finest craft brews, in the topiary tasting garden. Sunshine, open air, and a beverage handcrafted in the Carolinas, there’s no better way to enjoy Spring. 
• Johnson and Wales Cooking Demonstrations- Culinary masters from Charlotte's own Johnson and Wales University impress and educate during daily cooking demonstrations. 
• West End String Band- What's a Spring festival without some good, toe-tapping' bluegrass? The West End String Band is sure to capture your heart, put a smile on your face, and get you moving with just a little bit more of a spring in your step! 
• Kids Flower Planting Zone- Sponsored by Home Depot, The Kids Flower Planting Zone captures the essence of Spring getting your hands into the dirt to help make the world a little prettier. The Planting Zone will also feature a Kids Scavenger Hunt with great prizes from The Home Depot. Come on kids let’s get to work and have some Spring fun! 
• A Never-ending Shower of Spring Celebrations- With a steady stream of springtime celebrities - like the Easter Bunny and Snoopy, the Easter Beagle - along with jugglers, acrobats, magicians and more, the fun will never stop. Kids can also create Spring magic at the Easter Coloring Wall and the Easter Basket Creation Station. 

There's a little something for everyone this year at Carowinds In Bloom!

https://www.carowinds.com/

In My Backyard: Mr. Barbecue Review

I know, there's no obvious Disney connection and there won't be. Just wanted to highlight some things that are closer to home, so to speak, and I'll be using the In My Backyard tag. So, if you do find yourself near the Piedmont, Triad area of North Carolina, give me a shout out and maybe we can have a Disney meetup.

After almost 30 years, we decided to try Mr. Barbecue in Winston-Salem. This local eatery has been in business since 1962. The restaurant is actually called Mr. Barbecue and Miss Fried Chicken and there are always cars parked out front. Honestly, I've never stopped by simply because we're always heading somewhere else. With the fifteen year-old's growing obsession with pulled pork barbecue, I wanted to try it out.

There's ample parking that should more than cover the inside seating. I imagine that if the parking lot is full, your best option is takeout. You know it's going to be good if you can smell the barbecue smoke from the parking lot.

You order at the counter which is soon as you enter the door. During peak times, especially during our Saturday lunch, there was a small crowd of people waiting by the doors to order. The menu is pretty simple; you can use the order board of a paper menu. Once you place your order, it's called into the back and you pay. The cashier advised my family to sit at a booth while I waited for the food which came relatively quick. My wife and youngest son ordered a hot dog (with chili and cheese) and a cheeseburger, respectively. It did take longer for their food to be prepared.

There are two seating areas (not including the outdoor dining) and it felt like Mr. Barbeque could hold about 60 people. There are booths and tables with a mixture of two- and four-people seating. It seemed like the restaurant had been updated within the past ten years.

I ordered the chopped plate (usually, I will get the tray since it's less food and more manageable) which comes with BBQ slaw, fries and hushpuppies. I substituted green beans for fries. When my ordered was ready, I noticed that I was missing the barbecue slaw and I had fries. The hostess was very apologetic and ordered slaw for me immediately. It was ready very quickly and she didn't charge me for the accident.

It's a bit browner than I'm used to for Lexington Style (I'm also very partial to Eastern Style) so I was a little apprehensive at first. Sadly, my wife dug into mine before I had a chance and she proclaimed that it was spectacular. It was a bit sweeter than expected, but it was very moist and the pork separated very easily. I'm assuming they use molasses or a brown sugar, but I'm not sure. I was extremely impressed with the sauce since it wasn't as spicy as normal Lexington Style. It was a great alternative to standard barbecue that you see in the Piedmont and the taste was more than enough to bring me back for more.

The hushpuppies were a pleasant surprise. They were well-breaded and had a touch of sweetness. The barbecue slaw was another great addition. Growing up in Ohio, I never had pulled pork or barbecue slaw until I moved down here as a teen. I'd had regular cole slaw and I've loved the barbecue slaw the moment I first tasted it.

I included a shot of the chili and cheese hot dog that my wife ordered. She gave the chili two thumbs up. It had a little bit of spice to it and had a great overall taste. Not quite Skyline chili, but a close second for North Carolina.

Mr. Barbecue
1381 Peters Creek Parkway
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
336-725-7827