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| - Carowinds is owned by Cedar Fair, who also own classic parks like Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm. Sadly, I would not classify Carowinds as a classic park even though it's been open since 1973. Cedar Fair has effectively changed Carowinds from a themed family park into a coaster park with kiddie section (aka Camp Snoopy). The family rides are seriously lacking, and you will be disappointed if you're traveling more than an hour with your kids to get to the park.
As a coaster fan, you'll have a pretty good time. Fury 325 is one of the best, smoothest rollercoasters in the world, and definitely my favorite coaster. Two other must-rides for me are the Carolina Goldrusher and the Intimidator. The Carolina Goldrusher was the first coaster built in the park for its opening in 1973, and it's still a lot of fun. The Intimidator is a Dale Earnhardt-themed hypercoaster and usually voted one of the top 20 steel coasters in the world in the Golden Ticket Awards.
When taking a break from coasters, there isn't a lot to do. Food options aren't great at all, so eat before if you can, and don't count on much. Harmony Hall is the main food court, which also has a bar with several craft beer options. There's also a Panda Express and a Starbucks on-property. If you have any dietary needs or restrictions, good luck.
For the family rides, there are a few good ones. The best is probably the Carolina Skytower, which was built in the center of the park to provide great views as you ride slowly up 262 feet. It is one of the park's original rides and also opened in 1973. The seating area has photos of old attractions, and there's a narration that provides a little history, but you probably won't be able to hear it very well over people talking. I'd also recommend Rip Roaring Rapids in the summer, and the Character Carousel (also original to 1973). Everything else is a bit disappointing and mostly resembles things you can find at a county fair; in fact, most of the "family rides" are in the new "County Fair" section. The only dark ride is Boo Blasters on Boo Hill where you enter a haunted mansion and shoot at targets; it sounds a lot better than what it actually is.
In the summer, the water park - Carolina Harbor - is included in the price of admission. Cedar Fair has been working on bringing this park up to table stakes with other water parks with some recent expansions. I haven't been to Carolina Harbor, but judging from the list of attractions, it's still relatively small and not that unique.
In September and October, Carowinds is open on weekends for Scarowinds! Scarowinds is really well done but always packed. You'll want Fright Lane to skip the lines at the mazes. Unfortunately, Fright Lane won't let you skip the lines at the coasters that are open (like Fury 325). If you don't like haunted houses (aka mazes), it's still worth buying a normal admission ticket, doing a coaster or two, and walking around.
In November and December, Carowinds is open on weekends for WinterFest. This is more of a family-friendly event, since it is mostly shows, kiddie rides, and meet and greets with Peanuts characters. The only coasters open in 2017 were Afterburn and Ricochet (not my favorites).
Overall, Carowinds is a must-visit for coaster fanatics and skippable for families outside the Charlotte area. In the future, I hope Cedar Fair improves theming, improves the food options and adds family-friendly dark rides.
Pro Tip: Upgrade to Fast Lane if you only plan on visiting once. Since Carowinds is a seasonal park, lines are always long. Most of the queues are not themed, and you just waste time standing in them.
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