It had been a good 20 years since I'd last been to Carowinds and the gentleman caller wanted to go. I'm glad I went again and I'd definitely come back.
Tips:
1) Buy your tickets online. It's cheaper and faster and saves you from waiting in at least one line.
2) Avoid to waterpark at all costs. It might be worth it if you have kids dying to do it. As adults from the beach, however, it was a big bust of waiting over an hour to go on a slide. The waterpark itself isn't spectacular. It's biggest draw is that it's included in the cost of regular admission.
3) Wear comfortable shoes. Carowinds is nowhere nearly as big as Six Flags (where I've been multiple times as an adult and was comparing it to). However, you do a lot of walking and standing throughout the course of the day.
4) Maybe invest in the Fast Pass. We went on a Saturday, and although the lines weren't Disney World or Six Flags bad, the extra however many bucks for shorter lines might have been worth it.
5) Speaking of money, you will spend a LOT of money on food and beverages. We ate lunch before we got there after reading the other bad reviews on the food, but we still easily spent $30 on water just to stay hydrated.
Overall we had a great time. All of the roller coasters were a blast. The Fury was hands down the most intense ride I've ever been on and was well worth the wait. Carowinds is a lot more manageable of a park to visit than Six Flags. I'll definitely be back before another 20 years (eek!) slips by.