As I found out this past weekend, there is a right way and a wrong way to do Carowinds. This past Saturday for the second time on a weekend and I would recommend avoiding the weekends if you want to get on any rides.
The man and I are season pass holders so we normally go after work on nice days during the week and will work shifted hours so we have a half day in the middle of the week as a grown up "hookie day". These are the times to go! Especially if you go early in the season before the kiddos are out of school.
We also opted for the meal plan so we have been scoping out all the dining establishments on site. Papa Luigi's is the best of the options for pizza and you can purchase overpriced alcohol here if you wish. Jukebox Diner has the best hamburger and a neat diner feel. Harmony Hall Marketplace has great AC, terrible hamburgers, okay pizza and BBQ but they do offer salad if you are looking for the healthy option. Every meal combo is $10.99 without a drink so keep that in mind when planning your day. They will give you a cup of water at every food station for free if you request it.
I would avoid going during peak times if possible because then the majority of the day will be spent standing and waiting. The rides don't have wait estimations either so it is anyone's guess as to how long you will have to wait. When we were there last Saturday they were completely out of lockers too which meant we couldn't enjoy Boomerang Bang as much as we wanted.
All said it is an okay place to go for locals but I would not drive out of my way to go. We live close so it works out for us.