My first trip here, I was disappointed at how much smaller it is than other parks. Having grown up in Atlanta, I was used to the huge Six Flags park. Carowinds is nowhere near as big.
However, we bought seasons passes this year so we've spent a lot of time there this summer. That water park is MAMMOTH! It is free with your park admission.
That right there gets you your money's worth.
It is a very big water park with several places to sit and waterslides to go on. It is supposedly the biggest one in South and North Carolina.
I would encourage you to get a season's pass for 2017 NOW! It's discounted before the season starts. You also get 10% off all your food and souvenir purchases with your pass.
You should also buy the big drink if you plan on returning other times. The green one is $15 and $1 for each refill on recurring days. The orange one is $25 and is free refills all season.
The park also provides FREE WATER all the time for you. And they'll even fill up your water bottle for free.
Oh, and they're hiring right now for Scarowinds, folks!!