Summer is winding down, and we are NOT ready.
We’ve spent a ton of time enjoying the sun and the pool, but haven’t really made time for our traditional summer excursions to museums and parks.
Recently, we decided we needed to amp up the fun before school’s back in session. We decided to go BIG and planned a trip to one of our favorite theme parks that we are fortunate to live just a couple of hours from, Carowinds.
Located literally in the middle of the Carolinas, Carowinds sits on the line of both the North and South Carolina border. The state line is indicated as you enter the park and makes a super fun photo op! This however, is only one tiny benefit of visiting the park. There is SO much fun to be had beyond cute pictures!
If you’ve never heard of Carowinds, or just aren’t sure if it’s for you, read on. I’ve got seven reasons to visit Carowinds that will convince you this park needs to be on your summer bucket list. Better yet, at the end of the post I share 5 ways to save when visiting.
Disclosure: We were graciously hosted by Carowinds. However, all opinions are my own, and experiences completely as described.
7 reasons to visit Carowinds
1. Crazy coasters for thrill seekers
If you have a thrill seeker, Carowinds needs to be on your summer adventures list for sure!
Carowinds is home to two of the tallest roller coasters in the WORLD! While my adrenaline rush days are behind me, my oldest daughter and husband both still love thrill rides.
At our recent visit, we employed a divide and conquer approach. Our youngest daughter is less than 48″ and was still limited as to what she can ride. Our day was spent on the smaller, much tamer attractions while the other two ripped along the crazy coasters throughout the park. Of course, their two favorites held the biggest peaks and highest thrill factors.
One of their favorites and SIXTH place for the world’s tallest roller coaster is the Fury 365. Fury 325 is actually the tallest, longest giga coaster in North America, spanning 1.25 miles and crossing through two states. In case you are wondering what a giga coaster is, it is a roller coaster that has no stops and offers a drop from between 300 and 399 feet . There are only seven giga coasters in the world!
Another favorite of theirs, the Intimidator ranks an impressive 18th on the list of the world’s tallest roller coasters. At a massive 232 peak, it’s drop is certainly nothing to underestimate!
My youngest daughter was able to enjoy a few milder roller coasters too. She rode Wilderness Run in Camp Snoopy over and over. Unfortunately the Woodstock Express was closed but I get the feeling she would’ve loved that one too. Her favorite of the day was Kiddy Hawk. She loved the height, dangling feet, and twists and turns on this one and rode several times throughout the day.
With 14 roller coasters, there is no shortage of fast paced action at Carowinds. It’s no wonder Carowinds consistently ranks as one of the top amusement parks in the U.S. for thrill seekers.
2. Low waits during the week.
We recently visited Disney so this one was a big one for us. There were insane waits at Disney, even during our weekday visits, so we were prepared for super long waits at Carowinds.
We were thrilled to discover that there usually was no more than a 10 minute wait for any ride, and many were walk ons. This is one of the BEST reasons to visit Carowinds!
The longest line was the Intimidator which was about 30 minutes, but posted as 10. Had we gotten there at park open (thanks flat tire) , we easily could’ve ridden every ride. My husband and oldest rode several of their favorite roller coasters two times. My youngest was also able to ride her favorite rides over and over again.
It’s also convenient to check wait times and plan your park route with the Carowinds app. Once you arrive in the park it updates with wait times. Please note, sometimes wait times aren’t accurate, so be sure to double check. Afterburn, showed a 2 hour wait all day long, but my husband decided to go check because the line was suspiciously short, and found it to actually be less than 10 minutes.
3. Water park to cool off at.
This is my favorite part of it all and another one of the biggest reasons to visit Carowinds! The day of our visit it was 93 degrees with a real feel of 105! It was a sticky, hot day and by mid-day we were hot and cranky. The natural remedy was to heat over to the water park to cool off.
Even better, the water park is included in the cost of admission, so when you buy a Carowinds ticket it’s like getting access to two parks for the price of 1!
There’s so much to do here, you could easily make it a whole day trip. We spent a lot of time in the wave pools cooling off. Our kids also enjoyed riding their water slides and visiting the many spray grounds to cool off. There was also a lazy river so you could really relax!
The water park closes at 6, which gave us tons of time to cool down and get ready for an evening at the park. Without Carolina Harbour there’s no way we could have made it all day in the heat!
4. County Fair Nostalgia
Summer’s my favorite, but Fall definitely has it’s upsides. One of my favorite things about fall is our local county fair.
I’ve attended it for decades now, as I remember visiting with my family when it came round. I loved the smell of funnel cakes wafting through the air, the bright lights flashing, and the thrill of the fair rides.
Carowinds has found a way to capture the joy of the county fair and offer it regardless of the season. There is actually an area in the park called County Fair that brings to life some of the fairground favorites. A stroll through the park will also offer several other attractions reminiscent of carnival rides.
If you’re able, stick around until night time. That’s when the real show starts and the lights come on. With music thumping and lights flashing, you’ll find yourself transported back to your own fair days. Best of all, you can even grab a delicious funnel cake at the Funnel Cake Emporium Dessert Stand or County Fair Funnel Cakes.
6. Camp Snoopy- one of my favorite reasons to visit Carowinds!
If you don’t love Peanuts, we can’t be friends.
Not peanuts like the legume, but Peanuts like the cartoon starring none other than the yellow, zig-zagged wearing cutie called Charlie Brown. His best pal Snoopy is actually my favorite, but he is just one of many things to love about this wholesome cartoon that originated in the late 40’s and has entertained American families ever since.
Carowinds’ ode to Peanuts comes in the form of Camp Snoopy, a miniature amusement park in and of itself, built to entertain the tiniest guests. These rides only restrict guests smaller than 36 inches, and pack a lot of fun into small packages.
In addition to the oodles of adventures your kiddo can experience in the form of rides, you can also interact with characters and see live shows. This is yet another one of the reasons to visit Carowinds!
7. Live Music and Entertainment
Snoopy and Friends appear in several shows throughout the day at Carowinds. You can catch them in Carowinds Theatre or in the Camp Theatre located in Camp Snoopy. Sometimes, you can even see them out and about in the park!
The Peanuts shows aren’t the only place in Carowinds to get live entertainment though. You can also catch plenty of live music performances throughout the day. We encountered several, but our favorite was the Sunset Party Mix in the evening. Our girls got all into shaking their groove things along with the music. It was one of our favorite parts of the day.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Carowinds, which also demonstrate how great a value your admission tickets are. What’s even more impressive is that Carowinds offers even more ways to save and stretch your dollar further.
5 ways to save at Carowinds
1. Season pass
If you are local, or even within driving distance of the parks, this totally makes sense! We live about an hour and a half away and have lots of friends with season passes. Currently they cost $140 for the year, but if you sign up for their newsletter, you will frequently see sales where you can get it cheaper. You also get free parking with the pass, so 2-3 visits and you easily re-coup your costs!
Season Passes also give you access to special events like SCareowinds and Winter Fest. Additionally you can score discounts on food, merchandise and even places to stay!
2. Bring a friend
Know a season passholder? Their membership gets them up to six extra tickets for friends at the discounted rate of $19.99!
There are date restrictions, mainly the exclusion of weekends, but weekdays are the best days to visit! Crowds tend to be smaller and that translates into lower wait times for you!
Plus with the waterpark admission included, it’s like paying for TWO parks for $10 each! Such a steal!
3. Pre-K Pass
If that’s not cheap enough for you, how about FREE?!
If you’re the parent of a child ages 3-5, you can grab them a season pass completely free!
All you have to do is register online and bring a birth certificate or passport that shows your child’s age to the first visit. You’re then good to go for the rest of the season!
We got my youngest daughter’s Pre-K pass this visit and it was so simple! We are looking forward to using it again this season.
4. Meal deal
The one thing I regret about our most recent trip was that I didn’t purchase an all day dining pass. After our trip, a quick check of the bank account showed we’d spent about $50 in food, plus $20 at the Wendy’s before we arrived. It was very hot, and we didn’t eat as much as we normally had, but had I listened to my instincts, we would’ve bought an all day dining pass.
This pass lets you enjoy an entrée and a side every 90 minutes for just 29.99 the whole day! This could’ve kept my family of 4 satisfied all day! Not every restaurant in the park participates, but there is a lengthy list full of delicious vendors including fan favorite, Chic-Fil-a! On our next visit to the park we will 100% be taking advantage of this meal plan.
Better yet, the premium meal plan offers an entrée, side or snack every 90 minutes. It also includes a wrist band for a beverage that is refillable throughout the park every 15 minutes. This plan is currently 39.99 but well worth it.
5. Drink deal
If you aren’t sold on the meal plan, at least take my advice and get the All Day Drink cup. This is a tall, plastic cup with a lid that can be refilled every 15 minutes. For $16.99 you get unlimited drinks for the day, and a cool souvenir cup to take home to remember your trip!
Ours came with a lid and a strap to carry which was super convenient while going around the parks. I lost count of how many times we refilled it, but it was HOT and I shared it with the kids so there’s no telling! If we’d bought 20 oz bottles each time at $2-3 a pop, we’d have spent a fortune!
In terms of fun for your value, Carowinds can’t be beat! If you haven’t already, you need to add this park to your list of places to visit and get there as soon as possible.
Be sure to check out my post on Tips for Visiting Carowinds for some additional tips for your visit. If you’ve got any advice, please be sure to share in the comments!
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