RollerNut Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Carowinds is my home park and I am quite disappointed/upset/cross at the park over the removal of so much history. Thunder Road is absolutely unforgivable for me, so much that I refuse to renew my family's season passes. I went 12 times last season(mostly because of Thunder Road), only once since Thunder Road closed. We normally go 6 times a year but I wanted to feel like I got my goodbyes to Thunder Road. Each visit(minus this last one)I always made to eat in the park atleast once but since I don't agree with the decision to remove so much history, why should I support them by buying food and gifts from them? In addition to Thunder Road, there was the Plantation House, the riverboat, log flume(atleast Intimidator was worth losing Log Flume), the shortening twice of the Crown Metal Products 2 feet gauge train. I might get discount tickets next year and go, but it will only be once. Fury 325 and Intimidator are wonderful coasters but Thunder Road held a lot of memories. Now all there is.....is memories. #NeverForgetThunderRoad Ok, end of rant. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyano Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Carowinds is my home park and I am quite disappointed/upset/cross at the park over the removal of so much history. Thunder Road is absolutely unforgivable for me, so much that I refuse to renew my family's season passes. I went 12 times last season(mostly because of Thunder Road), only once since Thunder Road closed. We normally go 6 times a year but I wanted to feel like I got my goodbyes to Thunder Road. Each visit(minus this last one)I always made to eat in the park atleast once but since I don't agree with the decision to remove so much history, why should I support them by buying food and gifts from them? In addition to Thunder Road, there was the Plantation House, the riverboat, log flume(atleast Intimidator was worth losing Log Flume), the shortening twice of the Crown Metal Products 2 feet gauge train. I might get discount tickets next year and go, but it will only be once. Fury 325 and Intimidator are wonderful coasters but Thunder Road held a lot of memories. Now all there is.....is memories. #NeverForgetThunderRoad Ok, end of rant. kinda feel the same way, when i went this year, Thunder Road was running GREAT not rough, i was confused why they would remove one of the best coasters in the park 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethancoaster Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Carowinds is my home park and I am quite disappointed/upset/cross at the park over the removal of so much history. Thunder Road is absolutely unforgivable for me, so much that I refuse to renew my family's season passes. I went 12 times last season(mostly because of Thunder Road), only once since Thunder Road closed. We normally go 6 times a year but I wanted to feel like I got my goodbyes to Thunder Road. Each visit(minus this last one)I always made to eat in the park atleast once but since I don't agree with the decision to remove so much history, why should I support them by buying food and gifts from them? In addition to Thunder Road, there was the Plantation House, the riverboat, log flume(atleast Intimidator was worth losing Log Flume), the shortening twice of the Crown Metal Products 2 feet gauge train. I might get discount tickets next year and go, but it will only be once. Fury 325 and Intimidator are wonderful coasters but Thunder Road held a lot of memories. Now all there is.....is memories. #NeverForgetThunderRoad Ok, end of rant. kinda feel the same way, when i went this year, Thunder Road was running GREAT not rough, i was confused why they would remove one of the best coasters in the park Structural issues. Apparently it needed to have the entire lift hill rebuilt along with some of the ending track and the cost exceeded what they were willing to pay for it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Lack of proper maintenance.....which caused structural issues. The lift hill need millions of dollars of repairs. Has Racer or Beast ever had whole sections of their structure replace all the way to the footers? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I feel like the turn after the first lift hill on Beast has been rebuilt like that before...? I could be wrong. Also, wasn't the first year of rebuilds on Thunder Road focused primarily on rebuilding the lift hills? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 The first turn on Beast was re-profiled to bank the turn as it was un-banked prior to opening to the public, but that was back in '79. I remember Don saying on the tour that all the structure is original. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethancoaster Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Lack of proper maintenance.....which caused structural issues. The lift hill need millions of dollars of repairs. Has Racer or Beast ever had whole sections of their structure replace all the way to the footers? But why take your anger out solely on Cedar Fair? If anything, they did more work to the ride than any of the past owners. They'd been retracking the ride since 2008. Something tells me Thunder Road was doomed before the Kinzels got their hands on the park. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I never blamed Cedar Fair, as a matter of fact I have stated before that I believe the paint removal in the 90s is where it started. Is their a Tarheel in this house like a certain Carowinds fansite? I blame Carowinds, point blank. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyano Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Cedar Fair is not at fault with this one to me, it did seam like if the ride was bad enough to need entire sections of track rebuilt, since this started in 2008, I'd blame Paramount for not proper maintenance 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Blame whoever you want, but understand that Paramount Parks as it existed back then IS Cedar Fair today.... Cedar Fair bought it lock, stock and barrel, for good or ill. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Maybe I'm not as big as an enthusiast as other on here or maybe I'm more level headed by nature or maybe it's just because this week I feel I am. If Kings Island were to remove The Beast (which to me is more important of a ride than The Racer, again to me) I would be very very heart broken. I may not go to the park for a few years. The ride and I are emotionally linked as it's the ride my mom asks about every time I go and the one she must ride at least once per season (still today). If the ride ever left it would leave a big hole. But the park is more than the coasters. It's about fun entertainment and family memories. I honestly and truly believe I am more upset over the little things that are removed (trees, spots to rest, trams, ivy covered walkway) than I would be if this ride were to ever be removed. Big things come and go and to be honest if you want to ride a wooden racing coaster you have other options. If I want to ride a wooden coaster to replace The Beast I could find it. But the little things help separate the park from other parks. It's not the rides by themselves. Especially the big rides. Not many have memories of grandma riding Dimondback with them but grandma on the Scrambler or WWC? For sure! At Disney, Big Thunder Head is a good ride but I'm sure more people remember the pulling of the sword from the stone. It's easy to get upset and want to never visit a park but the good thing is the memories will still be there. And as long as the park stays open (Geuga Lake) you have the chance to continue to make memories with future generations. I barely remember the original Eagles but my mom was telling me my dad would take us on them all the time. This year I took my nephew on the new ones and will take my son next year. They won't know nor care about the old set but they will remember the new set. So if TL/DR don't let one decision ruin your opportunity to make new memories as a family or with friends. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoChickens Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 True enough, memories can be made whatever the ride content may be. But I purpose that history is as important as those memories. Let us start with said Racer, I first rode it in 1973. Thrilling it was to my then 9 year old mind. Fast forward to the year 1992. I take my 2 daughters, aged 5 & 7. They look at that mass of white painted wood, and I see in their eyes the anticipation, and trepidation I felt so many years ago. They rode, and loved it, just as I had so many years before. Now, in 2016 I'll have the opportunity to ride this great white coaster again, and with another set of new wide open eyes. Would I still go to Ki? of course. Would it be the same, not at all. One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is history, sadly it means little to most in this "have it now" generation. Racer is as an iconic coaster, that few others can compare to. Would you go to Coney Island NY, if Cyclone was demolished? And at some point, I hope, someone will remember riding Diamondback with grandPa, and do so with fond memories. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Maybe I over simplified my point or missed it completely. I agree No chickens that keeping these rides adds values to the visits and it becomes a sort of tradition. Mine was more in the vein of "all rides close eventually" but don't let that deter you from making new rides or traditions. And I'm glad Racer is important to you and your family. For some reason Beast seems like it's the same thing to my family. So I never want to speak for someone else's tradition being destroyed. I just hate to see a family lose opportunities over a ride. That's all Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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