RollerNut Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Dodgems being moved or removed has not been confirmed, just rumored. It will only fit where mini golf is if that entry point to BB is removed. Capital Investments and Expenses are two separate things; Fury 325 is a Capital Investment as is the Improvements made to Thunder Road and Hurler the last couple years. However regular maintenance like Carowinds did to Woodstock Express last offseason is an Expense as is any yearly maintenance to any ride. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 After riding both Thunder Road and Hurler and seeing exactly how there are positioned in the park for myself, I understand more why they are removing Thunder Road. I am not saying I agree with the decision, but I get it. Thunder Road rides pretty good but it just does not have the visual presence that Racer or Rebel Yell have. Its barely visible from the dry side of the park and I get the impression that it was never really respected as much as its sisters. Even as it is approaching it last ride, they were not racing the trains this past Saturday...It is not the same as KI removing Racer because there just isn't the same love for the coaster there. Although this will leave them with a pretty weak wooden lineup... Hurler on the other hand looks nice in its little area and It does not appear it will be in the way of any future expansion projects. It will also surely have a bump in ridership with its shiny new neighbor. ALso, I have to say that this Hurler rides MUCH smoother than the one at KD. However, for the life me I can not figure out why the forces are so much weaker than Kentucky Kingdom's Thunder Run. It has none of the airtime that Thunder Run has and honestly was kind of boring. Are the shapes of the hills that much different or something else to blame? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 When the Hurlers opened, they had AMAZING airtime in every seat. That lasted about all of the first season. The next season, it was essentially absent. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 How does that happen? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 That's a very good question. Other woodies have also lost a great deal of their airtime over time, but seldom so quickly. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethancoaster Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Trims. The answer is trims. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Not on the Hurlers, it wasn't. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I didn't notice any trims. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 ...because there aren't any. Nor were they reprofiled... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Well if they weren`t reprofiled and trims weren`t added, how does the air time disappear? Unless they made the wheels harder to turn, increasing friction and slowing the trains down on their own. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 The case of the incredible disappearing airtime... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Cedar Fair added trims to Hurler at somepoint taking away the most of the airtime. I remember when Hurler opened, I was 7. I remember it felt like I was standing going over every hill. I believe that if the trim is removed and Carowinds takes half of the maintenance budget for Thunder Road and use it on Hurler, the ride could possibly be a great coaster. What you think Terpy? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Cedar Fair added trims? All I know is by year 2 most of the air time was already gone, and that was long before Cedar Fair... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Cedar Fair added trims to Hurler at somepoint taking away the most of the airtime. I remember when Hurler opened, I was 7. I remember it felt like I was standing going over every hill. I believe that if the trim is removed and Carowinds takes half of the maintenance budget for Thunder Road and use it on Hurler, the ride could possibly be a great coaster. What you think Terpy? I made the same comment to a buddy of mine about the Thunder Road budget getting diverted to Hurler. TR's demise could be a good thing for Hurler. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethancoaster Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I thought one of the possible reasons for Thunder Road's demise was so they didn't have to spend that money. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I think it is mostly to do with its location saddled with very few people riding it. It was a walk on on a Saturday in July with with just a couple weeks before closing for ever...People there just don't care about it sadly. Carowinds seemed to be a pretty nice park but its shocking how little remains from its early years. For me, it would be a far better place if the new stuff could have been added while keeping more of the old. Maybe the GP there doesn't care about the history. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Cedar Fair added trims? All I know is by year 2 most of the air time was already gone, and that was long before Cedar Fair... Yes, I worked Hurler in 2006 and there was no trim. By the time of my next visit in 2011, a trim was added at the bottom of the first drop prior to turn three. As far as what caused it to change between 1994 and 1995, I was too little to understand anything other than I had fun.Ethan, most likely the money will go somewhere most likely to the new addition to the waterpark but I doubt they will add enough to equal the yearly expenses for Thunder Road. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Barely any of the GP anywhere cares about history. Until it's gone. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Sadly you are right, but I think the appreciation for such things is stronger at KI than at Carowinds. At least by those in charge of removing attractions. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Charlotte is a rapidly growing area where many know little about Carowinds history and have no appreciation for it. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Forgive me is this has been posted before, but I stumbled across this website earlier and it has some great photos and history of the park. http://carowindsearlyyears.com/enterearlyyears.html 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merthecat Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Ah, yes. That website is run by a member of Carowinds Connection. It's pretty neat. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron88stang Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 If you are on Facebook, here are my pics from my recent trip. https://www.facebook.com/aaron88stang/media_set?set=a.10207174713917332.1567277009&type=3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlondyRidesOn Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 There might be more historical appreciation about Kings Island and not as much with Carowinds because many older Cincinnatians understand historically that Kings Island was a relocation of the beloved Cincinnati staple, Coney Island. Many of these people visited Coney until the very end (My father and his family were present at Coney on September 6th, 1971, when it closed). It's the rich history of Coney and Kings Island that dates back to 1867. Its the spirit of old Coney Island that still holds Kings Island up to this day, that's sole the purpose of Coney Mall and The Racer. Carowinds, on the other hand, doesn't have a history that dates as far back as Kings Island, so that might be the reason why Kings Island's history is more appreciated than Carowinds. I think that's tragic, as Carowinds has a very interesting history. It is the younger park goers that seem to not care about the history as much. I can't tell you how many times I have read things on social media, calling for The Racer to get the Rocky Mountain hybrid conversion, despite what it has meant for the present day coaster industry. It always makes me nervous about the history and the future of our park; I even had two nightmares in a row where The Racer was being torn down. However, I'm sure there are younger people out there who understand significance of the remaining original aspects of Kings Island, as well as Carowinds. I'm only sixteen years of age, and I respect the history of these parks because both of my parents visited Coney Island and have watched Kings Island change, evolve and grow for over 43 years. Understand the concern for appreciation, and hope more of it will come from people my age and younger, and not just myself. Blondy, who appoligizes for such a long comment. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethancoaster Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 We don't have that much history left in the park to appreciate. I think that's what #SaveThunderRoad is all about. To many who have visited the park for a long time, they are tired of seeing ride after ride sent to the grave, and this is the last straw. I hate to agree with them but Carowinds has kind of lost its identity. I like to fantasize about how the park would look today if Paramount hadn't gotten hold of it (or at least left after 1999). I personally think Carowinds was the best "Disneyland Clone" built during the golden age of amusement parks. I hope Cedar Fair could bring back that charm the park had in the 70's. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 ^Exactly! Cedar Fair has kept on with what KECO and later Paramount started. Witchdoctor/Black Widow 1973-1988 Oaken Bucket/Whirling Well 1973-1988 Monorail 1973 - 1994 Sternwheeler 1973 - 2003 Log Flume(grant we got a great coaster out of this) 1973 - 2008 Wagon Wheel 1975 - 1980s(will have to check my sources) Plantation House 1973 - 2014 And now Thunder Road. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Hmmmm. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homestar92 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 All this talk of the disappearing airtime on Hurler... If you want to know what Hurler would be like with great airtime, there's a park in Louisville that can demonstrate a pretty darn good facsimile of that experience. You could go check that out. Ed Hart will thank you. Especially if you're from the Carolinas (or anywhere that could be described as "not Kentucky", for that matter...) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Offer apparently not applicable to the District of Columbia...or least not for a specific, targeted, profiled resident thereof... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Retheming the water park to Carolina Harbor would be a nice nod to the historical Carolinas theme that the rest of the park was supposed to have. Certainly makes more sense than an Australian water park or a generic Soak City one. Each of the park's themed lands represents an era / area of the Carolinas. Then, Australia?? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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