Carowinds is the biggest and best amusement park in the Carolinas.
Located in Charlotte, this park spans both North and South Carolina.
The park was previously owned by Paramount, but it has been owned and operated by Cedar Fair since
2006 and they have invested in this park. It now features arguably the best coaster lineup in the
southeast with 14 different roller coasters plus an appealing mix of flat rides and dark rides.
So in this video, I will rank the best 15 rides and attractions at Carowinds.
Before starting the countdown, I want to note that this video will not include
anything at the Carolina Harbor water park since I have only visited the amusement side.
I also will not be including any defunct attractions. All of my visits have occurred since
2016 and the one defunct attraction I experienced in Rip Roaring Rapids was not very good.
15) Hurler- I loved Kings Dominion’s Hurler back in 2006, but both versions received a trim
brake at the base of the first drop around 2010. This sapped the ride of its speed and airtime,
which I mentioned in my review. You can still get a few weak pops on some of the bunny hills,
but it’s a stark contrast to the strong airtime this coaster delivered in its prime.
A few of the low turns can be shaky, but they’re tolerable if you avoid a wheel seat.
14) Southern Star- This Intamin looping starship delivers fantastic sustained hangtime.
This ride doesn’t have the longest cycle, but the few revolutions you receive will have you
hanging out of your seat for seconds at a time. The restraints are tight and awkward,
but they didn’t impact my ability to levitate out of my seat.
13) Plants vs. Zombies- This Triotech shooting dark ride varies wildly depending how many
people ride. With a full load, it’s nearly incomprehensible to understand where you’re
shooting. There are too many crosshairs on the screen at once! With a limited load,
it’s an enjoyable experience with plenty of targets to shoot at. And the motion platform
you ride mixes in some thrills along the way that most shooters fail to offer.
12) Carolina Cyclone- This classic Arrow looper has its pros and cons. On one hand,
the first drop and entry into the turnaround give abrupt pops of airtime. And the two vertical loops
are quite forceful. On the other hand, the train shuffles in several valleys and on the turns.
But if you’re head clears the top of the over-the-shoulder restraint like me,
you thankfully won’t get any headbanging. 11) Boo Blasters on Boo Hill- This Sally dark ride
is a solid shooting dark ride. This one features the familiar 2D aesthetic. Very few targets react,
but the guns have helpful laser sights and most targets work.
10) Windseeker- This giant Mondial swing ride stands 301 feet or 92 meters tall
and it offers nice aerial views of Carowinds since it was placed smack dab in the middle of the park.
I just wish this ride had more uptime because I genuinely love the visuals.
9) Vortex- This is one of the earliest Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up coasters. It’s pretty short
in both height and length, but I think it delivers a solid ride. If you follow my patented strategy
to ride comfortably, you should be able to have little to no headbanging or discomfort. That makes
it easier to appreciate the forceful vertical loop, the leg-numbing helix, and fun corkscrew.
8) Nighthawk- This was the prototype Vekoma flying dutchman and it was relocated to Carowinds in
2004. Most of the ride is enjoyable like Six Flags America’s Batwing. You have some good Gs in the
valleys and especially on the vertical loop that feels similar to a B&M pretzel loop in reverse.
I do not like the corkscrew finale though. While most of the ride is smooth,
these two inversions, while disorienting, shuffle quite badly.
I’m glad the later ones replaced these inversions with a barrel roll instead.
Those feel much more natural. But outside of those two elements, Nighthawk is a fun experience.
7) Electro Spin- This Mondial top scan is run pretty slowly, but it has a decently long cycle
with plenty of opportunities for hangtime. I would be suspended out of my seat for seconds at a time
and then abruptly whipped upright as the ride continued to spin about.
This may be the best permanent top scan in the US and it’s a very disorienting experience.
6) Mountain Gliders- These classic Bisch-Rocco flying scooters have a short cycle,
but they’re extremely easy to snap. And unlike most parks, snapping is not only allowed
but encouraged. Snapping turns a family ride into a bonafide thrill ride as you hurtle unnaturally
forwards. It feels sort of like your tub is glitching and as it abruptly yanks you forwards.
5) Drop Tower- This is one of the shorter Intamin drop towers at just 17 stories tall,
but it still has a fairly forceful drop. You get a little stomach drop at the start
and then float the whole way down. And the brakes engage pretty close to the ground on this one,
so you maximize your freefall time. 4) Afterburn- This B&M invert has a
similar start to Montu with the same first 5 inversions, including a batwing. I love the
intense whip entering and exiting the element and strong positive Gs in the valley between flips.
The other four inversions are good too. The loop is forceful,
the Immelmann has some mild whip, the zero-G roll is floaty,
and the final corkscrew is extremely snappy. This invert also has a good pacing,
a great sense of speed, and smooth trackwork. This makes it one of the better B&M inverts out there.
3) Intimidator- This B&M hyper coaster is often nicknamed Intrimidator by enthusiasts.
Yes, there are a ton of trims, but the first two have a negligible impact on the experience.
That first half delivers some nice and sustained floater airtime throughout the train. It’s
one of the best starts of any B&M hyper. The second half is severely neutered by the mid-course
trim though, but you still get a few faint pops of airtime and a semi-forceful helix as you limp
back to the brake run. While there’s a superior B&M just across the park, Intimidator was built
for floater airtime and it is wildly successful in that department as I mention in my review.
2) Copperhead Strike- This Mack multi-launch coaster does many things well. Four of the five
inversions offer world-class hangtime. It’s surreal hanging out of your seat with just a
lap bar. Then there are several solid airtime and lateral moments scattered about the ride,
and sometimes you experience both simultaneously. This coaster is also one of the best themed
attractions at any Cedar Fair park. While the story is convoluted, it does add to the
anticipation, particularly in the barn sequence before the initial launch. The ride’s one weakness
is the launches. It’s pretty weird for a launch coaster to have this as its weakness, but neither
launch has much oomph to it. But everything else is great as I discussed in a review.
1) Fury 325- This is not only the best attraction at Carowinds,
but it’s a borderline top 10 roller coaster in the entire world. This is B&M’s masterpiece.
This giga coaster has the immense heights and that initial plunge is one of the best
out there with the several seconds of floater airtime. Then the attraction is a speed demon,
blazing through the layout. You feel every bit of this coaster’s 95 mph or 153 kph top speed,
especially in the front row. And I love this coaster’s elements too.
The first half features some aggressive, low-to-the-ground turns that throw you diagonally
out of your seat between the laterals and airtime. Then you have one of the best turnarounds ever
devised with the treble clef, as you get copious amounts of sideways airtime. Lastly,
you have a few final bunny hills that deliver stronger airtime than most B&Ms. This coaster does
so much well and it’s inherently reliable, which is why Fury alone makes Carowinds worth visiting.
Check out my review if you want to hear more about this spectacular attraction.
So those are my top 15 favorite rides and attractions at Carowinds. I suspect most
people will have the same number one, but I’m interested how you rank the park’s next best three
coasters. So let me know your favorites down in the comments. If you enjoyed this countdown, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!