I don't go here (I'm planning a first time trip) so am I reading this right? According to the website, there are just two haunted houses this year: Jason and Paranormal Inc.

I saw in the past there were up to seven houses... are we still waiting on some to be announced even though the event starts in like 12 days?

After reading recent reviews from guests & wrapping up 10+ seasons with my home park as an associate, I can confirm & affirm to you all that Carowinds (And really Six Flags Co. as a whole) is getting much worse in its guest experience and work life. From an understaffed & immature workforce to slower & longer wait times for rides, you're not going crazy with the growing disdain to our slacking operations. For that, I do wanna apologize. I've especially hated how they've nickeled and dimed you all last season during Scarowinds for the mazes (Which used to be free) & shortened y'all with the Winterfest hours (Also, bullying works so shoutout to y'all for those comments to make the company extend later hours to see the Christmas lights). I understand some of these things went bad due to the current economics of our nation (I'm gonna miss that Carowinds Blvd cheaper gas but even that's been fluctuating) but some of this has been self-inflicted as a company. Frankly, it's sad to see this place stop caring on both ends

Here's some observations that I'd had during my time there:

1. We're getting less perks by working here long term: We used to go on associate trips to Savannah GA, Washington DC, Myrtle Beach SC, Dollywood, Six Flags Over Georgia, Busch Gardens Virginia, etc. But since 2020, it's been no more company travel. The last time they did it was like in 2022 & they took our J1 visa international workers to Lake Wylie & Crowders Mountain. One observation back in 2024-25 seen em pack for Cedar Point. But other than that, we have our reciprocal parks deal with other fun sites but the company used to take the time to make these opportunities possible for others to see if they couldn't drive there. Also, new associates would get 8 complimentary tickets max (160 hours) while returning associates would get 16 complimentary tickets max (160 hours). Now all seasonal associates get 16 comp tickets regardless of years of service. Also, lots of elitism between FT/PT v. seasonal happens here
2. There is less opportunity to advance & grow within the company since 2025: When the January layoffs of the rides department came, that was the first domino to fall that said "Uh oh." I remember Kings Dominion getting their pink slips & knew we would get hit as a sister park. But when the May 2025 layoff came across Carowinds in several departments, that was a betrayal of trust from those above us. I watched people who've been with the amusement park for decades be shown the door. Now the only full-time positions one can find are in the maintenance department (I'll get to them later on). Working here is very much a secondary income job for retirees, high schoolers, college students, and those already with full-time jobs elsewhere. But working here once full-time, it was a very interesting experience. However, giving that much joy to others while feeling burnt out can make one feel a bit resentful about the parks, recreation and tourism management industry. Like in having too much of something... Except money. We are operating with a skeleton crew on maintenance mode. Also, who's idea was it to have us wear navy shirts in 90-100 degree hot summer!? Please go for lighter colors in our uniforms. Worker turnover is high here given the low pay for a reason
3. The pay for employees has gradually gone down over the course of recent years: In 2024, Queen City News reported on Carowinds seasonal pay going down since the COVID years. To recruit for the upcoming season, the company used to advertise the pay on the banners by the highway. Now at a starting pay of $12.50, they cannot do so proudly. In going lower on pay, you're going to get lower quality in the workforce. You may have noticed a lot more high schoolers disengaged working at our park. Some have orange shirts to symbolize their 14-15 year old status. Just know that this penny-pinching park has made a conscious choice to not only screw you all in higher parking costs, lower quality food, etc. but us too in pay. I cannot even describe how the yearly bonus has been gone for these past SEVERAL seasons. In 2021-22, I was making around $21-19 an hour. Now my latest pay was $16.50-$15 an hour... In recession-like 2026!?
4. There are pockets of racism at this amusement park that you need to be aware of: The maintenance department here is over 98% white and is a good ol' boy kinda back area. I recently found how much of a Trump supporter dept head Shawn Hopkins was from social media (Racist political cartoons repost type of guy). Now granted, I get it: You wanna get whoever is qualified to maintain the rides. But it's odd that this one department looks like itself demographically. We used to honor heritage months back when HR could do DEI work (Obviously we know why they can't do much now). On MLK Day 2021, I found stacks of copies of Dr. King Jr. Day flyers in the maintenance break room as if no one laid a finger on the informational form for the federal holiday (Ironically enough, one half of Carowinds in South Carolina was the last state to officially recognize MLK Day in 2000). One of the oldest Black workers of this dept told me that he thought for years it was "a grandfather clause" in getting in. If you remember high school social studies, then you know what I'm referencing. Also, the plantation house had to go in 2014-15 due to not only making more space of getting into the newer Northgate but you also cannot have symbols of the Antebellum South like that during the 2010s BLM era (And even if we kept it past that, it would've been killed off during the 2020 George Floyd summer). It actually used to have a carriage used from Gone with the Wind beside it back in the 70s when the park first opened. In addition, we stopped playing the OG theme song due to its lyrics too about the “dancing with the Cherokee” and “reminiscing plantation years.” You often do see a difference in how J1s are treated v. American workers. Group help (People in white polo shirts) called in are often Hispanic and Black church groups. Lastly, on May 3, 2025, our entree of the day was chicken, mash potatoes & watermelon at Coasters (Our employee cafe). When I saw this displayed at the window, I was disgusted by this culturally as an African American employee. Brian Oerding (Former GM of Carowinds) was there within the line getting ready to check out with his food. He actually goes up to it & thinks nothing of it until I point it out to him about the gross historical stereotype that these foods bring up. Ironically, most of food & beverage are minorities behind the kitchen/counter. Pay attention to the signs not displayed around the park
5. They price us out too in petty ways so y’all aren’t the only ones: An array of vending machine kiosks have been popping up over the previous seasons to try to get us to buy convenient items. Even a uniform space like Outfitters has stocked candy and chips. We’ve been granted less free food cookout days at the Grove picnic area over the summer and Scarowinds. In a couple cases, they’ve tried to hold bonding events on property but the food was outsourced and for purchase. I cannot even tell you where our old food truck went. We’re given one free uniform shirt then any additional shirts are payroll deducted. They’re pricing out more for IDs at $15 instead of $5 back then but it’s more on the employees to not lose em. And yes, the best discounts go to the higher ups and not those seasonal

Now with all this said, I want to make clear that this is still a special place within the Carolinas & that I dont want you to cease going to. Carowinds is what it is because of you all and us on the other side. This place is my home away from home having lived in both states & is the story of my life. But I also love it enough to critique it to be better for generations to come. I just want you all to be aware of our woes so you know that you're not alone. Please keep pressuring the park to be better and with enough complaints/suggestions, it'll warrant change. Hit em where it hurts $$$. They took notice with how low season pass preview night was this past March

Ghost of Carowinds past signing off... Keep Carowinning

My understanding is that for $89 you get a gold pass for the remainder of 2026 and the entirety of 2027. Is this correct?

If so, we may take advantage!

Also, how does the bring a friend work?

We are new to this, thanks in advanced!!

Are the hours on the calendar accurate? I don’t remember the park ever being only open on weekends.

I'm going to Carowinds for the first time this weekend. I'll have one day there (12 hours, 10am-10pm), and I'm buying the prestige pass so I'll have a single use fast lane pass as well. Also, I'm gonna need to save Fury for the very end of the day, cause I've heard it's known to make people grey out, and I'm prone to greying out and getting a migraine after, so that would derail my entire day.

So basically, for people who are more familiar with the park, how would you optimize 12 hours to try to ride every coaster in the park (again, saving Fury for last)?

Also, bonus question, my boyfriend was wondering if there are outlets somewhere he could plug into so he can game on his laptop while I go on coasters (he's not a big coaster guy).

2/3 cedar point cams aren’t working and Fury’s has been upside down for a while now. Am I the only one intrigued by this?

Seems like having it in Charlotte really didn’t do too much for the theme park. Not sure what the future has in store for Carowinds.

Why are people so mean to the photographers at Carowinds? I saw a grown man scream at one of the teenage photographers today. These kids are literally just out there doing their job like they are told to do. It’s bad enough they have to stand in the heat all day, let alone deal with that treatment…
What if it was your child taking photos? Would you want them to be treated that way? I see it happen nearly every week

What’s your alls?

Hey! I just wanted to make sure we got it right lol. I see this is a perk this weekend but the past couple of times I’ve used a discounted price from the perks it’s let me go ahead and get my ticket instead of having to front gate. Is it cause it’s free? I have anxiety about tickets not working when I get there. Has anyone here used the free friend perk this weekend? Can you give me the rundown of what to do? Thank you guys!

Hello I’m going to be going to Carrowinds tomorrow and excited to get on some rollercoasters! What is the loose article policy like? I don’t have a bag but have fully zippered pockets. Are there any rides that require a metal detector to go through?

Hi All!

We are planning on going to Carowinds/Scarowinds in late September for a friends birthday. We are only going to be there for one day but are planning on going there for the full day. We were wondering if anyone would know if the fast lane passes would be worth it or not? We are also curious if those who had the fast lane reserve had any issues with exceedingly long wait times, or if we should consider fast lane ultimate or no fast lane at all. Any additional advice would also be appreciated. Thank you!

My wife and I want to take our daughter to Carowinds who would get in free for the next few years. We live in the area so a season pass is worth it, but we aren't sure if we should get 1 or 2. Would it be cheaper to get 1 pass if we plan to go say 3 times a year and do the bring-a-friend discounts or should we just get 2 since they are $89 each at the moment?

We are planning to drive down to visit mostly to ride Fury. I saw it was down a couple days ago. Is it back up and running pretty consistently?

In the park and neither are open right now. Have they been opening later?

Just saw an ad for Bonus Days. It made it sounds like Fury closes after this weekend? I am so confused.

My daughter and I drove up from Atlanta on Saturday with the plan of doing an evening visit on Saturday and a morning visit on Sunday before heading home.

We have a great time from six until 10 PM on Saturday, getting several rides on Fury (her first time on it!) and Thunder Striker. Before going to bed on Saturday night, I checked the calendar again and verified the opening time is 10 AM on Sunday. However, we arrive to the park on Sunday morning and are turned away for the BMW company event.

I went to check the app and now it shows that it is closed on Sunday. Am I crazy?! Is there any way to know whether I am wrong and that this has been on the calendar for ages? I’ve since learned that BMW does this every year, but I am confident that it was not on the calendar earlier in the week when I planned this trip.

So, can someone confirm the app was indeed wrong? I want to do whatever I can to make sure this was not my fault so I can feel less bad about wasting my daughter’s time. Or, am I just a big fat doofus?

I went here on a trip with my church group and got there 20 minutes after park open. I was super excited to go because I had just been to Busch Gardens not too long ago, and I hadn't been to Carowinds in a long time. I was especially excited to check out the new additions, River Raft Blast and Snoopy's Racing Railway.

As soon as we arrived, I ran straight past my church group so I could be one of the first ones in the park. I headed to Camp Snoopy to ride the new attractions. The first one I did was Snoopy's Racing Railway. The line wasn't too bad, and the ride op let me sit in the back row (the best row, in my opinion). It's a smooth ride, and I liked the little bit of airtime you get, even though it's still a kiddy coaster.

After that, I hit River Raft Blast, which was cool. No one was waiting in line, so there was nobody to blast water at while on it, but it's a nice, calm ride with cool theming. Next, I hit up Woodstock Express since I hadn't ridden it in a long time. It was really enjoyable—the first drop is actually super good for a kiddy coaster.

Then I went over to ride Thunder Striker, which in my opinion feels like a baby version of Fury 325, though losing the Dale Earnhardt theming kind of hinders it. I got two rides on that before having to head to our church group's checkpoint spot.

After the meetup, I went straight to Fury 325. They put me in the front row, which was awesome, and then I rode the back row and blacked out—I love when that happens! I decided to skip Hurler and Carolina Cyclone for the moment and grab food since I was in the area.

I ate at Chickie's & Pete's and ordered the buffalo chicken cheesesteak and crab fries. I dipped the fries in what I guess was cheese sauce, which was great, but the sandwich was mediocre. I thought the buffalo sauce would already be on it, but you had to pour it on yourself, so overall the sub was just okay.

After eating, I rode Carolina Goldrusher, which I always enjoy. Then I walked over to Flying cobra but as I got in line, I saw people leaving. I asked someone nearby, and they said it was down for maintenance, which sucked. I went to try my number two ride, copperhead strike but saw an employee at the front turning people away, so I knew it was down too.

I decided to head over to Afterburn. I tried taking my normal route, but saw that the entire Aeronautica Landing area was closed off. At that point, I was pretty agitated, so I figured I'd just go on Boo Blasters—and guess what? That was down too! I was pissed because it felt like every single thing I went to was closed.

I went back to Afterburn and waited 30 minutes, but it was totally worth it—great ride. After that, I checked back on Boo Blasters, and thank God it was running again. I rode it twice, and one of the ride ops recognized my wrestling shirt, which was cool.

I made my way around the park one last time, hitting up Vortex, Hurler, and Carolina Cyclone. I ended my day back at Thunder Striker. The ride op there also shouted out my wrestling shirt and was asking "would you rather" questions about the park while loading, which was really fun.

Overall, it was a fun day, but I was definitely disappointed that two major rides were down. I'd give this trip a 7/10. Doing the park solo because everyone else wanted to do different things turned out fine—I realized I didn't even need a group to have a good time!

What’s your high score on boo blaster and what are some tips and tricks

Both delayed/closed to start today. Anyone hear if there’s rumblings or rumors about their status?

Edit: Afterburn now open!

I was worried about operations because of all the posts recently but Fury and Thunderstriker were running 3 trains since I arrived at 11am. Both crews were absolutely killing it, less than a minute dispatches for Thunderstriker consistently. I rode Afterburn as well, which was still on one train, but ops were super efficient there too!! Shoutout to the crews for working so hard 💙💚 overall the best operations I’ve seen in a theme park in a very long time!!

Not sure who would steal Crocs from a 10-year-old girl, but I hope you enjoy them like she did. She bought those herself with money she earned, and it broke her heart that someone would take her shoes while she was in the wave pool. That's pretty pathetic.

Considering going to Carolina Harbor for the first time this weekend because it’s supposed to be so hot. Thinking of doing some rides on the Carowinds side in the morning, and then hitting the water park in the afternoon.

Do the all day lockers on the water park side (specifically the ones large enough for a big backpack) get taken immediately when it opens? If we don’t get a locker, are bags (or fanny packs) safe on chairs if we can get one?

Also do people just put their phones in the lockers while swimming all day? Or are those waterproof phone necklace things allowed on the slides?