Best Rides at Carowinds: What to Ride First
Carowinds sits right on the North Carolina and South Carolina border, which means you can literally stand in two states while waiting in line. But you did not come here to stand in lines. You came to ride, and right now the park is a coaster fan's dream because wait times are barely registering. Average waits are sitting around 4 minutes and even the busiest ride tops out near 15. Walk-on territory, basically. Here is what to hit and in what order.
Fury 325: Ride This First, No Debate
Fury 325 is the whole reason people drive here. It is a giant B&M non-inverted coaster that climbs 325 feet, then drops you at 95 mph straight toward the park entrance before diving under a walkway tunnel. The airtime hills near the back half are the best part, so grab a back row if you can. Even on a normal day this thing pulls the longest line in the park, so the fact that it is showing near a 15 minute peak right now is a gift. Marathon it while you can. Two or three back to back rides and you will understand why it regularly lands on best-coaster lists.
Afterburn: The Underrated Inverted Coaster
Afterburn is the ride most first-timers skip and most regulars love. Your feet dangle, there are six inversions including a couple of tight corkscrews, and the pacing never lets up. It hits harder than you expect and the line moves fast. Ride it early before your stomach fills up with funnel cake.
Charlie Brown's Wind-Up and Flying Ace Balloon Race
Head into Camp Snoopy if you have kids or you just want a breather between big coasters. Charlie Brown's Wind-Up is a gentle spinner, and the Flying Ace Balloon Race is a classic up-and-down flyer with a great view of the park. Kiddy Hawk is a small starter coaster that is perfect for first-time riders who are not quite ready for Afterburn.
How to Plan Your Day
Get to the gate before opening and speed-walk to Fury 325 while everyone else is still figuring out lockers. Knock out Fury, then Afterburn, then Intimidator over on the other side. Do the family and Snoopy rides in the middle of the day when the sun is high and the coaster crews are dealing with the lunch rush. Save a second Fury lap for the last hour, when riding at dusk with the lights coming on is genuinely one of the best things in the park.
Bring water, wear shoes you can actually run in, and do not waste a low-crowd day like this one. When waits are this short, you can ride everything worth riding and still have time to go back for seconds on the stuff you loved. That almost never happens at a park this size, so make it count.