World's Tallest Water Coaster to Open at Six Flags Great America Next Year

© Six Flags Great America

Six Flags Great America is already well known for their large lineup of traditional roller coasters, and the park is now going to be known for having the world's tallest water roller coaster when Tsunami Surge opens in 2020.

Standing an impressive 86 feet tall, Tsunami Surge will preside over Six Flags Great America's water park, Hurricane Harbor.  Stretching 950 feet long, the water coaster will use a propulsion system to blast rafts not only downhill, but also uphill.  In fact, the ride's layout will feature three separate uphill sections along with five drops.  The rafts will hit a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour during the attraction.

Unfortunately no full drawing of Tsunami Surge has been released yet, so the exact layout is a mystery for now, but it will be located in the Riptide Bay section of Hurricane Harbor.  The park also states that the water coaster will have five hairpin turns, tunneled sections, and special "aqualucent" sections that make "mind-blowing bursts of colors and dreamlike patterns."

“Six Flags is the undisputed leader in delivering record-breaking rides and world-class thrills,” said Six Flags Great America Park President Hank Salemi. “The new Tsunami Surge water coaster is in a class all by itself, defying gravity to blast riders uphill through 950 feet of exhilarating drops, twists and turns. This exciting, new addition is the perfect complement to an already incredible lineup of the biggest and most innovative attractions in the Midwest.”

The Jersey Devil Coaster Arriving at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2020

© Six Flags Great Adventure

Six Flags Great Adventure has announced the Jersey Devil Coaster, the only ride of its type on the East Coast, for the park's 2020 season.  Themed around the infamous New Jersey mythology, the single-rail coaster, created by Rocky Mountain Construction, will be the tallest, fastest and longest ride of its kind.

The coaster will be located in the woods at the back of the park in the Lakefront section, located near Safari Kids and Congo Rapids.  The wooded location will add to the mystery of the ride, which requires only a 48 inch height requirement.  Legend has it that the Jersey Devil haunted the Pine Barrens for centuries "soaring stealthily through the woods in the dark of night before attacking its prey."  It's great to see the park use a local legend in one of its major thrill rides!

© Six Flags Great Adventure

We've seen two Rocky Mountain Construction single rail coasters built so far, but the Jersey Devil will be the largest yet.  Standing 130 feet tall, the coaster will start with an 87 degree first drop that will send the trains at 58 miles per hour.  The ride will utilize four trains of single passenger cars, with each train having 12 cars.

The single rail, I-beam track allows for a low center of gravity that gives a smooth and exciting ride experience unlike other roller coasters.  The Jersey Devil will feature elements such as a Raven Dive, a 180-degree stall, zero-gravity roll and overbank cutback all baked into 3,000 feet of track.  There will be a total of two inversions during the experience and many air-time hills.

© Six Flags Great Adventure

The coaster's orange track and gray supports will also fit the ride's theme, and each train's front car will feature the Jersey Devil himself.  The ride will be the park's 14th roller coaster when it opens next summer.

“Six Flags Great Adventure is home to the best and most innovative roller coasters on the planet, and we are thrilled to expand our unrivaled collection with the Jersey Devil Coaster,” said Park President John Winkler. “Jersey Devil folklore has been a source of fear and intrigue here in the Pine Barrens for more than 200 years, and this iconic piece of New Jersey history inspired the design for this monstrous scream machine.”

Ready to take a spin on the Jersey Devil Coaster?  Check out the park's animated point of view video below.

Six Flags Qiddiya to Open in Saudi Arabia in 2023

© Six Flags Qiddiya

Six Flags and Qiddiya Investment Company have announced the full design of Six Flags Qiddiya, a new themed park planned to open in Saudi Arabia in 2023.

“Our vision is to make Six Flags Qiddiya a theme park that delivers all the thrills and excitement that audiences from all over the world have come to expect from the Six Flags brand, and to elevate those experiences with authentic themes connected to the location. As a place that will create indelible memories and moments of delight, telling stories that resonate with our guests is a central notion that will be evident throughout Qiddiya,“ said Michael Reininger, Chief Executive Officer of QIC.

© Six Flags Qiddiya

The park will be divided into themed areas including Steam Town, Twilight Gardens, Valley of Fortune, the Grand Exposition, Discovery Springs and City of Thrills.  The rides planned for the park can be seen in a ton of concept art that has been released by the developers on the park's new website.  There will be a mix of family attractions along with some large thrill rides that will have ride fans excited.

Many of the attractions are slated to break world records upon their opening.  For example, the Sirocco Tower will be the world's tallest freefall attraction, though an exact height has not yet been given.

© Six Flags Qiddiya

Found in Steam Town, a western themed area, is the Iron Rattler Mine Train, which looks much more thrilling than most mine trains we've seen.  The ride features a rotating platform that holds trains toward the ground, only to release them into a spiraling serpent-like vertical drop into a mine shaft.  Another coaster at the park, Spitfire, will feature three launches, another highlight ride is Colossus, which sounds like a RMC hybrid wood coaster.

Six Flags Qiddiya's signature ride is Falcon's Flight, a nearly unbelievable attraction that the park says will be the world's longest, tallest and fastest roller coaster.  The ride looks to combine a traditional lift hill with possibly launched elements and a layout that covers well beyond the length of the park and up onto the surrounding landscape.  Building a ride of this size would be a massive undertaking, and I think all coaster fans should be hopeful this one comes into reality.

Dorney Park 8.25.19 Update + What's New for 2019 Halloween Haunt

© NewsPlusNotes

Dorney Park has continued its stretch of beautiful weather weekends into the end of August, a run that went most of the summer and saw the park utilize their overflow parking lots on a regular basis.  While the crowds are starting to taper off a bit, the park is getting ready for its next round of special events, including Monster Jam Thunder Alley and The Haunt.

© NewsPlusNotes

But first, let's take a look at the park post-Grand Carnivale.  While I haven't heard any official response regarding the event, it certainly appeared to be a smash hit for Dorney Park.  Guests appeared to adore the setup/decorations, food and live entertainment along with the parade, and it wasn't uncommon to see people leaving with 20+ strands of beads around their necks!  Seemed like it was a blast for everyone.

The park has kept the tent in the parking lot (above) where the parade floats lived, though it is sadly empty for now.

© NewsPlusNotes

Along the Main Midway the parade's memory is still going strong, as many of the trees are still covered in the ribbons and streamers from the performance part of the parade.  They now give the area a festive feel, even if Grand Carnivale is over.

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In fact, it's almost odd to see the Main Midway so open after having spent a good part of the summer filled with activities, food stands and stages.  At least all the infrastructure for the lighting and sound remains, and should hopefully help make Halloween Haunt even better.

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I also noticed that the stage that was constructed over the former fountain/water bed for Grand Carnivale is still standing.  Maybe this will be used in some way for Haunt as well?

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Many Cedar Fair parks have been having a promotion along with Dragamonz, where the toys (appear to be dragon eggs with a character in them that can be used along with an app game) have been handed out for free at the parks.  People were taking full advantage of that at Dorney Park, there had to be dozens being given out by the minute!

© NewsPlusNotes

This past weekend was also the annual Food Truck Rally event inside the park, this year there were a half dozen or so different trucks to choose from.  There was everything from barbeque to cheesecake on a stick, and the event always is a nice way to try to usually unexpected treats.

© Dorney Park

Since our last updated Dorney Park has also announced the addition of Seaside Splashworks to Wildwater Kingdom's 2020 season.  The addition means that the park will retire Island Water Works, so why not check out that area one last time?

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This view should look quite different next season, as Seaside Splashworks will not only replace the existing water play structure but also extend out into where the small splash pad is located in this photo.  The area will really look totally different with the new play area installed, giving a lot of color and life to the section.

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The new Seaside Splashworks looks like a major improvement over Island Water Works in pretty much every category, so I'm a-okay with saying goodbye to this old guy.

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Onto the next series of events that will take us through the completion of the 2019 season, we have Monster Jan Thunder Alley and Halloween Haunt, which of course comes with the family friendly The Great Pumpkin Fest.  The park has switched out their large advertisements on the back on the Good Time Theater to make guests aware of these events, and of course that 2020 season passes are on sale.

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Halloween Haunt will start on September 14th, just under three weeks from now.  The park replaced the Grand Carnivale signage in the entrance area with Haunt signs right away, complete with Halloween bunting and other decorations.  Works as a nice advertisement I suppose.

© NewsPlusNotes

All throughout the park the Haunt attractions are already coming to life and being installed.  In the Hydra plaza the stage is being placed for the Overlord's Resurrection, which kicks off each Haunt night's events.  There is also one of the food tents from Grand Carnivale that has moved over here, I expect this to become the Pour Haus Pub & Grub, which will offer special food and adult beverages during Haunt.

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Everyone's still afraid of clowns, so naturally CarnEvil will be returning to the walkway from Hydra Plaza down to the center of the park.  So far, things look similar to last year's presentation.

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Cornstalkers: Barn Bred & Blood Fed is also returning again this year.  It's hard to tell because I usually see this facade in the darkness, but I think that a ton of new theming detail has been applied to the front of the structure.  Always nice to see the park add even more to an attraction that's been around many years!

Additionaly returning mazes include Blackout, Blood on the Bayou, Necroplis, Tourist Trap, Trick Or Treat - Lights Out, Chamber of Horros and Urgent Scare.  

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As far as what's new for Haunt in 2019, Age of Darkness is no more and replacing it is The Lair.  The outward sets from Age of Darkness are still being used, but the inside path of The Lair looks 100% new from the positioning of the walls.  Hard to see exactly, but this new vampire themed scare zone should be interesting, it also comes with Stake & Ale, a brand new stand that has beer, wine, and a selection of mixed drinks.

There will be a second new scare zone this year, named Steamworx, which will be located on the Main Midway.  I have no doubt that the park will take full advantage of their new light and sound system to make this Steampunk themed area look amazing!

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Dorney Park is also heavily advertising Monster Jam Thunder Alley, which will also premier at the park on September 14th.  Located along the Possessed midway, the special event will feature real monster trucks on display, along with interactive exhibits and more.

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Since the event is still underway at Kings Dominion, there isn't much in the park yet for the event.  The area where Stinger lived is expected to be where guests will be able to take a ride on a real monster truck, but no work has started on that quite yet.  Shouldn't be long though until there is plenty of activity in this area!

That's it for now, until next time watch out for the man eating chicken!

© NewsPlusNotes

SeaWorld San Antonio Confirms Wood Coaster for 2020 With New Tease

© SeaWorld San Antonio

We're inching closer to SeaWorld San Antonio doing their full announcement of the park's new for 2020 wooden roller coaster.  While the park has had some minor teases before, the latest they released makes it 100% clear that they are building a new wooden roller coaster for next season.

The clip even goes as far as showing some of the animated point of view ride video that they've created, though the clip is short and certainly leaves us wanting more.  They do note that the coaster will be the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Texas.

A quick look at Roller Coaster Database helps us see what the SeaWorld San Antonio ride has to beat to have those titles.  Judge Roy Scream at Six Flags Over Texas is 71 feet tall with a top speed of 45 miles per hour, Kemah Boardwalk's Boardwalk Bullet stands 96 feet tall and hits 51 miles per hour, and Switchback at ZDT's Amusement Park hits 64 feet tall and goes 41 miles per hour.

So, the new SeaWorld coaster only needs to be 97 feet tall and go 52 miles per hour to be the tallest and fastest wood coaster in Texas.

Here's the official tease:

Legoland California to Introduce Lego Movie World in 2020

© Legoland California

After a successful debut this year at sister park Legoland Florida, Legoland California has announced that Emmet, Wyldstyle, Unikitty and all their friends will arrive in The Lego Movie World next spring.

The new two-acre land will be themed to Bricksburg and feature three attractions, a interactive play area and a meet and greet section.  The addition will mark the park's 20th anniversary, quite a nice birthday present.   “The Lego Movie World is Legoland California Resort’s largest Park addition ever and we are thrilled to create an interactive experience that fully immerses guests into a world that was so brilliantly created by Lego and celebrated by the hugely popular Lego film franchise from our friends at Warner Bros.,” said PeteRonchetti, the park's general manager.

© Legoland California

The largest attraction in The Lego Movie World is the Masters of Flight flying theater attraction, seen above.  Riders sit on triple-decker couches and fly into the Lego World which is projected all around them.  The couches rotate 180 degree after loading to take flights, and the California version will feature two theaters to allow for more capacity than the one theater in the Florida version.  The ride not only takes guests on a soaring adventure, but it also includes 4-D interactions like wind, mist and as the scent of pine and cotton candy, among others.

The park's will also build their own copy of Unikitty's Disco Drop, a family sized free fall.  Standing 35 feet tall, the Disco Drop will gently drop riders down after giving them an aerial view of Bricksburg.  The land's third attraction will be an exiting carousel that will be totally rethemed to fit The Lego Movie World.

The expansion will replace Legoland California's existing Duplo Playground (already relocated) and Lego Friends areas when it opens next year.

Coconut Shores Waterpark Expansion Sailing Into Kings Dominion in 2020

© Kings Dominion

With all the announcements that have taken place lately somehow Kings Dominion's 2020 news got lost in the shuffle!  The park has announced a large water park expansion for 2020 named Coconut Shores.  The development includes two new family friendly attractions.  Kings Dominion is already working on removing their original wave pool, and once the land is cleared the work on the new Coconut Shores will begin.  Along with the two new attractions the park will also bring a new dining experience to Soak City, featuring "Latin and Asian" flavors along with "family favorites like flatbread pizzas."

© Kings Dominion

The largest of the two additions is Lighthouse Landing, a 45 foot tall water playhouse that will feature more than 200 interactive elements to keep kids busy for hours.  The brightly colored structure will also feature 8 different water slides coming from different levels of it.  To top it all off, literally, Lighthouse Landing will feature not one but two different tipping buckets that will drench anyone below them every few minutes.

© Kings Dominion

Sand Dune Lagoon is the second addition, and it's aimed at smaller kids and their families.  The mini-wave pool features a maximum depth of only 24 inches and there will be gentle one foot tall waves flowing from the rocky waterfall at the back of the pool.  With plenty of lounge space nearby, kids can splash in the pool with water shooting features such as crabs and turtles.

“The investment in Soak City demonstrates our commitment to being Virginia’s premier water park,” said Tony Johnson, Vice President and General Manager of Kings Dominion. “Offering a high-quality water park within our amusement park gives guests of every age a chance to cool down during the hottest part of the summer season.  It’s our mission to make people happy and we believe our 2020 water park enhancements will go a long way to doing just that.”

Energylandia Opens New RMC IBox Coaster Zadra

© Energylandia

Out of the fields of Poland another insane Rocky Mountain Construction IBox track roller coaster has risen, and the majestic ride is named Zadra.  Perhaps that was a bit dramatic, but take a look at this coaster!  We've watched the ride being built and expected it to open in 2020, by Energylandia has gone ahead and opened the ride to guests early, giving visitors the rest of the park's operating season to take a ride.

Zadra is one of RMC's largest coasters to date, standing 200 feet tall and featuring a top speed of 75 miles per hour.

© Energylandia

The RMC IBox track sits atop traditional wooden coaster supports, but features a lift hill that uses a steel framework much like Goliath at Six Flags Great America.  The ride is rather long, 4,265 feet in length, and riders will be inverted three times during the experience.  Zadra's first inversion is a gigantic stall which can be seen above under the ride's lift hill.  The rest of the layout features two zero-g rolls along with a ton of outward banked turns, low to the ground elements, and what looks like a plethora of air-time.

If you can't afford the travel costs to get to Poland to experience Zadra yourself, here is a point of view video the park has released.  Looks like another amazing Rocky Mountain Construction ride!

Venus Vortex New at Lake Compounce's Crocodile Cove in 2020

© Lake Compounce

A brand new thrilling family water slide, named Venus Vortex, will open Memorial Day 2020 at Lake Compounce's water park, Crocodile Cove.  The large addition will go up near the park's wave pool, which is also a somewhat recent addition, on land reclaimed when the road adjacent to the park was moved several years ago.  That gave Lake Compounce a sizable open space to develop, which they have been with additions like Venus Vortex, the Bayou Bay Wave Pool and Riptide Racer.

© Lake Compounce

The slide will stand more than six stories tall and feature a yellow and green color scheme, sure to make it noticeable from afar.  The four-person rafts will start their journey simply enough, curving through some twists and turns and entering a covered tunnel portion.  Suddenly they will soar out of the tunnel and down a steep drop into a giant half-pike that is decorated to resemble "the carnivorous mouth of a hungry venus flytrip ready for its next meal."  This concept art shows the entire slide's layout, including the giant funnel.

© Lake Compounce

Once in the jaws of the giant fly trip (notice the red teeth they are going to add to the side of the slide's walls - a nice touch), the rafts will slide up and down each side giving moments of weightlessness to passengers.

The Venus Vortex will be "Lake Compounce's largest and most thrilling slide to date," said Jerry Black, Lake Compounce General Manager.  "This addition will further solidify our park as the go-to water park in Southern New England."

Cedar Point Celebrates 150th Anniversary in 2020 With Nostalgia + New Pass

© Cedar Point

Next year Cedar Point will be celebrating the park's 150th anniversary all summer long with a mix of nostalgia and a nod to the future of the resort.  The park dates back to 1870 when the very beginnings of what Cedar Point is today were just starting to take root.  Over the decades the resort and amusement park have grown into one of the world's favorite places to explore, find thrills, spin and twirl, splash in a water park, and even spend a summer vacation at.

The park will celebrate their history next year with a "multitude of new family entertainment and memory-making experiences."  "Guests will enjoy a fully-immersive nighttime celebration along the Main Midway, try new, delicious and innovative food options (along with a few throwbacks of old), take home new memories with a complete line of nostalgic souvenirs and merchandise, step into a reimagined Town Hall in Frontier Town and climb aboard a river expedition for a new generation."

All of the activities planned sound fun, and the park promises that plenty more surprises are on the way and will be revealed as the 2020 season approaches.  The thought of having a boat ride back on the park's central lagoon is pretty exciting on its own.

© Cedar Point

While we wait on more details on all the fun that is planned for 2020, the park has also announced a brand new Gold Pass that is an amazing deal.  We don't usually cover ticket/pass information here, but Cedar Point's new Gold Pass, in honor of their 150th anniversary, is pretty extraordinary.  For just $99 visitors can get access to the park for the remainder of the 2019 season, and all of 2020, plus Cedar Point Shores and free parking.

For a park the size of Cedar Point which offers so much, that's really a steal.  I have a feeling there will be plenty of folks celebrating at the park next year!

Busch Gardens Tampa Gives New Peek at 2020 RMC Hybrid Coaster

© Busch Gardens Tampa

There are so many exciting projects going on in North America for 2020, one of which is the massive Rocky Mountain Construction conversion of Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa.  The theme park has revealed that they are indeed transforming the dueling coasters into one record breaking hybrid ride, but haven't shared all the details just yet.

Previously the park released only one image of the ride, showing a massive first drop and a sharp uphill climb that morphs into a downhill barrel roll.  And some "ests," the tallest, fastest and steepest hybrid roller coaster in North America.

Thankfully, on the recent National Roller Coaster Day, the park released a fun teaser clip on social media.  North East Coasters put it on YouTube, check it out:

There are some great point of view animation clips mixed into the "est" titles at the start, one of this shows the view from the top of the lift with a lot of the layout below.  The later clip shows a very large stall element before it ends.

There's still so much more to know about the Gwazi transformation, and the clip does promise that they will tell us soon.  Can't wait!

Knott's Berry Farm + Valleyfair To Introduce Large Festivals for 2020 Season

Cedar Fair appears to have found success with special events and festivals, especially at Knott's Berry Farm, and is adding more to the chain's lineup in 2020.

Knott's Berry Farm will hold "A Knott's Family Reunion" during next summer, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Knott's family curbside berry stand, which started in 1920.  "What started with a humble farm evolved into a premier destination that has come to witness 100 years of historical and timeless memories shared among friends, neighbors and families from around the world."

© Knott's Berry Farm

A Knott's Family Reunion will pay "tribute to Knott’s history and legacy of family fun.  Guests will be immersed in a once-in-a-lifetime celebration featuring festive park décor, themed food items, unique entertainment, exclusive merchandise and special surprises along the way, all paying homage to the nostalgia that surrounds the historic theme park. Details about the exciting 100^th anniversary celebration festivities will be announced in the coming months."

“The Knott family vision and values led to the birth of Knott’s Berry Farm, and through this milestone celebration it is our opportunity to honor the last 100 years of remarkable memories that have shaped our history,” said Jon Storbeck, General Manager of Knott’s Berry Farm. “The 100th-anniversary celebration embraces the farm’s rich history and signifies the importance of the Knott family’s commitment to building a place for generations of guests to create lifelong memories.”

Grand Carnivale, a massive celebration that had a popular run at four Cedar Fair parks in 2019, will also debut at Valleyfair in 2020.

The celebration will be similar to those that took place this year - a giant cultural celebration mixing live entertainment, food and beverage tastings, a parade and nighttime celebration into one event. 
"Grand Carnivale is Valleyfair’s largest-ever event and entertainment line-up that features 150 costumed performers and seven massive, Marti Gras-inspired multicolor floats.  The 23-day event kicks off with the Spectacle of Color Parade along the midway, followed by a Carnivale Street Party including an interactive dance party and family-friendly activities."

Grand Carnivale will run at Valleyfair next year from July 25th through August 16th.

Worlds of Fun to Build Midwest's Longest Mat Racing Waterslide for 2020

© Worlds of Fun

We now know exactly what will be replacing the Diamond Head waterslides that were recently announced to be removed from World's of Fun's waterpark, Oceans of Fun.  New for 2020 will be Riptide Raceway, billed as the "Midwest's longest mat racing water slide."

The four lane mat racing slide will start 5 stories above the bottom of the slide, and the attraction will feature four lanes that riders can race on.   Using foam mats, the riders will race head-first down 476 feet of slide.

© Worlds of Fun

The attraction will feature a somewhat unique layout for a mat racing slide, with each path going through several turns, drops and a 360 degree helix before the finish line.  Riptide Raceway is being created by White Water West, and will utilize the natural sloping landscape to its advantage.  It is the first major expansion to Oceans of Fun since 2013.

“With its thrilling twists and competitive elements, Riptide Raceway is sure to be an instant fan-favorite,” said Tony Carovillano, Worlds of Fun’s vice president and general manager. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to delight our guests, whether it’s an event like the international street festival Grand Carnivale that debuted this summer, to great new dining venues, and now this exciting water park attraction. Our collection of rides, slides, and immersive events provides a complete lineup of family entertainment that’s unmatched in the region.”

Grand Carnivale + New Racing Waterslide Opening at Carowinds in 2020

© Carowinds

The 2020 season at Carowinds will feature a brand new water slide attraction within the Carolina Harbor water park, and an exciting summer festival named Grand Carnivale.

Called Boogie Board Racer, the new waterslide is one of the industry's popular mat racing style attractions.  Riders head face-first down one of six lanes and move through drops and a large helix before one final plunge sends them toward the finish line at maximum speed.

© Carowinds

Boogie Board Racer was designed for Carowinds by White Water West, and will start from a 60 foot tall tower that is located adjacent to Copperhead Strike.  The slide is billed by the park as the longest of its kind in the Southeast and is the first large expansion to Carolina Harbor since the waterpark was rebranded in 2016.

Next summer will also be an exciting one for Carowinds due to the addition of Grand Carnivale, Cedar Fair's already popular global celebration featuring a nightly parade, food tastings, dance party and more.  The event will run at Carowinds from June 13th through July 5th, 2020.

“The new Boogie Board Racer water slide will amp up the adrenaline in our world-class Carolina Harbor waterpark and our guests will crave its exciting twists and turns as they compete against friends in this fan-favorite racing attraction,” said Pat Jones, Carowinds’ vice president and general manager. “And we’re going all out with Grand Carnivale, the largest summertime event ever held at Carowinds. We’ve seen how families enjoy our fully immersive SCarowinds and WinterFest events in fall and winter, and we’re bringing that same sense of wonder and delight to this captivating new summer nighttime experience. These investments, along with the new Springhill Suites by Marriott at Carowinds which opens this fall, further strengthen our position as the premier entertainment destination in the Carolinas.”