[Atombomb]

What do yall think? http://screamscape.com/html/carowinds.htm

Now, while I am no ride mechanic, the thought that keeps bugging me is that starting a coaster's lift motor from dead-stop with a fully loaded train on the lift is going to be much more stressful on the system than starting it unloaded. So I have to wonder if perhaps the lifts may be getting a little "stressed" from being stopped and started a little more excessively than what they were designed for. Just a thought..

[RollerBee]

Carowinds told a media outlet that a float sensor in the tunnel malfunctioned and shut down the ride. The sensor in question serves the purpose of monitoring water levels in the tunnel. Too much water and the ride e-stops.

I am sure the lift capacity far excesses the dead weight of a fully loaded coaster train.

[Littlegiles]

This phone issue is going to really get out of hand one day. Someone is going to get badly hurt when a phone smacks them in the face at 90 mph and then the person that got hit is going to sue the park because they have the money. i watched someone lose a phone Saturday night as i was leaving the park. It was raining a little, they were filming because I could see the light, and as the train ascended the turn around right before the dive under the bridge, I saw the phone fly away. All I could think was "I hope that didn't hit anyone". Is a video of your ride so important that you risk seriously hurting someone?

I really don't know what else the park can do. There are signs, announcements in the video while in line and announcements in the station.

[LocalYokel]

Carowinds told a media outlet that a float sensor in the tunnel malfunctioned and shut down the ride. The sensor in question serves the purpose of monitoring water levels in the tunnel. Too much water and the ride e-stops.

I am sure the lift capacity far excesses the dead weight of a fully loaded coaster train.

I don't think they said it malfunctioned. It was raining pretty good at the time, the sensor could have detected water and activated.

[tarheel1231]

I hate to say this.... but it seems like customer service at the park is getting worse. With the slow service at Chickie's and Pete's, the un-enthused employees working at Taste of the Carolinas, and now this phone incident on Woodstock Express, it seems like the employees are just hired to be there. I don't want to sound like I'm crapping on the park, I just wish customer service was better. I want to get the southern hospitality expected in this region, and now when I walk into the park, there isn't really a warm, friendly vibe. I feel like I'm there to ride the rides and leave rather experience the park and have a good time. Maybe it's just me.

[CarowindsCentral]

I hate to say this.... but it seems like customer service at the park is getting worse. With the slow service at Chickie's and Pete's, the un-enthused employees working at Taste of the Carolinas, and now this phone incident on Woodstock Express, it seems like the employees are just hired to be there. I don't want to sound like I'm crapping on the park, I just wish customer service was better. I want to get the southern hospitality expected in this region, and now when I walk into the park, there isn't really a warm, friendly vibe. I feel like I'm there to ride the rides and leave rather experience the park and have a good time. Maybe it's just me.

In my experience, the customer service seemed to improve around May last season.

[Tinkerdog]

For those who slammed on me for my comments last week about my trip to Carowinds.... (about "walk ons all day long on Fury on Friday)....

a) My definition of a "walk-on" all day is getting on an extremely popular new coaster in 10 minutes or less, when the park is FULL of teenagers. If yours is simply "no one in line", then so be it.

b) The line, when I rode it, was only as long as part way down the wooden wall. At the speed the trains were dispatching, we quickly moved up the stairs and into the station. I was elated that the line was Soooooo short compared to the number of potential riders jamming the park when I entered. I was expecting a line out of the queue area and into the park itself. So, IN MY MIND, a 10 or 15 minute wait at this point is simply a walk-on and repeatable.

c) I am not clairvoyant, so I should NOT have assumed that the short line was going to stay that way all day. But the times we rode and the times we ventured over to Fury to the Hive, the line did not appear to grow much longer than when we rode it. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures to "Prove I'm NOT a liar". I was having too much fun on my first rides to waste time taking pictures of queue lines.

d) I apologize for not being as precise in my description concerning the time element. Next time, I will carry a stopwatch and take pictures of the watch itself for "Proof".

I thought the Carowinds Connection fans would have enjoyed my short trip report. I tried to convey my joy of this great new ride and encourage others to seek it out and enjoy it also. ( I APOLOGIZE for the overuse of smiles, but they are much cuter than exclamation points infinitum.).

Tinkerdog signing out once again for a loooooooooong time.

[Littlegiles]

I hate to say this.... but it seems like customer service at the park is getting worse. With the slow service at Chickie's and Pete's, the un-enthused employees working at Taste of the Carolinas, and now this phone incident on Woodstock Express, it seems like the employees are just hired to be there. I don't want to sound like I'm crapping on the park, I just wish customer service was better. I want to get the southern hospitality expected in this region, and now when I walk into the park, there isn't really a warm, friendly vibe. I feel like I'm there to ride the rides and leave rather experience the park and have a good time. Maybe it's just me.

I was at the park all day Saturday and I talked to MANY employees and of them all, there were really only a few that just seemed irritated or tired. Considering the number of employees they have there, that is pretty good. I really did get a "Southern Hospitality" vibe all day.

It is funny, but I happened to be in a Hot Topic before going to the park Saturday and the manager said she would never go back to Carowinds because of how horrible they treat their employees. I was struck odd with that saying because it was the first time I had ever heard that said before. I asked her why she said that and she told me that she had a few employees that also worked at Carowinds and they complain constantly about horrible treatment. After speaking with, and interacting with so many of the employees that day, I'm thinking that perhaps her staff have issues. I have managed enough people in retail to know when they are handing me a load of crap and when they actually seem to be enjoying themselves. I think the majority of the employees at Carowinds fall into that latter group.

I think these opening weekends are great for training the new people and they have really been hit hard right out the gate this year.

[Wormy]

Well said. I hope?

Tinkerdog, hey at least I enjoyed your report, as I’m sure others did. Not everyone here has to always be so literal all the time. Here’s one smiley.

In my experience, the customer service seemed to improve around May last season.

Fair enough. Takes them a while to shake out the bugs and cankerworms, but for the most part they usually get there. New management, fresh staff, eyes watching..

Better to air out your grievances here where they're likely heard amongst reasonable people before contacting Chopper 9 “with a piece of my mind!” Ugh.

[Tawny71]

I liked Tinkerdog's trip report, too. I didn't mind the smilies, either. With all the grumpiness in this world, we could use a few more smiles. I know I could use some extra smiles lately.

[that_drumer_guy]

the last time i was there and rode fury.
we were sitting maybe 6th row back? and this kid in the 2nd row had an iPod in his pocket and going over the first real airtime
hill right before the helix, and it flew UP AND OUT OF HIS POCKET then we all ducked as it came flying passed our heads then i look in the next row back and the guy in one of the middle seats CAUGHT IT IN MID AIR,, it was amazing..

[arby]

Tinkerdog, no offense intended as I also enjoyed reading your report. Smileys don't bother me either.

From my angle, I was only clarifying from my opinion of what a walk-on is not intending to slam you. I truly appreciate most opinions shared on here - the ones that I don't appreciate are when they degrade others. Sometimes we all open ourselves up to a little ridicule. I don't always get things right or say the right things.

I don't think Carowinds' customer service is going down hill. You have to keep in mind that they hire thousands of seasonal employees every year. Some of those employees are completely new and still learning. No matter how great a company is, there is always the 10% that have something to complain about. Eventually they turn around or get weeded out.

For the 1-2 employees that I did run into this past Sunday who didn't appear to enjoy their jobs and were negative, I ran into a dozen more who went out of their way to try and make me have a great time at the park. I chose to focus on the vast majority of good that I experienced and overlooked the small percentage of bad that I saw.

[Jonathan]

What do yall think?

From Screamscape

I think it's a ridiculous and completely unsubstantiated fear mongering theory. This guy doesn't know anything about engineering and it's borderline inappropriate that he would write that on such a highly read site.

As for rides constantly being stopped on the lift to deal with phones and cameras out, this has been a policy at Cedar Point for a long time. Happens all the time throughout the day. Ops stop train on lift, run up lift hill, take phone, come back down and restart ride.

[Edwardo]

Yeah lance should have stopped at "I'm no engineer". Nothing else in his post was necessary. Especially when talking about a company known for its excellence. Ran by actual engineers.

[RollerBee]

Funny thought, John Allen designed the Racer on the back of a napkin.....
(I wonder how many napkins it took.)

I am guilty of armchair engineering but Lance has taken it to a new low.

Correction: It was The Beast not Racer and it was done in Kings Island's International Restaurant. Plus there was the back of a menu involved too and a legal pad of calculations.

I thought Racer was the last coaster John Allen designed because Thunder Road was designed by Curtis Summers. Note: edit and correction was made before any posts were made after mine.