General Carowinds discussion
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By fishels
#108080
Coasterphreak wrote:
Christopher Mallis wrote:Like I’ve said before and a few other people, maintaining vortex isn’t an issue, they’ll keep it there til they need the land. Honestly the coaster hasn’t been very rough this year (my opinion) it’s just uncomfortable cause you’re standing.

I don't disagree, I guess I forgot to get to my actual point: the ride isn't going anywhere anytime soon unless it has a major failure, but there's basically zero chance that Cedar Fair is going to invest in a floorless conversion.

It's not as simple as throwing some new trains at it and calling it good, the station also has to be rebuilt from the ground up and I'd guess that all of the control systems and sensors have to be replaced; at that point you're pretty much replacing everything but the track structure itself. It's millions of dollars, and there's just no way the company is going to put that kind of money into a mediocre thirty year old attraction.

Agreed. If it was a wonderful ride with a special layout I’d say a conversion would be more than welcome. But it’s just meh.

I think nighthawk will eventually meet the same fate. Good for it’s time but just can’t stand the test of time like Afterburn.
By Edwardo
#108091
Floorless conversions do not require that the station be rebuilt from the ground up at all.

This far they’ve simply modified the floor around the station track to install the hydraulic floor.

And Consign can come in and replace the operating system. They did it on every coaster at BGW when InvadR was built so that all of the coasters had the same operating system. Holiday World did the same thing when they got Thunderbird to their other coasters.

Thus far CF has already converted 2 old stand ups. The cost and conversion isn’t as costly nor as hard as you think.
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By tarheel1231
#108097
I really think it’s a matter of when more than if at this point. I think the point of view that it’s “too small” or “too boring of a layout” to convert is too steeped in enthusiast logic. I don’t think the park expects it to draw massive crowds, but if Cedar Fair has done the conversion to two coasters (with them stating in a conference call a few years ago that they identified two more to convert after Rougarou- i.e. CGA and Carowinds), and Six Flags has seen the value in converting one, then it looks like the chances of it happening are less than zero.

Would I personally like to see it hauled to the scrap yard for some new antique cars? Sure. But I would bet on the park seeing more money in the long term by converting it than spending the money to take it down. Vortex is old, but it’s a B&M. I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to keep a coaster with decent capacity and relatively low maintenance costs when they have the opportunity to improve the ride experience and market it as a new attraction.

I think 2021 in particular is the year to watch for, since the park is coming off of a massive 2019 season and the level of investment overall seems to be leveling off. A Vortex conversion would be a sound enough investment to fill up the off-year.
By Distopia
#108098
Mantis was converted in 2015 and CGA Vortex in 2017. The earliest that Carowinds could convert Vortex is 2021. Odds are if it was going to happen, it would have already.

Barring a significant drop in ridership, I would dare think that CF wasn’t happy with ridership after CGA Vortex was converted.
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By tarheel1231
#108099
Distopia wrote:Mantis was converted in 2015 and CGA Vortex in 2017. The earliest that Carowinds could convert Vortex is 2021. Odds are if it was going to happen, it would have already.


Carowinds was also in the midst of an enormous expansion over the course of five years, where they invested in areas of the park that needed work to be brought up to par for a park in a market of its size. A Vortex conversion would have taken attention away from those additions. Now that the park looks to be more or less where they want it to be, as evidenced by the relatively low budget for the 2020 additions, it looks like a conversion would be another solid addition for them to add during one of the next few “gap” years that will become more commonplace.

Carowinds was and still continues to be on a different path than its sister parks. So the fact that they didn’t convert it immediately doesn’t seem like a reason to write it off completely.
#108101
I thought i read somewhere that the floorless conversions did nothing to attendance when they were added at the other parks.
By Edwardo
#108103
They didn’t convert the coasters over with the main goal of an attendance boost. They were looking at boosting ridership on a strong ride infrastructure that people would get in line for.

I can tell you from conversations I’ve had with people that Rougarou has the desired effect and the capacity in that ride, both from what I’ve been told and seen, is way better than before.

I’ve heard much the same about Patriot.

If the money spent on converting and marketing the ride in an off year results in higher capacity, without a drop in attendance, making a potentially low maintenance ride more ridable, the return on investment is there.
By uscbandfan
#108117
Christopher Mallis wrote:Like I’ve said before and a few other people, maintaining vortex isn’t an issue, they’ll keep it there til they need the land. Honestly the coaster hasn’t been very rough this year (my opinion) it’s just uncomfortable cause you’re standing.


I actually don't mind the standing. (You just have to know how to get comfortable.) My issue is the head-banging. That's why I don't ride it.
By jeffdavis
#108118
The bad news is the head-banging effect doesn't go away with the floorless conversion. Rougarou's over-the-shoulder restraints felt the same as Vortex's. If anything the head-banging is more noticeable because of the more-comfortable sitting position vs. the less-comfortable standing/groin contraction.
By Edwardo
#108120
I’ve never had any headbanging in Rougarou, but I think my height and body shape tends to mitigate that in a lot of coasters that a lot of people say they get it on.
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By Cavan
#108156
Seriously f*** Vortex, Cedar Fair may repeat moves a la Floorless and Dive Machines. But they are by no means gonna copy-machine every park. Get real. Rapids is too large of a space to be wasted for flats. Removal of Rapids will finish by spring/summer of next year. Roller coaster construction will commence shortly after. Thank you and good night.
By HiveDive
#108158
Cavan wrote:Seriously f*** Vortex, Cedar Fair may repeat moves a la Floorless and Dive Machines. But they are by no means gonna copy-machine every park. Get real. Rapids is too large of a space to be wasted for flats. Removal of Rapids will finish by spring/summer of next year. Roller coaster construction will commence shortly after. Thank you and good night.


I highly doubt a new coaster is coming soon, especially to a park that just got one of the most expensive roller coasters the chain has ever built.... Carowinds is not on a 2 year coaster cycle.
By phareous
#108160
Why do people want a floorless Vortex? The layout is uninspired and it's a short ride. I think the only thing it has going for it is the novelty of standing up. They just need to remove it when they need the space for something else