Carowinds Opens for 2011 Season on April 2

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Has your Carowinds "Opening Day Countdown" clock been running since the park closed last season? Have you been pretending your couch is really a seat on Intimidator™? Do you have your opening day outfit (complete with fanny pack and park map) already picked out for opening day on April 2nd?  If you've answered yes to any of these questions, great news; there are only a few days left until Carowinds, the thrill capital of the Southeast, opens for its exciting 2011 season!

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110330/CL73314LOGO )

With the debut of the 2011 season, Carowinds celebrates the one year anniversary of Intimidator™ - the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in the Southeast. In its first year of operation, Intimidator™ delivered over 1.5 million rides to guests and was nationally featured in several popular television shows, including the season finale of Bert the Conqueror on the Travel Channel and Intersections on the SPEED Channel.

"We know guests have been anxiously counting down the days to get revved up all over again," said Bart Kinzel, Carowinds vice president and general manager. Intimidator™ is a visually impressive ride and dominates the park skyline. The statistics speak for themselves and have helped position Carowinds as the thrill leader in the Southeast."

With the opening of the 2011 season, guests will notice a multitude of projects that took place during the off season, including:

• Vortex, which was the Southeast's first stand-up rollercoaster when it opened in 1992, was re-painted.
• A new picnic shelter has been built in the Plaza Pavilions to accommodate additional company picnics.
• This spring a new food stand, called Chippery, will open serving up fresh cut potato chips. In addition, a new Minute Maid® smoothie kiosk to help guests cool-down on hot summer days will be added.
• Coaster fans will experience smoother rides on both Thunder Road and Hurler, as both wooden coasters underwent re-profiling work.
• Guests can enjoy new seat walls, freshly planted shade trees, and additional greenery all over the park.

"Opening day at a theme park is like Christmas morning for coaster enthusiasts," said Josh Herrington, regional representative of the Southeastern region of the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE). "Each off-season we patiently wait for spring to roll around so we can get to the parks to see what's new. Having a park like Carowinds in our region makes the wait even more agonizing, since they always try to outdo themselves every year. I can't wait to get to the park and see all of the improvements made during the off-season."

On May 28th, Carowinds will unveil Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular, a million dollar nighttime walk-through light and sound experience featuring Snoopy and the PEANUTS™ gang. In addition, a nightly fireworks show called Nights of Fire will debut July 1. This exciting new night time entertainment will be highlighted by the extension of park operating hours until 10pm every day from June 27 through August 7.

CONTACT:
Bryn Hough  704-587-9050
[email protected]

SOURCE Carowinds