Thank you to Carowinds for providing us with tickets for our visit!
My sisters and I grew up visiting theme parks almost every summer. I’m now on a mission to introduce the next generation to the joy that is a day at an amusement park riding and eating all the things.
Despite the fact that we’re all life-long North Carolina residents, my sisters and I didn’t visit Carowinds until our teenage years. We’re breaking in the little ones much earlier.
Camp Snoopy at Carowinds
The smallest member of the family is a little scared of rides, so she takes longer to warm up to the full theme park experience. Starting in Camp Snoopy is a great way to kick off the day.
Camp Snoopy boasts plenty of shade, smaller lines and lots of rides for those who seek milder thrills. Peanuts Trailblazers, Kite Eating Tree, the Campus Bus and more are kid-friendly and have typically short lines. Expect the longest lines at the Woodstock Express coaster, and even there you shouldn’t have to wait too long.
It wouldn’t be a visit to a theme park without a character meet & greet. Look for Snoopy and the Gang for some fun photo ops.
Camp Snoopy also features the Camp Snoopy Theater where you can catch Franklin’s Dance Party and Charlie Brown’s Happy Campers throughout the day.
Rides At Carowinds
We couldn’t stay in Camp Snoopy all day. Not when there was lots more Carowinds to discover! Boo Blasters on Boo Hill was a favorite of the whole family. When Kyns was hesitant to ride, I pulled up a ride video on my phone. After watching the video, she warmed up to the idea. I tried the same trick with Rip Roarin’ Rapids, since she was convinced it had a serious drop after we got her on a log flume last year.
The swings were one of my childhood favorites, so the Carowinds Zephyr took me right back to my childhood. I think Aly rode it three times back to back before we finally pulled her away to try the Rock ‘N Roller. (Which she also road three times back to back.)
I love roller coasters. The family? Not so much. Most of us did ride Kiddyhawk before we called it a day. Carowinds is a roller coaster lover’s park, so I’m determined to turn Aly into a coaster lover like me one day so we can ride them all. When that day comes we’ll spring for the Fast Lane pass which will allow us to bypass the regular lines on the most popular rides.
The Carowinds Theater features the show Seasons of Cirque. It features Chinese pole, trampoline, break dancing, juggling and other amazing acts. This was my one “must see” for the day. After we watched, it was one of Aly’s favorite parts of the day, too.
A trip to Carowinds wouldn’t be complete without a special treat. (Actually, Aly and Kyns basically ate their way around the park.) For me that treat has to be a funnel cake. My sister thought we should try the s’mores version they were serving up at the Funnel Cake Emporium. Chocolate sauce, marshmallow cream, and more chocolate…all on top of a freshly fried funnel cake. It was the perfect way to end the day.
Upcoming Carowinds Events
As the regular Carowinds season winds down, there’s still lots more to enjoy coming up. Celebrate Halloween at SCarowinds, select nights September 14 – October 28. Afterwards, ring in the season during WinterFest, select dates November 18 – December 31.