What is his track record? I have never even heard of him.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

It's Dick Kinzels son. He used to be GM over foods at Geauga lake. GM at Star Trek The Experience. Both of which are gone now.

Well thats never good then.

I wonder when the park plans to announce him.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

In my purely speculative theory, I would think the park would announce Bart as Carowinds GM after CF announces its purchase of Hard Rock Park with John Shannrock being that park's new general manager. Again, only speculation, none of this was heard through any source.

Cedar Fair has $1.5+/- Billion in debt right now. I don't think they are going to bother with buying another park.

And we need to get back to speculation on the park's ride/no ride for 2010.

If you guys want to discuss other topics in regard to Carowinds, then you need to start a separate thread.

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Intimidator Coming in 2010 to Carowinds!

Sorry to not be optimistic, but I highly doubt Carowinds will receive a great coaster in 2010. Kings Dominion would get another signature, such as a hyper, before Carowinds. There might be a hyper in the works, but it will probably just be pushed back...and back and back.

Paramount's 5 year plan is about to run up so i honestly see something big in 2010 that was planned years ago. We'll just have to wait and see what it is.

Next season can't come soon enough cause i believe an announcement will be made early.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

KD just got a large B&M... why would they get something major in 2010 over Carowinds? Its not like they are two parks in different leagues here.. Carowinds is in serious need of a large investment... and not much at all after that. KD is in less need than Carowinds.... by far

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"Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

KD could easily go another 5 years without any coaster but Carowinds can't

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

hmm.. what about something like Superman- escape or Maverick?? what does an Intamin coaster about that size cost compared to a large B&M?

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"Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

I agree that KD is in less need, but Kings Dominion has close competition with Busch Gardens Europe. Therefore, it will get larger investments than Carowinds. Overall, Carowinds is by itself and has supported itself. Unless you count Dollywood, but Kinzel does not see Dollywood as a large threat (even though it will become one very soon). Kinzel likes Kings Dominion. Hence the fact that Kings Dominion gets the B&M floorless, while Carowinds gets a second wave pool and Boomerang. Obviously, Kinzel sees Kings Dominion dominant over Carowinds so why would he waste a large investment on the underdog? I mean as much as I would love to see carowinds get an amazing hyper, I dont think it will happen in the next three years. I'm starting to get used to "hand me downs." Carowinds might become the southern Michigan's Adventure.

Superman: The Escape? Are you talking about the one at Six Flags Magic Mountain? The Intamin tower launch? Sure its fun, but it produces so much power that could probably send a space ship to the moon. That is a horrible investment and the park would have to cut funds on multiple things to run that ride per season.

Random quote of the night, Dick Kinzel has been noted in saying that he views Kings Dominion as a potential resort type destination property like Cedar Point and Kings Island in the near future.

He never says anything about Carowinds...

And Dollywood and Carowinds do not really compete anyway, they draw totally different mixes of guests- Carowinds is more of a 'local' regional park while Dollywood is a destination park already due simply to its location... they may fight over a few guests between Charlotte and Knoxville, but they don't exist in large numbers.

Maverick is a piece of junk, and I've heard through the grapevine that some in management think the same.

Hopefully they will have the sense to put in a hyper at Carowinds.

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Intimidator Coming in 2010 to Carowinds!

wrong.. KD and CW weren't the only two properties Kinzel mentioned in that exact same interview:

"If we had the money on the balance sheet, we have hotel opportunities at Kings Dominion and Carowinds and in Canada. We have plenty of land around all of those parks to make it into a resort community like Cedar Point.

Q: Was that something you had in mind when you bought the Paramount parks?

A: Yes, it really was. Plus they're in the southern region. Charlotte is a high growth area. Richmond is doing very well. We felt Santa Clara in California was an underutilized property. The one we were really surprised by was Canada's Wonderland. It's going to be a great property. "

Kinzel said it, not me. He has always spoken very well of Carowinds.

He has also stated that Carowinds does indeed compete with Dollywood, along with SFOG.

Yea I was just wondering as I don't know a whole lot about the Intamin non- hyper coasters.....

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"Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

Dollywood has a long way to go before the ever become a threat to Carowinds. If they ever build a Flyer & a Invert then i'll get worried. Also as tntornadox has pointed out the numbers are not even close.

I would not really like to have something like Maverick. I honestly thought the coaster was horrible. It had some quick neck breaking turns and it was boring.

I honestly think the flume area will be home to either a Floorless. A Wooden Coaster or a Hyper. If we don't get either i'll be very dissapointed.

However if we do end up with something like Maverick I'll still be upset but i'll still buy a SP and ride it.

I personally hope it is a hyper. If it's one of the others then that just means another 4-6 years we'll have to wait for a hyper.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

Foghorn was talking about the Superman: Escape hydraulic launch at Movie World Australia. It's part Xccelerator, has some really cool hills to go with the "hole" in the building it travels through. I've already talked about Piraten. Generally we are talking about mid size Intamin models.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Sophomore Original sn: CHILLERLC1
2008 & 2009 TN Coaster Draft Champion
You knew I wanted the other repeat too

that's the one... but IMO that isn't what Carowinds really needs...If Carowinds sees a hyper, the park would be fine without any other major addition (aside from a couple of flats) for 8-9 years +.. the park really only needs one large addition to round out the ride collection.

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"Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

I would more than happy going 10 years without another coaster. Just as long as we get 4 major flats in that 10 year period.

I doubt CF would go 10 years without adding a coaster to Carowinds after the sucess a hyper would bring but just agreeing that i could wait 10 years for the next coaster.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

I could wait 13-15 years... eventually one of the older coasters would have to go... and another addition would come our way- probably 2015 or so... outside of a hyper or an equal sized investment, a few flats is all Carowinds needs for at least another 8-12 years.

The season of the big addition's opening is going to be huge attendance wise.

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"Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

Attendence & Season Pass sales would skyrocket. They could even leave out Free parking & Scarowinds and sales would still blow up.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

If Carowinds DID get a hyper in 2010, then a year later people would be right back on the rumor train hounding for a B&M floorless or new woodie. So saying that you could go ten-twelve years without a new large coaster is a big statement to live up to.

Anyways, having a coaster like Maverick wouldn't be horrible. I heard Intamin worked out most of the kinks on Maverick through Fahrenheit so it wouldn't be a bad coaster. Carowinds could also use a launch.

If Intamin has their stuff together then i would not mind something like that at all.

I honestly would be happy for 10 years if we got a hyper. If we get anything else then yes i'll be screaming for a hyper in 5 years.

I would love a launched coaster.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

Dollywood is a closer threat than anyone would think. There were 2010 rumors of getting an invert with new trains, but that might be gone since their 2009 plans are delayed.

He didn't point out the numbers, he pointed out the crowds. The crowds are entirely different. Numbers might even be skewed onto the Dollywood side. I heard through a grapevine, that Dollywood had a GREAT season this year.

Seriously?

last major $$ investment was in 1999. Before that it was 1992 (or 1994, but that is arguable).. and the coaster before that? Carolina Cyclone in 1980.

That's 12 years between Cyclone and Vortex, and 7 years between Votex and Top Gun.

The GP can go for many many years without any major addition- they have in the past, and they will in the future. There may be a couple of enthusiasts that will do as you say, but they do not represent the majority, by ANY means. The locals are not coaster enthusiasts like you or me... they will go for years, with consistently high attendance, with no major additions. Carowinds is a local family park... not an enthusiast's park. But that doesn't mean it doesn't need a major investment soon. Everyone I talk to, on the forums, and around here in my home state is begging for a big, new coaster at Carowinds. I am sure the management is fully aware of this sentiment, and I am sure they are going to respond to it, eventually.

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"Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

There has been talk on screamscape about B&M developing a new coaster design. What if it turned out to be a launched hyper coaster? That would be a fi ne addition to Carowinds considering we need a launched AND a hyper.

B&M has never used a launch system on any of their coasters due to their unreliability...

and HULK dosen't count- the launch system wasn't designed and installed by B&M.

Alot of my friends in NC/SC are not what you would call coaster freaks but even they know Carowinds needs something big and even they are tired of waiting.

Even people i run into off the street always ask when is Carowinds getting a major coaster. Of course this only happens when i walk out of the house with a shirt with a Paramounts Carowinds logo on it.

Yes the public will wait longer than an enthusiast would but there comes a time when the GP are even tired of waiting.

Alot of the people i talk to are a little excited about the Cobra but the look on their face when i tell then that the coaster it used and over 10 years old is priceless.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

Screamscape is a waste of time, really..

The park really only needs one major addition to round out the collection... we don't need a B&M AND a launch AND whatever else... This isn't Cedar Point we're talking about here. One major addition and a couple of nice flats would suit the park very well and the park wouldn't need anything else besides coaster paint and TLC for at least 8-9 years... a decade, more realistically.

Carowinds doesn't have the competition level of an Ohio or Florida park but there is enough competition to take potential guests away from the park. Dollywood, Emerald Pointe, KD and SFOG all are close enough to take guests away from Carowinds- enough competition to warrant a large addition every 8-10 years. If Carowinds doesn't see new metal soon, the attendance numbers are really going to slip... especially the season pass business.

Carowinds DOES have equal competition-
there are other options for NC/SC

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"Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

If Carowinds wants to be truly successful, they need a major coaster every 5-6 years... Dollywood has been adding one every 4 years and has added almost a million additional guests since Thunderhead was built in 2004, so this speaks for itself.

Thats why i think with a good hyper and some flats over the next 3-4 years Carowinds could easily see a 50% increase in attendance and get over the 3 million mark.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1