Favorite Theme Park in NC

[monsoon]

I thought there would be more of these in NC, so please correct me if I missed one (especially in East NC) So what is your favorite summer theme park in NC?

[ezcheese]

carowinds!

[Gastonite]

Carowinds

[NCMike1981]

Emerald Point! Especially this time of yr a waterpark sounds great :-p

[DigitalSky]

carowinds.. despite them chaning a lot especially after being bought by paramounts you still get the best of both worlds (theme park and water park)

[sonofaque86]

Carowinds. I've been going there every year since I can remember and it's the only theme park I've been to in NC (well atleast half of it)

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

From the list I've been to santa land, tweetsie, carowinds and emerald pt. I voted emerald point since it is local to us...and would be a nice place to visit on a day like today!

Also, does anyone remember the land of oz? I hear they still open one or two days in the fall. We went there a time or two growing up. It was themed after the wizzard of oz for those that never heard of it.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Carowinds all the way.

[Skyybutter]

Im suprised the triangle doesnt have a park. With Virginia Beach and Raleigh relativly close I wouldnt be suprised to see a park open. Then again isnt there a park in Richmond?

[NCMike1981]

I think Bush Gardens is in Richmond....you pass by it on I-95

[monsoon]

Busch Gardens is in Williamsburg. (great park, free beer)

Richmond's park is Paramount's King's Dominion which is the same company that owns Carowinds. Pretty much the same thing now.

[NCMike1981]

ah that's right :-p

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

Thought some of you might enjoy this site that has pictures of some of the early years of Carowinds..

http://members.aol.com/k9660r/earlywinds.html

[Noneck_08]

Gotta go with Carowinds on this one. With the water park and all, it really just adds a bonus. As a matter of fact, me and the fam are going down there next weekend. Emerald Point makes a close second though.

[Dukeis#1]

I don't like going to Paramount's Carowinds anymore. I get sad when I see how much the park is changed...they've ripped the "Carolina" right out of it. The Riverboat is gone, all the areas have been re-themed to Paramount movie crap, etc. Sure, there are more roller coasters than you can count, but the spirit of the park is dead. I'm sure Pat Hall is rolling in his grave...

It's much more fitting to call it Parawinds these days.

My favorite area theme park is Dollywood over in Tennessee. It has an all-around great atmosphere and the employees are the best. I also like Busch Gardens in Virginia.

In the state itself I like Tweetsie Railroad. Too bad it's future seems to be up in the air at the moment...

Also, does anyone remember the land of oz?

[orulz]

I think the question should have been "What's your favorite non-carowinds theme park in NC?"

There's no way that Carowinds wouldn't win. It'ts just so much bigger and more famous than everything else.

[NCMike1981]

Man I wish Raleigh would get some sort of a theme park or water park. I imagine it would end up being somewhere on the outskirts of town though, like 540 in nort Raleigh or in east Raleigh off 40, somewhere between exits 300 to the 70 split. Maybe they can build it off Blue Ridge Road or Hillsborough St!!! j/k hehe. I can always dream right lol.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

Man I wish Raleigh would get some sort of a theme park or water park.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am sort of surprised they never have. I guess with Carowinds to the south and the park in Williamsburg VA to the north they(developers) just figured it would be too much. I am likewise surprised that a major theme park never built in Wilmington either (or Myrtle Beach for that matter (beyond the pavillion and the other thing down there)

[Tides]

I thought there would be more of these in NC, so please correct me if I missed one (especially in East NC)    So what is your favorite summer theme park in NC?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What , no loving for Ray's Water Splash Park in Charlotte ?

Tides

[Dukeis#1]

Man I wish Raleigh would get some sort of a theme park or water park.

In the early 1970s Anheuser Busch considered building Busch Gardens (as well as a brewery) in Raleigh, but in the end it was determined that Williamsburg, Virginia had more tourism potential.

Greensboro, NC was also looked at...

[NCMike1981]

So I turned on the TV this morning while I was getting ready 4 work and there was this commercial on, with a guy dressed in a giant waterdrop suit for Emerald Pointe, saying u can save $5 off on tickets at Burger King or something. I'd hate to have his job hehe

[Damien]

They should have used the Dorthea Dix campus in Raleigh to build an amusement park on. That place is over 300 acres. It would have been the perfect place for one.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

So I turned on the TV this morning while I was getting ready 4 work and there was this commercial on, with a guy dressed in a giant waterdrop suit for Emerald Pointe, saying u can save $5 off on tickets at Burger King or something. I'd hate to have his job hehe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL-I danced with a person that was dressed up as a people sized pig once for a barbeque place in Jamestown/Eastern High Point...I keep feeling like that commercial that was on Channel 48 in the late '80's is going to come back and haunt me one day(though my kids would love to see it)..

[monsoon]

I am afraid I have to agree with you Dukeis#1. As someone old enough to remember Carowinds in its pre-Paramount days, the conversion from a Carolina's based theme to a generic theme based on corporate icons is really disappointing. They have even painted over most of the State Line markers that once wound through the park. (for those of you not in the know, the park straddles the NC/SC border)

I remember the Land of Oz from the late 1970s. Its still interesting to see relics from that theme park during skiing at Beech Mountain.

[IBruton]

Rumor has had it for a number of years now that land has been purchased along I-40 & NC 210 in Johnston County (basically Raleigh) for a Six Flags theme park. It's a rumor that's been flying for a while, so I don't know how much truth is in it.