Avis de Duncan G.

Operations were great on the Sunday of opening weekend; I waited about 30 minutes and the line moved quickly. This is a beautiful coaster to look at, and I love how many vantage points there are from ...

Operations were great on the Sunday of opening weekend; I waited about 30 minutes and the line moved quickly. This is a beautiful coaster to look at, and I love how many vantage points there are from the midway and the queue. The queue itself is still a work in progress, but already has some good theming. I rode in the second row, and while I could see the bounciness of. the launch from off ride, I didn't notice it on ride. The launch was fun, and the first few elements had strong positive Gs. The second half had a slight rattle in the valleys, and the vest restraint really dug into my collarbones. I wish it had a longer layout and some near misses. I think I like this slightly more than Gatekeeper and slightly less than Dominator, but I'm looking forward to getting more rides on it and refining my opinion.

Wow. I've always been a Grizzly defender, but my latest rides were even better than I remembered. It felt out of control in the best way. The first drop has great airtime with a lateral kink, there ar...

Wow. I've always been a Grizzly defender, but my latest rides were even better than I remembered. It felt out of control in the best way. The first drop has great airtime with a lateral kink, there are several other good airtime moments, and the final turnaround is one of the strongest lateral moments I've experienced on any coaster. To me, it has just the right level of wooden coaster rumble without being uncomfortable, but I can understand why it might be too much for some people. It also had no wait, probably in part because the entrance is so hard to find.

This was my first free spin. I went in somewhat optimistic, but came off wondering why anyone enjoys these. The first flip was intense but extremely jerky, the second flip held me face down against th...

This was my first free spin. I went in somewhat optimistic, but came off wondering why anyone enjoys these. The first flip was intense but extremely jerky, the second flip held me face down against the restraint which was painful, and the rest of the ride did nothing. The line also moves excruciatingly slowly.

It's a pretty standard classic woodie. The only strong airtime moment is the drop off the turnaround. If they ran both sides the racing element would add a lot, but as a stand alone ride, it's just OK...

It's a pretty standard classic woodie. The only strong airtime moment is the drop off the turnaround. If they ran both sides the racing element would add a lot, but as a stand alone ride, it's just OK. Not quite as good as Racer at Kings Island.

This is definitely going to be the next removal from Kings Dominion. None of the effects work, and they've done nothing to update it to match the Jungle Expedition area. The launch into the upwards he...

This is definitely going to be the next removal from Kings Dominion. None of the effects work, and they've done nothing to update it to match the Jungle Expedition area. The launch into the upwards helix is intense and the indoor section is fun, but otherwise the layout is pretty forgettable.

It has a great launch and a fun layout. Unfortunately the trains are very cramped, but I did have a better experience sitting in the second row of the car. The exterior has been updated to match the J...

It has a great launch and a fun layout. Unfortunately the trains are very cramped, but I did have a better experience sitting in the second row of the car. The exterior has been updated to match the Jungle Expedition themed area, but they haven't changed the theming in the queue.

Except for theming, I think Joker's Jinx is slightly better than the Flight of Fear clones. I like seeing the twisted layout with all the headchoppers, and the restraints seemed more comfortable (but ...

Except for theming, I think Joker's Jinx is slightly better than the Flight of Fear clones. I like seeing the twisted layout with all the headchoppers, and the restraints seemed more comfortable (but still pretty bad- as usual for Premier). Otherwise the launch felt the same, and the train still goes pretty slow through the middle of the layout. Shoutout to the operators for having fun surprising riders with the launch timing.

This ride has several elite ejector moments, including the first drop. The helices are also fairly intense. Unfortunately it has a pretty significant rattle, and the lap bars are super uncomfortable. ...

This ride has several elite ejector moments, including the first drop. The helices are also fairly intense. Unfortunately it has a pretty significant rattle, and the lap bars are super uncomfortable. I still think it's the best coaster at the park.

I'm not sure what they did to this ride, but it spins more than any other spinning coaster that I've been on. It's actually almost too much spinning for me. It's kind of uncomfortable and the theming ...

I'm not sure what they did to this ride, but it spins more than any other spinning coaster that I've been on. It's actually almost too much spinning for me. It's kind of uncomfortable and the theming is almost nonexistent, but for what it is, this is a great ride.

Hangtime isn't my favorite force on a rollercoaster, but I'm growing to like it more, and Copperhead Strike does it so well that I really enjoyed it. And although this is definitely a hangtime-focused...

Hangtime isn't my favorite force on a rollercoaster, but I'm growing to like it more, and Copperhead Strike does it so well that I really enjoyed it. And although this is definitely a hangtime-focused ride, there are great ejector moments and some decent positives. It was also very smooth and a lot longer than I expected. Unfortunately, it had the second-longest line of the day for me, which must be due to the small trains. This didn't matter too much, though, with Carowinds' fast operations. The theming is nice but I didn't really follow the narrative. The launches are just OK; they're not meant to be the focus of the ride. Overall, this is a really well-rounded ride with fun elements.

Afterburn is the most intense invert that I've been on, and I loved it. It's relentless from the surprisingly steep first drop to the whippy final corkscrew. The batwing fully delivered; I grayed out,...

Afterburn is the most intense invert that I've been on, and I loved it. It's relentless from the surprisingly steep first drop to the whippy final corkscrew. The batwing fully delivered; I grayed out, but not for so long that it was concerning, which I had been worried about. The pacing is amplified by the dense foliage you fly through and the lack of a midcourse. I still prefer Alpengeist for its scale, whippiness, and presentation, but Afterburn is a close second.

Fury 325 is a great coaster, but I don't think it's the masterpiece that most people say it is. I really only have positive things to say about it: the first drop is outstanding, the speed is showcase...

Fury 325 is a great coaster, but I don't think it's the masterpiece that most people say it is. I really only have positive things to say about it: the first drop is outstanding, the speed is showcased well, and there are a couple of really strong airtime moments. It also has a gorgeous presentation with its color scheme and interaction with the park entrance, and like all rides at Carowinds, the operations are very efficient. But I didn't come off it with the same feeling of awe that I had after some other elite rides. In compared to the other gigacoasters I've ridden, I would rank it above I305 but bellow Millennium Force. I'm not even sure about ranking it number one in its park; Afterburn makes a strong case. To contextualize this review, I got one ride in the back row in the morning, so maybe it was running slow. Anyway, it's an amazing coaster and I can understand why to many people have it near the top of their rankings, but for me, it just lacks that special quality to make it elite. Also, what's with the seat belts?

The theming in the queue is great, but on the ride itself it's a little disappointing. The launches and turns have good force to them. This was my first straddle coaster and I found the seating positi...

The theming in the queue is great, but on the ride itself it's a little disappointing. The launches and turns have good force to them. This was my first straddle coaster and I found the seating position kind of awkward, but maybe my posture was wrong. The line moved very slowly with only ten people to a train. It's not a bad ride but I'll probably skip it on most of my visits to BGW.