After “making a big splash” last August with the announcement of Carolina Harbor, and working tirelessly throughout the off-season and the early spring to make the concept a reality (Construction Updates: #1, #2, #3, #4), Carowinds officially opened the “largest water park in the Carolinas” on Wednesday to members of the media.
The event took place in two parts; a morning “test-slide” on Carolina Harbor’s new six-slide tower, “Blackbeard’s Revenge,” and concluded in the afternoon with a “Coastal Bash,” complete with food and entertainment.
The early clouds and grey skies made for an ominous approach to “Blackbeard’s Revenge,” which has three “tube” slides, dubbed “Captain’s Curse” and “Cannonball Drop,” and three “body” slides, named “Pirate’s Plank.”
I had the opportunity to ride one of the tube slides first, and I was very impressed. Full enclosed to start, the slide path took a full 360º loop in the dark before opening up over a steep drop into the collecting pool below. It was a great ride, and in my opinion, great for those who might not be quite ready to “take the plunge” on Pirate’s Plank.
Next up was the opportunity to try out “Pirate’s Plank,” one of three “trap-door” slides where you are loaded into a “capsule,” and the floor is dropped from under you. Ascending the 6 flights of stairs to the top of Blackbeard’s Revenge, you have a great view of not only Carolina Harbor, but of the rest of Carowinds as well.
Though I was unable to go down “Pirate’s Plank” (Be sure to check your swimsuit for any metal eyelets or rivets, because I didn’t.), just climbing into the capsule and the awaited anticipation of the floor dropping out from underneath you is enough to make your heart start racing. Check out the official POV video of Pirate’s Plank from Carowinds below.
After drying off and changing in one of Carolina Harbor’s newest bath houses, the “Coastal Bash” and ribbon cutting for Carolina Harbor began at 3:00pm.
The new dedicated entrance to Carolina Harbor looks great. It’s Carowinds’ third entrance, in addition to the main gate, and south gate that enters near Afterburn.
There was plenty of entertainment, including a performance by North Carolina beach band “The Embers” and a coreographed dance routine by some “older” ladies while everyone waited for the press event to begin.
Carowinds’ General Manager and Vice President, Brad Marcy, Vice President of Marketing, John Taylor, and Public Relations Manager, Laresa Thompson all addressed the crowd about the various goings-on and new attractions at Carolina Harbor. It’s notable that all three mentioned the blue skies, which were starting to finally peek out from behind the clouds after being cloudy most of the day.
Taylor and Marcy then spun the Carolina Harbor Captain’s wheel, shooting fog into the air behind the stage, and fireworks off in the distance, signaling the official ribbon cutting of Carolina Harbor. Also, behind the stage in the Surf Club Harbor wave pool, there was a demonstration from OBX Jetpak, who were showcasing their water jet-packs. (If you’ve never seen one of these in person, it’s really cool to see!)
After the presentation, I took a “self-guided tour” of sorts to check out everything that Carolina Harbor has to offer.
I started with Surf Club Harbor, Carolina Harbor’s new 27,000 square foot wave pool. Carowinds has added thousands of new lounge chairs in this area, both in the sun, as well as under cover. Surf Club Harbor also features a buoy that doubles as a water feature, capable of shooting streams of water up to 20 feet in the air!
Adjacent to Surf Club Harbor, on the left side are 18 small cabanas that will be available for daily rental. Each semi-private cabana features a table with four chairs and umbrella, two lounge chairs, small table, refrigerator and area to keep valuables.
On the opposite side of Surf Club Harbor, there are several larger cabanas, but also two very large “party-sized” cabanas. Each party cabana has 8 lounge chairs, four flat-screen tvs, 3 tables with umbrellas, covered soft seating, two grills, and bar seating overlooking the wave pool. If you’re entertaining a large group at Carowinds, this is absolutely going to be the place to do it this summer.
Though the new Harbor House restaurant was not open quite yet, it looked great from the outside, and the new Schooner’s Beach Bar is in close proximity of Surf Club Harbor if you find yourself needing a refreshing adult beverage.
Walking around Carolina Harbor, it was great seeing the face lift that all of the attractions received. Everything inside the water park was looking fantastic.
The newly renamed #HurricaneFalls. #CarolinaHarbor @Carowinds pic.twitter.com/dHgL1B4RK3
— Coaster101.com (@Coaster101) May 18, 2016
Gone are the references to Australia and its native wildlife that were part of Boomerang Bay, replaced with new “coastal” decor and all-new attraction names.
The two new children’s areas – Myrtle Turtle Beach and Kiddie Hawk Cove, are going to provide great locations, both wet and dry for families with small children to entertain themselves at Carolina Harbor.
Pirates Landing at #CarolinaHarbor pic.twitter.com/Q1P9IhpZ9M
— Coaster101.com (@Coaster101) May 18, 2016
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFkJ2XxPm6O/?taken-by=c101.co
A lot of focus has been made on the new 423-gallon splash bucket on top of Seaside Splashworks, but the bucket at Pirate’s Landing still packs a pretty good soaking.
Speaking of Seaside Splashworks, it was looking fantastic as well. When the water effects were turned on, there’s no chance of getting inside the structure and staying dry.
I’m a huge fan of when parks place fun facts like the #wearecarolina signs around the park. I didn’t know until recently that Blackbeard’s Revenge was the name of a former Carowinds attraction that opened in the 1980’s.
One detail I loved about Carolina Harbor were the lighthouses on top of each directional sign inside of the water park. It’s a small “easter egg” type detail, but lighthouses provide directions for boats and ships at night, just like these signs provide directions within the park.
Carolina Harbor’s other restaurant, Sharky’s also looked great after it’s refurbishment. They’ll be serving up theme park favorites including hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken sandwiches.
About to enjoy a glass of Shoofly Punch. #CarolinaHarbor @Carowinds pic.twitter.com/wrpGTa1fd7
— Coaster101.com (@Coaster101) May 18, 2016
The Carolinas Coastal Cuisine at the #CarolinaHarbor #CoastalBash. Awesome job, @carowindschef! pic.twitter.com/F4h3PNSmwx
— Coaster101.com (@Coaster101) May 18, 2016
A visit to Carolina Harbor wouldn’t have been complete without sampling some of the Coastal Fare that Carowinds’ Executive Chef Krys Suita and his team prepared for the event. If you notice the fork in the second photo, it’s because I really wanted to share the plate of food on social media, but it was way too good to wait before I took the picture. (Super Quick Review: The Shoofly Punch was very good, but very sweet. My favorite things on the plate were the Pulled Chicken with Tortellini, the Shrimp & Grits, and the Crab Dip)
After a long day of water slides and water park photography, I headed home.
My takeaway: I know it’s the goal of concept art to look similar to the finished product, but it’s incredible to me how similar the concept art from last fall and the finished products are. Carowinds has a rich water park history (more on that soon!), and I think they have a winner on their hands with Carolina Harbor. It’s going to be a great place for families to visit this summer, and for many summers to come.
Carolina Harbor opens this weekend, May 21, and is included with park admission. For more information, be sure to visit Carowinds’ website, or the official Carolina Harbor Website, and follow the park on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
And as always, stay tuned to Coaster101.com!
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