Last week, Carowinds began teasing their 2017 addition(s) to the park.
The tease involves Carowinds’ mayor, Earnest Lee Higganbotham, and his campaign for re-election to serve as the park’s mayor for four more years.
If you missed it, you can read our full analysis of week 1 of the tease by clicking here.
Short Version. Our predictions last week were:
- Based on the #VoteFourMore hashtag, I believe that four new attractions are coming to Carowinds in 2016, not five as mentioned in the L.A. Times Article.
- The concept of refurbished flat rides being classified as “tweeners,” rides that appeal to both younger and older guests, was brought up in several of the mentioned media articles, and is echoed by the “something BIG to spark the imagination of both young and old” comments from Mayor Higginbotham’s office.
- I think Carowinds has tipped their hat to three of the proposed flat rides, or at the very least has put out three very solid “red herrings.” (Again, probably reading way too much into things.)
- I think Patti Cake’s mention of a movement, excitement, and multiple mentions of “Rock and Roll” signifies the Music Express.
- To me, Deputy Danger’s multiple mentions of “dance” is a sign that a Huss Breakdance is coming.
- Mayor Higginbotham has three other people working on his campaign. “A group of three people working together, especially in an administrative or managerial capacity” is a definition of a Troika.
- I’m going to make the bold prediction that the fourth ride will be an attraction that wasn’t named in MacDonald’s original article, and I’m basing this prediction off the soundtrack of the original teaser video. “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is a 1951 sci-fi film that begins with a U.F.O. landing in Washington D.C. Though there are not many still in operation, I’m going out on a limb and guessing that Carowinds will be adding a Huss UFO as well.
After our post last week, further teases started popping up online and in-park.
https://twitter.com/SuperWeenieHtJr/status/756121257582657536
Have you called the Higginbotham Hotline? #VoteFourMore
📞 https://t.co/QTSG61Kn15 pic.twitter.com/3faTJU5MDc
— Carowinds (@Carowinds) July 24, 2016
"Together we can continue to build greatness where the Carolinas come together." – Higginbotham Hotline
704-943-2802 pic.twitter.com/lK7LaJOTFr— Carowinds (@Carowinds) July 22, 2016
(I really like that last one.)
It’s time for week two of Carowinds teases, featuring another YouTube video, as well as four new messages on the “Higganbotham Hotline.”
Higganbotham Campaign Ad YouTube Video
Pretty standard campaign ad material here: still photos and video featuring the mayor interacting with park guests while a narrator reads over all of Mayor Higganbotham’s accomplishments while in office. These include Intimidator, Carolina Harbor, Fury 325, and Funnel Cakes, of all things. We also catch a few glimpses of the mayor’s campaign team, Granny and Deputy Willard D. Danger. (The third member of the campaign team, the mayor’s niece, Patty Cake, is not seen in the video.)
After hiding an Easter Egg in their last YouTube video, I was on the lookout for another one in this week’s video. Well, I found it.
At the end of the video, when most candidates approve the previous message, there is fine print, written in green. (I won’t go into detail how much effort I put in to try to read this message.)
It reads: “This message was produced by the Higganbotham Campaign funds, raised by director of Fun Raising, Granny. If you’re reading this small print, congratulations because you have incredible eye sight. I bet you can see our announcement coming from a mile away. You should tweet about it @Carowinds! I hear their social media guy is really awesome. We call these Easter Eggs!”
(And because I know you’ll read this, Well played, Chris. Well played.)
The Higganbotham Hotline
The Higganbotham Hotline changes every Wednesday, meaning there are three more sets of hints coming before the announcement on August 18. Here is what was on this week’s hotline.
The Mayor, Earnest Lee Higganbotham: Hello Again! Earnest Lee Higganbotham here, Mayor of Carowinds, and I’m currently seeking reelection. I strive to give this fine park four more years of civic duty, and it’s been one crazy week on the campaign trail. I’m here to tell you that I’ve been over and under and around and around this fine park, asking folks what they want from their mayor. I’ve heard some very interesting requests, and I’ve made some very BIG promises, but we can and will deliver. Now I wanted to set a few things straight. After our first week of heavy campaigning, we caught wind of some rumors flying around on the interweb; something about certain news organizations already breaking the news on what I plan on bringing to this fine park. But I’m here to tell you, don’t believe everything you read! All the speculation out there, my head spins, just thinking about it. Something you can find all those rumors, but there’s always more to the story. I gotta get back out there and start winning some votes. You may have heard that I’ve enlisted the help of some of my friends at Carowinds. Be sure to follow along with them as well each week on the Higganbotham Hotline. And don’t forget to cast your vote and show your support on social media by using #VoteFourMore. Four more years of Higganbotham before August 18th! Together, we can continue to build greatness where the Carolinas come together!
Granny, Director of Fun Raising: Wooohooo! Hello there! It’s me! Granny! Last week, the Carowinds Mayor, Earnest Lee Higganbotham, he asked for my help with a Fun-Raising campaign. You know, to raise some fun for his campaign so he can have four more years in office. I tell you, he couldn’t have picked a better person. I may be old, but age is just a number, and fun has no limit. Well, I’ve been thinking about ways to raise some fun for the mayor, and after I took a seat in my favorite chair, it hit me like a cackalacky junebug on Fury 325. I could cook up some of my famous barbecue sauce and sell it in some mason jars. Wooowee! That’ll surely get the mayor the swing vote! Alright now, I gotta get off here and help this mayor win. The election is August 18, and my sauce needs time to uh, age. Be a good youngin and use hashbrown, oh sorry, hashtag #VoteFourMore on social media to show your support. How do I turn this thing off? Oh. Okay. Bye!
Patty Cake (Originally from Office of Young Voters, but now known as a Waitress): Hey it’s me, Patty, Patty Cake, the waitress here at Carowinds. My uncle has been working awfully hard this week on his campaign. I haven’t seen him try this hard since he tried to fit into a pair of his old blue jeans from high school. Let’s just hope this campaign doesn’t tear him to shreds like the denim did that day. I tried to tell him to stop worrying so much. I even played him my favorite record of Carolina Rock and Roll to help him relax. Did it work? Well, let’s just say he was moving like I’d never seen before. Looks like he may be coming around to the new sound. But each time I think he is, he spins in the other direction. Hm. Doesn’t he know that rock and roll is the key to the young vote? We sure do appreciate on social media. Keep it coming using hashtag #VoteFourMore. Well, I’ve gotta get off here, my uncle is supposed to have a surprise for me. I love surprises!
Deputy Willard D. Danger, Bodyguard for Mayor Higganbotham and Sheriff Candidate: Howdy, Deputy Willard D. Danger here. As deputy and bodyguard for our mayor during his reelection campaign, I get to overhear a lot of information. Secret information. Well, I’m not one for gossip, but MAN OH MAN is this huge! I overheard the mayor talking to that pretty teaching lady, Agnes Appleton, and they were talking about bringing the county square dancing competition back to Carowinds! Square Dancin at Carowinds! Sign me up partner! I think I’ll blow my official deputy whistle to celebrate. Pffft. I can’t believe I might have the chance to be the sheriff and the county square dancin’ champion. This is the best day of my life. August 18th couldn’t come soon enough. Please go on the social media and cast your vote and show your support for our beloved mayor, or at least do it for me. Use hashtag #VoteFourMore, you know like, vote four more years. I gotta run now!
Updated Predictions
I’m still “all in” on my predictions of a Music Express and Breakdance being added to Carowinds. I still think a Troika is coming, but also could be another ride (A Mondial Top Scan). I’ll still hold to my prediction of a Huss UFO, because if it happens, I want to say, “I KNEW IT!”
- Granny’s “Age” related comments are indicators that “classic” attractions are coming.
- Patty’s comments about “rock and roll” music and “spinning in the other direction” all but confirm the addition of a Music Express, which features both forward and backward motion. “Moving like I’d never seen before” is likely a reference to how this particular ride has not been seen at Carowinds before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0by1REoQUU
- I’m still betting that Deputy Danger’s continued mentions of Square Dancing are for a Huss Breakdance. My reasoning: Dancing, and the cars on each arm of a Breakdance are arranged in fours.
- The Troika features a motion pattern that could be described as going “over and under and around and around.”
- However, another attraction mentioned in the original Los Angeles Times Article was a Mondial Top Scan. “Over and under and around and around” could apply to this ride as well, which is why I’m up in the air if it’s a Troika or Top Scan.
- Another attraction mentioned in the L.A. Times Article was a Wave Swinger, perhaps what Granny meant when she was trying to secure the “Swing Vote.”
- Based on the below in-park tease, which features the 325′ tall Fury 325, the 301′ tall Windseeker, the 262′ tall Carolina Skytower, and 232′ tall Intimidator, I’m guessing that one of the new additions will be a taller attraction, and based on this sign, at least 200′ tall. I’m wondering if this is part of the surprise that Patty Cake mentioned. BUT WHAT DOES JAM HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING?
Image via @SuperWeenieHtJr on Twitter. Thanks!
- My wild conspiracy prediction of the week: What if the five flat rides mentioned in the L.A. Times Article — Music Express, Troika, Wave Swinger, Top Scan, and Wave Swinger – are coming to Carowinds, and the hashtag #VoteFourMore means that there are four more new attractions coming on top of those? Carowinds is in the middle of a multi-year expansion plan, after all.
Just a few more weeks until we know for sure though. You can follow along with the Carowinds 2017 tease by visiting the park’s website, and following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Don’t forget the hashtag #VoteFourMore on social media!
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