Carowinds has entered their third week of teases for their 2017 additions to the park.
The tease involves Carowinds’ mayor, Earnest Lee Higginbotham, and his campaign for re-election to serve as the park’s mayor for four more years.
We’ve been keeping up with the teases, which are released each week until Carowinds makes their announcement on August 18. In case you missed it, be sure to check out the posts from Week One and Week Two.
To recap, our predictions from last week:
- 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.
- I’m still betting that Deputy Danger’s continued mentions of Square Dancing are for aHuss 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.
- 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?
- 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.”
- 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.
After all of those predictions last week, several people were quick to point out that pieces for the Mondial Top Scan were already on site at Carowinds.
when we were at @Carowinds this month, we were almost certain that they had Mondial TopScan seats/arms below #Fury325 1st drop
— Coaster Addict (@Coaster_Addict) July 31, 2016
Forum posters on Carowinds Connection also mentioned that pieces for the Troika and Music Express were on site as well. (Sorry guys, haven’t been able to get out to the park much this summer to look under Fury 325’s lift hill, so I’m just having some fun with my speculation based on the clues!)
Let’s jump into week three’s teasers, which includes another YouTube video and four new clues on the Higginbotham Hotline.
Higginbotham Campaign Rally
At least from what I’m seeing, not much in the way of Easter Eggs in this week’s video. Mayor Higginbotham is speaking in front of a large “assembled” crowd (which for some reason are largely all in black and white, except for the shocked Undertaker fan from Wrestlemania 30 and the crying girl at the end). It’s typical campaign promises in the 2 minute speech, but one portion sticks out to me.
“Now I’ve been making some promises to my friends about 2017, and I think it’s fair to say we’ve got a few things coming around,” Higginbotham says. Meanwhile in the background, Deputy Willard D. Danger looks like he’s trying to swat a fly. It’s really the only unique movement he makes in the various clips of the video, otherwise he’s just standing in the background with a big grin on his face throughout the whole video. This is probably nothing, but I found it interesting.
Higginbotham Hotline
Two more weeks left of the Higginbotham Hotline, which updates every Wednesday.
Mayor Earnest Lee Higginbotham: It’s Earnest Lee Higginbotham, Mayor of Carowinds! The campaign is really heating up now, and with the election only two weeks away on August 18. It’s showtime. Now or never. We’re close. But we need something big to carry us to the finish line. Luckily, I know just the thing. Carowinds and the Carolinas share proud history. And I’m thinking that we should do something that revisits our roots. Of course, it will have to be a new-fangled charged up twist to satisfy all of our guests. By combining old with new and mixing in a few surprises, I think its a-fair to say that we’ll have something to take us to the top. But to do so, I need your volt, I mean vote, on August 18. Sounds pretty grand, huh? Well, me and my friends are working very hard to make this a reality, and if you can promise me your vote, it’ll all be squared away. Four more years of Higganbotham is four more years of progress. Help us finish off this selection strong by casting your vote on social media by using #VoteFourMore. Vote four more years of Higganbotham before August 18th, and together we can continue to build greatness where the Carolinas come together.
As director of fun raising, Granny urges you to #VoteFourMore and to call the Higginbotham Hotline at 704-943-2802! pic.twitter.com/NpSXpRwU1s
— Carowinds (@Carowinds) August 2, 2016
Granny, Director of Fun Raising: H-h-hey! It’s Granny, and I’ve been busy planning a fun raising party for the mayor’s re-election campaign. What a week of fun raising it has been. I’ve got a mess of my world famous barbecue sauce distilling in the cellar, and it’s almost ready. It may be my best batch yet. It’ll definitely put some hair on your chest, for better or worse. We’re also throwing a party at my house this weekend. I’m gonna hire one of those fancy bands from the county, and we’re going to have ourselves some Swing Dancin’! It’s gonna be a rootin’ tootin’ good time, ya’ll! Now, normally I don’t invite people out to my house, mostly because they can never navigate their way back into the woods where I live. But I made an exception so we could get our mayor re-elected for four more years! After some of the promises he made me, we’ve got to get his man re-elected on August 18. Well, I’ve gotta go get ready for the party. Now, do Granny a favor, and use #VoteFourMore on social media to show your support for Mayor Higginbotham on social media. Gotta go now! I’m ready to get turrrnt up! Woohoo!
Patty Cake, Niece of Mayor Higginbotham: Hey there ya’ll! It’s me Patty. Patty Cake. You may have heard, my uncle, Earnest Lee Higginbotham is running for mayor again. Trying to get another four years. He’s been running a good campaign and all, but he’s still struggling to get the millennial vote. Well, last week he finally came around and agreed to my idea of bringing some Rock and Roll to the state line! When it came down to it, he said that ‘a little bit of rock and little bit of roll was the perfect combination for a great addition to the park.’ He’s going to win for sure now. I’m so excited my head is spinnin’ like a record player and my heart is bumpin like a jukebox. I’m off to pick out a new outfit for the big announcement on August 18. Be sure to show your support on social media using #VoteFourMore. We sure do appreciate it. Bye for now and keep on rockin’ world!
Deputy Willard D. Danger, Future Sheriff of Carowinds: Howdy, it’s Deputy Willard D. Danger, hopefully soon to be Sheriff Willard D. Danger, if the mayor gets re-elected for four more years. I think I proved myself last week. He was speaking at the carousel when that old shady salesman, Dewey Cheatham, sent a spitball his way. As the mayor’s bodyguard, I knew what I had to do. I moved fast as electricity, jumped in front of our mayor, and took the slobbery wad of paper right in the chest. Luckily, I have been working on finishing a push up, so it didn’t hurt. After that incident, the mayor asked me how I became so quick on my feet. I told him I was an aspiring professional square dancer. Now he laughed, and I didn’t much appreciate that, but, once I showed him some of my moves, he was impressed. Then he said I better find a partner to swing round and round. I guess what I overheard was true. The county square dancin’ competition is coming! Now do us all a personal favor and cast your vote and share support on social media by using #VoteFourMore. Oh no, I’ve been talking all this time and I’ve lost track of the Mayor. I’ve gotta go find him!
Updated Predictions
- Based on the clues and information that we’ve seen, I’m maintaining my predictions of Music Express, Breakdance, Wave Swinger, and Mondial Top Scan. I’ll back off the prediction of a Huss UFO, which was never a super serious guess.
- I think at least one of the new attractions will be a significant height, based on the Mayor’s comments of taking Carowinds “to the top.”
- When looking at the possible location of these new attractions, two comments stick out. First, Granny’s mention of “back in the woods.” This could refer to several places — Woodstock Express, Dinosaurs Alive, Behind the Hurler, etc.. I’m not sure which would be the best location. The second comment is Patty Cake’s “heart bumpin’ like a juke box,” referencing the park’s Juke Box Diner, which is adjacent to Fury 325. (The ride’s part’s have been spotted under Fury 325’s lift hill.) Juke Box Diner is also referenced in this tweet from several weeks ago.https://twitter.com/Carowinds/status/757218475324694528
- There are several mentions in this week’s Higginbotham Hotline of electricity related words. “Charged Up,” “Volt,” “Fast as electricity,” With Mayor Higginbotham’s comments about revisiting roots, I wonder if one of these new attractions will either have the name of, or be a modern representation of Carowinds’ former ‘White Lightning” shuttle loop coaster. Carowinds has teased “Lightning striking twice” before, most recently during Fury 325’s construction.
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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