Love 2 Travel With Kids: August 2012

Friday, August 10, 2012

Boomerang Bay at Carowinds – Fun for Kids of All Ages

Boomerang Bay Water Activities at Carowinds © Katrena

Boomerang Bay is a fun water park area in Carowinds, an amusement park nestled on the borders of North Carolina and South Carolina just off I-77. When I was a child, I remember when the water park at Carowinds first opened. They had a wave pool and people would suntan on the roof of a large building over there. At that time, they charged an extra fee to get into the water park, so I would simply look at this part of the park from some of the highest hills of the Thunder Road roller coaster in those early years.

Wading Pool and Splash Pad at Carowinds © Katrena

Several years back, Carowinds made the decision to include the water park free with admission to the park, but I tended to gravitate toward all the awesome coasters they offer and would usually skip the water areas. Now that I have kids of my own, we tend to split the day between land rides and water fun at Boomerang Bay.

See Thunder Road from Boomerang Bay © Katrena

The water park at Carowinds has shorter hours than the rest of the park. Check the Carowinds official web site for specific hours for Carowinds and Boomerang Bay because they change depending on the day and month. They do provide life jackets for free use while in the water park. Although people are no longer allowed on any roof, lots of chairs are positioned around swimming and water play areas for those who wish to take in the rays or simply sit down and rest for a few minutes. Large umbrellas are in some areas for those who wish to stay in the shade.

Lazy River Water Ride at Carowinds © Katrena

Boomerang Bay is a great place to cool off and relax, particularly if the kids are getting hot and grumpy. Our kids are ages 10, 8 and 4, and each of them found something that they particularly enjoyed in the water park. We let them take the helm on deciding what to do, and it was interesting to see how each child picked activities that tended to showcase her own personality.

How to Have Fun in the Water Park at Carowinds © Katrena

Tips for Enjoying Boomerang Bay with the Kids

If you wish to avoid crowds, try visiting on a Tuesday or when it is cloudy (they do close water attractions if lightening is in the area).
Changing buildings toward the back and side of the water park may be less crowded.
Bring your own sunscreen and reapply as needed.
Sandals or flip flops are very helpful when the concrete walking areas get hot.
It helps to have more than one adult in the group if you have several children of different ages and interests, but there are quite a few fun activities that the family can enjoy together in the water park.

Below are some of our family's favorite activities at Boomerang Bay:

Fun Water Activities for Kids at Carowinds © Katrena

Kangaroo Lagoon and Wallaby Wharf

Kangaroo Lagoon and Wallaby Wharf are wading pools that have splash pad activities stationed in shallow water. All three of our girls loved this area. I believe the one in the back with the mushrooms is supposed to be designed for smaller kids, but all of my girls liked the one with the small slide and lots of different water sprayers. They do have areas where the kids can simply play in the shallow water without getting sprayed.

Kiddie Water Slide (Platypus Plunge) at Carowinds © Katrena

Platypus Plunge

Platypus Plunge is a kiddie water slide that offers tubes that an adult can ride in the back with a little one up front or kids between a height range can ride by themselves. All of my girls rode this one over and over. Even my 4-year-old was giggling all the way down. They have a lifeguard stationed at the top and bottom to help the kids get positioned and riding safely.

Water Playground (Jackaroo Landing) at Carowinds © Katrena

Jackaroo Landing

Jackaroo Landing is a big playground filled with water sprayers. A huge bucket fills and then will tip over onto a roof every so often. Many of the kids will station themselves so that they can enjoy the bucket's huge splash. Others may avoid that splash area at all costs! They do have a small water slide in this play area – this one tends to splash a bit more than the Platypus Lunge.

Relaxing Water Activities in North Carolina and South Carolina © Katrena

Crocodile Run

My oldest particularly enjoyed Crocodile Run, a relaxing and rather quiet water area. It is set up like a lazy river ride where you ride a water ring around a large circle. They do have a couple of spots where water will spray you from the sides and as you go under a bridge. I did not see any way to avoid the spraying, so you might want to walk to the bridge and look at the sprayers to determine whether or not the kids are ready for that surprise if you have little ones that might not like to get sprayed.

Best Water Slides in South Carolina and North Carolina © Katrena

Pipeline Peak

If you have kids that are all about adventure, head for the water slides near the back at Pipeline Peak. My 8-year-old was absolutely determined to try the biggest water slide Carowinds offers. The line on the right takes visitors all the way to the top of the tower, and riders do not use tubes. This is the one that drew my child. Be prepared for a climb, but there is a nice view from that tower. The guy at the top mentioned that the black slide on the left was his favorite. This water slide is very fast and dark. A few tiny lights are located in the slide, but for the most part, you have no idea which direction you will turn and water tends to splash in your face as you careen to the bottom. This is a water slide for thrill seekers. Yep, my 8-year-old is definitely a thrill seeker and was ready to go again as soon as she made it to the bottom.

Tips for Going to Carowinds Water Park With Kids © Katrena

Other Water Slides

Carowinds also offers a nice variety of smaller water slides for those who want a thrill but are not quite ready for the biggest and fastest water slide in the back. Down Under Thunder offers huge tubes that the whole family may be able to ride together. The line on the left of Pipeline Peak only goes about halfway up the tower and two riders can ride one tube, but it is still a pretty intense ride for some folks. Awesome Aussie Twisters and Sydney Sidewinder offer shorter water slides near the front of the water park that you might want to try first before tackling the larger slides at the back.

Wave Pools at Carowinds © Katrena

Wave Pools

Carowinds now offers two wave pools. A warning buzzer sounds before the waves begin. The one in the front has shorter, choppier waves while the one in the back features larger waves. They do have zero entry areas where the water is shallow. Smaller kids and non-swimmers need to wear life jackets in these swimming areas.

Boomerang Bay, a water park near the back of Carowinds, has a nice variety of water activities for all ages. Even the walkways feature sprayers and misters for folks who simply want to cool off.

If you are purchasing a season pass, you might want to check out the 2013 Carowinds Bring a Friend Dates article. The Carowinds official site has directions, current prices, and hours of operation. Readers may also enjoy finding practical tips for visiting Carowinds with the kids. Visit Love 2 Travel with Kids and Travel NC With Kids for more of Katrena's articles.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Carowinds – Practical Tips for Enjoying NC/SC Amusement Park with the Kids

How to Enjoy Carowinds With Kids © Katrena

Carowinds, a Cedar Fair amusement park located off I-77 at the North Carolina and South Carolina border, is an amazing and fun destination for families with kids. Carowinds has been entertaining folks since 1973.

Aerial View of Nighthawk (Borg) Roller Coaster at Carowinds © Tim

I remember visiting Carowinds in its early days when we could get discount tickets for $9.00 from my dad's employer. I recall standing in a huge line after the Carolina Cyclone roller coaster was first built and riding it nine times in one day. I have seen the park grow as I became an adult and now my own children also enjoy the thrills at this amusement park.

Lucy's Crabby Cabbie - Roller Coaster for Small Kids at Carowinds © Katrena

Tips Before Visiting Carowinds with Kids

I have found that I can save quite a bit of money and headaches by packing carefully when going to Carowinds. Here are a few items that I found most helpful:

Tickets (you can skip a line and save money purchasing ahead of time – some employers offer discounts and the Carowinds web site offers special deals and discounts as well)
Umbrella stroller (I tend to park mine in the stroller stroller parking area under the Carousel while the family is in Planet Snoopy)
Diaper bag with plenty of diapers/wipes and a change of clothes
Swimming suits and towels if planning to visit Boomerang Bay
Sunscreen
Cell phone (it is helpful for each adult to have a cell phone if planning to separate so that different aged kids can enjoy different rides)
Comfortable shoes and clothes
Rain ponchos (some rides and the water attractions will close if lightening is in the area – we took our chances even though storms were forecast and enjoyed a great eight hours at the park)
Snacks and meals (you have the option to get everyone's hand stamped to re-enter the park if you wish to pack a cooler and save money on food by eating outside the park – ensure that you keep your ticket stubs in case the hand stamp rubs off!)
Camera (lots of photo opportunities await - the characters will simply wave if the little ones are too scared to get close)

Lots of Fun Rides for Smaller Kids in Planet Snoopy at Carowinds © Katrena

Carowinds now offers many more rides that the smaller kids can ride, and most of them are located in Planet Snoopy. The Carowinds web site gives lots of details, including height restrictions on each ride, so it can be very helpful to do a bit of homework so that the kids will know what rides will be available as choices before entering the park. Planning the visit can add to the fun as the family can explore the web site together and decide which rides and areas will be priorities and verify park hours before setting a date.

I particularly like to visit Carowinds on a Tuesday. The lines for the rides tend to be much shorter. We last visited the park on a Tuesday, and there were many times when the ride operators would allow folks to ride more than once without getting off if no one was waiting for the seat. They will even run the rides with very few people on them during slow times as you can see from the photo above.

Tips While Visiting Carowinds with Kids

If you have kids of various ages, it is quite helpful to have more than one adult or a teenager along if you have children of mixed ages. Some of the smallest rides have maximum height restrictions while bigger rides often have a minimum height requirement or may require an older rider to accompany a child within a certain height range. The whole family might be able to enjoy a few attractions together, such as:

Carolina Skytower (you can get some great aerial pictures!)
Character Carousel (each horse has a name printed on the side – the horses on the inside do not go up and down)
Snoopy's Junction (I remember seeing an albino squirrel while riding the train a few years back)
Woodstock's Whirlybirds (I believe the limit is three on each helicopter)
Flying Ace Balloon Race (this ride may make some people a bit nauseous)
Kangaroo Lagoon & Wallaby Wharf (these water slides will appeal to the daredevils in the family)
Jackaroo Landing (the water slide may scare some of the smaller kids in the water playground, but an adult can ride the Platypus Plunge water slide with a child – my 4-year-old particularly liked that small water slide)
Crocodile Run (there are a few areas where water will spray you on the lazy river water area)

After entering the front gate, kids can be measured and provided with an armband that is color coded and has their maximum height range listed – this can save time at the rides because the kids won't need to be measured before each ride, particularly if they are borderline on height. It can be helpful to pick up a brochure in this area that contains a map, show times, and height restrictions.

My daring 8-year-old daughter wanted to try even the biggest of all the rides but was not quite tall enough. I mentioned that she could look forward to trying those thrills on a future trip. Height is measured with bare feet in the water area. My 8-year-old was delighted to be able to ride even the biggest water slides in the Boomerang Bay. You can easily spend a day at Carowinds and not even make it all the way around the park (which was the case with us) – yep, it is that big, so choose your plan carefully, especially if you are visiting on a crowded day.

Since my kids are small, we tend to turn left after entering the gate and head for Planet Snoopy. Carowinds has an air conditioned building behind the carousel for diaper changing, and the restrooms inside are available for kids aged 10 and younger. These did not have automatic flush, which can be helpful for some kids. Private areas for breast feeding are also located at this location.

My favorite location for eating at Carowinds is a cute and rather peaceful area beside a waterfall. If you head toward the bridge near the Snoopy Vs. Red Baron airplanes and make a right just as you are exiting Planet Snoopy, you can find this nice seating area. A mother duck and her two ducklings kept everyone entertained as we ate our lunch.

If the kids are getting hot and cranky, it can be quite helpful to watch a show in an air conditioned building (these are generally in the afternoon and may be on the far side of the park, so plan ahead). Another great way to cool off is to play in the water at Boomerang Bay (opens about an hour after the regular park and closes before the rest of the park). The lifeguards are very attentive in the water park. I remember when visitors had to pay an extra fee to enter the water park – this area is now free with admission and offers a wide range of water-themed rides, play areas, and opportunities for swimming.

Family Fun at Carowinds

Visiting Carowinds can provide great fun for the whole family. My kids had a blast at this amusement park and would love to go back over and over again! Many of the staff members went out of their way to make everyone's visit to Carowinds special and upbeat, including a staff member named Haydon (picture below), who entertained visitors during a long thunderstorm. I hope you find my tips to be helpful.

Visit the official Carowinds web site for directions, hours, and loads of information about the park. Readers may also wish to read Favorite Family Rides at Carowinds – Top 5 Picks. Check out my Carowinds 2013 Dates and What's New article too. Find more of Katrena's articles at the Love 2 Travel With Kids site map. Find lots more articles at the Travel NC With Kids site to find more kid-friendly travel ideas and tips in North Carolina.