In 2018, Carowinds will be transforming Planet Snoopy to Camp Snoopy. Aside from a new theme, the childrens’ area will be getting six new kids rides and new amenities. Here’s a video providing an overview of the new rides and updated area:
After Fury 325, Carowinds is Shifting Their Focus to Families
After making a huge splash with a mammoth roller coaster in 2015 thanks to Fury 325 (review), Carowinds has shifted their focus to enhancing and adding to their family attractions. In 2016, with Carolina Harbor the park expanded the water park with new rides, amenities, and a separate entrance. Earlier this year, Carowinds did a nice job of addressing their shortage of fun flat rides with the addition of four new rides in the County Fair section. These rides were perfect for older kids that had outgrown most of the Planet Snoopy rides. And in 2018, the Camp Snoopy expansion will add to Carowinds’ collection of rides for younger kids.
Where to Find the New Rides & Which Rides May Be Removed or Relocated
A close inspection of the map reveals that there are a few rides from the current lineup that clearly won’t be there in 2018.
Carowinds confirmed on their Facebook page that the Character Carousel and popular Woodstock Gliders will be relocated to another part of the park. It’s hard to tell exactly what will be put in place of the carousel. That may be a fountain, shaded sitting area, or even a splash pad.
While not confirmed by the park, it looks like Woodstock Whirlybirds (coaster-like helicopter ride) and Snoopy’s Yacht Club (small boat ride) rides will be removed. They’re currently located between the Lucy’s Crabbie Cabbie and Woodstock Express roller coasters. With Whirlybirds and Yacht Club removed, they’ll be room for the large outdoor play area Beagle Scout Acres (#2 on the map). Note the numbers on the map are different from the video.
They’ll be a new tea cup ride also called Woodstock Whirlybirds (#1 on the map) located next to the Peanuts Pirates.
Also, it looks like the Snoopy’s Space Race ride is missing from the map, but in its place is Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies (#3 on the map). Then in the area where the Woodstock Gliders are today, we’ll have the remaining new rides (#4-6): Camp Bus, Kite Eating Tree, and Peanuts Trail Blazers.
Learn more at Carowinds Camp Snoopy page.
My Take – Glad To See An Upgrade
While not the most exciting news for thrill junkies or older theme park fans without kids, these kinds of attractions are key for parents when deciding whether a trip to Carowinds is worth it for their younger children. And families are a key source for revenue for theme parks. Maybe there’s another large roller coaster on the horizon for 2019 or 2020.
Personally, as a parent, I’m excited for this upgrade as my kids have ridden everything in Planet Snoopy many times. Some of the rides were getting pretty stale aesthetically and the attractions that I’m assuming will be permanently removed will be replaced by a number of better options. Lastly, I’m thankful that one of the best family rides in the park, Woodstock Gliders (review), will just be moved and not removed.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think about Carowinds’ transition of Planet Snoopy to Camp Snoopy? Leave a comment below.