After entering the main gates, continue straight over a small bridge. Have fun walking along the state border. You can technically leave your kids in “another state” and still feel like a good parent. My kids like shaking hands across the border. Go left after you walk down from the bridge. There may be Scarowinds props and decorations in this busy “main street” area. Try to just hurry your kids past them if they’re bothered by them. You also might need to shew away Carowinds employees asking to take a picture that you can buy later.

Continue walking in this direction staying to the left side of the path. You’ll go passed Intimidator (huge red roller coaster with Nascar-theming) and possibly more Scarowinds buildings along the path on your way to Planet Snoopy. Note: Harmony Hall on your left. It could be a good nearby lunch option. It’s not cheap, but good to get out of the elements and there’s also Charlie Brown-themed shows at certain times you can watch while you eat. Food court-style eating.

Stay to the left of the Planet Snoopy sign and you’ll walk right into the heart of the area. The majority of the rides for your kids will be in this area.

As you pass the gift shop on your right, there’s a robotic dinosaur under some trees on your left. It occasionally “comes to life”, moving and making noises. It’s placed there to promote the Dinosaurs Alive! area, an up-charge attraction that’s $5 per person (separate from park admission).

Planet Snoopy

A few landmarks for reference: The Character Carousel is the centerpiece of the area. The Woodstock Express is the purple junior wooden roller coaster.

Warm Up Rides

The Character Carousel (a merry-go round) will be right ahead as you enter the area. That’s a good place to start as it’s something gentle you can all ride as a family. Be ready to help them on to the horses. Once you get them situated and see they’re comfortable on the horses, it’s also a great way to get some fun pictures. Note: This is the ONLY ride I ever take pictures on. I strongly recommend my readers DO NOT break out their smart phones and cameras on rides for their safety and for the safety of others.

Here are some other tamer rides your kids can ride to warm up with:
Charlie Brown’s Wind Up, a low slow swing ride next to the Carousel.

Snoopy’s Space Race is simple spinning ride with a little elevation change; still pretty low to the ground. Next to the Carousel.

Yacht Club (behind Woodstock Express, next to Woodstock Whirlybirds) is probably the most benign ride featuring slow moving boats that go in a circle while kids can ring a little bell. Parents can ride with kids, be ready to help them get in and out. Adventurous kids might be bored on this one, but good confidence builder for more timid kids and young riders.

Woodstock Whirlybirds is a tracked ride that has a short course around part of Planet Snoopy. It has no drops or dips and it’s not technically a roller coaster since it’s powered by electricity, not gravity. Any size kid can ride. Another possible confidence booster for timid kids, but skippable as there’s not much too it, but slow sight-seeing.

Snoopy’s Junction is a train ride that’s another sight-seeing type of ride. Nothing too fun about it, but kids may enjoy the novelty of riding a train. Also another opportunity to ride as a family and take photos.

A Little More Adventurous Rides

For these, I’d see if the kids are ready to graduate to them as they’re taller and faster. One or two bad experiences on these and they could lose zeal a bit. That’s why I’d consider them next level rides.

Snoopy vs. Red Barron (uphill from the Carousel) has red bi-planes that go in a circle like Space Race, but kids can adjust the height and decide to keep the planes low or lift them higher. If they’re game, your kids could ride together. Your youngest will need to be ready for the height though and you won’t be ready with them.

Peanuts Pirates is a fun “thrill ride” for kids. If they’re yawning at the Warm Up rides this is a great next step. I don’t think your youngest can ride this one, might want to check. So it could be a good one for one of you to ride with your oldest, while the other parent and kid watches or hits another ride. It’s not terribly disorienting and has a kind of “roller coaster” up and down feeling.

Flying Ace Balloon Race is a higher spinning ride that at least one of you will need to ride with the kids. All four of you can ride. Warning though, personally I found it a little too disorienting, but everyone’s different in terms of spinning rides. For some reason I’m fine on pretty much all other spinning rides.

Woodstock Gliders is my favorite ride in Planet Snoopy. It is a higher ride, but doesn’t feel as fast as it may look. Parents should probably ride with kids the first time. The best thing about it is that you can pilot these gliders by turning the fin on the front left and right. I haven’t mastered it, but you may see some people get their gliders going really high and even get them touching awning structure. But this is a “choose-your-own-adventure” type of ride as you can simply go around and enjoy the breeze or try to get more adventurous. Your oldest may want to re-ride and do a solo flight!

Roller Coasters for Beginners

Ready for a roller coaster? Hopefully the kid or kids have shown they’re up to the challenge by mastering some of the Warm Up and Adventurous Rides. I would not recommend starting with a roller coaster, even if they want to. It’s best to ease into coasters.

The Levels I included below try to speak to the intensity, but of course everyone’s different in what they consider to be more of a challenge. Roller coasters not mentioned should have height requirements too high for your kids.

Level 1 Roller Coasters
Lucy’s Crabbie Cabbie is a small steel roller coaster behind Woodstock Express, next to the edge of the park. It has three small hills and some turns. The humps at the very end can be a bit rough. If either of you have a bad back, just be brace yourself. Sometimes I’ve seen them run this through twice without unloading for new riders. I’d have your children test out this coaster before tackling Woodstock Express. If one of you doesn’t ride, this a great ride for having the other parent take pictures from the sidewalk. You can get some great shots!

Level 2 Roller Coasters
Woodstock Express is a rare junior wooden roller coaster. It operates like any other wooden coaster, but has a smaller size that’s great for beginning riders. The seats can be a bit tight for parents. I remember this ride feeling rather large when I rode a clone of it in Virginia growing up. This one can be quite a challenge, but feel your kids out. I’d let them lead me to this one after they’ve shown they can handle tamer rides. Or maybe mention, but not press for it unless they seem very ready.

Carolina Goldrusher (Not in Planet Snoopy, it’s in the Carolina Boardwalk area) is a steel mine train roller coaster that’s great for beginners. If your oldest is up for the challenge this one is a good next step after Woodstock Express. It may have higher speeds than Woodstock Express, but very little actual dropping. More swooping turns that descend than the straight ups and downs of Woodstock. The end is a bit wild with some banking that throws you around a bit. (Spoiler Alert!) There’s a dark tunnel at the end. Basically this has some speed and turns.

Level 3 Roller Coasters
Flying Ace Aerial Chase (yellow and orange steel coaster) is an inverted roller coaster next to the entrance to Planet Snoopy. Inverted means you ride below the track instead of on top. This is short and sometimes has a long line due to its one train operation, so be prepared to wait. I’d only ride if they’ve shown an ability to conquer smaller rides and really want to ride. It does have some pretty real g-forces and there’s a chance for a little head-banging on the restraints.

Ricochet may look benign for a roller coaster, but this wild mouse coaster features hairpin turns that give you the feeling that you’ll be tossed right over the edge. Be ready for these extreme lateral g-forces. The few quick drops might be a bit large for newer riders. Another one where I’d let them lead you after showing some lesser rides are already under they’re belts. No real roughness too speak of, but you do push up against the rider next to you quite a bit on the hairpin turns.

Level 4 Roller Coasters
Hurler is a large wooden roller coaster near the back of the park. Again, kids should have aced rides and coasters at smaller scales before tackling this one unless you have a sense that they’ve got no fear. It’s been a bit rough at times in the past, but ran pretty well earlier this year when I rode it with my 10 year old this year. We liked it so much we rode three times.

Carolina Cyclone is a looping roller coaster near Ricochet in the Boardwalk area. Very fun to watch, but NOT so fun to ride. It’s rough and often your head will bounce off the restraints. Some say their kids love it, but others have a pretty bad experience. Ride at your own risk and at least sit towards the front of the train to try to minimize head-banging. Ouch!

The Flying Cobras is shuttle looper where riders experience three loops forward and then backwards. The start is unique as you exit the rear of the station up a lift hill. My oldest loves this coaster and headbanging isn’t really and issue. The g-forces are for real especially during the cobra roll where the back to back inversions happen. Also some might not like the experience of looping while going backwards.

Family Rides (Outside of Planet Snoopy)

Rockin’ Roller (County Fair area) is new this year. You’ve likely seen something like it at a fair. It’s a good ride everyone can do together.

Zephyr (County Fair area) is a taller swing ride than Charlie Brown’s Wind Up.

Do-Si-Do is (County Fair area) also new and it’s my 10 year olds favorite non-coaster. May be a little advanced for your kids, but if your older one is feeling super adventurous, she may like it. I didn’t find it as disorienting as it looks.

Dodgem is a bumper car ride in the Crossroads area.
Also in the Crossroads area is Yo-Yo another swing ride that’s probably a bit taller and faster than Zephyr. Still a straight-forward swing ride though.

Scrambler is another common ride you’ve likely seen before. Fun family ride, might be worth the walk, but it’s on the other side of the park from Planet Snoopy.

If the kids LOVE dinosaurs, Dinosaurs Alive! is pretty neat, but again it costs extra. I think $5 per person. Plenty of animatronic dinos, including some I’m sure you’ve never heard of. Some move and some don’t and there’s a sand pit where kids can look for bones. I haven’t been there since it opened, but I assume it hasn’t changed much. Here’s my review of Dinosaurs Alive!

You’ll know your kids’ tolerances for spooky stuff on the next two and whether they might be willing to dive in. I don’t really have details to share since my kids aren’t really a fan of spooky stuff:
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare is an indoor Action Theater ride. I can’t preview it since I haven’t ridden it, but I think it’s like a stadium-tiered movie theater with themed seats that move around.
Boo Blasters on Boo Hill is a dark ride with cars that move passed spooky scenes while you shoot blasters to try to earn points.

Food Near Planet Snoopy & Free Water!

As I mentioned Harmony Hall is nearby. So are Panda Express and Chik-Fil-A in terms of sit-down restaurants. Keep in mind any place that serves any food will give you a free cup of water or get a small cup and fill up water yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask.