CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carowinds unveiled its newest park area on Thursday, saying it is its most detailed and themed park expansion in years.
Aeronautica Landing features several new attractions and food options.
"The park is a celebration of the Carolinas, it’s the Carolinas coming together. And so, it seemed as really a no-brainer to put in a land that celebrated the Carolinas’ history and influence on aviation," said Ken Parks, corporate director of creative development for Carowinds' parent company, Cedar Fair.
Aeronautica Landing officially opens Friday, but had a soft opening and preview event on Thursday morning.
Here's everything you need to know about the new section of the park.
New rides tell the story of aviation
When Aeronautica Landing is officially complete later this spring, it will feature six new rides. For opening day Friday, four of the rides will be ready for guests — Air Racers, the Airwalker, Gear Spin and Hover & Dodge.
Air Racers is the most extreme of the new attractions, described as an "aggressive thrill ride." Guests are strapped into pods of four, shaped like propeller planes, which then twirl upside down while the entire ride structure spins in a circle. Carowinds describes the ride as an opportunity to maneuver with skilled, ace pilots in the sky.
The ride takes 2 minutes and 30 seconds to complete.
Nearby, the Airwalker celebrates North Carolina's dunes of Kitty Hawk. The ride is a little less intimidating than Air Racers, marked as a "high thrill ride." Guests load onto one ride vehicle, themed as an old acrobatic propeller plane, which spins in a circle as the ride vehicle goes up and down a half circle motion.
The ride can take off with 600 passengers per hour.
Gear Spin is an amusement ride homage to airplane engines. Carowinds describes it as a "red-hot propulsion engine — normally used to thrust an aircraft through the atmosphere." Guests sit in groups of four and cycle nearby the other pods as the ride vehicle arms move up and down while circling. It is also described as a "high thrill ride."
The ride can handle 360 passengers per hour.
The last of the opening day-ready attractions is Hover & Dodge, which is a re-theme of bumper cars. The renovated ride asks guests to pretend they are hovercraft pilots in a futuristic take on classic bumper cars.
The ride can handle 120 guests at a time.
Themed area is the most detailed in recent Carowinds history
At the preview event Thursday, a Carowinds employee described Aeronautica Landing as one of the most immersive-themed areas in the park's recent history.
Parent company Cedar Fair and Carowinds worked on the details of the park addition for more than five years, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the ribbon cutting Thursday morning, Carowinds and Cedar Fair leadership called it the perfect gift for the park's 50th anniversary.
"We knew that we wanted something that a family could do together. We really want to have these experiences where someone’s not just watching another family member but the whole family is able to do these experiences and have them together," Parks said.
The area, nestled between Crossroads and Blue Ridge Junction, features many nods to the airline industry. Park staff added airport signage in landscaping, runway painting to sidewalks and walkways and other airport-specific decor to the renovated area.
The area also features the new Terminal A, a food and drink spot themed to resemble a retro airline terminal. There is also a snack stand called Frequent Fryers. Carowinds says Terminal A will feature cocktails, beer and snacks meant to evoke the golden age of airline travel.
The last two rides — Windstar and Gyro Force — will come online in late spring. Carowinds will continue celebrating its 50th anniversary through the 2023 season.