Carowinds is a park that has only gained popularity since Cedar Fair acquired it a number of years ago. Now considering the merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair, it’s set to become one of the mega-chain’s main flagship parks. Carowinds is a clean, fairly family-friendly park, with some great dining options and a ton of rides. Winterfest, the Cedar Fair chain’s holiday and winter festival at parks where it’s reasonably warm enough to operate, typically offers some holiday shows, special food offerings, and limited rides.

My first recommendations would be to check out the park’s Winterfest event on New Years’ Eve, get your tickets early (prior to getting to the park), and arrive a half hour prior to the posted opening time on Carowinds’ website. The fireworks and atmosphere are so fun and lively, and the park generally is not terribly crowded. We’ve checked out Carowinds on New Years’ for the past few years, and the lines typically aren’t too bad, save for Nighthawk (if it happens to be open). If you’re into the coasters like me, you’ll want to head to either Nighthawk or Copperhead Strike first, as they have the longest lines at Winterfest, seconded by Fury 325. You normally won’t need a Fast Lane (Cedar Fair’s skip-the-line system) during Winterfest. Something I really like about most Cedar Fair parks is that you can purchase an individual Fast Lane for a specific ride if a line happens to be way too long. This NYE, my husband and I purchased a one-time Fast Lane for Copperhead Strike for around $5 each; this saved us around an hour of standing in a very cold line.

Get the hot cocoa mug! You can purchase a refillable hot cocoa mug for $13.99, which is good for free hot cocoa refills the entire time you are at Winterfest (and $1 refills on return visits). We purchased one and shared it – on a very cold night, it’s great to have something hot to drink, which brings me to my next point…

AVOID THE STARBUCKS AT ALL COSTS.

There is a Starbucks location at the front of the park, near the giant Christmas tree. The line snakes through the store and sometimes out the door! Don’t be hopeful. Once, I waited in this line during Winterfest for over an hour for a caramel brûlée latte. If you need a coffee fix, head to the Cinnabon (literally right across the pavement from Starbs) and you’ll likely be in and out in five minutes.

If you are into rides, something to keep in mind is that a lot of roller coasters or other high thrill rides that are outdoors will NOT operate below 40 degrees or in high winds. Be sure to check the local weather prior to entering the park to adjust your expectations accordingly.

I highly recommend packing gloves, a jacket, and a heavy sweatshirt – this year in particular, it was quite cold. Case in point, the park sells sweatshirts that say, “I’m Freaking Cold…Carowinds”…I may have purchased one.

If you are bringing your kiddos to Winterfest, make sure they take naps either in the car or prior to leaving your home or hotel (I know, easier said than done). Bring lots of warm blankets, layers, a warm hat, and snacks! There are a lot of lights, music, and things to see for small eyes, and the downside of this is that it can be over-stimulating to some. Consider bringing a double stroller if you have multiple kids. Carowinds is a large park, and especially as the night drags on, even older kids might need to bundle up, take a break, or snooze.

Since you’ll probably be hungry at some point, consider skipping Holiday Hall’s (Harmony Hall during the normal operating season) food – it’s generic chicken fingers, fries, and pizza, and it’s not that great. Plus, it tends to get crowded and the drink machines tend to run empty. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food at Dasher’s Diner (a.k.a. Blue Ridge Country Kitchen during the normal operating season). My husband got the seafood étouffée - which was served in a bread bowl, piping hot. I got the maple bourbon chicken thighs – which were out of this world amazing. These entrees were restaurant quality, let alone theme park quality. Plus, it wasn’t super crowded, so we were able to find a warm booth to sit in, indoors, to eat our dinner. We also checked out Terminal A, a more upscale bar-and-bites location located in Aeronautica Landing, the park’s brand-new themed land. Terminal A is a great spot to take a quick break, and enjoy some high-quality bar snacks and appetizers.

During Winterfest, Carowinds also offers some special activities and add-ons, like ice skating, cookie decorating, or even renting an igloo. Honestly, I would avoid all of these – the cookie decorating is very overpriced, the igloo rental borders on $100 (!), and the ice skating ‘rink’ is very bumpy, overcrowded, and was not overly enjoyable when we did it two years ago.

Bringing a fanny pack is always my go-to when attempting to conquer any theme park. Carowinds is no exception, and I was able to bring it on all the rides, no exceptions, as long as it was secured around my waist.

Carowinds’ app is also helpful in estimating wait times for rides (although they will make you create an account with them to access that information), and getting directions around the park (and finding food – the important stuff).

Around midnight (really around 11:30pm) on New Year’s Eve, you’ll start to see a crowd near the park entrance and the aforementioned giant tree. We got our last refill of hot cocoa at 11:20, and headed to the front gate, so that we could enjoy the countdown and fireworks, but beat most of the crowds to our car to leave.

Carowinds at Winterfest is a blast – as one of the lone warmer weather Cedar Fair parks, they really go all out to make this event a fun one! – TTPM.