Carolina Cyclone Review

(This photo is mine, please ask if you want to use it.)

Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds is an Arrow Dynamics custom looping coaster. Built in 1980, it was the first roller coaster to go upside down 4 times, with two vertical loops and two corkscrews. It was the most popular coaster around at the time, and was very legendary back then. Nowadays, it is tiny-looking compared to Fury 325 right down the pathway. Still, though, this ride provides a good thrill, especially for those just getting into coasters. Actually, this is the ride that got me really into coasters. Cyclone usually doesn't have a long line because of the newer rides, so you can go almost any time of day without worrying about a long wait.

Now for the ride experience, I just think Cyclone is an okay coaster. It's not bad or really good, just okay. Start out in the station, sit in the semi-uncomfortable Arrow trains. The seats are basically hard plastic, which is my main issue with the ride. Exit the station, turn into the lift hill. After you crest the top, your anticipation is building as you go into a wide turn before the drop. Then you drop a small 65 foot dip getting some surprisingly good forces. Straight into the loops, now here's where my issue comes in. If you are a "leaner" person with not a lot of mass, your bottom will kind of slam into the hard seats at the bottom of the loops, which sometimes can be a little painful/annoying. Turn over the sidewalk and go into corkscrews, actually pretty fun elements and don't bang your head as bad as some others like Anaconda at King's Dominion. Helix and then into the breaks.

So I do enjoy the ride, my only issue is the hard seats and going through the loops. In my typical trip, I do try to ride Cyclone sometime in the day. It will be a fun ride, not too rough but still not butter smooth. It does have good forces for the thrill seekers, but it's also not to tall for those not big into thrills. I think this ride has aged very well, Carowinds has really kept this ride looking nice over the years with a repaint in 2010 and this year, 2016. It is very photogenic and cool looking as you walk under the corkscrews going to Fury 325, Hurler, etc.

I do think you should ride it if you ever go to Carowinds. Now, if you have to choose between this and Afterburn for time purposes, go to Afterburn. But I think Cyclone is a good classic ol'' timer.

My overall rate: 5.7/10

#carowinds #cyclone #arrow #review