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98-458: Carowinds was announced on October 10, 1969, and originally planned on being a large resort which would include a theme park , hotels , a shopping center , a golf course , and an NFL stadium . The name Carowinds was conceived from the park's original theme of the history and culture of the Carolinas , and is a portmanteau of Carolina and winds , in reference to the winds that blow across

196-438: A $ 30 million roller coaster, a $ 2.5 million water slide, a $ 7 million food complex, and $ 4 million to improve the park's ticket booths and front areas. The same year, the park introduced Dinosaurs Alive! , a 5-acre walkthrough attraction. In 2015, Fury 325 , the fifth-tallest roller coaster in the world, opened as another component of the park's previously announced "top-to-bottom" expansion program. A new front entrance replaced

294-472: A 1,087-foot suspended track while dodging a gauntlet of gushing geysers and rain curtains and was the first of its kind roller coaster in the world. SCarowinds, the park's annual Halloween event, is introduced for the first time in October. In 2001, the park introduced three new attractions including Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion , an interactive ghost-busting experience through the former Harmony Hall, Pipeline Peak,

392-502: A 360-degree looping Viking ship, is added to the area. In 1987, Carowinds purchases Ocean Island. Vintage Jalopies is removed and the Panorama Vision theater is converted to an arcade. The following year, White Lightnin' is removed due to continuous maintenance downtime. The Balloon Race flat ride and WhiteWater Falls, a 45 foot tall water attraction is added. In 1989, Ocean Island is renamed to RipTide Reef and expanded to over 6 acres on

490-666: A 60% stake in the joint venture, while Union Minière owned a 40% stake. Also in 1975, Gulf and Western's Sega subsidiary bought a 50% stake in Kingdom of Oz, a company that operated arcades in California shopping malls which would later be rebranded as Sega Centers. In 1976, during the shooting of the film Sorcerer in Villa Altagracia , a lawsuit was filed against Cinema Dominica (a subsidiary of Gulf and Western) by Dominican businessmen for alleged damages. The newspaper El Caribe said that

588-465: A Christmas event in November and December that previously operated in 2005, was also reintroduced. In 2018, Planet Snoopy was expanded and converted into Camp Snoopy with the addition of six new children's attractions. The following year, Copperhead Strike , a double-launched roller coaster manufactured by Mack Rides , was opened in the all-new seven-acre Blue Ridge Junction area of the park and became

686-647: A coast. In the United Kingdom, many seaside towns have turned to other entertainment industries, and some of them have much nightlife. The cinemas and theatres often remain to become host to a number of pubs, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Most of their entertainment facilities cater for both local people and visitors and the beaches still remain popular during the summer months. In Europe and North America, ski resorts are towns and villages in ski areas, with support services for skiing such as hotels and chalets , equipment rental, ski schools and ski lifts to access

784-750: A contract of a $ 90 million zinc mine and refinery project after three years of negotiation. While working for Paramount, Barry Diller had proposed a "fourth network" ; ultimately, the Paramount Television Service was cancelled six months prior to launch by Bluhdorn, who feared a major loss of revenue had the network gone forward. As a result, Paramount sold the Hughes Television Network (which it had acquired including its satellite time in planning for PTVS in 1976) to Madison Square Garden in 1979. Diller later left Paramount for 20th Century Fox ; that studio's new owner, News Corporation ,

882-713: A contract with the Indonesian state owned Pertamina Oil Company to explore oil resources in east Indonesia , and the Dominican government and Gulf and Western Americas Corporation established an industrial free zone in La Romana. The zone was administered by Gulf and Western America's Operadora Zona Franca de La Romana subsidiary. In the early 1970s, after a lunch meeting between Bluhdorn and Lew Wasserman , Gulf and Western's Paramount and MCA 's Universal merged their international operations to create Cinema International Corporation ,

980-477: A convenient place to stay. There are more than 1500 timeshare resorts in the United States that are operated by major hospitality, timeshare-specific, or independent companies. They represent 198,000 residences and nearly 9 million owners, who pay an average $ 880 per year in maintenance fees. A reported 16% of the residences became vacation rentals . Towns that are resorts or in which tourism or vacationing

1078-571: A couple decades later Paramount and Sega would team up to co-produce a film series based on the latter's flagship video game franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog . In 1984, Gulf and Western divested itself of its many Taylor Forge operations to private owners. Taylor Forge's Somerville, New Jersey plant became Taylor Forge Stainless, while its facilities in Paola , Kansas and Greeley, Kansas became Taylor Forge Engineered Systems . That same year, Bonney Forge

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1176-716: A destination resort is that it offers food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping within the facility so that guests have no need to leave the facility throughout their stay. Commonly, the facilities are of higher quality than would be expected if one were to stay at a hotel or eat in a town's restaurants. Some examples are Atlantis in the Bahamas ; the Walt Disney World Resort , near Orlando, Florida ; Universal Studios Hollywood in San Fernando Valley , United States ; PortAventura World , near Tarragona on

1274-419: A fixed price that includes most or all items. At a minimum, most inclusive resorts include lodging, unlimited food, drink, sports activities, and entertainment for the fixed price. In recent years, the number of resorts in the United States offering "all-inclusive" amenities has decreased dramatically. In 1961, over half offered such plans, but in 2007, less than a tenth do so. All-inclusive resorts are found in

1372-467: A hotel and residential building, the Trump International Hotel and Tower (One Central Park West) by Costas Kondylis and Philip Johnson , involved extensive renovation of both interior and facades. For example, the 45 stories of the original office tower were converted into a 52-story residential building, enabled by the lower ceiling height of residential spaces. The facade was converted with

1470-492: A joint venture. United Artists later joined the joint venture, which became United International Pictures . In 1970, Gulf and Western sold a 50% stake in Marathon Studio Facilities to Società Generale Immobiliare and acquired 15 million shares in the company (which represented 10.5 percent of its common stock). Also that year, Casmo Mining Ltd. was incorporated as a subsidiary of New Jersey Zinc, Hubbard Spool

1568-405: A number of entertainment companies beginning in 1966 and continuing through the 1970s. Most notable among the acquisitions were film studio Paramount Pictures in 1966, television studio Desilu Productions in 1967, arcade and later videogame manufacturer Sega in 1969, book publisher Simon & Schuster in 1975, and a number of music labels including Dot Records (a subsidiary of Paramount at

1666-561: A result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States . The park hosted a new holiday event, however, called "Taste of the Season" from November 21 – December 20, 2020. The event featured food, live shows, and other holiday activities throughout the park, as well as a select number of amusement rides. The park returned to normal operation in May 2021. In 2021, Boogie Board Racer, the longest mat racing slide in

1764-495: A second, larger wave pool was added to Boomerang Bay due to increased popularity. Yo-Yo, a flat ride from Carowinds' former sister park Geauga Lake , was also added to the park. The Nickelodeon Flying Super Saturator is closed and removed. The following year, Carolina Cobra was also relocated from Geauga Lake in the spot formerly home to the Flying Super Saturator and includes new trains. Multiple pathways were repaved and

1862-531: A snack bar, game room, raft rentals and a gift shop. Oaken Bucket was removed. The Heritage Theater was converted into an arcade. In 1984, Smurf Island opens on a 1.3 acre island surrounded by the Carolina Sternwheeler river boat. The Flying Dutchman is removed and the Paladium is expanded. Blackbeard's Revenge, an Arrow-Huss haunted swing ride, is added in 1985. In 1986, County Fair is renovated and Frenzoid,

1960-531: A sold-out crowd at the Paladium in 1993 during a stop on their I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour. Screaming Trees played there with Soul Asylum in '93. It had Virginia's Dave Matthews Band in '93, UK's Depeche Mode with Stabbing Westward in '94, Athens GA's B-52's in '94, Billy Ray Cyrus in '95, Blues Traveler in '96, Coolio in '96, UK's Duran Duran in 2000, Weird Al Yankovic in '00, Smash Mouth in '00, Sugar Ray in '00, and 311 in '04. Atlanta Christian rapper Lecrae performed there in 2014 (for Rock

2058-536: A three-story climbing structure, and Kids' Studio, an outdoor amphitheater for children's shows. On June 30 of the same year, a skycoaster ride called Skycoaster opened in the Wayne's World section. Drop Zone: Stunt Tower was also added in 1996 in the same area. The park hosted 1.8 million visitors, making it one of the largest tourist attractions in the Carolinas. In 1997, to celebrate the park's 25th anniversary, RipTide Reef

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2156-675: A year of operation and Wagon Wheel is moved into its place. Trams are added to the parking lot. In 1979, a $ 3 million expansion adds the County Fair area, which contains four new rides. Additionally, a 1923 antique carousel built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company is added to The Land of Hanna-Barbera. The Carolina Cyclone was added in 1980 as the first roller coaster in the world to feature four inversions. Thunder Road received new Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters trains. The original themed trains were destroyed after causing damage to

2254-1068: Is a major part of the local activity are sometimes called resort towns . If by the sea, they are called seaside resorts . Inland resorts include ski resorts , mountain resorts and spa towns . Well-known resort towns include Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic , Bandipur in Nepal , Bali in Indonesia , Sochi in Russia , Mount Lebanon Tourism in Lebanon , Barizo in Spain , Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Druskininkai in Lithuania , Cartagena de Indias in Colombia , Cancún in Mexico , Newport, Rhode Island , and Key West, Florida , in

2352-515: Is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer 's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel is frequently a central feature of a resort and the term resort may be used for a hotel that provides an array of entertainment and recreational activities. Some resorts are also condominium complexes that offer timeshares or fractional ownership, in addition to wholly owned condominiums. A resort

2450-505: Is a short-term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa goers to develop healthy habits. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters. Typically over a seven-day stay, such facilities provide a comprehensive program that includes spa services, physical fitness activities, healthy diet programs, and special interest programming. Golf resorts are resorts that cater specifically to

2548-521: Is an annual Halloween attraction and is presented on select nights in September and October, as well as the first weekend in November. The experience includes numerous haunted attractions and incorporates most of the existing park rides into a nightmarish experience. The Paladium is an outdoor amphitheater located at Carowinds. It opened in 1975 and was the Charlotte area's premier outdoor concert venue until

2646-475: Is demolished. For the 2017 season, the expansion of the County Fair area saw the addition of four new rides: Electro-Spin (a Mondial top scan), Zephyr (Zierer Wave Swinger), Rock N Roller (Mack Rides Music Express), and Do-Si-Do (HUSS Troika). Carolina Cobra was re-themed and renamed "The Flying Cobras", with a new blue and white color scheme. The park also announced that the Wings restaurant would be expanded. WinterFest,

2744-539: Is expanded into WaterWorks, doubling its size to include 12 acres at a cost of $ 7.5 million. In 1998, ZOOM ZONE opens in Animation Station. The expansion adds three new attractions: Taxi Jam, Chopper Chase and Road Rally and increases the size of the area by 3.5 acres. The addition of Top Gun: The Jet Coaster in 1999 became the single-largest investment in the park's history at a cost of $ 10.5 million. In 2000, The Nickelodeon Flying Super Saturator takes riders along

2842-407: Is not always a commercial establishment operated by a single company, but in the late 20th century, that sort of facility became more common. In British English , "resort" means a town which people visit for holidays and day trips, typically containing hotels where holidaymakers stay. Examples of such towns include Blackpool and Brighton . A destination resort is a resort that itself contains

2940-618: The Caribbean , particularly in Jamaica , Dominican Republic ; in Egypt , and elsewhere. Notable examples are Club Med , Sandals Resorts , and Beaches Resorts . An all-inclusive resort includes three meals daily, soft drinks , most alcoholic drinks , gratuities , and usually other services in the price. Many also offer sports and other activities included in the price as well. They are often located in warmer regions. The all-inclusive model originated in

3038-615: The Club Med resorts, which were founded by the Belgian Gérard Blitz . Some all-inclusive resorts are designed for specific groups. For example, some resorts cater for adults only, and even more-specialized properties accept couples only. Other all-inclusive resorts are geared toward families, with facilities like craft centers, game rooms, and water parks to keep children of all ages entertained. All-inclusive resorts are also very popular locations for destination weddings. A spa resort

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3136-468: The Costa Daurada in Spain ; Costa do Sauípe, Northeastern Brazil ; Laguna Phuket, Thailand and Sun City , near Johannesburg , South Africa . Closely related to resorts are convention and large meeting sites. Generally, these resorts are located in cities where they offer special meeting halls, ample accommodations, and a variety of dining and entertainment options. An all-inclusive resort charges

3234-689: The Las Vegas Strip . In Singapore , integrated resort is a euphemism for a casino -based destination resort. A holiday village is a type of self-contained resort in Europe whose accommodation is generally in villas . A holiday camp , in the United Kingdom , refers to a resort whose accommodation is in chalets or static caravans . A resort hotel contains full-sized luxury facilities with full-service accommodations and amenities . These hotels may attract vacationing tourists and offer more than

3332-586: The United States , Ischgl in Austria , St. Moritz in Switzerland and Blackpool in the United Kingdom . A resort island is an island or an archipelago that contains resorts, hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, and its amenities. Maldives is considered to have the best island resorts, which have become famous among the top celebrities and sportspersons around the world. Seaside resorts are located on

3430-560: The 2023 season. Carowinds began year-round operation in 2023, including limited park operation on weekends in January and February and Flights & Bites, a seasonal offering in Harmony Hall. The park also celebrated their 50th anniversary with limited time entertainment offerings, unique food and beverage, and vintage merchandise. In accordance with their 50th anniversary milestone, Carowinds announced its new Aeronautica Landing area will open for

3528-399: The 27-acre Carolina Harbor water park. Based on a Coastal Carolinian theme, it features 15 rides and attractions. It originally opened as Ocean Island in 1982, the water park has also been known as Riptide Reef (1989–1997) WaterWorks (1997–2006), and Boomerang Bay (2007–2015). On August 27, 2015, Carowinds announced an expansion for the area that added five additional attractions and resulted in

3626-677: The Beard & Stone Electric Company of Houston , Texas , and changed its name to Gulf and Western Corporation in 1958. Bluhdorn treated this name change as the company's "founding" for the purpose of later anniversaries. The name reflected its operations in Houston near the Gulf of Mexico and the intent to serve the growing automotive industry in the Western United States . It was changed once again in 1960 to Gulf and Western Industries. Under Bluhdorn,

3724-462: The Paladium hosted Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers . Eddie Money played there in '84, INXS played there in '84, John Denver played there in '86, Robert Palmer in '88, and The Glenn Frey Band with Joe Walsh played there in '93. Tears for Fears played there in 1990, and C + C Music Factory performed there in '91. In '91, Chapel Hill native James Taylor played there. Bon Jovi played to

3822-758: The Paramount acquisition, Gulf and Western became parent company of the International Telemeter Corporation , the Canadian Famous Players movie theater chain, the Dot Records label, the Famous Music publishing company (created in 1928 by Famous Players–Lasky Corporation , Paramount's predecessor), and the Famous Studios animation studio (which would be shut down almost immediately after

3920-741: The Park), and Skillet played in 2015. Fast Lane is a limited-access line queue system offered for an additional charge at legacy Cedar Fair amusement parks. Visitors can purchase a wristband that allows them to bypass standard lines in favor of shorter ones at many of the parks' most popular attractions. The annual Carowinds Festival of Music allows music students to perform in public, receiving comments and ratings from nationally recognized adjudicators. Bands, choirs, show choirs, and orchestras can all play for ratings. Plaques and ribbons are awarded for performances that receive ratings of superior and excellent. Resort A resort ( North American English )

4018-470: The Polly Bergen Company (acquired in 1971), which was publicly traded and had become a shell corporation after selling most of its assets to Fabergé . David Rosen was appointed chief executive officer of Polly Bergen, which was renamed Sega Enterprises, Inc. In 1975, Gulf and Western formed a joint venture with Union Minière of Belgium called Jersey Miniere Zinc Company. Gulf and Western owned

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4116-716: The Southeast, opened in Carolina Harbor. Retirement of the Rip Roarin' Rapids ride was also announced, along with the closure of the Dinosaurs Alive! attraction, to prepare for future development. In July 2022, Carowinds announced the closures of Plants vs. Zombies 3Z Arena, Yo-Yo, and Southern Star attractions. As part of the new Aeronautica Landing area of the park, Air Racers, The Airwalker, Gear Spin, Gyro Force, Hover and Dodge, and Wind Star were announced as their replacements for

4214-420: The U.S. assets of Sega (manufacturing division of Sega Electronics, Inc., along with licenses to technology and distribution rights to arcade game library of Sega in the United States for two years) to pinball manufacturer Bally Manufacturing . The Japanese assets of Sega (Sega Enterprises, Ltd., Sega trademarks, and its library of games) were purchased by a group of investors led by David Rosen and Hayao Nakayama

4312-492: The acquisition). After Stax Records was acquired in 1968 (along with sister label Volt Records and East Publishing Company), it became a subsidiary of Dot, although Dot was not at all mentioned on the label (rather, Dot and Stax were noted as subsidiaries of Paramount). Later on, the record operation was moved under Famous Music. In 1967, New Jersey Zinc constructed a diammonium phosphate fertilizer plant in DePue , Illinois , which

4410-408: The cinema space in the basement, named Paramount after the picture company that Gulf and Western owned, was closed as the building was sold. Problems with the 45-story building's structural frame gave it unwanted fame as its base was scaffolded for years and the upper floors were prone to sway excessively on windy days, even leading to cases of nausea akin to motion sickness. The 1997 renovation into

4508-864: The company diversified into a variety of businesses that included agriculture, apparel, building products, entertainment, financial services, home and consumer products, natural resources, and publishing. A partial list of Gulf and Western's holdings between 1958 and 1982 with the year of acquisition in parentheses: Gulf and Western also owned minority stakes in Camino Gold Mines, Cementos Nacionales, Fertilizantes Santo Domingo, Flying Diamond Oil Corporation, Jonathan Logan, J.P. Stevens & Company, Matadero del Este, Mohasco Corporation, Alberto-Culver , Amfac , B.F. Goodrich , Brunswick Corporation , Bulova , Cluett Peabody & Company , Cummins , Fratelli Fabbri Editori , General Tire , Libbey-Owens-Ford , Munsingwear and Uniroyal , among other companies. At

4606-477: The company had “failed to comply with the rental contract it signed for use of the town's commercial locations.” In 1977, after acquiring Muntz Manufacturing (a projection TV manufacturer founded by Earl Muntz) the year prior, Sega introduced the Sega-Vision widescreen TV (production was suspended the next year). Also that year, Thai Zinc Ltd. (a subsidiary of New Jersey Zinc) and the government of Thailand signed

4704-454: The company to the top 110 U.S. manufacturing companies. Bluhdorn appointed himself as chief executive officer, chairman, and president of Paramount and promoted Martin S. Davis to chief operating officer and executive vice president. The acquisition of Paramount was a significant move in Gulf and Western's diversification strategy and allowed the company to expand into the entertainment industry. With

4802-507: The company's headquarters were on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The Gulf and Western Building (15 Columbus Circle in Manhattan) by Thomas Stanley was built in 1970 for the Gulf and Western company north of Columbus Circle , at the south-western corner of Central Park . The building occupies a narrow block between Broadway and Central Park West and, at 583 feet (178 m), it commands

4900-404: The company's subsidiaries. In 1983, Gulf and Western sold Consolidated Cigar to a purchasing group composed by five of its senior managers and headed by its president, Alexander N. Brainard. That same year, Gulf and Western sold its building products operations (Livingston-Graham, Symons Corporation and Richmond Screw Anchor Company) to Merrill L. Nash, E. W. Bliss to a group of investors, and

4998-460: The company's wilder diversifications and focused it on entertainment, selling all of its non-entertainment and publishing assets. The idea was to aid financial markets in measuring the company's success, which, in turn, would help place better value on its shares. Though its Paramount division had done very well in recent years, Gulf and Western's success as a whole was translating poorly with investors. This process eventually led Davis to divest many of

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5096-753: The company, negotiations were under way for six more lines. Also in 1972, Gulf and Western sold its Conrad/Missimer division (which it created after acquiring Missimers in 1968 and merging it with Conrad) to Bemco Inc., Etablissements Daniel Doyen (which had already been a direct subsidiary since the 1960s) to A.P.S. Inc. (another Gulf and Western subsidiary), Angle Steel to Kewaunee Scientific Corporation, and Amron to Weatherby Nasco Inc. in exchange for Weatherby Nasco shares. Famous Music provided distribution for several independent labels, such as Neighborhood Records and Sire Records . Famous began distributing yet another independent label, Blue Thumb Records , before buying it outright in 1972. In 1974, Gulf and Western sold

5194-505: The dramatic view to the north, as well as its immediate surroundings. The top of the building sported a restaurant, The Top of the Park, which was never a full success even though run by Stuart Levin, famous for the Four Seasons , Le Pavillon , and other "shrines of haute cuisine," and it being graced with Levin's own elegant signature sculpture by Jim Gary , "Universal Woman." Similarly,

5292-561: The entire record operation to the American Broadcasting Company , which continued the Dot and Blue Thumb imprints as subsidiaries of ABC Records , while discontinuing the Paramount label altogether. Also that year, Gulf and Western sold Flinchbaugh Products to Clabir's General Defense subsidiary . and Sega Enterprises, Ltd. was taken public in the United States by making it a subsidiary of another firm owned by Gulf and Western called

5390-497: The famous beaches of the Carolinas. Included in this area is the parks 11th roller coaster, Ricochet . After the success of Woodstock's Air Rail at sister park Kings Island , Paramount decided to build a clone at Carowinds in 2003 as part of the Happy Land of Hanna Barbera's transition into Nickelodeon Central. In 2004, Nighthawk (then known as Stealth) was relocated from California's Great America and opened as BORG Assimilator in

5488-435: The film studio ; Paramount acquired the rights to that name in order to launch this label). It assumed Dot's status as the flagship label of Paramount's record operations, releasing music by pop artists and soundtracks from Paramount's films and television series. Dot meanwhile became a country label. In 1971, Tumbleweed Records was formed by Larry Ray and Bill Szymczyk with the financial backing of Gulf and Western. The label

5586-481: The first time in April 2023. Aeronautica Landing, the centerpiece of Carowinds' 50th anniversary celebration, pays tribute to the Carolinas' spirit of invention and the history of flight. The new area opened on April 7. Year-round operations were discontinued at the end of the season. On July 1, 2024, a merger of equals between Cedar Fair and Six Flags was completed, creating Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. As part of

5684-432: The land previously occupied by White Lightnin'. Black Widow is removed the same year. In 1990, Gauntlet, a prototype thrill ride, was added to the park. The following year, the Paladium becomes a stand-alone concert facility- separate from the theme park with an expanded seating capacity of 13,000 after a $ 4 million renovation. In 1992, Kings Entertainment Company was acquired by Paramount Communications and Paramount Parks

5782-485: The landscaping around the park was also improved. Nighthawk is repainted from black and green to yellow and blue. It is announced that the Powder Keg Log Flume located near the front of the park would be removed for future development. In 2010, Intimidator , a 232-foot tall roller coaster, opened in the space formerly occupied by the Powder Keg Log Flume. A portion of the parking lot is re-configured to accommodate

5880-481: The lawsuit against Cinema Dominica charged that the company had “failed to comply with the rental contract it signed for use of the town's commercial locations.”During the shooting of the film in Villa Altagracia, a lawsuit was filed against Cinema Dominica (a subsidiary of Gulf and Western) by Dominican businessmen for alleged damages. The newspaper El Caribe said that the lawsuit against Cinema Dominica charged that

5978-464: The location previously home to Smurf Island. Nickelodeon Central was expanded in 2005. On January 27, 2006, the Dayton Daily News reported that CBS Corporation (successor of the original Viacom ) was interested in selling the entire Paramount Parks division, including Carowinds; CBS stated that amusement parks did not fit the company's new strategy. On May 14, 2006, Cedar Fair announced it

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6076-405: The merger, a new corporate headquarters was established in Charlotte, North Carolina, relocating Cedar Fair operations from Sandusky, Ohio , and legacy Six Flags operations from Arlington, Texas . Charlotte previously served as the headquarters of Paramount Parks, prior to its acquisition by Cedar Fair. The main entry area of the park. Included in the price of admission to Carowinds is access to

6174-421: The name changing to Carolina Harbor. Carowinds re-introduced WinterFest for the 2017 season. This seasonal holiday event features seasonal holiday decorations, tree lighting, Christmas carolers, homemade crafts, a themed parade, and select rides. The park previously had Winterfest in 1983 when owned by Taft Attractions and again in 2005 when owned by Paramount. In September 2000 the park introduced SCarowinds. It

6272-510: The name was changed to Boomerang Bay in 2006. The addition of a heated lagoon and a children's water slide were among the changes made to the existing water park. In January 2007, a new logo was unveiled featuring the trademark Cedar Fair flag on the letter I in the Carowinds name, removing Paramount altogether. The Carolina Skytower was repainted to feature the colors of the American flag. In 2008,

6370-413: The necessary guest attraction capabilities so it does not need to be near a destination (town, historic site, theme park, or other) to attract its patrons. A commercial establishment at a resort destination such as a recreational area, a scenic or historic site, amusement park , a gaming facility, or other tourist attraction may compete with other businesses at a destination. Consequently, another quality of

6468-633: The new chief executive officer. In 1984, Gulf and Western purchased Esquire Inc. (and by extension the Globe Book Company, Allyn & Bacon , Modern Curriculum Press and the Cambridge Company), in which it already owned a minority stake, and Prentice Hall . That same year, its Kayser-Roth subsidiary acquired the women’s underwear division of Calvin Klein Industries and the use of the designer’s name for that business. Davis slimmed down

6566-858: The opening of Blockbuster Pavilion, now PNC Music Pavilion , in 1991. It lost most of its major acts to the Uptown Amphitheatre at the NC Music Factory (now the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre at AvidxChange Music Factory ) when it opened in 2009, and now hosts mostly Christian bands. Admission to the Paladium is separate from admission to Carowinds. Styx performed there in 1975, NC's Charlie Daniels Band played there in '76, Jimmy Buffett performed there in '76, and B.B. King played there in '76. Johnny Cash played there in '78, The Beach Boys played in '78, and The Allman Brothers Band played there in '79. In 1980,

6664-576: The original North Gate entrance of the park, the parking toll booths were replaced and expanded, and the parking lot was re-configured to accommodate the new entry plaza. Thunder Road is closed and demolished to make way for future development. In 2016, Boomerang Bay was re-themed and expanded into Carolina Harbor , removing the Australian theme. The expansion included a new six-slide complex, a new wave pool located on land formerly home to Thunder Road, and several new splash areas for kids. The original wave pool

6762-472: The park with its Hanna-Barbera characters and several rides aimed to appeal to younger guests. Carowinds added its second roller coaster, and first wooden coaster, with the addition of Scooby-Doo in 1975. The Wagon Wheel and The Waltzer flat rides were also added to the park. A small carousel was added to the Carolina Crossroads area. In 1976, Carowinds opened Thunder Road , a Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters racing wooden coaster designed by Curtis D. Summers. It

6860-411: The park's 14th roller coaster. Blue Ridge Junction was constructed in the area formerly occupied by WhiteWater Falls, Sand Dune Lagoon and Thunder Road 's former station. A 130-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Carowinds' first on-site hotel, opened near the park's toll booths. Blue Ridge Country Kitchen opens in Blue Ridge Junction. Carowinds did not open for normal operation during the 2020 season as

6958-405: The park's main entrance to the park's central hub. In 1994, Wayne's World, a new three acre themed area that re-creates the Hollywood set popularized in the Paramount motion picture of the same name, is added to the northwestern corner of the park with the Hurler roller coaster as its centerpiece. In 1995, Animation Station introduces an interactive experience for kids featuring The Power Station,

7056-435: The park. All references to Paramount-owned movies were removed immediately, with the exception of Nickelodeon Central, as Cedar Fair did not own the rights to use Paramount property. Several rides were renamed and rethemed, including BORG Assimilator (now known as Nighthawk), Drop Zone: Stunt Tower (now known as Drop Tower), and Top Gun: The Jet Coaster (now known as Afterburn). WaterWorks was expanded by four additional acres and

7154-490: The proposed resort were put on hold. Sagging attendance and mounting debt forced Carowinds Corporation to merge with Taft Broadcasting in early 1975. Taft originally ran the park through Family Leisure Centers, a joint venture between Taft and Top Value Enterprises (owned by the Kroger supermarket chain). It was later transferred to a wholly-owned Taft subsidiary, Kings Entertainment Company . Taft Broadcasting brought new life to

7252-541: The ride's layout. Nickelodeon Central was also replaced by Planet Snoopy , introducing the Peanuts characters to the park. For 2011, the park saw general cosmetic improvements. Vortex received a new red and white color scheme, new picnic shelters were constructed in the Plaza Pavilion area, Thunder Road and Hurler had portions of their tracks reconstructed, and new seat walls, newly planted shade trees, and additional greenery

7350-551: The sale was completed. Also in 1982, Gulf and Western sold its Marquette Cement Manufacturing Company subsidiary (acquired in 1976) to Lone Star Industries and Pennsylvania Malleable Iron (acquired in 1969) to Champ Corporation. In 1983, Bluhdorn died of a heart attack on a plane en route home from the Dominican Republic to New York, and the board bypassed president Jim Judelson and named senior vice president Martin S. Davis, who had come up through Paramount Pictures, as

7448-475: The slopes. Resorts for different purposes also exist. An example is Yulara , Northern Territory , which exists to serve Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) in Australia . Gulf and Western Industries Gulf and Western Industries, Inc. (stylized as Gulf+Western ) was an American conglomerate . The company originally focused on manufacturing and resource extraction, but it began purchasing

7546-467: The sport of golf , and they include access to one or more golf courses and/or clubhouses. Golf resorts typically provide golf packages that provide visitors with all greens and cart fees, range balls, accommodations, and meals. In North America , a ski resort is generally a destination resort in a ski area. The term is less likely to refer to a town or village. A megaresort is a type of destination resort of an exceptionally-large size, such as those along

7644-451: The time of its acquisition by Gulf and Western in 1966, Paramount was struggling with heavy losses from feature film productions and had stopped producing television programs. However, it had valuable hidden assets, such as extensive real estate holdings and a library of old movies that could be sold to television networks for large profits. After paying $ 125 million for Paramount, Gulf and Western saw its sales improve to $ 450 million, elevating

7742-455: The time of purchase). Some of these properties were reorganized under the Paramount brand, with Dot Records becoming the nucleus of Paramount Records and Desilu being renamed Paramount Television . The company pivoted to focus on entertainment and publishing, selling off its other assets through the course of the 1980s. Gulf and Western rebranded itself as Paramount Communications in 1989. A controlling interest of Paramount Communications

7840-537: The tracks. Rip Roarin' Rapids, a water rapids ride, opens in 1982. In 1982, Ocean Island opens as a separately ticketed attraction between Thunder Road and the White Lightnin' roller coasters. The water park was not owned by Carowinds, and included a 700,000-gallon, 25,500 square foot wave pool that featured waves reaching heights of five feet. The complex also featured other standard water park amenities including picnic and sunbathing areas, shower and changing facilities,

7938-488: The two states. Ground was broken on May 1, 1970, with a planned opening date in April 1972. After numerous construction delays due to weather, the park eventually opened on March 31, 1973, under the ownership of the Carowinds Corporation, a consortium of local investors headed by Hall. The first season brought in over 1.2 million visitors, but attendance at Carowinds was curtailed by the 1973 oil crisis , and plans for

8036-415: The world's tallest enclosed body slide and increases the size of WaterWorks to 13 acres, and the park's first 3-D attraction, 7th Portal. Plantation Square, the park's entrance area, is remodeled into Paramount Plaza. The Wayne's World theming is removed and the area is converted to Thrill Zone. The following year saw the addition of Carolina Boardwalk, a newly themed area that takes guests on a walk through of

8134-497: The year after. Gulf and Western subsequently folded the former Sega U.S. companies (the old Sega Enterprises, Inc. and Sega Electronics, Inc. were renamed and currently exist as shell companies Ages Entertainment Software LLC and Ages Electronics, Inc., part of CBS Media Ventures ) into Simon & Schuster and the old Sega Europe Limited into Paramount Pictures (since renamed several times and currently exist as High Command Productions Limited, part of Viacom International). Ironically,

8232-658: The years. The three Desilu lots – the original RKO Studios and two Culver City locations – were also included in the sale, but the Justice Department forced Gulf and Western to sell the Culver Studios (which Perfect Film & Chemical Corporation acquired in 1968) to avoid a monopoly. Desilu was renamed Paramount Television . In 1969, Gulf and Western sold Norma-Hoffman to the German company FAG (Fischer Aktien Gesellschaft). Also that year, Gulf and Western Indonesia signed

8330-460: Was a subsidiary of Famous Music until 1973, when it folded. Also in 1971, Gulf and Western acquired certain assets of Auto Pak Company, Inc. In 1972, Gulf and Western signed an agreement to provide equipment for the Soviet Union 's Kama River truck plant project . As part of the agreement, Gulf and Western's E. W. Bliss division would provide one automated truck parts production line. According to

8428-459: Was confident that James River stock would be more profitable than Brown was for Gulf and Western. In 1981, former officials of Gulf and Western Natural Resources Group led a buyout of New Jersey Zinc and made it a subsidiary of Horsehead Industries, Inc. That same year, Gulf and Western announced it would shut down its Schrafft Candy subsidiary (which it had acquired from Helme Products in 1974) after it had continued to be unprofitable. Schrafft's

8526-452: Was formed, with the corporate headquarters a few miles away from the park in Charlotte. The same year, Carowinds introduces the Vortex stand-up roller coaster. The park's name was changed to Paramount's Carowinds in 1993. Movies and television shows from various Paramount Pictures were introduced into the park, including Days of Thunder. The Paramount Walk of Fame was constructed on the path from

8624-404: Was interested in acquiring the five Paramount theme parks from CBS Corporation. The acquisition was completed on June 30, 2006. Although Cedar Fair continued to use the Paramount's Carowinds name through the remainder of the 2006 season, and had a ten-year option to continue using the Paramount pre-fix, it began to phase out the Paramount name in press releases, the park website, and signage within

8722-845: Was interested in starting a network, which became the Fox Broadcasting Company . On June 5, 1980, Gulf and Western unveiled an electric car , powered by a zinc chloride battery that would hold a charge for several hours and permit speeds of up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). By year's end, the U.S. Department of Energy (which had invested $ 15 million in the project) reported that the battery had 65% less power than predicted and could be recharged only by highly trained personnel. Also in 1980, Gulf and Western sold Hammacher Schlemmer to J. Roderick MacArthur 's Bradford Exchange and its 80% interest in Brown Company to James River Corporation in return for cash and James River stock. Bluhdorn

8820-493: Was later brought in as a partner). Also that year, Simon & Schuster acquired Silver Burdett and its GLC (General Learning Corporation) subsidiary. This acquisition was followed by mapmaker Gousha in 1987, and Charles E. Simon and Quercus in 1988. The company, thus restructured, renamed itself Paramount Communications in 1989, and sold Associates First Capital Corporation to the Ford Motor Company . Prior to 1970,

8918-475: Was later leased and then bought outright by Mobil Chemical . The plant was designated a Superfund site after its closure and CBS and ExxonMobil became the responsible parties for the cleanup. Also in 1967, Gulf and Western purchased Lucille Ball 's Desilu Productions library, which included most of her television product, as well as such properties as Star Trek and Mission: Impossible , both of which would rank amongst its most profitable commodities over

9016-592: Was later sold to the American Safety Razor Company . In 1982, executive vice president Don Gaston (who had also served on the board of Gulf and Western subsidiaries Madison Square Garden, Roosevelt Raceway, Capitol Life Insurance Company, and Providence Washington Insurance Company) formed Richfield Holdings Ltd., an investment group that purchased Providence Capitol International Insurance Ltd. and Famous Players Realty Ltd. from Gulf and Western for $ 350 million. Gaston resigned from Gulf and Western once

9114-422: Was planted all around the park. In 2012, WindSeeker, a 301-foot tall swinging flat ride, opened in a filled portion of the main lagoon near Nighthawk. The park also continued to add more shade structures and replaced asphalt pathways with brick pavers throughout the park. On August 26, 2013, Cedar Fair announced a $ 50 million investment plan to expand Carowinds over three years starting in 2014. The expansion included

9212-492: Was purchased by Viacom in 1994, and the entertainment assets of Gulf and Western are today part of the media conglomerate Paramount Global . Gulf and Western's origins date to the 1934 founding of the Michigan Bumper Corporation. In 1955, the company changed its name to Michigan Plating and Stamping Company, and later in 1956 it was taken over by Charles Bluhdorn . In 1957, Michigan Plating and Stamping acquired

9310-504: Was sold to its president John Leone, Super Tool and Morse Cutting Tools to industrialist Jim Lambert, and Gulf and Western's holdings in Florida and the Dominican Republic to an investment group including Carlos Morales Troncoso and the Fanjul brothers . In 1985, Gulf and Western Consumer and Industrial Products Group – consisting of A.P.S. auto parts, Kayser-Roth clothing and Simmons bedding –

9408-479: Was sold to the Wickes Companies . Also that year, it sold its Columbus Circle Investors unit (which acted as the asset manager for the company's pension and employee benefit plans) to Thomson McKinnon and bought Ginn & Company from Xerox . In 1986, as part of its new corporate strategy to focus on the entertainment and publishing industries, Gulf and Western acquired Mann Theatres ( Warner Communications

9506-584: Was sold to the Wanskuck Company, the Hardie agricultural sprayer line to the Lockwood Corporation, and Stax Records back to its original owners, and with it the rights to all Stax recordings not owned by Atlantic Records . A year before, Dot's non- country music roster and catalog was moved to a newly created label, Paramount Records (the name was previously used by a Paramount Records label unrelated to

9604-400: Was the largest and most expensive ride built in Carowinds' short three years of existence, at a cost of $ 1.6 million. The trains were relocated from the defunct Jetstream roller coaster at Chicago's Riverview Park . White Lightnin', a Schwarzkopf launched shuttle roller coaster, opened in 1977. The Witchdoctor was relocated to Pirate Island and renamed Black Widow. The Waltzer is removed after

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