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One of the best perks of a Cedar Point Platinum passes, is being able to visit any other Cedar Fair amusement. Lucky for us who live in northeast Ohio, there are total of eight Cedar Fair parks all within an eight hour drive.  These include, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, Wild Water Kingdom in Aurora, Ohio, Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan and Carowinds on the border of both North and South Carolina. In fact, if you have a passport, Canada’s Wonderland in Toronto, Canada is just under a 5 hour drive. How neat is that?

On our way back from Florida, my family stopped at Carowinds. In fact, it’s the perfect half way point between Orlando and Cleveland.  This is our second visit to Carowinds and we had a great time. So what is there to do at Carowinds? Here are my family’s top five things that we LOVE about Carowinds.

Don’t have season passes? Here are Carowinds ticket prices:

• One day online ticket – only $42.99
• Two day online ticket – only $62.99
• After 4pm ticket – only $29.99

#1 The Park is in TWO Different States:
One fun thing that I love about Carowinds is that it’s actually in two different states. At the entrance of the park you’ll see a white pathway which shows the division between North Carolina and South Carolina. Yes, you can actually stand to two different states at the same time. It’s the perfect opportunity to snap a picture!

#2 The Family Friendly Rides:
Carowinds offers up a lot of family friendly rides which are great for even your smallest kiddos. I really like that there are quite a few that aren’t at our home park of Cedar Point which makes it a real treat. I noticed that many of the kiddie rides seem a little larger than other parks that we’ve been too which is perfect for a mama with a little more meat on her bones. I was able to fit comfortably into every kiddie ride that I attempted.

My whole family loves Boo Blasters on Boo Hill, where you ride inside interactive Boo Blaster cars and challenge your friends to see who can capture the most ghosts! Another great one is the Flying Ace Balloon Race. This is not your typical kiddie ride but instead goes a bit higher than others I have rode. It’s fun enough for adults without  being too scary for the kiddies.

Be sure to also check out Planet Snoopy where they offer up a ton of rides for your kiddos. Best of all, parents can ride many too. Be sure to ride Woodstock’s Whirlybirds where pilots of all ages get a great panoramic view of Planet Snoopy from helicopter cars traveling on an elevated monorail. The Planet Snoopy area also offers up boat ride, a kiddy train and three kid-size roller coasters. My three little guys really liked the ride Peanuts Pirates! These mini pirate ships rotate a full 180 degrees as they quickly race  up and down along ocean waves. It had us all in fits of giggles.

New for the 2016 season, Carowinds introduced the world’s first intra-active 3-D attraction, Plants vs. Zombies™ Garden Warfare 3Z Arena. After entering a state-of-the-art arena and picking a team – plants or zombies – guests are immersed within the Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 universe in an epic battle to find the golden gnome. Packed with astonishing effects and zany action, players compete for high scores and bragging rights.

This new attraction is exclusive to Carowind and allows players to interact with the opposing team’s screen. Th arena is decked out with 3-D technology, massive screens, surround sound and motion-based seats.  This is a ride not to miss!

#3 The Amazing Coasters
If you head to Carowinds, riding the roller coasters is a MUST! In the 2015 season, Carowinds debuted Fury 325! Riders go to the peak height of 325 feet following a dramatic 81-degree drop. There is also a massive 190-foot tall barrel turn and a high-speed S-curve reaching speeds of up to 95 mph. This is one AWESOME coaster that you’ll want to ride over and over again.

Another one not to miss is Intimidator. You’ll head up a 232-foot hill and plunge at a 74-degree angle. Racing in speeds up to 80 mph, riders catch some major airtime on the second hill, which is a whopping 178-feet. The staggered cars on this ride make you feel like you are riding all alone. If your a daredevil try an outside cart and ride at night…simply amazing.

Carowinds offers up many other coasters including Nighthawk a flying coaster that features eight inversions, most while flying face down and Afterburn which is a inverted floorless coaster. I really like that there are coasters here that are not offered at it’s sister park near us which allows you to have a whole new experience.

My littlest guy was over the moon that he was JUST tall enough to ride the “big coaster” at Carowinds, called Ricochet. This “Wild Mouse” coaster features a small four-seater car which twists, turns and drops it’s riders along a 1200 sq. ft track. It’s a favorite among my youngest two and it’s easy to see why.

#4  The Expanded Waterpark

Locals to Carowinds are in for a real treat when the Carolina Harbor Waterpark opens on May 11th. This amazing renovations includes Surf Club Harbor, a27,000-foot wave pool, Seaside Splashworks, a water fortress with over 80 play elements and a 423-gallon tipping bucket and Blackbeard’s Revenge, a six-story tall water slide complex that features six exhilarating slides. On top of this they are also creating a couple of new spaces for those with little ones including areas with spray jets, interactive water play and more.

#5 The Delicious Food

Step inside Carowinds and you’ll smell it right away! Carowinds sets the bar high when it comes to amusement park food. In fact, with 45 new menu items, you may just want to eat all day and catch the rides another time! Executive Chef, Kris Siuta and his culinary team have created some delicious dishes, including authentic Carolina cuisine like smoked BBQ and Lowcountry seafood.

Our favorite place to eat at Carowinds is Harmony Hall. This large building hosts a cafeteria style setting with many options to choose from including BBQ, Italian, burgers and my personal favorite a fresh salad area.  I’ve ordered several salads and all were great. I would have never expected such an flavorful salad at an amusement park. In fact, I had a hard time keeping my husband’s fork out of my salad.

If you haven’t visited Carowinds, I’d strongly recommend you do! Carowinds is a great place to spend a day or even a few with your family and friends!