About Theme Parks: I Was Intimidated in North Carolina

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Theme Parks Theme Parks Find Theme Parks Water Parks Roller Coasters From Arthur Levine, your Guide to Theme Parks Happy (almost) Labor Day to the stateside subscribers of About.com's Theme Parks newsletter. It's hard to believe that the summer season is winding down, and that most parks are making the shift to weekends-only operation. But there is still time for coaster fun at seasonal parks. Last week, I shared my review of Intimidator 305, the new Giga-Coaster at Kings Dominion in Virginia. The second leg of my Intimida-Tour (cribbed that pun from Theme Park Review) 2010 took me to Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina (although half of the border-hugging park sits in South Carolina), which also debuted an Intimidator coaster this season. Speaking of intimidation and the end of summer, let's take a look at Florida's theme park Halloween events as well this week. I Was Intimidated in North Carolina-or maybe South Carolina While they share a similar name, theme, logo, and look, the two Intimidator rides are actually quite different. Unlike the Virginia thrill machine, which stays relatively low to the ground after its first two hills, the Carowinds coaster is a more typical airtime-filled hypercoaster. I loved Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion, but I raise the checkered flag and put Carowinds' Intimidator in the winner's circle. While not quite as good as Diamondback at Kings Island or Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, two similar hypercoasters, the new ride is another stellar example of airtime nirvana from the Swiss-based coaster wizards at Bolliger & Mabillard. Read my review of Carowinds' Intimidator. Nothing to Fear but Fear Himself at Universal Orlando's HHN The theme for Universal Orlando's 20th annual Halloween Horror Nights is, well, "Twenty Years of Fear," and the anniversary celebration will include homages to past HHN characters such as The Director and The Storyteller, as well as an all-new character. According to Universal fear has a name and his (its?) name is...Fear. That's right. We have nothing to fear but Fear itself, except Fear is apparently this big, scary mastermind who has been looming in the background of HHN for 19 years. For year 20, he will make himself (itself?) known. The Fear, er fun, starts September 24. Read more about Halloween Horror Nights 20. Think Sandusky Means Coasters? You're All Wet. I say, "Sandusky, Ohio," and you think...coasters, right? Lots and lots of coasters at Cedar Point. Well sure, the thrill-ride haven is Sandusky's most famous landmark. But with the proliferation of water parks, particularly the indoor water park resorts that have opened over the past few years, there are other ways to have fun in Ohio's Lake Erie playground. While it's not at the level of Wisconsin Dells, the water park capital of the world, Sandusky's recent wave of water park resorts now makes it a great place to visit all year long. Find out where to get wet in the Sandusky water park guide. Howling, Screaming, and Alone Halloween Horror Nights draws monster-sized crowds and is the bloody best theme park Halloween event in Florida--if not the world. But that doesn't mean the Sunshine State's other theme parks don't offer their own bloody good Halloween fun once the sun goes down. Busch Gardens Tampa, which has been amping up the antics at its Howl-O-Scream event the past few years, tries something new this scary season with the Alone House. As the name suggests, instead of going through a haunted maze with the security of your friends and other guests, you have to tough it out on your own. Sounds freaky. Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando also offer Halloween events, but tone down the scares with G-rated events. Read more about Florida's other theme park Halloween events. Theme Parks Ads Amusement Rides Adventure Rides Attraction Park Fun Theme Park Find Water Parks Featured Articles Follow Me on Twitter Find U.S. Water Parks Walt Disney Theme Parks Six Flags Theme Parks Universal Theme Parks Roller Coasters   More from About.com Plan a Unique Vegas Wedding The minister, music and champagne are just the beginning -- why not get married aboard a helicopter or have a pirate swing in to deliver your rings? Arrrr! More> Join About.com's User Panel! Share your opinions and help us make About.com more relevant, informative and enjoyable to use. More> This newsletter is written by: Arthur Levine Theme Parks Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Theme Parks newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Must Reads What's New at Theme Parks? Indoor Water Parks Florida Theme Parks and Water Parks California Theme Parks and Water Parks Theme Parks Photo and Video Galleries Advertisement