The Mad Mouse (Arrow, 1998, Wild Mouse) was the first Arrow mouse made and with the brakeless ride we got it is probably fair to say that the original is still the best.  After boarding the well-themed mice trains (they featured stadium seating similar to Intamin hyper cars) we dove out of the station and enjoyed the typically loud Arrow lift.  The switchbacks at the top seemed a bit tame after the Mack mouse the day before, but were not boring in any sense of the word.  The real thrills came on the diving turn as the train left the top half of the ride ( http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery503.htm?Picture=1 ).  There were some great airtime moments on the bottom half and even a touch of trick track as the train entered the brakes.  For some reason the back seats of the train felt rougher than the front, but overall I was very impressed with this mouse.  Good job, Arrow (did I just say that?!).

          Working around we got some rides in on the Top Spin.  Although not the best program available (I have seen the videos at http://www.amusementrides.de ) it was the best one I have experienced.  Most every park I have visited featured a fun program, but often their Top Spins were more like a glorified pirate ship instead of an intense thrill machine.  I always find that the thrill factor is more in the spinning instead of being held by restraints and this program featured some great human laundry action. 

          We hit the bathrooms and walked back towards the front of the park.  Guess what we did?  More flat rides!  The first one was the Mack Petersburger Schlittenfahrt.  This one had a sleigh ride theme similar to the one at Lake Winnie and featured a long program.  Next door was a large “Skooters” bumper car building that could have been on a German fairground.  It was huge, colorful and a nice looking and my guess is that the cars were from the Preston & Barbieri line.  We bumped to our hearts delight and walked towards the front of the park.  We did not ride the Huss Pirate but it, like everything else, had a fantastic looking light package.  Now, even though I was enticed into trying DDR last weekend my favorite dance at any park is still the Calypso.  The Pavilion has a beautiful Mack Calypso that is also a people-eater.  Unlike the version at Cedar Point this one had five cars on each arm and the flash was superb.  Looking around I saw lights that could have been in a fifties lounge and people of all ages getting in line.  What a great ride!  I love the visuals on this attraction and the slanted table only adds to the fun.  I wish more parks had these.

          It was time for ice cream and although it started late we enjoyed the Ruth & Sohn organ that stood at the front of the park and later got another ride on the carousel.  At the front-left corner of the park stood the Huss Rainbow.  This was my first time something besides the Chance or Weber/Huss versions and I enjoyed it.  We had perhaps the longest ride cycle in the ride’s history, but it was nice to get up high and enjoy the view of the strip below.  This was much better than the Weber/Huss version as the forward-facing seating did not crack my nuts.  Up the midway once more for a ride on the Huss Enterprise.  I believe this was the first Huss version that featured padded seats and it made the ride much more enjoyable (ahem, only look to Schwarzkopf, he did it first on all his Enterprises).  The Chance Wipeout was closed (still haven’t been on one) but the ride was still lit up to add to the terrific ambience.  The Eli Bridge Scrambler is located within the Hurricane’s second helix and we got a long cycle on this flat ride classic.  One interesting note was that the coaster’s loading and unloading spiel came out over the Scrambler’s speakers.

          After staring at the Hydro Surge for a while Mark said, “Let’s just get on” and we boarded the Hopkins raft ride.  People were getting off drenched so we left our belongings on the side and boarded.  I realized that I must be a slow learner as I got on every raft ride during this trip with my back to the water.  It did not make a difference on the Carowinds version as that ride spun like a bat out of hell, but there were some issues on this ride.  The ride started in a pitch black tunnel and did not seem to spin much as I received the brunt of the water and the two others in the boat only knew about it because I was cursing like a mother******.  After we exited the tunnel I was a bit relieved as the raft turned some and the others shared in the water.  This rapids ride was great as the experience was downright violent.  We were tossed around and this was the first rapids ride where I actually felt I needed the seat belt.  The weird thing was that about ¾ of the way through the ride the water calmed down and the journey back to the lift was slow and relaxing. 

          An early Chance Chaos stood nearby and Mark & I hopped on.  Unlike the later versions this one had a simple metal cage on the outside instead of the bulky plastic contraption- I found this to be much more comfortable.  The ride was fun as I was taught that the art of flipping the tubs (for some reason I always thought that they were motor-driven) but this ride still has never done a lot for me.  When it comes to Chance, tubs and flipping I will take a Zipper any day.

          The rest of the night was spent getting additional rides on the carousel, log flume, wave swinger, mouse, top spin and calypso.  We closed out our night on the Hurricane.  Mark & Bill were in the second-to-last seat and I was in the very back.  Even running at its fastest speeds for the night this coaster still did not seem to have what it takes to make the top of any of our lists. 

Some random thoughts on the park:

What is that horrible noise?: The sound system had a very good song selection, stuff that a wide variety of people like- from 60’s Motown to U2’s Joshua Tree.  It is nice to see parks investing in other stuff besides the cheapest crap around.  Why do some places think that people waiting in line want to listen to the Captain and Tenile or Debbie Boone?  That is when people get violent.

What’s Next?: If anything seems to be a perfect fit for the park, we all agreed that it would be a drop tower.  It would take up a small footprint, be a great thrill ride attraction, draw people in from the busy streets and give great views of the beaches & ocean.  Mark suggested an Intamin gyro tower of some sort and I agree completely.  How about some sort of sandstorm theme?

What price, roller coaster?:  One reason I loved this park is because it gives you a lot to do for a reasonable fee.  It is great for families and the pricing options ensure that only people who want to visit the park pass through the gates.  In a spring break environment that is a very smart choice.

What’s that smell?: No, it is not the best greasy spoon in the world.  However, Peaches, which is just across the street, is a good place to go for some after-park snacking.

          In closing, I LOVED this park.  If the Swamp Fox were in place of the Hurricane this would make list of favorite parks.  However, this park shows that I am not the only one who has a love of flat rides.  I would happily go back to Myrtle Beach.  Between the two parks as Myrtle Beach has a lot to offer coaster, flat ride and/or park enthusiasts like myself. 

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