Fall Rally was this past Sunday and it was such an exciting event! With 45 people from Academic Magnet in attendance, we departed for our journey at 6:15 am on Sunday. Needless to say it was an early morning with waking up at 5:00 am to leaving my house at 5:30 am. Arriving at school at 6:00 I helped gather all the snacks and once everyone arrived at school we loaded the cart full of snacks onto the bus and left for Carowinds!
The bus ride to Carowinds was fairly relaxed for the beginning portion. Mr. McCormick and Ms. Vann talked to everyone about the plan and rules for the day and then we handed out some snacks and played Muppets as the bus movie. The majority of the people went to sleep expecting to arrive at Carowinds at 9:15. But arriving at 9:15 did not happen, as we encountered some unexpected maintenance issues regarding the bus. At around 8:45 it began to overheat and we had to pull over on the highway, and once the problem was looked at, we were able to discover that the bus was leaking antifreeze and the bus couldn’t be moved until it was fixed. Luckily, our bus driver was able to get in contact with a different bus driver to come pick us up, but we had to wait 45 minutes before he could get us. To pass time we handed out more food, played some trivia and played lots of music. Our Key Club President Lilly Murphy, gave the bus a concert by singing All Too Well (10 minute version)(Taylor’s Version), entertaining the entire bus.
After a long wait, the new bus arrived and we began the 40 minute bus ride to Carowinds. We arrived at around 11 and Mr. McCormick had to go check in with the head of Key Club to see what we should do since we arrived so late. Even though we arrived late we were able to make it to the end of the rally!
As it was the season of SCarowinds, the park was all decorated for Halloween. There were coffins, jack-o-lanterns, spiders, skeletons, Halloween parades, and much more. Some of our key club officers and chaperones even laid in the coffins to pose for a picture.
Once we got into the park, everyone went their separate ways. We had two rules which were, have a partner at all times and meet at the Cinnabon at 4:00 pm. People rode the Fury, the Intimidator, Rock N’ Roller and many more.
Every two hours everyone sent in pictures to show us where they were and here are some of the photos!!!
As lunch time approached, a debate began. Where should we go and what should we eat? Eventually there were a few places people went repeatedly. Lots of people went to Panda Express, Camp Cookout, the Dining Hall and Dippin’ Dots stands. There were lots of options but everything was very expensive. One basket of chicken tenders and fries was $17.99 and came sauceless and very dry, and a plate at Panda Express was $18.99. Needless to say, make sure you bring a full wallet when you come to the park.
Overall it was a successful trip to Carowinds! We got to learn more about Key Club and ride some awesome roller coasters and play some fun games!
Now, a review of Carowinds rides from Magnet Students:
The Fury: This ride has been deemed the Best Steel Roller Coaster and many of the students on this trip agree. Key Club President Lilly Murphy (12) and Emma Herrin (12) were two of the riders. To be able to truly get the best experience, they decided to ride in the front cart of the coaster. Needless to say, they indeed had a great time. Hayden Moody (10) said that “it was so fun and thrilling!” Her favorite ride was the Fury and she wishes she could go on it again!!
The Boo Blaster: Next up is the Boo Blaster. This ride is seasonal to Halloween, so we were very lucky to get to ride it. However, though it’s still unclear if it was a malfunction or part of the ride, some of us were stuck in the same section of the ride for a couple minutes, with our carts left unmoved. Fortunately though, we were able to defeat Boocifer and successfully escape the ride, with some riders scoring points much higher than others. Some claim their blasters weren’t working properly, but I think we all know that really means they just weren’t very good…
Bumper Cars: If you have a fear of being hit by a car, I wouldn’t really recommend this ride, as it gets very bumpy and emits a bit of a smoky scent with a spark. You can either ride alone or with a partner, as each car provides two seats. You might prefer to ride alone if you’re doing the ride with friends. While in your car, you may think the steering wheel is just a prop, as no matter which direction you turn it, your car will still tend to just do its own thing.
The Afterburn: “We felt the burn” is what Wilson Swenson (12) said after taking a ride on the Afterburn. This roller coaster is unlike others because unlike a traditional roller coaster, you are strapped in a seat with your feet dangling below you. As the ride begins your world is flipped upside down. You can feel your stomach drop as you experience the ride. While this ride will throw you for a loop you will have a great time!
There were many more rides that students rode including Gold Rush, Intimidator, Ricochet and many more! Hopefully next time you go to the park you can try all these rides and a few new ones!
