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A LIGHT DAY

If you'd been here on a day like this,
you'd have walked on everything but the big two.

May 22, 2026 held steady at a 4/10, a forgiving day if you arrived with a plan. Crowds bounced between a 1 and a 8, settling around a 4 for most of the day.

PLANNING A TRIP?
Pick your dates on the crowd calendar and we'll show you how this day compares to your window.
4
/10
Light
AVG WAIT19m
PEAK90m
RIDES OPEN24/24
WEATHER77° Drizzle
Carowinds crowd report infographic for May 22, 2026
Tap to enlarge

The day, hour by hour.

10 AM to 8 PM · crowd level 1–10
4
10 AM
1
11 AM
3
12 PM
8
1 PM
7
2 PM
7
3 PM
6
4 PM
3
5 PM
3
6 PM
3
7 PM
3
8 PM
10 AM to 10 AM
Hit Fury 325 first

Even on a light day, Fury 325 builds fast by mid-morning. Get there before the gates open.

11 AM to 1 PM
Lunch is the low water mark

Waits ease during the noon hour. Hit a second-tier ride now.

2 PM to 6 PM
Walk-on window opens

Woodstock Express + Flying Ace Balloon Race fall to walk-on in the mid-afternoon. Re-rideable.

8 PM to 8 PM
Final-hour re-rides

Most families leave well before close. Re-ride your favorite while everyone else heads out.

Every ride, by average wait.

30 rides · avg wait shown
Carolina Goldrusher
44m avg
peak 60m · 97% uptime
Fury 325
43m avg
peak 90m · 95% uptime
Thunder Striker
39m avg
peak 60m · 97% uptime
Copperhead Strike
34m avg
peak 60m · 75% uptime
Hurler
30m avg
peak 60m · 97% uptime
The Flying Cobras
30m avg
peak 30m · 57% uptime
Kiddy Hawk
29m avg
peak 45m · 97% uptime
Afterburn
26m avg
peak 45m · 97% uptime
Vortex
24m avg
peak 45m · 92% uptime
Snoopy's Racing Railway
23m avg
peak 35m · 86% uptime
Carolina Cyclone
19m avg
peak 30m · 96% uptime
Woodstock Express
17m avg
peak 20m · 78% uptime
Flying Ace Balloon Race
14m avg
peak 20m · 95% uptime
Boo Blasters on Boo Hill
10m avg
peak 20m · 89% uptime
Hover & Dodge
10m avg
peak 15m · 97% uptime
Wind Star
10m avg
peak 15m · 88% uptime
Do-Si-Do
9m avg
peak 15m · 97% uptime
Mountain Gliders
9m avg
peak 10m · 87% uptime
Rock 'N' Roller
7m avg
peak 15m · 97% uptime
WindSeeker
7m avg
peak 15m · 69% uptime
Zephyr
5m avg
peak 10m · 97% uptime
Air Racers
5m avg
peak 5m · 78% uptime
Wilderness Run
5m avg
peak 5m · 94% uptime
Charlie Brown's River Raft Blast
4m avg
peak 5m · 97% uptime
Electro-Spin
Closed all day
Gear Spin
Closed all day
Ricochet
Closed all day
Ripcord
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
Slingshot
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
The Grand Carousel
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
3 rides were closed all day
Electro-Spin Gear Spin Ricochet

Weather that day: 🌦️ Drizzle, high 77°F, low 62°F, rain for 19h.

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Carowinds crowd report infographic for May 22, 2026
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https://rideready.app/parks/carowinds/crowd-calendar/2026-05-22/
FOR YOUR TRIP

This is the day,
but live, in your pocket.

A light day rewards a loose plan. Ride Ready watches the lines for you, flags the dips, and tells you what to ride next, free.

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WHAT YOU'D HAVE GOTTEN ON THIS DAY
10:42a Drop alert: Fury 325 52m to 30m
1:15p Walk-on window: Woodstock Express + Flying Ace Balloon Race
4:08p Smart pick: Fury 325 is short right now, go
6:30p Dinner spike flagged, sit it out
4 drop alerts · 3 picks · 1 skip suggestion