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Paramount Carowinds Interview with Natividad Lewis
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Paramount Carowinds Interview with Natividad Lewis / By: Clint Novak, Friday, February 18, 2005 -
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 From the Top Gun, The Jet Coaster, to The Borg Assimilator. Paramount Carowinds is the place to go for thrills in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
There are many changes happening at Paramount Carowinds for the 2005 season. Natividad Lewis tells In the Loop host Clint Novak about the new expansions in the Nickelodeon Central area of the park. Listen to the interview here.
Clint Novak: Hey what’s going on its Clint Novak from In The Loop and I have Natividad the uh public relations coordinator down at uh Carowinds. Paramount Carowinds, How Are you doing today?
Natividad Lewis: I’ doing great how bout yourself?
Clint: I’m Fantastic, The spring like weather is coming out in Virginia and were getting ready to hit up some roller coasters. Were only about a month away from a lot of the parks opening up so
Natividad: Sure yes the weather is nice
Clint: All right very good. Well lets just jump right into the 2005 season coming up for you guys, What are we going to see new at Paramount Carowinds?
Natividad: Well this season we have expanded our Nickelodeon Central themed area, which has become 5 times larger than it originally was, and with this expansion it has become the largest Nickelodeon area at any theme park in the world. We’re very excited about it. Were looking forward to opening day, which is March 19 where we will be debuting the largest Nickelodeon themed area. We’ve got 5 new attractions that are going to be featured in Nickelodeon Central this year. 4 great rides and one show and what’s great about it are Parents and kids are both going to be able enjoy the rides in nickelodeon.
Clint. You know what one of my biggest things is I go to an amusement park and I see some of the kids rides and I cant go one them and unless I have a kid. You guys should have a place where you give out kids for like an hour or so I can take them on all the rides and I can go onto the kid’s rides.
Natividad: Well actually have rides where kids and parents can enjoy, its going to be a great family entertainment destination. We have 5 new rides this year, Phantom Flyers, which is a great ride for guest of all ages. I think its going to be great for parents and there kids, You get to direct the way you fly. You either are swooping in or swooping out its going to be a great ride. We also have the Flying Dutchman’s Revenge, which features Patrick Star and the Flying Dutchman from Spongebob Squarepants.
Clint: I can tell that, that’s going to be my favorite ride already, I don’t even know what it is but that’s my favorite ride.
Natividad: It’s a great ride its got great theming to it. Its many pirate ships kind of like a Himayla style ride. We also have Little Bills Cruisers, which are mini speedboats each with a little bell so you will be hearing a lot of bells ringing and we have Dora The Explorer Azuls adventure. Which is a train ride and what makes this train ride really special is during the track a sound track narrates a story which is told by Dora herself. And you can see a storyboard and follow along with the trip. We have one great new show this year which I am really excited about which is called Nick Live and its get the family on stage to interact with a friendly competition with the families with trivia challenges and of course being Nickelodeon theres going to be some pie and slime involved.
Clint: Very fun, One of the interesting tidbits with the Magic of Movies Show Live that you guys had last year traveling through the Paramount Parks, I got to see the very first one they had at Kings Island first opened last year and I got to see the last one which finished up at Carowinds. And I didn’t even planned that out and I didn’t even realize till after the show that I went to the very first and very last one. It was very fun to interact in
Natividad: Did you interact in it?
Clint: I actually Yes in Carowinds. I was Leo LEOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Natividad: I’m King of the world
Clint: I got to get out there and uh with my beanie and propeller hat and the wind, yelling and screaming. It was fun!
Natividad: It was a great show, it was a lot of interact for the families to come up on stage and take a part in the movie. But this year we do not have that returning. We now have School of Rock Concert, which is based of the Paramount Movie of the same name.
Clint: Now we got Joe Black to come and do this?
Natividad: Well we got somebody that looks like him
Clint: Now you don’t have to and he is not all that attractive you can find whoever you want. Alright well so now with all these additions for the 2005 season any rides or attractions or uh food stand that might have to be moved to make way for these new attractions
Natividad: Well nothing has been moved but everything in Nick Central has been rethemed. Uhm so it comes to what used to be are Animation Station and Zoom Zone parts, which were geared towards kids and so your going to find of classic nick toons as well as some of the newer Nickelodeon Cartoons, Like Danny Phantom we have Lazy Town Copters, which used to be Chopper Chase and then TV Land Road Trip which was Road Rally and we still have Classic ones like Wild Thornberrys River Adventure, Rugrats Runaway Reptar, and Rocket Power Airtime which are all favorites which are really, Nickelodeon is the number one entertainment brand in the world and its just been a great presence here in the park and its going to be amazing destination for kids and families.
Clint: Alright how is construction coming along? Is everything on time or has weather delayed anything
Natividad: Weather hasn’t delayed anything its been pretty nice here actually, We had a couple of days of rain but nothing that really that put us off schedule, And its amazing how everything just comes together by the time the park opens on March 19 but during the off season it seems so much work and are construction crew is working there all of the time. Everything pulls together and we always open and its going to be great
Clint: Its funny like I said I went on the Construction tour of Paramount Kings Dominion yesterday and its weird being in the park during the off season. Because there are more cars in the park than there are outside the parking lot, Like you go through the associate parking lot and there is maybe 5 or 6 cars then there is like 30 cars driving around the park and making sure everything is ready.
Natividad: Yah its kind of freaky but we actually have a construction tour at Carowinds its set for next Saturday February 26th we are inviting the American Coasters Enthusiast come out and behind the scenes tour of the construction of Nick Central and think that tomorrow is the last day for RSVP on February 18th and American Coaster Enthusiasts can go to http://www.acesoutheast.org and apply and learn more about it.
Clint: Alright so for all the ACE members it seems like a bonus there. Alright now do you ever get a chance and go into the park and have fun yourself.
Natividad: Why yes I do I always make time to enjoy the rides and thrill myself and I am a Thrill seeker and get the experience to be a guest and enhance what can be made better. To interact guests and see how they are feeling and we always take time to go out to the park.
Clint: All right your favorite ride in the park is?
Natividad: My favorite ride in the park is TOP GUN!!
Clint: That’s my favorite ride to. I went on the Borg this last summer and you know how it’s a great ride I’m not taking anything away but Top Gun is my favorite ride there just a great ride
Natividad: Borg is a great ride to but it really deals with how the person is. If you are looking for a different type of ride, Laying down, facing the ground, flying 50 mph that’s the ride to get on.
Clint: Alright thank you very much to take the time with us today.
Natividad: No Problem, Can I also mention one thing I just wanted to mention that we have a preview night for are platinum season pass holders it is March 18 its from 5- 9 pm. It gives guest a chance to come out to the park either if they already purchased a platinum season pass or they can purchase it at the gate and they can enjoy a backstage or a preview to the new Nickelodeon Central and that’s for families and kids and for those looking for thrill we will also have Borg and Top Gun Open.
Clint: Alright and the parks opens on March 19
Natividad: Yes the park opens on March 19 and we cant wait to see the park open here in Charlotte at Paramount Carowinds
Clint: Alright I will see you guys at the end of the summer usually the Coaster crew heads down there at the end of season.
Natividad: Make sure you let us know you are here
Clint: Alright thank you very much for talking with me
Natividad: Thanks Clint you have a great day.
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