Accessibility
First and foremost, Carowinds is about fun. Fun for everyone. Here you'll find everything you need to know about navigating and enjoying the park and all of its experiences for those with disabilities. And if you can't find the answers here, feel free to download our Guest Assistance Guide or stop by any of our Guest Services areas at the front gate or throughout the park.
At Carowinds we are proud of our reputation for accommodating guests with disabilities through our Ride Admission Policy. To provide equal access for all guests, we have developed a program which allows guests with mobility restrictions or cognitive impairment to access attractions.
Information about where guests access the ride is posted on each attraction's Safety Guide sign. All guests are required to meet all riding requirements for every attraction, including height and health restrictions in order to safely ride/participate.
The guest with a mobility restriction or cognitive impairment should visit Guest Services upon their arrival at the park to express their inability to wait in the regular line. Some questions are asked to ensure that the rider has the required physical criteria in order to safely experience attractions. Following that conversation, the Guest Services Associate will provide the details needed to participate in the program.
For a complete listing of guidelines please download our Guest Assistance Guide.
When you arrive at the park, please proceed to Guest Services located to your left after you pass through the entrance.
- Please have your party—including the individual requiring accommodation--accompany you to Guest Services.
- A pass may be issued depending on the needs of your group, including a boarding pass used for scheduling times to ride attractions.
- Here at Guest Services we offer KidTrack, a wrist band program, which will assist you and park personnel in reuniting your group should you become separated.
- We also offer Rider Swap. This allows one guest to ride while another guest waits with the guest who did not ride. When the ride is complete, the guests swap responsibility at the exit. Rider Swap is not available at Carolina Harbor Waterpark.
- Additionally, if you need to rent a stroller, wheelchair or locker, proceed to Stroller Rental adjacent to Guest Services inside the entrance gate.
- Please re-visit Guest Services if you need any additional help with your day.
We also recommend that as an added safety measure you take a photo of members of your party (especially if you have a member in your party who tends to dart away or wander off) on your mobile device. This photo can be of great assistance to quickly reunite your party if you are separated.
During your visit:
- Guests who wear headphones will not be able to wear them while riding many of our attractions. We have available disposable ear protection for use at Guest Services.
- If you are separated during your visit, please contact any park employee for assistance.
- Ride delays may occur while riding and members of your party may be required to sit quietly until the ride is restarted or guests are escorted off the ride.
- Please be aware, if an evacuation is required, guests may need to maneuver across catwalks from the highest point of the ride and down steeply inclined steps.
- If you have any doubts whatsoever about an attraction’s appropriateness for the individual with Autism, please have someone in your party ride it first to make an informed determination.
Carowinds offers our guests several restful locations that your party can access during the day. The park has a first aid station across from the Carolina Goldrusher rollercoaster and a family care center (Baby Care) in Camp Snoopy. Additionally, air-conditioned restaurants provide a nice break from the sensory stimulation.
Carowinds is a wonderful destination for families and friends to visit. Our goal is to make your experience at the park both smooth and full of family fun. Please let us know if you have any further questions by contacting (704) 588-2600 or by talking to a Guest Services representative at the park.
Single strollers, double-seat strollers, wagons, wheelchairs, and electric convenience vehicles (ECVs) may be used during your visit to Carowinds, and you are encouraged to bring your own. They are available for rent at the Rental Center on the right just inside the Front Gate, on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of ECVs may also be rented in advance on our website.
Wheelchairs can be accommodated in all restaurants, gift shops, games, arcades, and restrooms. ECVs with canopies or other attachments are not permitted on lifts to attractions. A wheelchair will be provided at those locations.
For those guests who choose to use an ECV, we require that a safe speed be maintained while traveling in the park.
Park wheelchairs, ECVs, and strollers may not be taken out of the park gates or to the parking lot. However, a park associate will be happy to provide any assistance you may need at that time.
For any guest using a personal Segway, please stop by Guest Services at the main entrance to the park.
A transfer device is located at Surf Club Harbor. A water wheelchair is available for guests participating in waterpark attractions. The water wheelchair may be used by multiple guests on the same day. While in the water, the water level may not exceed the height of the seat on the chair. During your visit, please speak to a member of our Aquatics Supervisory team to obtain access to the water wheelchair and for further accessibility information.
Service animals are welcome at Carowinds. A service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to perform tasks for a person with disabilities. Service animals must be controlled with a restraining device and must display appropriate behavior at all times while on our property. There is a limit of one service animal per guest. A relief area is located near the North Gate entrance.
Due to the nature of most rides, service animals must remain with a non-riding member of your party. We are not permitted to take control of your service animal. Guests may take advantage of our Rider Swap policy for staying with the service animal. Service animals are permitted on Boo Blasters on Boo Hill, Camp Bus, Carolina Skytower, Snoopy's Junction, and The Grand Carousel.
Service animals must be leashed, under the owner's control, fit on the floor of the ride vehicle, and seated on the floor, not the ride seat. Service animals are not permitted in water attractions, wet decks, wading pools, or lazy rivers. They are permitted to walk through the park areas, including scare zones. However, for safety reasons, service animals are not permitted in any Haunt exterior or interior maze. Please stop by Guest Services for more information.
Guests with casts and braces will be restricted from riding rides where the cast or brace will not fit inside the ride unit or where it will present a hazard to the guest or others. Guests with full arm (elbow restricted) and full leg (knee restricted) casts or braces are restricted from most rides and water slides at Carowinds. Casts and braces of any kind are not permitted on Fury 325, Thunder Striker, Vortex, or Afterburn. We suggest you delay your visit until the cast is removed. Please refer to each ride admission policy for further information regarding casts and braces.
Guests with prosthetic devices should visit Guest Services or consult with a member of our Ride Supervisory team to determine ride accessibility. Individual ride accessibility is available in our Guest Assistance Guide or the descriptions here on our website.
Assistive listening systems utilize a lightweight wireless device that aids in the amplification of sound at our stage shows. These are recommended for guests with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. To use the system, guests should obtain a receiver at Guest Services. For show venues where this system is not available, please inquire to venue staff for assistance in prioritizing your seating location.
If requested at least 1 week in advance, Carowinds will provide American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation for live shows featured at our live entertainment venues.
To request ASL Interpretation services, please complete the request form. Upon arrival at the park, please check in with Guest Services to review our show schedule and determine your preferred showtimes and selections.