Central Carolinas Birthday Bash Information

Click HERE to print the parking pass for the A Kid Again Birthday Bash at Carowinds!

Below is the information you will need for Sunday, April 3rd:

We are thrilled to welcome you to our A Kid Again Birthday Bash Adventure at Carowinds. We are going to do everything that we can to make this day – and your experience with us – one that is filled with fun and excitement.

ABOUT CAROWINDS & CEDAR FAIR ENTERTAINMENT:

This Adventure is made possible through the outstanding support and partnership of Cedar Fair Entertainment and Carowinds. Both teams have invested significant resources into making our chapter and this Adventure a success. Cedar Fair has been a national partner of A Kid Again for over 20 years. In that time, they have donated more than 100,000 tickets for A Kid Again families to enjoy their theme parks. Please be sure to thank any Carowinds and/or Cedar Fair staff that you see for all the hard work they have put in to make this Adventure a success.

 ADVENTURE HOURS:

The official Adventure time is 8:30AM – 8PM. Please stay for as long as is comfortable for your family. You are not expected to stay the entire time.  Specific program times include:

• Parking for A Kid Again families: 8:30AM-8:00PM;
• Registration for A Kid Again families: 8:30AM – 11:30AM;
• Exclusive Access to Camp Snoopy and the Afterburn for A Kid Again Families: 8:30AM-10:00AM
• A Kid Again Birthday Bash & Lunch in the Picnic Grove: 11:30AM-1:30PM
• Special A Kid Again Birthday Celebration Moment at the Main Plaza Stage: 2:00PM

PARKING:

Parking for A Kid Again families will open at 8:30AM. A Kid Again families will use the main gate to the parking lot.

On Wednesday (March30th) you will receive an email with your A Kid Again Adventure parking pass. Please be sure to PRINT THIS PASS and PLACE on your CAR DASHBOARD. This will indicate to Carowinds staff that you are a part of our Adventure and allow you access to the parking lot. Without this pass, you will likely have to park at your own cost.

For this adventure, we will be using the main entrance to Carowinds and the main parking lot. If you have joined us at Carowinds before, DO NOT enter through the back entrance. Please use the main gate and look for the parking stalls that are marked “A Kid Again” to enter the park.

 

GPS Address to Carowinds:
Carowinds
300 Carowinds Blvd,
Charlotte, NC 28273

 

REGISTRATION/ADMISSIONS:

After parking, walk towards the main Carowinds gate. Near the main entrance point, you will be directed to our A Kid Again registration tents/tables. Staff and volunteers will be there to greet you and provide you with your family’s Adventure packet containing admission tickets, and lunch vouchers. Your Adventure packet will be listed under the enrolled child’s last name. You must arrive and pick up your packet from registration by 11:30AM. After 11:30AM, our registration tables will close and your tickets/Adventure packet will be available through the Will Call window. 

Your Adventure packet will also include an orange wrist band for each family members. This wristband will serve as your indicator of your participation in our Adventure. Please ask every member of your family to wear their wristband throughout the day to avoid any confusion or denied access to A Kid Again events.

AKA T-SHIRTS: A Kid Again t-shirts will be provided to EACH CHILD only at this Adventure. They are orange shirts with the A Kid Again logo on front and back. We will have a variety of adult and youth sizes to choose from. You can pick up shirts for the children in your family at the tables after you walk through security. This will occur immediately following your visit to our registration tent and entry into Carowinds.

We ask that children wear their A Kid Again shirt (if possible). Your shirt will be an important indicator for Carowinds staff and our volunteers that provides you access to specific areas of the park and AKA-specific programs. There will be restrooms located directly across from the shirt tables to change into the shirts if you would like to do so. Parents, we will not be providing parent shirts at this Adventure but if you have a shirt from a previous Adventure, please plan on wearing that to the park on Sunday.

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO CAMP SNOOPY/AFTERBURN

After picking up your gift bag make plans to head to Camp Snoopy to begin the Birthday fun at Carowinds! At the Camp Snoopy Fountain, A Kid Again volunteers will be waiting for you with a special Birthday button to let everyone in the park know you are celebrating your birthday!

We encourage everyone to grab a button and write your birthday on the button and wear it proudly throughout the park during our Birthday Bash. After receiving your button your family is free to enjoy Camp Snoopy and the Afterburn rollercoaster until 10am. At 10am the park will open, and your family will have access to all rides that day.

Carolina Harbor, the waterpark, is still closed for the season and will not be open. All rides will have camera flash turned off for the day as well as all shows will be sensory sensitive so that your entire family can enjoy the shows that day.

 

GENERAL PARK INFO

We encourage all A Kid Again families, guests, and volunteers to download the Carowinds App onto their mobile device. This app provides the most up to date map and information regarding park rules.

• Wi-Fi Access: Carowinds provides free Wi-Fi throughout the park. Please refer to the Carowinds website/App for more information.
• COVID Protocols: Please refer to Carowinds website and/or app for the most up-to-date park policies.  Our guests and volunteers are expected to comply fully with all Carowinds policies.
• Strollers/Wheelchairs: Strollers and wheelchairs will be permitted inside the park. Strollers and wheelchairs will be available from Carowinds, where supply allows. We strongly encourage you to bring your own stroller/wheelchair to ensure that the Carowinds supply does not run out.
• Storage/Lockers: Available at multiple locations – at own cost. Unfortunately, A Kid Again will not be able to store any items or valuables for families/guests.
• Backpacks/Bags: Carowinds is allowing our families to bring backpacks and bags with medical supplies into the park. All bags are subject to search and security procedures.
• Restrooms: Restrooms are available throughout the park. Please refer to the map/park app for locations. It may also be helpful to familiarize yourself with the restrooms in your area. There are not adult changing tables in the restrooms. However, Carowinds will have a private room with a curtain in the Picnic Grove that will only be accessible to our families for any changing/medical needs.

 

PICNIC GROVE – A KID AGAIN – BIRTHDAY BASH (11:30AM-1:30PM)

The Picnic Grove will serve as the main hub/contact point for this Adventure. For A Kid Again, our friends at Carowinds are transforming this area into a private Birthday Bash. This event is exclusively for our families. We are unable to admit anyone not on your family’s account from 11:30AM-1:30PM. Our Birthday Bash will include various Carowinds entertainment and entertainers as well as a private birthday party with birthday cupcakes, jugglers, magicians, family-friendly DJ, character visits and more!

LUNCH

Lunch will be available at the Picnic Grove (The Grove) between the hours of 11:30AM – 1:30PM. Families can choose the time that they eat, as long as it is within the (11:30AM – 1:30PM) time frame. There is plenty of seating for families to spread out as they eat.

Volunteers will be present to assist with lunch, drink refills, and any additional assistance that families may need.

Our friends at Carowinds have prepared a delicious lunch menu for us. The menu includes the following:

• Chicken & Waffles (Sweet maple drizzle)
• Gluten-free pizza (Upon request not served on buffet)
• Garden salad w/ asst dressings
• Baked ziti w/ meatballs marinara (Meatballs mixed through the pasta)
• Mac & Cheese
• Chicken tenders
• Banana pudding trifles
• Holiday cookie
• Hot chocolate
• Fountain drinks

DRINKS

Each family member will receive a complimentary A Kid Again souvenir cup. Free refills will be available in this cup for the entire day. You may refill as often as you like at any restaurant or drink location in the park with a time window of 15 minutes between refills. Additionally, free cups of water are available from any park restaurant or drink location.

Please be sure to wear our orange wristband so that the Carowinds staff can easily identify you as an A Kid Again participant. You will pick up the cup at the drink station inside the picnic grove at lunch.

VOLUNTEERS & STAFF:

We have nearly 50 A Kid Again volunteers scheduled to join us at Carowinds to make your Adventure a great one. All volunteers will have A Kid Again t-shirts and Volunteer badges for easy identification. A Kid Again staff will also be onsite and will have A Kid Again shirts and badges.

Volunteers and staff will be onsite and throughout the park ready to assist you between the hours of 8:00AM – 2:30PM. After 2:30PM, most volunteers will be off duty. A Kid Again & Carowinds staff will remain on property to assist you for the reminder of the day.

CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF) FAMILIES:

To accommodate your needs for distancing, we have included two additional items with your Adventure packet. You will receive a CF warrior button for your family to wear. You will also receive purple disposable masks for your family members. Please feel free to wear to protect yourselves and be on the lookout for other CF families wearing the same.

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

A Kid Again volunteer photographers will be roaming throughout the park, taking photos of our A Kid Again families enjoying their Adventure. They – like all our volunteers – will have A Kid Again t-shirts and badges. If you would prefer that a volunteer not take your picture, please let them know and they will respect your privacy.

We look forward to creating access through our Facebook page, so that families can find and download the photos of their kids/families.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Please feel free to share any social media photos/posts that your family makes with our chapter. For Facebook, tag @AKidAgainCentralCarolinas and/or use the hashtag: #AKABirthdyBash to make the days excitement available for everyone to see.

Also, please “like” our Facebook page to stay updated on all the new and exciting things that are occurring on our chapter.

WHAT DID WE MISS?

Please know that we are doing all that we can to make our Adventures meaningful and seamless for our A Kid Again families. If your plans have changed and you are unable to attend this Adventure please contact Jenny at [email protected] to let us know the change in your plans. Following this Adventure, we will send you a survey to gather your feedback and how we can better serve your family.

We welcome all your thoughts, and feedback! We look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!