Lots of fun & we love the water park, too!
We are North Carolinians and each summer we do a family trip (meaning our little family plus our other relatives). We're going back to Carowinds this year after taking a break and exploring other places.
The rides are great for our kids (they are 6 and 7) and while it can be expensive for food, I can't complain too much about the quality and we go in knowing we're going to buy X amount of things for X amount of dollars, and a cup that gets us free refills. It's an amusement park, folks... plan extra $ for higher priced food into your budget, because there's NO outside food or drink allowed in this park at all!
The best thing about it by far, though is the fact that if you're done riding the rides and want to cool off, you can head over to the Boomerang Bay water park and enjoy that area! Then, when you're done with the water, you can go right back to the rides.
Overall, the trip to Charlotte is convenient and inexpensive. Check for deals! When we went, we got coupons from the school and grocery store for discounted admission. We also use the MWR office on Ft. Bragg as well as check online for specials at the actual Carowinds website. We enjoy it, and that's why every couple of years we go back!