First time to Carowinds a couple weeks ago. Lines were short and we had Fast Lane passes. Rode Fury 11x total that day, usually in the front row but a few times in the back. Both great ride experiences, but I definitely prefer the front row for staring down at the drop and soaring down the track. Your summary is pretty accurate. The first drop is amazing. The surprise ejector air before the tunnel was a delight every time. The second half of the ride is still a solid '9' from the sheer speed and some decent elements as it returns to earth, but I'll say the first half is a solid '11', which gets it to the 10/10 rating haha! I have been to Cedar Point and King's Island in Ohio many times. I love Millennium Force and wanted to keep it as my top giga, but after my first ride on Fury wasn't sure I could objectively do that anymore. I have only ridden Orion once, but it was a rough ride and remains a fairly distant third. (Diamondback, King's Island's #2 coaster however, is a magnificent, smooth hypercoaster with many excellent camelback airtime moments.) Fury and Steel Vengeance are probably my Top 2 coasters at these 3 parks. They have different purposes -- Fury is a huge drop and tons of speed; SteVe is a wind-y thrill ride with tons of airtime -- so I don't think I can choose a favorite between the two. Just whatever you're in the mood for at the time. But Fury is LEGIT and worth the trip.
First time to Carowinds a couple weeks ago. Lines were short and we had Fast Lane passes. Rode Fury 11x total that day, usually in the front row but a few times in the back. Both great ride experiences, but I definitely prefer the front row for staring down at the drop and soaring down the track. Your summary is pretty accurate. The first drop is amazing. The surprise ejector air before the tunnel was a delight every time. The second half of the ride is still a solid '9' from the sheer speed and some decent elements as it returns to earth, but I'll say the first half is a solid '11', which gets it to the 10/10 rating haha! I have been to Cedar Point and King's Island in Ohio many times. I love Millennium Force and wanted to keep it as my top giga, but after my first ride on Fury wasn't sure I could objectively do that anymore. I have only ridden Orion once, but it was a rough ride and remains a fairly distant third. (Diamondback, King's Island's #2 coaster however, is a magnificent, smooth hypercoaster with many excellent camelback airtime moments.) Fury and Steel Vengeance are probably my Top 2 coasters at these 3 parks. They have different purposes -- Fury is a huge drop and tons of speed; SteVe is a wind-y thrill ride with tons of airtime -- so I don't think I can choose a favorite between the two. Just whatever you're in the mood for at the time. But Fury is LEGIT and worth the trip.