Photo TR: Canobie Coaster's 2017 US Adventures

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

I've never visited Michigan's Adventure, mainly because it's a bit "off the beaten path." Shivering Timbers looks great, though.

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Great photographs! I usually love small parks like Adventureland (Iowa), Frontier City, Magic Springs, etc. but this park does not entice me at all. Sure it has Shivering Timbers, Mad Mouse, and Thunderhawk (I love Vekoma rides) but overall it just seems so sad. I get that Cedar Fair wants to keep it a family park since it is "close" to Cedar Point, but they could at least add a family ride every year or so. They didn't even get one of the rides that Cedar Fair bought used (I would have LOVED to see the Breakdance go to Michigan's Adventure, maybe even a Troika). What does Cedar Fair do with most of the money that this park makes? They don't even repaint their coasters.

I think it gets reinvested into the other parks. I think it's about as far as Cedar Point as Kings Island is so I really don't see why they can't add more flats. Shivering Timbers makes the park worth visiting but the lineup is so thin after that.

Will they be able to run 2 trains on Wildcat with the renovation?

Yes but who knows if they'll ever operate it with 2 trains

True they barely run 2 trains on Boulder Dash.

I've never visited Michigan's Adventure, mainly because it's a bit "off the beaten path." Shivering Timbers looks great, though.

It is off the beaten path but the drive through Michigan is really nice at least. Unlike Indiana where it's driving through cornfields, there are lakes, forests, and a random Dutch Village park/fun center on the way there.

[coasterbillWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Great report! We have this park on our radar for Labor Day weekend (don't worry, it's a pit stop, not the sole purpose of the trip) so it's nice to see a trip report as they're few and far between.

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

If my visit was any indication, you may be better arriving just after opening otherwise coasters could take a bit to open. But as a pit stop the park is perfect.

[coasternutBonafide Donkey Expert]

Thanks for the report. This is the only Cedar Fair park I've not been to. I've heard so much about Shivering Timbers in the past, and glad it's still good. Sounds like the other woodie is worth a ride or two also. I love Phoenix at Knobels so much that I even moved to Phoenix! Sounds like I need to take a trip off the beaten path...

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

It's Phoenix in layout only. As long as you don't go in expecting the same kind of ride, you'll probably come off satisfied like me. The park seems to take really good care of their woodies which is refreshing from a larger corporate park.

[cparkes92A donkey is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family.]

I haven't been to Michigan's Adventure in a few years despite me living about an hour from it for years!

[Canobie CoasterWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Indiana Beach

Indiana Beach has been a park on my bucket list for a long time. I love visiting these smaller parks as a change of pace from larger, corporate-feeling parks and this one was noteworthy for an awesome setting, a big collection of wooden roller coasters highlighted by Cornball Express, and some interesting non-coaster rides such as the haunted house. The park is really an American Grona Land with how well it utilizes space by building rides over the water or on top of each other.

Ultimately Indiana Beach was a very mixed bag. On one hand, the park has the potential to be one of the best parks in the country with its great ride lineup and location right on Lake Shafer. On the other hand, the park's operations were among the worst I have seen at any park. I had been warned that rides were prone to opening late or not at all. But the park completely blew away my already dampened expectations.

By the end of the night, 5 of the park's 6 coasters were closed. Tig'rr and the kiddie coaster were closed for my entire visit. Steel Hawg stalled on the mid-course brake run and riders were evacuated with a cherry picker, closing the ride for the night. Lost Coaster went down in the last half hour. And Cornball probably ran for a total of 30 minutes in the 3.5 hours. Hoosier Hurricane was the only coaster without any downtime and that crew was doing a really good job sending out trains. The closures weren't limited to the coasters either, as the Den of Lost Thieves dark ride, Double Shot, and Air Crow were all down as well.

Cornball Express- Wow! I heard this woodie was really intense despite its small size, but even knowing that, Cornball completely shattered my expectations. The layout is very unique how it intertwines with other attractions and dives over Lake Shafer. With only a seat-belt and buzz-bars, Cornball gave extreme ejector air on 6 different hills, highlighted by the third and fifth hills. This coaster is among the best I've ridden for airtime. Along with air, Cornball has some really strong laterals on that devilishly twisted first drop and helix. The track length is pretty short, but Cornball felt like it gave a really complete ride. The coaster is also pretty smooth as well. I was only able to get two rides, one in the front and one in the back. 10 out of 10

Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain- I present to you WTF- the Ride. Lost Coaster is the most random coaster I have ever ridden with the caged cars, elevator lift, and impossibly tight turns. I got one ride facing backwards at night. I didn't notice any theming in the mountain, but I loved the coaster's interaction with it and the surprise elements hidden within. The ride was incredibly aggressive and intense despite only having a top speed of 20 MPH. Thankfully the trains were well padded since the coaster really throws you around (in a good way). The most memorable element was a crazy double down with scary air-time that I couldn't see coming. Only downside with this coaster was the capacity. While everything else in the park was a 5 minute wait tops, Lost Coaster was an hour due to a single 8 car train. 9 out of 10

Steel Hawg- I now present WTF- the Ride, the Sequel. Steel Hawg was my first El Loco and delivered a funky and fun ride experience. The drop was different than I expected. I was expecting major air-time like on every other beyond vertical drop I've experienced. Instead this one gave some hang-time because of the brake at the start of the drop and really packs on the positive Gs at the bottom of the drop. The ride's air-time came on the steep climbs before the two mid-course brake runs. The outward banked turns were an odd experience and both inversions provided excellent hang-time. I'd love to see more El Locos pop up since this was a smooth and unique coaster. 8 out of 10

Hoosier Hurricane- Indiana Beach's original wood coaster is probably the worst at the park, but it's still a fun coaster. The ride's layout gives an excellent tour of the park and has some good drops over Lake Shafer. While an out-and-back layout, Hoosier Hurricane has 3 or so spots with strong laterals. The front had good air on the return leg while two of the drops on the outward leg provided good air in the back, particularly the drop that dives under the suspension bridge. The coaster shuffles a bit, but it definitely isn't rough. Because of the operational issues of the other coasters, I ended up riding the Hurricane the most of any ride in the park. 7 out of 10

I also experienced Dr. Frankenstein's Castle, the haunted walkthrough upcharge, and absolutely loved it. There are no live actors, but this house uses every single gag and cheesy effect in the book that will leave you smiling until the end. The second-to-last gag nearly caused me to poop my pants and that's something most haunted houses cannot do, so I applaud the park there.

I heard the park was in a much rougher state during the Morgan days and improved quite a bit last year, but the amount of ride closures on a Saturday night during my visit was definitely disappointing. I'd love to make a return visit to give this park another chance since it has a picturesque setting and I was deprived re-rides on several coasters due to the noted closures.

[VonniWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

I've never been to Michigan's Adventure, and I know it doesn't get the best remarks from the enthusiast community, but I do have to say that it looks beautiful! Every pic I've seen of the park the trees and plants in and around the park really seem to give the park a nice scene.

[MIAfan88I'm a know-it-all about donkeys!]

MI Adventure has a great water park, that is missing a solid drop capsule or better ProSlide. The dry section is 2 or 3 quality thrill rides away and a more quality steel coaster. If those 4-6 attractions are added, this park is worth being visited every year.