Michigan's Adventure (MiA) Discussion Thread

[DILinator]

Do you want to realize something that will make you really sad??? In 1999, Michigan's Adventure was in a very similar situation to Holiday World, as far as size, private ownership with a big vision for the future, a world class wooden coaster, a nice water park, and an obscure location, that hadn't put it on the map for any more than regional attenders, and die hard wooden coaster enthusiasts. Two years later, Cedar Fair purchases MiA, and now, 17 years later, compare the two parks... It's not even close! One is arguably (I'm sure the Knoebels fans would argue this point) the best small, privately owned park in the world, that attracts tons of visitors from all over the country, in spite of being in the middle of nowhere. The other, our dear Michigan's Adventure, is virtually unchanged, other than a few cosmetic changes, a used Vekoma Hang and Bang, and a solid, if unspectacular rapids ride. Sure, MiA's waterpark is really nice, but it's not even on the same planet at Splashin' Safari still! We could have had a Holiday World North, potentially... But instead we have a glorified kiddie kingdom with a really nice waterpark. It's better than the fans of Guagua Lake have, but knowing the lost potential, just because Michigan is the #2 largest state for Cedar Point's attendance, is a bit of a gut punch...

[RCjunkie]

- Like every year, Dorney Park Michigan's Adventure, and ValleyFair have to wait again.

 

Painful but true. It is kind of shameful how CF treats these parks.

[DILinator]

- Like every year, Dorney Park Michigan's Adventure, and ValleyFair have to wait again.

 

Painful but true. It is kind of shameful how CF treats these parks.

 

I don't know if I'd use the word "shameful", but it is rather disappointing...

[The Geek Mojo]

- Like every year, Dorney Park Michigan's Adventure, and ValleyFair have to wait again.

 

Painful but true. It is kind of shameful how CF treats these parks.

 

I don't know if I'd use the word "shameful", but it is rather disappointing...

 

I possibly can understand why MIA is neglected, but unsure why DP and VF is. I mean Dorney is right by two big cities, NY and Philly...It should be heavily invested in and also try to compete with SFGAdv. As for VF...Half the name is in the companies name...That alone should be reason enough to invest in the park.

[DILinator]

^Additionally, before the purchase of the Paramount Parks, they WERE given regular additions, and there was no thought that parks like WoF, DP, or VF wouldn't see a new coaster every 3-4 years. Obviously, with the bigger Paramount Parks in their fold, CF has refocused their energies on these larger, already more successful parks. It almost reminds me of those stories where the adopted children, end up being the favorites of the parents over the original children! (With the exception of CP, of course!)

[WOFanatic]

^Additionally, before the purchase of the Paramount Parks, they WERE given regular additions, and there was no thought that parks like WoF, DP, or VF wouldn't see a new coaster every 3-4 years. Obviously, with the bigger Paramount Parks in their fold, CF has refocused their energies on these larger, already more successful parks. It almost reminds me of those stories where the adopted children, end up being the favorites of the parents over the original children! (With the exception of CP, of course!)

Kinda wish CP had never bought the Paramount parks. If they hadn't back in the day, Worlds of Fun would've been the 3rd biggest park in the chain attendance wise. That's why they used to get a new roller coaster every 2-3 years and now they get them every ten.

 

I really can't complain though, as I would argue WOF gets treated better than almost all the other small parks, and next year the park will be receiving (at bare minimum) 2 flat rides and a new front gate. Probably a dark ride alongside those.

 

As for Michigan's Adventure, I feel your pain. It's sad when you park gets nothing over a long period of time. But appreciate what you do have: an awesome wooden coaster, a beautiful lakeside amusement park, an awesome water park and an actually decent SLC.

[MillenniumFangirl]

Do you want to realize something that will make you really sad??? In 1999, Michigan's Adventure was in a very similar situation to Holiday World, as far as size, private ownership with a big vision for the future, a world class wooden coaster, a nice water park, and an obscure location, that hadn't put it on the map for any more than regional attenders, and die hard wooden coaster enthusiasts. Two years later, Cedar Fair purchases MiA, and now, 17 years later, compare the two parks... It's not even close! One is arguably (I'm sure the Knoebels fans would argue this point) the best small, privately owned park in the world, that attracts tons of visitors from all over the country, in spite of being in the middle of nowhere. The other, our dear Michigan's Adventure, is virtually unchanged, other than a few cosmetic changes, a used Vekoma Hang and Bang, and a solid, if unspectacular rapids ride. Sure, MiA's waterpark is really nice, but it's not even on the same planet at Splashin' Safari still! We could have had a Holiday World North, potentially... But instead we have a glorified kiddie kingdom with a really nice waterpark. It's better than the fans of Guagua Lake have, but knowing the lost potential, just because Michigan is the #2 largest state for Cedar Point's attendance, is a bit of a gut punch...

 

It seems Cedar Fair "sabotaged" MiA, in a way. Now this park is the runt of the litter (excuse me for using a weird metaphor ), and Cedar Fair is the mother leaving it to die. It's very unfortunate.

[MIAfan88]

Cedar Fair won't let the park die. They will keep it afloat, just keeping it alive.

[thrillrider]

I don't think they are worried about Michigan's adventure steeling guests away from cp. The parks are 5 hours apart, and if that were the case than kings island would not be getting big investments almost every year.

 

We have not planned a trip to Michigan's adventure this year because they have not received anything new, and we are not really waterpark people. Timbers is great, but hard to justify a 4 hour drive just for 1 ride.

[Gnome]

Let's be real: the only reason Cedar Fair even owns Michigan's Adventure is to make sure it doesn't compete with CP. Most of CP's attendance is from Michigan. The park was bought back in a day when SF was considering the park and already owned Geuaga Lake in Ohio. That's why CF bought it and pretty much ran it into the ground.

 

Don't expect a new coaster. You are expected to go to Cedar Point.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you, but if that's the case, I don't understand the logic. Even I the highly competitive SoCal & Orlando markets, there are people who attend multiple parks throughout the year. Plus, having a good park locally for those in Michigan incentivizez them to get a pass Which would only further encourage them to travel east to the Point.

 

 

I think cedar fair would find a good synergy with both properties if they invested more into the smaller parks. I'd love CF to give me a reason to go to Michigan. I've also heard Grand Rapids has a booming craft beer scene. Kalamazoo was pretty good given its size, I'd love to sample the brews from a larger city... Just... Need... More... Of....a...reason...to...visit...

[DILinator]

As for Michigan's Adventure, I feel your pain. It's sad when you park gets nothing over a long period of time. But appreciate what you do have: an awesome wooden coaster, a beautiful lakeside amusement park, an awesome water park and an actually decent SLC.

 

I've actually come to a peace with what Michigan's Adventure is! I appreciate that it's a great waterpark, and one of the best Wooden Coasters, and a nice place for families with younger kids to come spend a day! (The SLC is still terrible though, I'll never appreciate that!) I do think it's a waste, compared to what its potential is, but I don't really let it bother me anymore. Besides, I don't even consider it my "local park", really... Cedar Point is, and always has been, the park I go to most frequently, and consider my "home park". There was a period before its closing that Boblo Island was that, but mostly, it's been CP.

 

I don't think they are worried about Michigan's adventure steeling guests away from cp. The parks are 5 hours apart, and if that were the case than kings island would not be getting big investments almost every year.

 

We have not planned a trip to Michigan's adventure this year because they have not received anything new, and we are not really waterpark people. Timbers is great, but hard to justify a 4 hour drive just for 1 ride.

 

I need to respectfully disagree with your first statement, as I believe as much as I believe anything, that's exactly what CF was concerned about when they bought the park. Imagine if Holiday world was in our state, and for people in Central Michigan (where I live), it was an hour closer to go there, instead of Cedar Point. That's a lot more casual amusement park attenders going there instead of Cedar Point, than there are currently. I feel like you pretty move proved my point with your second paragraph, and that's the same attitude I hear from locals here around Central Michigan... If Michigan's Adventure was better, and actually got new additions, people would go there. But they don't, so why bother... Its great attendance numbers and profits for the chain are driven solely by the enormous Lake Michigan Summer draw, and its convenience to that. CF saw a chance to make some easy money with little investment, and also stave off any potential competitor for the solo-park a year attending people of their second largest market...

 

Let's be real: the only reason Cedar Fair even owns Michigan's Adventure is to make sure it doesn't compete with CP. Most of CP's attendance is from Michigan. The park was bought back in a day when SF was considering the park and already owned Geuaga Lake in Ohio. That's why CF bought it and pretty much ran it into the ground.

 

Don't expect a new coaster. You are expected to go to Cedar Point.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you, but if that's the case, I don't understand the logic. Even I the highly competitive SoCal & Orlando markets, there are people who attend multiple parks throughout the year. Plus, having a good park locally for those in Michigan incentivizez them to get a pass Which would only further encourage them to travel east to the Point.

 

 

I think cedar fair would find a good synergy with both properties if they invested more into the smaller parks. I'd love CF to give me a reason to go to Michigan. I've also heard Grand Rapids has a booming craft beer scene. Kalamazoo was pretty good given its size, I'd love to sample the brews from a larger city... Just... Need... More... Of....a...reason...to...visit...

 

I think regarding KI and CP (in the above poster's post), and the competitive SoCal and Orlando markets, you're looking at an entirely different situation. KI attracts people from many different states down there, not just Ohio. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if more of their attendance comes from Kentucky, or even Tennessee, than Columbus or parts of Ohio northward. Additionally, it was a larger, and much more established park at its purchase, and really provides a nice counter-point as a larger destination park. I think MiA could as well, but that's many years down the road at this point, and it's profitable now, so why bother changing it? As for the other two locations, both are tourist heavy areas, year round, as opposed to out of the way Michigan, which does have a nice tourist season, but only in the Summer.

 

I agree that both parks (MiA and CP) could have a good synergy, and I know, that if MiA were like Holiday World, which was the trajectory it was on, many more people like yourself would have an extra reason to make the trip of the West Coast of the State and visit. I'm not saying I agree with CF's tack when it comes to handling the park, just stating that I am convinced that at the time of the purchase, that was the intent. A lot has changed since then... Maybe, just maybe, they'll start investing more in MiA now under the new regime. However, more likely, Matt Ouimet really seems to want to give each park its own identity, and as such, will likely want to keep it making great profits, as a small, family-centric park, complimenting the Thrill Capital that is Cedar Point. And I'm okay with that now! I just do think wistfully sometimes, about MiA, and what might have been, had CF not bought them, and sat on them all these years... When even parks like Knoebels and Adventureland can add new and exciting coasters like Impulse, and especially Monster, there really is no excuse for MiA not to be adding things like that as well...

[whatabeast]

To be honest, I would argue that Cedar Fair has been investing in MiA. They just haven't been investing roller coasters. For more than a decade, MiA was basically forbidden from building any roller coasters in one of the municipalities that it's in, and during that time, the waterpark got a heck of a lot of attention, and all of the space on the more cooperative township's side of MiA was filled up. They had so little space where they were allowed to build a roller coaster that, when the park got Thunderhawk, they built "man made land" into the lake so that they would be within the permitted municipality.

 

Now that both municipalities are willing to cooperate with the park (a relatively recent happening, in terms of the past two decades), I think it's okay to be a little optimistic about the park's future.

[MScoasters]

^Additionally, before the purchase of the Paramount Parks, they WERE given regular additions, and there was no thought that parks like WoF, DP, or VF wouldn't see a new coaster every 3-4 years. Obviously, with the bigger Paramount Parks in their fold, CF has refocused their energies on these larger, already more successful parks. It almost reminds me of those stories where the adopted children, end up being the favorites of the parents over the original children! (With the exception of CP, of course!)

Kinda wish CP had never bought the Paramount parks. If they hadn't back in the day, Worlds of Fun would've been the 3rd biggest park in the chain attendance wise. That's why they used to get a new roller coaster every 2-3 years and now they get them every ten.

 

I really can't complain though, as I would argue WOF gets treated better than almost all the other small parks, and next year the park will be receiving (at bare minimum) 2 flat rides and a new front gate. Probably a dark ride alongside those.

 

As for Michigan's Adventure, I feel your pain. It's sad when you park gets nothing over a long period of time. But appreciate what you do have: an awesome wooden coaster, a beautiful lakeside amusement park, an awesome water park and an actually decent SLC.

If Cedar Fair didn't buy the Paramount parks then rides like Fury 325, Banshee, Diamondback, i305, and Leviathan wouldn't even exist. I'm thankful Cedar Fair bought all 5 of them and gave them attention. They wouldn't have been as good as they are today if they were still owned by Paramount.

 

And yes I understand how the purchase of the Paramount Parks affected the then cedar fair parks' rankings, but I don't think that could affect the park forever. All of the neglected Cedar Fair parks like MiA and VF could easily be revived. Anything is possible and I'm sure Cedar Fair would give them attention soon. Trust me I dealed with that coaster drought/neglect pain when my home park California's Great America didn't get a new coaster in 11 YEARS. It really sucks

[livai]

I'm thankful Cedar Fair bought all 5 of them and gave them attention. They wouldn't have been as good as they are today if they were still owned by Paramount.

I am not at all agree, Cedar Fair has canceled the thematization and dropped out a coaster: Italian Job Stunt Coaster

paramount parks work even without the coaster, you can not say the same of cedar point

[codeGR]

Tuesday's episode of Bert the Conqueror features Michigan's Adventure. Travel Channel at 8pm.

[DILinator]

Tuesday's episode of Bert the Conqueror features Michigan's Adventure. Travel Channel at 8pm.

 

Thanks for sharing! I was there for the filming, and will be pretty shocked if my son and I don't feature prominently at some point during the show, based on our film session!

[grsupercity]

Went to the park 2 weekends ago. Funland farm was a nice addition. Families loved it. The waterpark received some attention. Slide winders is all painted bright colors and matches the speed slides now. Wildcat got some new love and was riding nice. The newer water racer game across from the scrambler is now gone. Went on Grand Rapids for the first time since 2007 and it look so much better now that the trees have filled in. Still boring though. Lastly still didn't see the 2nd train for timbertown railway on the tracks yet.

[MIAfan88]

We often forget about it, but Six Flags Great America is considered the parks real competitor. Honestly, SFGA is light years ahead in every category. Better coasters, flat rides, operations, water park, events.

[coasterbill]

Tuesday's episode of Bert the Conqueror features Michigan's Adventure. Travel Channel at 8pm.

 

 

Don't overdo it Bert. I hope he's able to "conquer" whatever amazing thrill rides they manage to throw at him at Michigan's Adventure.

[DILinator]

We often forget about it, but Six Flags Great America is considered the parks real competitor. Honestly, SFGA is light years ahead in every category. Better coasters, flat rides, operations, water park, events.

 

Actually, there is virtually nobody, at least here in Central Michigan, who would consider Six Flags competition over Cedar Point. Obviously, I can't speak for the West Coast, but other than proximity, and people saying it's the case on this forum, I've never heard any fellow Michigander talk about Six Flags being a destination consideration before Cedar Point.

 

Tuesday's episode of Bert the Conqueror features Michigan's Adventure. Travel Channel at 8pm.

 

 

Don't overdo it Bert. I hope he's able to "conquer" whatever amazing thrill rides they manage to throw at him at Michigan's Adventure.

 

Have you been to Michigan's Adventure? Shivering Timbers is very much an elite, aggressive, and thrilling wooden coaster, and that's the coaster he "conquered" at Michigan's Adventure. He also did the Pro-Slide Tornado in Wildwater Adventure. Of course, he plays everything over the top for his show, and acted all scared and stuff on ST. But who knows... Maybe he's not a big "coaster-guy", so it really was "scary" to him. I'm just saying MiA is pretty lame, yes, but ST is as legit as it gets!

[whatabeast]

Shivering Timbers definitely deserves a TV experience. It's one of the best out and back woodies in the world. A huge, extremely thrilling, airtime-packed version of a classic coaster design? Yeah, that deserves attention.

[MIAfan88]

Tuesday's episode of Bert the Conqueror features Michigan's Adventure. Travel Channel at 8pm.

 

He rode Funnel of Fear, Wolverine, and Timbers.

 

On a side note, is that closest Bert has ever gotten to not conquer something. He looked ****** about that one "park.

[thunderfault]

So Michigans Adventure is building a new maintenance shop this summer, (I heard that the new shop is suppose to be huge) they have started clearing the trees.

 

So maybe a new ride will come in the next year or two. (one can hope).

 

 

As for a Volare coming to MIA, I think it would be a good addition for the park, As I personally love the Volare. It would be a good family ride that the park really does need.

[DILinator]

I saw my son and me a couple of times, most notably during the "Michigan" chant part, and a few times from the back during the off-ride shots. I wish they had used some of our awesome and expressionate front-row filming shots, because we sold the ride WAY more than anybody else they did show, but oh well... I'm sure Cedar Fair policies stepped in, and said "Don't show them! They have their arms up and are having way too much fun to be in a promotional video about our rides!" Still, a great experience, and definitely a fun show to watch! (And now I'm trying to find out how to be invited to that "Speedclub"!

[ilrider]

My family and I are so glad Bert is back. It is such a fun show and he is so funny and loveable. Loved the hour-long episode and seeing him on rides we rode at MiA! That Abusement Park ride was amazing for a backyard ride.