First of all, I did 2 things that I don't normally do when going to amusement parks. I went on a Saturday, and the weather was sunny and warm. Due to those factors, the park was very crowded and if you know what the parking lot is like, there were only 4 double rows left at mid-afternoon. This is my first trip ever to Michigan's Adventure (mia)
I arrived sometime around 4PM and headed directly to the season pass office. (I already had Six Flags, not Cedar Fair) While there, I met someone who works at mia and is a good friend of Jeff, but hasn't been on the forums recently. She encouraged me to write a trip report, so here goes.
I decided to ride zach's zoomer as a warm-up ride. It was a 4 1/2 hr drive and I wasn't ready for anything big yet. A nice Jr coaster, nothing special. 5/10
Next was the Carousel. I was disapointed the musical instruments are hidden in the middle rather than on display. It does play a nice tune. Also, the person in front of me on the benches was told to put away her camera. Has picture taking become that hazardous? Finally, it felt strange exiting what I think would be the queue line, while the line starts at the door and goes onto the midway. Any reason they do this?
After that short ride, I decided to find out how crowded the waterpark really was, and if it would be worth it to go back to the car and get my swimsuit and towel. It was too crowded for me, so I kept walking just to get a feel for the park.
Picked up the train by Grand Rapids, and didn't realize there were two stations until we got there. Got off and in line for Wolverine Wildcat. 4 train wait, rode 2,1 Right. Most of you know by now that I am not a big fan of wood coasters, but this coaster surprised me by its decent size and it was smoother than I expected. 8/10
Took a short break to re-apply sunscreen and move the car to a closer spot. Then went to eat supper. I went to The Dog House to get the season pass hot dog basket special. You buy the basket and get the drink free. But the problem was there was only one worker there, and she wasn't allowed to cook. So back to guest services to find out where the other season pass deal was. Hamburger basket at the wildcat grill.
Next I picked up a quick (not quite) drink of water. I was very surprised the food stand had run out of ice. Also did a very quick ride, 4 rotations, on tilt-a-whirl. Then I went to ride Loggers Run. This was only a mistake because it broke down while I was on it. They said minor mechanical problem, the guy was fixing something at the bottom of the drop. 15 minutes later, I finally get down the drop. Credit to the ride crew minus 2 boats for keeping the line moving quickly.
Next I went to ride Corkscrew. 5 train wait, seat 3,1 Right. I didn't think this one was worth even that short of a wait. It's just a corkscrew, and also the parks only upside down ride. 6/10
Went back to ride the train, full circuit this time. During boarding a boy attempted to ride with a towel instead of a shirt. He was with his family and they were from a foreign country. They were not happy at all when told he could not ride without a shirt and said he had ridden a roller coaster wearing the towel. The ride op handled the situation very well, despite being called something (probably bad) in their foreign language.
Finally, what you have been waiting for. Does anyone know how many seconds of airtime you get on this thing?!! Shivering Timbers blew me away with a just past sunset ride, third to last of the day, seat 3,1 Left. 4 train wait. The smoothest wood coaster I have ever ridden, with the most airtime I have ever experienced. The only slightly rough part was the double helix, but even that was nice. 10/10 and into my top ten!
Other thoughts overall. I met some very nice people while waiting in line and rode with them (did this trip alone), but only one person I talked to had actually been to the park before. They must be doing a good job in the PR dept. Definitely a family park with something for everyone. I do suggest more bathrooms in the park, IE near Grand Rapids, the Carousel, and one closer to wildcat and timbers exits.
A very nice visit, despite being short. Do's for next time, Mad Mouse, Big Dipper? (can adults ride this?), falling star, thunderbolt, and the waterpark/water rides. Thanks for making it to the end, please let me know if you have suggestions for my future trip reports.