Any Michigan's Adventure news?

I live in Grand Rapids which is about a one hour drive away from MiAdv and four hours drive from Cedar Point. Despite the distances involved, I
definitely consider Cedar Point to be my home park rather than MiAdv. I visit CP about 4 or 5 times a year (typically over 2 or 3 weekends in the
early season and during Halloweekends). I'm not the biggest fan of MiAdv for many of the reasons stated by TimberRider, however, I also know a
business shouldn't mess with a successful formula which MiAdv obviously does since they are the most profitable park in the Cedar Fair family.

It wouldn't make sense to lower the prices on food/beverages if guests are still buying them for the higher prices. Only upon having a significant
drop in sales (more than 5-10%) should one even consider decreasing prices. The park will modify its pricing schedule only based on how visitors
spend their dollars in which case it seems that the average visitor isn't at a breaking point yet.

I think the estimates about the potential visitor base are on the high side as well. Muskegon is truly on the road to nowhere unless you want to
go north along the Lake Michigan shoreline. I don't doubt that there are a fair number of out-of-state visitors at MiAdv but I believe this is
more the case of them traveling along and vacationing at the shoreline tourist areas and deciding to have a day trip at the park as opposed to
focusing exclusively on MiAdv.

MiAdv is in no way a destination park like Cedar Point and it is not logical to think that someone from Chicago would come up to Muskegon solely for MiAdv. Going to the park may be part of the decision to vacation in Western Michigan but it probably isn't the overriding factor.

I have never visited MiAdv on a Saturday so I can't speak from experience about how busy crowds are on those days but I've been to MiAdv a couple
times on Sunday afternoons in June and the amount of people on the dry side of the park was minimal. The waterpark is the marquee atraction at
MiAdv and the only expansion I see in the future will be on that side of the park.

Already having two substantial roller coasters (Shivering Timbers and Thunderhawk) that would be considered large attractions at any park, I don't see a need to add more big coasters. The only dry side addition that I see as appropriate would be a small S&S tower ala Double Shot at Indiana Beach or Liberty Launch at Holiday World that goes no higher than 80 ft. Having a path connecting Shivering Timbers and Thunderhawk on the other side of the pond would also be a nice touch but I don't see that happening with the train ride laid out as it is and serving as a mode of transit.

Overall, MiAdv isn't my cup of tea but I don't have that expectation of it either. It serves a slowly growing and unique niche of West MI visitors
and locals in the area and appears to be a worthy park for Cedar Fair to have in its amusement park offerings. 

Six Flags Ohio tried "if you build it, they will come" and look what happened there.

I think a sensible "if you build it, they will come" would work. a al Holiday World, Kentucky Kingdom (pre Six flags).

Detroit Basketball said:

Honestly, I have to side with Timber-Rider's original post. While I feel MiAdv is a nice little park, Michigan's Adventure has the potential to be something more.

The main draw obviously is the water park. It has been that way ever since they installed it. While I can see the reasoning behind not installing something new every year, they could at least throw a bone out every other year or every 3 years even? I'm not even talking a big bone either... haha.

Take for instance, the removal of the Falling Star this year. That ride was perfect for a park the size of MiAdv. I'm sure age and maintenance was the reason for removal, but why not replace it with something else? (Well I guess they did add a new price increase... so they did add something new this year).

MiAdv would be the perfect park to include rides that might not work at some of the larger parks due to capacity. Why not throw some unique low capacity rides in?

Rides that you would never see at Cedar Point or Kings Island due to capacity?

Why not take care of some of the little annoyances through out the park? Here's an example of a couple of small bone's they could throw out:

Instead of having the children's rides scattered far apart, why not simply relocate them all to the same area? Maybe even add a new children's ride?(Camp Snoopy/Planet Snoopy area)

How about fixing some of the midway dead ends?

How about adding a seperate entrance for the waterpark side? I bet the majority of the guests would park near and use that entrance.

How about adding a show? It's been done before CF purchased the park. Since the waterpark gets alot of attention, I can imagine an outdoor show located near the waterpark that would probably draw a crowd.

What's with the lonnnng boring walk from the ride side to the waterpark? Either add a transportation ride (Sky Ride, Train, ect) or spice up that midway a bit?

Add me to the Timber-Rider lunatic fanboy of MiAdv if you must, but I personally feel more could be done each year to improve the park.

I just had to quote this mo fo coaster fanaticz><<<> OOPS

OOPS

I thought that was the -1 button I just hit.

James Whitmore said:
I think a sensible "if you build it, they will come" would work. a al Holiday World, Kentucky Kingdom (pre Six flags).

Isn't that what they are doing? It's not like they haven't touched the park in ten years and have left it to rot.

Thanks for the posts everyone. And, thanks for siding with me Detroit Basketball. I enjoy the replies good or bad.

Just a couple comments. Michigan's Adventure does not need any more kiddie rides, nor do they need a children's area. If you go to the website, you will see that a majority of the non coaster rides there are for kids. And, they certainly have more than four rides for little kids. What they lack is thrill rides.

The only real thrill ride the park ever had was Chaos. And, it was a very popular ride. The rest can all be found at any traveling carnival. I think that is part of the reason that the dry side is less busy. There really isn't much excitement there. And, as someone else mentioned, it is very spread out. The only major rides that are remotely close to each other are Shivering Timbers and the Wildcat. And, the Corkscrew pretty much sits by itself, away from the main ride area. Thunderhawk, Adventure falls, and Grand Rapids are on the other side of the park, and it is a very long walk to get there.

Also, people always seem to think that I am saying that MA should put in a multi-million dollar coaster. Well, if you actually read my posts, that's not what I have said at all. Any thrill ride would be welcome. I think if they added an Enterprise, a Topspin, or Power Tower-like ride, people would be more likely to spend time on the dry side of the park. Look at the awesome flats at Canada's Wonderland. Why not throw some of those in? I know a Sledgehammer ride would be very popular at MA.

But nix new kiddy rides. Have you ever been there and seen anyone on the ones they have now? Those ride ops stand around bored to death, because hardly anyone goes one them. The only popular kiddy ride at MA is the motorcycle ride, and it has been there since the 70's. Even on a busy day those rides are dead. So why invest in that? No, what they need is knock you on your ass thrill rides. And, maybe a couple shows, or a 4D theater.

Oh, and as for bitching about it. Maybe if more people bitched about it, the park might actually pay attention, and do something with their most profitable park, instead of just sucking the money from it. Sorry.

You just can't accept that businesses do not spend money to pacify a vocal minority that has zero impact on business. The only thing they will ever pay attention to is slipping attendance or lower margins.

Seriously, why can't you understand that you don't maintain profit margin by spending more?

Timber-Rider said:
But nix new kiddy rides. Have you ever been there and seen anyone on the ones they have now? Those ride ops stand around bored to death, because hardly anyone goes one them.

Sounds like the rest of the park.

Hey Jeff: I am not the only person who goes to MA who complains that there isn't enough excitement there. So, to say that there is a vocal minority might not be accurate. Almost everyone I know who has been there is waiting anxiously for them to add something to the park. ANYTHING!!

When they added Thunderhawk, people were excited, and saying IT'S ABOUT TIME!! Not everyone is a member of coasterbuzz, and I know the general public would be very glad to see some changes, and not just new charges.

If you ask me, their business sense is one sided. If I owned the park, I would certainly do things differently.

Considering how successful MA is among parks in the chain, to say there is a vocal minority is entirely accurate. MA isn't broke. There's no reason to fix it.

Just because MA isn't broke, doesn't mean that people are not critical of it. Look at Mitt Romney, the guy is a successful millionaire, but a lot of people still don't like him. And, Walmart, one of the most successful companies on the planet, that gets picketed more than any other grocery chain, and is pretty much despised by millions of people.

Just because a company is making money does not mean people like them. It just means that they are good at making money, and don't care about anything else. I would hope that the Cedar Fair compnay would be the one that does care about it customers. So far, when it comes to MA, they have proven to some people that they don't.

Just like my former employer. If they don't like what we are doing, they can go somewhere else. One reason why I really hated working there.

As long as you fail to understand what a business is, there's no point in listening to your rants.

Jeff said:
It seems like the most illiterate people on Facebook are one degree of separation from me. I saw a very long rant today about something political without a period anywhere. If this is majority America, then no wonder we keep electing substandard people to office.

Yeah, I hate it when Nugester shows up on my feed too ;-).

Glad I use periods, or else I'd think that Jeff was talking about me. :)

There's an alternate reality at play here. In this reality someone's perception of how things should be dictates amusement business profit.

I have also witnessed this alternate reality regarding dispatch times from people in jackets with coaster patches while sitting in an operator's booth.

I think the only logical response would be for all of the dissatisfied customers to stick it to the 1% and organize an "Occupy Michigan's Adventure" until the park gives them everything they want. Of course, with all of the Occupy MiA protestors entering the park, MiA will set a new attendance record and realize they won't have to add any new attractions for another couple of years.

If they're still making mad profit, why does it matter if people like every aspect of the park? I mean, they're still going to it...

It be like saying you love Legoland, but you wish there'd be more thrills... yes, but, why? Where's the ROI?

I used to love my local McDonald's, but their customers are always complaining that they don't sell philly cheesesteaks, tacos, or eggrolls. If they would ad just SOMETHING new to the menu, I'm sure people would start going there. It's just too busy and the food is the same cheeseburgers and fries they have always had. All they care about is making money, and not what their customer wants to buy.

Funny you should mention that... the last time I was in Florida, there were select McDonalds there that sold Philly cheesesteaks. Thought that was weird. They definitely don't do that in Michigan, though. Bastards.