Lots of new attractions at Cedar Fair parks next year...HMMMMM.
Timber-Rider said:
If they were stupid enough to do that, MA would be out of business quick.
It's a good thing, then, that Cedar Fair is smart enough to manage the park responsibly.
I'm sure, for some, the tighty whitey foam party is the only time their tight whiteys get washed. :)
eightdotthree said:
SnoopyDoo said:
Cedar Fair will never allow a sister park like MA show up it's Ohio flagship location - Cedar Point. MA has too way much upside potential, and they will be kept at bay even though a big financial gain is possible.I think Kings Island, Kings Dominion, and Carrowinds are all examples of how this theory is wrong.
The only thing is about that statement, is that Kings Island, Kings Dominion, and Carowinds, were already solid parks before Cedar Fair purchased them from Paramount. Kings Island had annual attendance in the millions before Cedar Fair purcahased it, as did Canada's Wonderland, and Kings Dominion. To not buy those parks would have been foolish.
And, maybe Cedar Fair purchased those parks with the plan of keeping them out of the hands of a developer who would give Cedar Point major competition. The only reason Cedar Fair owns all of the Paramount parks, is because they were offered a sweet deal on buying the whole chain, instead of just the parks they wanted. Thus turning those park profits to Cedar fair instead of a major competitor, and saving Cedar Point from loss of business.
They then came up with the Cedar fair season pass, to get the Paramount park goers to also go to Cedar Point. If you go back to the early days of the paramount purchase there was no such pass, even though the chain owned many parks, including Michigan's Adventure, Valley fair, Dorny, Geauga, and Knotts. So it all tracks back to Cedar Point.
Cedar Fair has owned Michigan's Adventure a lot longer than they have owned the paramount parks, and only did a major upgrade in the first year, and have done very little with it since. And, they could have done more with Geauga lake and chose not to, as they did not want it to take business away from Cedar Point.
People will say that its not true. But, it's obvious. During Geauga Lake's growth, there was not much going on at Cedar Point, and now that Geauga Lake is gone, and Kings Island is no longer a competitor, there has been heavy investment in Cedar Point again. The only reason they don't invest in MA, is because they choose not to. And, MA does not have much area competition, where as Cedar Fairs Ohio parks, and Pennsylvania parks do.
I would think that if another chain had purchased paramount, they would be doing more with MA, but because they own most of the parks in the area, they are just going to let it remain the same, and milk it for every penny they can get. But, I highly doubt they will close or sell it. They are making way too much money off from it. Which is why I think it's sad that they chose not to give it some attention.
I didn't do it! I swear!!
slithernoggin said:
Hey Timber-Rider:
Can I ask you a question? (Or two.)
Now, my understanding of your position -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- is that Cedar Fair is deliberately not expanding Michigan's Adventure in order to protect the profitability of Cedar Point.
To me, that means that Cedar Fair is a company focused on increasing profits.
So: if Cedar Fair knows that Michigan's Adventure would be a much more profitable operation if it was expanded, if it had a number of major ride installations, if it had a hotel and a campground, but is not investing in these additions in order to protect Cedar Point....
...why?
Why would Cedar Fair decrease profitability (by keeping Michigan's Adventure "under-expanded") to increase profitability? It doesn't make sense to me.
Just so you know there is a campground right across the street from Michigan's Adventure now. It was built by one of the Jourden's a few years ago. There is also a campground right off the highway off Russle Road.
So, it's not that the park can't support a campground or a hotel, it's that Cedar Fair doesn't want to spend the money to build it. One of the biggest questions I hear from out of state visitors going to Michigan's Adventure is. Where do I stay? Which the usual reply is a hotel in Grand Rapids, which is a 45 minute to an hour drive from the park, depending on traffic.
As for being a company focused on increasing profits. Would it also not make sense to get a decent attraction that would cause more people to come to both parks to make both parks more profitable instead of just one?
Another thing Cedar Fair did when they purchased MA, is get more of it's customer base to go to Cedar Point, with the season pass. If you recall, before Cedar Fair purcahed the Paramount parks. they had a sweet deal pass for MA guests. With a Cedar Point/MA season pass, which was a good deal. And, a lot of Cedar Point guests came to MA because of it. Where as, a huge chunk of MA guests also went to Cedar Point more often.
Then the paramount parks came along, and they nixed the Cedar Point/ MA pass, to spread all their park guests all over the map with the Cedar fair pass. Banking that they would draw more business to Cedar Point as a result. And, pretty much abandoned expansion of MA, to focus on the new parks closer to Cedar Point, to keep a majority of their guests more centralized.
The only reason Valley Fair is doing so well, is because of it's location near Minneapolis and the mall of America. And, Cedar Fair Closed it's park in the mall, and is now putting money into Valleyfair. So, to say that they will not neglect one park to prop up another would not be true. I would bet if they had not sold the Mall of America park, little or nothing at Valley fair would have changed.
I didn't do it! I swear!!
Timber-Rider said:
The only reason Valley Fair is doing so well, is because of it's location near Minneapolis and the mall of America. And, Cedar Fair Closed it's park in the mall, and is now putting money into Valleyfair. So, to say that they will not neglect one park to prop up another would not be true. I would bet if they had not sold the Mall of America park, little or nothing at Valley fair would have changed.
Forgive my ignorance, but nothing was closed and they didn't own anything at MOA? They were kicked out of their management deal?
If anything, the park has flourished since CF was sidelined at MOA.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
If Minneapolis/St.Paul were moved to Nebraska, ValleyFair! would be an afterthought.
Or something along that line of "reasoning." Somebody neglected to put the herbs on the turkey, and smoked them instead...
Timber-Rider said:
One of the biggest questions I hear from out of state visitors going to Michigan's Adventure is. Where do I stay? Which the usual reply is a hotel in Grand Rapids, which is a 45 minute to an hour drive from the park, depending on traffic.
Where do I stay? You drive in, do everything in 3 hours, then drive back home. If you're far enough from MA to justify a hotel, then you go to the park closer to your home and consider yourself lucky.
Or, as we have done, you simply stop at MA on your way to your real destination.
rollergator said:
If Minneapolis/St.Paul were moved to Nebraska,
then I'd be getting the hell out of here.
I don't understand the hatred of Michigan's Adventure on this site. Would it be that big of a stretch for the local's who frequent the park to want SOMETHING new?
There is so much potential for this park, and it truly is being neglected by Cedar Fair.
I am not talking about adding mega rollercoasters or super thrill rides. It's the small things that aren't even being addressed.
A miniature train ride that takes you through a field of weeds...Fix this.
How about a designated children's area? Instead we have children's rides scattered through out the park. 2 here, 1 here, 3 way over here, 1 over there, and don't forget the 2 way way wayyy hidden over here... Why not move them all together, maybe add a couple more and make a Camp Snoopy, Planet Snoopy, The Great Pumpkin Patch Snoopy Land or what ever the heck you want to call it...Fix this.
The main draw is currently and has been for a long time, the Waterpark. There is no easy way to get there. You park and walk down a long, long, long path with barely nothing going on. You have your man made pond on one side, a few kiddie rides on the other and that's it. How about adding a parking lot to the Waterpark side? Adding some sort of transportation ride such as a mini train, or sky ride, or anything that adds some fun to getting to the waterpark. Call me lazy all you want, but I'm on vacation, maybe I don't feel like walking a mile down a hot concrete path of nothingness...Fix This.
How about not charging Cedar Point prices for food? Mmmm nothing says "You have to eat" (aka 'F U') like getting a School Lunch cafeteria style plain frozen burger patty on a Walmart Great Value bun with no cheese, lettuce, onions, or any damn toppings for the low low price of $13.93 plus $7.84 for a large soda...plus tax.... Fix This.
There is so much MORE potential for this park, but it feels for the past 13 or so years that not one damn has been cared.
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