Michigan's Adventure Future Plans

Magnum Force - no I don't think so.

CoasterFanMatt - I totally agree. I have been to all of the CF:LP parks (with the exception of DP) and I must say that the "energy" of the other parks was not present at MiA. I would say the most charming park of the chain is WOF followed by KBF. VF & CP are about the same - they have a more "wow look a carnival on steroids" feel to them. MiA was like, hmmm we have some extra rides, lets stick them in the middle of nowhere and have a new park. Seriously, it was so weird driving out to MiA, almost all of the other parks in the chain are right off a main highway, MiA is out in BFE.

------------------
SWOOSH
MidwestInfoGuide.COM
Beware theSPINNING DRAGON only at WOF in 2004

I totally agree. I think of MA as a purchased start up company the foundation is there but it needs alot. It feels like CF purchased the Michigan State Fairgrounds and is trying to turn it into an amusement park. Everyone will tell me a thousand reasons why I'm wrong. I have to say screw the indivual park budgets. Pump some much needed capital into that place. Threat it like a new construct and revamp it. Let the place be a tax write off for a few seasons and create something special. I'm not talking new coasters. I'm talking, brick paved pathways, beautifully themed areas spread out the ride midway, add fountains, plant fast growing Birch and Pine trees, add sit down resteraunts, create shows, and have local school bands play music on the midway. I don't think it's a lack of things to do. HW has just two wooden coasters. It's the amosphere that makes HW succesful. MA has a world class ST. It has a great waterpark and it has lot's of room to expand. CF received the deal of a century when it purchased MA. What CP spent on MF is basically what CF purchased MA for. I challenge CF to put 25 mil into MA. If CF purchased the park for 20 to 25 mil then they can pump the same into the park to give it a jump start. It's not like purchasing a well maintained established park such as Knott's or a SFGAM. it's like buying boblo Island. It needs investment badly. If CF advertised a 20mil investment and relaunched the park then maybe they will get the higher attendance there looking for. At the rate it's going it will take 20 years before MA will be considered a have way descent place to visit. For that same amount of capital ; CF should have developed the property the company already owns in Michigan and started a brand new park all together.

------------------
You're right. I'm wrong. You're pretty. I'm ugly. You're smart and I'm stupid :)
*** This post was edited by Cedar "Counter" Point 10/23/2003 12:06:23 AM ***

As in all businesses you can't just build up without having the money to maintain it. Not to mention there are certain required basics. There isn't exactly an over abundance of really close hotels.

I don't know when you last went to MA, but the improvements over the past two years are notceable. I, for one, noticed the fountains, the new fencing and landscaping. I noticed the rides that were half finished being completed, and new ones added.

Yes, it is in the middle of nowhere, but you must understand this was a family owned park, and not initially an "amusement" park to begin with. It was orignally a deer park, where tourists could go to pet the deer.

As much as you might like CF to "screw the individual park budgets", business just doesn't work that way. Each park must be self sufficient in order to survive.

------------------
I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

I can't believe this thread is 15 pages. If everyone here visited the park once in a while their attendance would double.

Any Pics of the new and improved MA? Last time I was there was two year ago. My sister who has lopus had a reaction to the hot sun there were no trees that she could sit under. We had to leave the park the next day chaos derailed.

------------------
You're right. I'm wrong. You're pretty. I'm ugly. You're smart and I'm stupid :)

Not to make to much of a joke here, but if I visited with improvements this year, I honestly shudder to think what it was like before that.

No one here (well no rational person) thinks that putting a few huge coasters will automatically solve the problem. Its the atmosphere and the scenery that is what makes the place so strikingly different from places like HW and IB.

Small parks can be awesome- usually because small parks make up for their lack of rides with a lot of charm and atmosphere.

So after all these comments, I say that while I still think an S&S tower would be a good addition, maybe a Camp Snoopy would be an ever better addition. Camp Snoopy (hopefully) would have trees and forest scenery, plus a nice addition of the Peanuts characters. That would be a huge help to the "atmosphere and charm" problem.

------------------
Knotts Halloween Haunt- Everyone has to go sometime....

---

MiAJon said:
Yep folks, I'm leaking. This is why you can NEVER trust me with anything. A VERY reliable source at Michigan's Adventure kindly let leak as to future plans at the park.

---

Whatever happened to this guy who started this thread? The 2nd sentence is the best. It brings this thread full circle.

------------------
Blue People fly sideways when it rains...

After reading about the Screaming Squirell I think that coaster would be great for MA. What other coasters are $2 mill or less could MA install?

------------------
You're right. I'm wrong. You're pretty. I'm ugly. You're smart and I'm stupid :)

Schwarzkopf's come to mind; I've always wished MiA could get a double-looper or Jet Star.

You people all act like the previous owners were happy with the way the park was. Well, let me tell you that they had just as grand of visions as you all have right now. They were building up that park faster in their last few years of owning it than CF has done since. But of course, no one remembers that now. It takes a lot of heart, soul and sweat to build a park up and I would say they did an excellent job taking it from a deer park to an amusement park in such a short time. I mean, isn't CP like more than a hundred years old? I know that you all want more but you don't have to take up fifteen pages slamming the former owners because if they still owned the place you would have had a new coaster for sure by now.

And by the way, maybe some locals could shed some light on the wind storm of 98. I will just tell you that they had to close the park for two days and work long tiring hours to remove all of the beloved but dead tumbled trees. You see, sometimes life deals you a crappy hand and you have to get past it. I wish for once someone could say something nice about the place pre CF. But, everyone would rather just complain.
*** This post was edited by MIAdvFan 10/25/2003 9:25:02 PM ***

The place was fun, pre-CF, as it is currently. Yes, there were eccentricities like the absence of CF-ish concrete walkways and the partly built car ride, but it was by no means a pit, and the owners certainly were not neglecting it. However, they did emphasize certain aspects such as coasters (yay!) over some more mundane features like the afore-mentioned walkways (doh!). To some, the general appearance is more important than to others. Either way, I don't think most of the replies are trying to discredit the owners... they're just stating their impressions. Granted, some are more abrasive than others, but that might have been their impression.

Also, the seperation pre- and post-CF isn't that black and white anyway, since most of the management is still family. I think they have been and are doing an excellent job with the resources available.

I loved the park before CF bought it and love the park today. Would we have a new coaster by now if CF had not bought it? Probably.

But there is a reason for everything. CF knows what they are doing. We trust.

MrScott

I know I won't return till they build a new coaster!

I didn't mean to sound so upset. The park is just very special to me. Thank you for the kind words.

And just to let you know, the only family member still at the park after the sale is Camille, the GM. Everyone else has gone on to different endeavors. And let me tell you, it has been a constant uphill battle for Camille. Let's just say that CF's vision of the park in the next 5 or 10 years is drastically different than her fathers was.

Much of the management is the same post sale but none of them besides Camille are family members.

I don't understand why people are complaining about Cedar Fait not putting money into the park. I have looked at the web site and MiA is extending park hours and the park calendar for next year. Even without anything else, those two things will cost the park a considerable amount of money. Plus I'm sure that Cedar Fair will do more to spruce up the looks of the park in addition to adding the cabanas.

What are the difference in opinion?
Cooperate mentalities aren't always correct. It would be interesting to let MA do what they want to. The park survived before CF and was doing a great job of expansion. Big Brother isn't always right.
------------------
You're right. I'm wrong. You're pretty. I'm ugly. You're smart and I'm stupid :)
*** This post was edited by Cedar "Counter" Point 10/26/2003 2:16:40 PM ***

Just to infrom tou MIADVfan camilles husband steve is also still a manger of maintnence anc construction,and they were the only to YEAR ROUND managers that cedar fair didnt bring in themselves as far to my knowlege at least. Also i think CF must be doing something new during the extra weekends in the fall to get people to go or the wouldnt have added an extra weekend, because the park was pretty much empty during thoses two weekends.

But MOST times, Big Brother IS right.

MrScott

Okay, okay you got me. I forgot all about Steve. Maybe because there is no way that CF would have kept him if it weren't for Camille. Or maybe because he is not a blood family member and that is what I was actually talking about. Cedar Fair brought in very few people actually. Most of the year round people have been there for many years. Troy (admissions), Laurie (Group Sales), Andy (who knows what his title is anymore), Janet (VP of Operations), Laura (Human Resources) and Dan (maintainence) are all pre CF. The only people CF brought in were Andre (Rides manager from CP and loved by many) and Peggy (VP of Finance). Oh yeah, and they brought in a security guy, Randy from VF, but he got fired very early on.

I hope you didn't think I was one of the one's dissing MiA. I was just stating what improvements I noticed over the past 3 years.

I'm also aware of the storm that destroyed most of the trees in the park which is why the park has such a "stark" appearance. The addition of umbrellas will help until the newly planted trees begin to mature.

Face, it though...Shivering Timbers is what put this park on the map. Until then, I only remembered the park as "deer park" and had no idea it was being turned into an amusement park. There was no advertising on the east side of the state at all.

I have no doubt the park would be going in a different direction had the Jourdan's not sold to CF, but I also do not believe that CF will do nothing but good for this park in the future.
------------------
I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm