Michigan's Adventure opening weekend 2010

I went to Michigan's Adventure this past weekend, and thought I would post a few comments.

1) Shivering Timbers: Shivering Timbers is running pretty good this year. Not glass smooth, but not as rough as it has been in past years. The returning train still takes forever to park in the station. I don't know why they can't make this quicker. The train ahead is cresting the third hill before its finally ready to unload.

When the TL is on the platform, the ride crew does a fantastic job hitting interval. I'm amazed that it's even possible to hit interval, considering how long it takes to park the train. I also noticed a trim brake before the final helix, that I don't remember being there before.

2) Falling Star: Falling star is one of the greatest flat rides ever created. However, they shortened the ride cycle! You used to rotate around one way, then back around the other. This trip, it only went around one way, then the ride was over. Why did they shorten the best flat ride in the park?

3) Other comments: The park looks nice to start the season off. There is still very little shade in the park. There are quite a few trees in the park, but they are all small trees. It's going to be a while before they grow back in.

Did you get to ride the exciting new bumper boats?

My friend is trying to get me to take him to the park this year. The last new ride they had when he went was the Funnel of fear, but he doesn't like spending too much time there. We basically just spend lots of time walking.

I'm guessing that the park couldn't have been very busy for openning weekend. Your comment about falling star wasn't a surprise, it's usually a couple spins this way, and that way and then you are done. At least the previous owners gave decent ride times on those rides. But, the park doesn't have much else in the way of good rides.

You didn't mention Thunderhawk. The first time I went there they had only one train running, and were only filling every other seat with a 40 minute line. But, the last time there was no wait, and I aslo noticed they took out the video cameras and just have the freeze photo.

You can blame the previous owners for the lack of shade. When they built bee-bop blvd, and the path to the water park, and concessions along the way, they took out a huge portion of the trees that were there.

People will say the trees were taken out by storms. Not true, a majority of the trees that fell in the park were where the current park entrance is located. That is also the location of the parks old Mutley's Putt Putts, Antique car ride, which was a really good and popular ride. I do not know why they didn't rebuild it. It was badly damaged during the storms...but it is missed.

Curious as to what else you did at the park, and what you thought of the overall park value. For me, I'm not happy about the pricing, but, we've all been there on that one. What did you think?

I did not realize that $26 for a waterpark that accidently has amusement rides is considered expensive.

I have a Cedar Point platinum pass, so with parking and admission included, a quick trip to Michigan's Adventure is quite easy. I would say that Shivering Timbers alone is worth a trip to Michigan's Adventure.

I skipped Thunderhawk. I'm not a big fan of that ride, and I didn't feel like waiting for much more than a walk on. As I stated above, the Falling Star ride cycle was shortened even further from last year. You got a couple of spins this way, and the ride was over. It never went that way. That was the biggest disappointment of my trip.

That was about all I did. The Platinum pass makes it easy to justify a quick trip over.

MotorCityCoasterFan said:
I did not realize that $26 for a waterpark that accidently has amusement rides is considered expensive.

The Admission to the park is not an issue. But, for those people who do not have season passes, it is way over priced for a parks it's size, and location. I will say it over and over, and everyone can argue all they want.

Also, did you know that Michigan's Adventure's season pass is more than Cedar Point's Season pass? And, the discounts they offer on Admission a piddly compared to what they used to offer only a few years ago?

Here are my biggest beefs with prices, and a solution.

$8.00 to park the car. Solution, lower the price to $3.00, or offer a free small soda coupon to everyone in the group. (limit 4) give people an incentive, and make them feel good about paying $8.00 to park. After all, this park is in the middle of nowhere. It's just not justified.

And, if you are going to charge people for parking, take care of your lot, and mark the rows like other parks do so that people can find their cars on a busy day. Nothing like spending an hour trying to find your car when the lot is full. Been there done that.

Food prices! This isn't Cedar Point management! If you are not going to offer food on par with your other parks, you should not charge an equal amount for it. $13.00 for a crappy cheeseburger, cold fries, and pop that has lost its fizz, is downright robbery! If you are going to have high prices on less value park food, Throw in a small pop for free. .25 extra for each size up. Pop is not cheap either.

The only things that I do find reasonable is the locker rental. If you can squeeze 3 people's clothing into one locker. I don't think $5.00 is that bad. I know it is actually $10.00, but getting $5.00 back in a coupon or s refill sport mug isn't bad. Just refilling the mug at regular pop prices is almost worth $10.00. So, one person in your group can save money there. Or, find anything that you can for right around $5.00 and use the coupon to buy it.

The admission is fine at $26.00. If they just lowered the price of parking, reduced their food prices, and ran their most popular rides like they should, I would have no problem with their prices. I think it would also make a lot more people want to come back.

Also, I am not the only one I know who thinks the prices are too high. Almost evryone I know who has been to the park thinks it's a jip. And, that hasn't changed. You can go to Cedar Point for just $10.00 more per person, and do ten times as much, so why would you bother?

If I was in magement there, I would certainly do some price cutting. Or, at least offer better discounts to give people the incentive to keep coming back. Or, at least feel good about what they a paying for. Like free parking on less busy days, or an all you can drink pop day. Or a free mini-golf day. Make it worth it!!!

0g said:
I also noticed a trim brake before the final helix, that I don't remember being there before.

I was at Michigan's Adventure for the first time on Friday, and I didn't notice a trim brake- but then again, I wasn't really looking. Regardless of my vision problems, however, I didn't notice any slowing of the ride before the helix. Here's hoping they keep it that way for a while.

0g said:
2) Falling Star: Falling star is one of the greatest flat rides ever created. However, they shortened the ride cycle! You used to rotate around one way, then back around the other. This trip, it only went around one way, then the ride was over. Why did they shorten the best flat ride in the park?

I agree with your opinion on Falling Star- its size makes the ride look tame from the midway. It's quite an experience!

The ride op gave us a very similar cycle to the "new" one you described, but when we came to a stop, he basically told us that the ride has two cycles and that we would be getting a re-ride (since there was no one in line) with the second cycle. The second cycle was much longer than the one-direction cycle and featured both directions. If I were to guess, I'd say you experienced the short cycle, which is probably there for high attendance days when the park needs to up its people capacity.

EDIT: I realized just now that it sounds like the ride op broke staff rules by changing the cycle at will. It wasn't quite like that- he actually told us that his supervisor had instructed him to do so. The re-ride was his own doing, however.

Michigan's Adventure seems to have strange policies on all their rides. I noticed it a lot when my friends and I were there on a very busy day. Things that have me stumped. Here are a few examples.

Thunderhawk: One train running, with staff only filling every other seat, with a 50 minute line. When I asked why. They said it was a weight issue. Yet they can run the train with only 4 people on it, when there is no wait on a less busy day.

Adventure Falls: Two boats running, but staff is only filling one boat, and not the second with an hour wait. They claimed they were cleaning the second boat...Um. I don't think it takes 8 hours to clean a boat. Please!!!

Grand Rapids: Horrible capacity, staff wasting too much time pairing up riders to fill the boats, with a 2 hour wait in line. One raft cycles the entire ride, and the rest sit waiting to be unloaded. One raft might have 3 people in it, the next crammed with 8. They need new boats with individual seats, like on thunder canyon.

Thunderbolt: a few turns this way, a few turns that way, and done. It's also one of the slowest flying bob rides I have ever been on. They certainly don't run it like the carnies do...it's pretty boring.

Giant Wheel: They have the craziest way of loading this ride, turn this way...load....turn that way load....turn this way load...and so on. Why can't they just turn the damn thing in one direction! The ride op got so confused about which car needed to get off, we were on the damn thing for over an hour!!! We finally had to yell at her in union, or we were never going to get off it!

Falling Star: I wonder if it depends on which ride op is working the ride. There were a couple enthusiastic workers that gave us nice long rides on it, and then there was this black chick, who never said a word. Wisked people on and off, and read a book during the ride cycle. Which was very short.

Most rides have very short cycles at Michigan's Adventure, the only ones where you might get a decent ride are on Scrambler, and the flying trapeeze.

One thing that I notice that they no longer do, is hold rides until they have a decent amount of riders. They used to do that on Corkscrew, Wildcat, and a few of the flats. Nothing like sitting in a half empty ride for 20 minutes waiting for them to fill it. So, it's not all bad.