Michigan's Adventure,... Ticket price increase.

As a West Michigan resident, born and raised, I'll say this about Michigan's Adventure.

Cedar Point was THE destination for everyone I grew up with. No one bragged about going to Michigan's Adventure when I was in high school or middle school (the fact that was already over 10 years ago scares me). In college, all of our trips were to CP, never to MiA.

Here's my biggest problem: most of the West Michigan market would willingly drive 5-6 hours to Cedar Point for a day at the park, rather than drive the 1-2 hours from even Grand Rapids area to go to MiA.

Sure this is anecdotal evidence at best, but I know plenty of people who are always excited about the latest and greatest at Cedar Point, and they always seem to wonder why MiA never gets anything big or new.

I'm not saying that they add 3 in one year, as clearly that's suicide. But 1 decent-sized coaster every 4 or 5 years isn't much to ask for, especially considering all the room they have. And yeah, I know they installed Thunderhawk in 2008, but come on. You and I both know that's a joke.

So, maybe it isn't in the business model, but I think it's time for something for this park. It doesn't even have to be big. Just something entertaining. Even a large flat would be awesome. Just something to liven up the park a bit. That's all.

It doesn't even have to be a 'large flat', how about a 'small flat'? A small tiny little bone?

Something? Anything? How about moving all of the children's rides that are completely scattered all over the park to one location and calling it something like Camp Snoopy or Planet Snoopy, heck even Timber-Rider Snoopy.

How about a show? Or any type of entertainment?

How about small improvements to the water park?

It doesn't have to be a rollercoaster.

Folks, you DO realize that some parks have survived for decades with just one or two major coasters, right? Not every park is a major growth park in a growth market. You can't just build, build, build and expect that your profits will rise at the same pace.

Sparty said:

Cedar Point was THE destination for everyone I grew up with.

Well, Cedar Point WAS the destination park. Not every park can be Cedar Point, and not every restaurant can be Win Schuler's.

No one bragged about going to Michigan's Adventure when I was in high school ... (the fact that was already over 10 years ago scares me).

What scares me is that I remember when Michigan's Adventure was Deer Park Funland, and the biggest thrills were petting the deer and riding the train.

...most of the West Michigan market would willingly drive 5-6 hours to Cedar Point for a day at the park, rather than drive the 1-2 hours from even Grand Rapids area to go to MiA.

And many of the tourists who drive for hours to West Michigan enjoy a day at Michigan's Adventure. And it seems clear that since the park chugs merrily along, year after year, with few major additions, it's drawing a satisfactory number of locals as well.

But 1 decent-sized coaster every 4 or 5 years isn't much to ask for, especially considering all the room they have. And yeah, I know they installed Thunderhawk in 2008, but come on. You and I both know that's a joke.

Cedar Fair is a savvy company. If the park meets or exceeds its goals, year after year, without "decent-sized" coasters being added, why spend money on coasters?

And why is Thunderhawk a joke? CF wouldn't have spent the money moving the thing if they hadn't thought they could make money off the deal -- they'd have sold it for scrap as they did with Villain and Raging Wolf Bobs.

So, maybe it isn't in the business model, but I think it's time for something for this park.

If it isn't in the business model, there's a reason it's not in the business model... it's not good business.

Sparty said:

As a West Michigan resident, born and raised, I'll say this about Michigan's Adventure.

Cedar Point was THE destination for everyone I grew up with. No one bragged about going to Michigan's Adventure when I was in high school or middle school (the fact that was already over 10 years ago scares me). In college, all of our trips were to CP, never to MiA.

As someone born and raised in western PA, this is exactly how we felt about Kennywood in regards/comparison to Cedar Point.

However, I'm 23 years removed from high school.

Here's my biggest problem: most of the West Michigan market would willingly drive 5-6 hours to Cedar Point for a day at the park, rather than drive the 1-2 hours from even Grand Rapids area to go to MiA.

Sure this is anecdotal evidence at best, but I know plenty of people who are always excited about the latest and greatest at Cedar Point, and they always seem to wonder why MiA never gets anything big or new.

Seems like your argument is that every park has to try to be Cedar Point. With Cedar Point sized rides and Cedar Point sized growth.

Please don't tell me I need to explain why that makes no sense.

I'm not saying that they add 3 in one year, as clearly that's suicide. But 1 decent-sized coaster every 4 or 5 years isn't much to ask for, especially considering all the room they have. And yeah, I know they installed Thunderhawk in 2008, but come on. You and I both know that's a joke.

Have you seen this post? (or the three that preceeded it?)

So, maybe it isn't in the business model, but I think it's time for something for this park. It doesn't even have to be big. Just something entertaining. Even a large flat would be awesome. Just something to liven up the park a bit. That's all.

The park turns a profit and meets all expectations without catering to your wishlist. That's all.

---

If the locals posting in this thread are representative of the business acumen of the Michigan crowd, the auto industry bailout suddenly makes a lot of sense.

Maybe the idea behind using the word received is that Cedar Fair decided to give it to them, therefore they were the receiver of the new attraction.

I don't know. (shrug)

Emily24 said:

It doesn't even have to be a 'large flat'...

...How about moving all of the children's rides ... to one location and calling it something like Camp Snoopy or Planet Snoopy...

How about a show? Or any type of entertainment?

How about small improvements to the water park?

It doesn't have to be a rollercoaster.

The little grey cells, as Poirot would say, they tell me that the park is doing well just as it is. If it wasn't, Cedar Fair would be spending the money needed to improve its performance or to keep it competitive -- or they'd be shopping the park, or shutting it down.

The park doesn't get the quantity of large flats, small flats, consolidated children's rides, show, entertainment, small improvements or roller coasters some seem to think it deserves because it doesn't need them to continue to succeed.

Hostility. Exactly what I expected.

What did my "wishlist" include? I never even said that it had to be a coaster. Just ANYTHING to draw a crowd. You're telling me that not even a flat would be acceptable? We shouldn't get ANYTHING?

I understand the business model. I truly do. I understand that it won't be Cedar Point. I never said I wanted it to be. But just give me a reason to go. I haven't been to the park in over 10 years. It was my junior year of high school when we went. And that was the big youth group trip of the summer because we had been to Kings Island the year before. Again, driving 5-6 hours away because the local fare wasn't that great.

And I read the entire thread. I know that CoasterBuzz dislikes Michigan's Adventure locals as much as any group. I get it. Hoping for something a little more than Thunderhawk is a pipe dream. All I'm saying is that it wouldn't kill the company as a whole to throw Michigan's Adventure a bone. Maybe even a milk bone.

Disagreement is not hostility.

Sparty said:

I never even said that it had to be a coaster. Just ANYTHING to draw a crowd. You're telling me that not even a flat would be acceptable? We shouldn't get ANYTHING?

But the park already draws a crowd. You seem to be operating on the assumption that the park is failing.

But just give me a reason to go. I haven't been to the park in over 10 years.

If you haven't been to the park in over a decade, you're likely not part of the of customer base the park is aiming for.

Again, driving 5-6 hours away because the local fare wasn't that great.

The park's market isn't entirely locals. West Michigan is a tourist destination (I spend a lot of time in Shelby, so I'm familiar with the area).

Hoping for something a little more than Thunderhawk is a pipe dream. All I'm saying is that it wouldn't kill the company as a whole to throw Michigan's Adventure a bone. Maybe even a milk bone.

Again, you seem to be operating on the assumption that the park is failing. It's not. It's a successful park. It makes money. It isn't broke. Cedar Fair doesn't need to fix it.

Sparty said:

Hostility. Exactly what I expected.

What you see as hostility, I see as logic. Nowhere did I see anyone being hostile toward you.

What did my "wishlist" include? I never even said that it had to be a coaster. Just ANYTHING to draw a crowd. You're telling me that not even a flat would be acceptable? We shouldn't get ANYTHING?

I understand the business model. I truly do. I understand that it won't be Cedar Point. I never said I wanted it to be. But just give me a reason to go. I haven't been to the park in over 10 years.

But you not going doesn't matter as long as the park's attendance stays flat or increases YoY...and they're doing that without adding new rides. Where's the incentive for them to build new stuff? So you and some other folks that were sick of the park will come back for the next couple of years, when it might take more than that to make a return on investment?

And I read the entire thread. I know that CoasterBuzz dislikes Michigan's Adventure locals as much as any group. I get it.

Not sure you do. Not to speak for everyone here, but I don't think anyone dislikes MA locals, we just get irritated that the enthusiast mindset of some of them seems to trump logic. This isn't a phenomenon found only in Michigan, either.

Sparty said:

Hostility. Exactly what I expected.

If you perceive anything in this thread as hostility, you're ruined if it ever gets there.

This is downright friendly discussion.

And I read the entire thread. I know that CoasterBuzz dislikes Michigan's Adventure locals as much as any group. I get it.

Not at all. I think there's a general annoyance at the idea that the park needs to add something because you (you in the general sense, not you) want it. That's not how anything works.

You're the exception. Seems like quite a few people (at least enough to keep CF's coffers full) enjoy the park and continue to frequent it.

All I'm saying is that it wouldn't kill the company as a whole to throw Michigan's Adventure a bone. Maybe even a milk bone.

And all we keep saying is that there's no reason to. None. No logical reason to increase Cap Ex at this point. It won't kill the company, the park or the customer base to not throw a bone.

Vater said:
...we just get irritated that the enthusiast mindset of some of them seems to trump logic. This isn't a phenomenon found only in Michigan, either.

It's probably purely just my perception, but this mindset seems to especially strong regarding Michigan's Adventure and Geauga Lake.

It was prevalent with regards to Six Flags America for a while, too. But yeah, much more concentrated around those two parks.

Didn't the park just get a flying scooters ride last year?

I get the complaints. Other parks get new stuff at least every few years.

Camden Park in Huntington WV is the closest park to me. We get a new flat ride maybe every five or so years. I'm not complaining though, because Camden Park is a different kind of park. It's old and "nostalgic."

There aren't any modern water parks in my area either. Kentucky Kingdom and Kings Island are the closest water parks, both at 3.5 hours from my home. MA looks to have a pretty awesome water park, and it has more than two roller coasters. Camden Park is around $25 to get in, which is very high for what they offer, in my opinion. Now that I think about it, I'd love to have a Michigan's Adventure near my home.

This thread reminds me of the d ladies with their interpretations of Candy Crush and FaceBook on the Esurance commercials...

That's not how it works! That's not how any of this works!

The MiA fans (or maybe anti-fans... I'm not sure because I can never tell if they love it or hate it) seem to have a few expectations that are at odds with each other. They want it to have significant capital investment but are quasi-realistic about it not ever being a big growth park. You can't have one without the other, and the growth part has a ceiling. The park will never have 2 million guests, not because of a lack of investment, but because of geography. Cedar Point will always be around 3 to 3.1 million, and has been flat for years despite adding insanely good rides. It will never draw a Magic Kingdom-sized crowd.

Rougarou will send CP's attendance rocketing past MK and Epcot... ;~P

Seriously though, the train ride connecting the wet-and-dry parks, and the SLC, made MiA an infinitely better park. The skooters were a huge bonus as well. They should fix operations on the Mouse - but otherwise, I thought it was a WAY better park than it was a decade prior. Still not expecting a 4-D Beemer anytime soon...

Don't forget Grand Rapids. That's a nice looking ride.

Vater said:

It was prevalent with regards to Six Flags America for a while, too. But yeah, much more concentrated around those two parks.

And interestingly, fans of those two parks have unrealistic expectatons and make unrealistric comparisons to Cedar Point - a park that is also relatively 'local' and a regular visit for their customer bases.

When you get the chance to dance with the prettiest girl at the ball, suddenly your girlfriend doesn't seem quite like enough.

Sorry, Bertha ain't never gonna fit in that size 2 dress. But hey, she's a cheap date and a whole lotta fun! *nudge nudge*

I have to tip my hat to Sparty, who doesn't care for the park and hasn't been in ten years. The actions are consistent with the opinion held.

TR has always confused me. He never seems happy about the park, but he keeps going. I don't get it.