New ride(s) for michigans adventure?

Timber-Rider said:
I think it was around 1978 or 1979 that there were plans to build a replica of Cedar Point near Grand Rapids in the Kentwood area. I think that they They reported the plans on the local news, not knowing that the man who was selling the land to the developers was unaware that he was selling his land to develope [sic] an amusement park, and he raised the price of his land from $25,000.00 to $3,000,000.00 overnight.
[/sic]

See, Uncle Walt was a smart one. I can't remember the exact numbers, but I know the parcels of land that now make up WDW were all purchased on the cheap by Reedy Creek, Tomahawk Properties and other dummy corporations that he was responsible for. If the name "Disney" had leaked out, I can imagine the ridiculous inflation.

Timber-Rider said:
I think it was around 1978 or 1979 that there were plans to build a replica of Cedar Point near Grand Rapids in the Kentwood area. I think that they wanted to compete with the Marriott company and their replica parks of Great America. (I think they were planning to expand as well.)

I've found several articles on the proposed park. It was actually 1974 and south of Detroit. From a July 20, 1974 Amusement Business article:

"Cedar Point, Inc., operator Of the Ohio lakefront funspot of the same name, has announced plans to invest $12 to $15 million in a new recreation center to be located 65 miles south of Detroit in the neighboring state of Michigan.

However, it is reported that about 100 residents of Cambridge Township near the proposed site in Lenawee County plan to protest the venture on the basis of the traffic problems such a facility may generate.

According to plans announced by Cedar Point, Inc., the new facility would he constructed on a 450-acre site and employ about 3,000 workers each season. Planned opening date is the spring of 1976."

----

Also of interest, a couple of weeks later Cedar Point and Marriott planned to merge. From a August 17th AB:

"Marriott Corp. and Cedar Point Inc. announced Aug. 5 an agreement in principle for the merger of Cedar Point and Marriott on the basis of 1.25 Marriott common shares for each of the approximately 2,982,000 outstanding common shares of Cedar Point."

I don't have any other articles in the FAA archive, but obviously neither ever happened :)

Sandusky? tons of things there?

Well, I meant that in relation to the area around MiA. Sandusky has quite a bit to offer for it's size, in addition to the fact that it pulls from some cities AND add in the fact that they market the area as a destination for a good weekend trip.

I mean, the beaches and boating alone will draw people, but there's waterparks, amusement park, other tourist junk around CP, museums, etc.

decil76 said:
The thing is, what does the area around Cedar Point have that MiA doesn't?

Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Detroit, Toledo, Columbus, Indianapolis, Lake Erie Islands, Sandusky Bay, a mile of beach, no zoning restrictions to speak of... yeah, that sounds just like Muskegon. :) The population draw alone should be a pretty good clue.

...not to mention something north of an extra 2M guests per year.

I know plenty of people who go to the Sandusky area and never step foot in Cedar Point. It's a tourist area, with or without the park.

The Gemini was originally slated to be built at an amusement park owned by cedar point in Fort custer just outside of battle creek and kalamazoo on I-94 which is half way between detroit and chicago. The deal fell thru becuase of the potential of a live ammo dump and some arab business men's claim there was oil in the area or something to that fact. I believe Cedar Fair still owns part of the land that was orignally going to be the site.

LostKause said:
I know plenty of people who go to the Sandusky area and never step foot in Cedar Point. It's a tourist area, with or without the park.

Yes. But, if you honestly believe the city would have ever become what it is today without the park, your living in a dream world.

Correct you are. But, then again alot of people on this site live in a dreamworld,

Touché

Jason Hammond said:

Yes. But, if you honestly believe the city would have ever become what it is today without the park, your living in a dream world.

I agree with that 100%, but that's not really the discussion here. People wonder why MiA isn't or didn't get what CP did. The reasons are because CP draws from more people, is in a tourist area (that the park made it a tourist area isn't relevant), and there are more people hitting the area up because it's a tourist area, where as the area around MiA is not.

I already know, and will testify in court even, that I am living in a dreamworld.

I am not aware of Sandusky's history. I wonder if Cedar Point was not there, if people would still go for fishing, boating, and touring the islands. I believe that not all tourism in Sandusky is related to the park.

MiA doesn't get what Cedar Point has because it is not as popular of a park.

Chicken or the egg...

The history of the park suggests that Cedar Point is where it is because the Lake Erie shoreline was a vacation destination. Not the other way around.

The "west coast" on Lake Michigan is a vacation destination as well. But, it just doesn't have the same population centers to draw from. It's pretty country over there---my daughter just got back from Blue Lake, just a few miles northeast of the park, in the Manistee National Forest---but there just isn't the same critical mass.

Put in bay, cedarpoint, kalahari, all the beaches, the marinas, and several other things are in sandusky.

I don't get it when people say that michigans adventure does not have enough people to draw from in the area. The park has been very buisy the past few times I have been there, and the waterpark was packed as well. By looking into the waterpark, it looked like a sea of people. So people are going to the park, and lots of them. The park is located right in the middle between detroit and chicago and also has the surrounding area to pull from.

All amusement parks started out small, and grew over time. I don't expect them to pull a geauga lake, and dump 5 coasters into the park. What I would like to see is maybe a few new flat rides or drop tower, a show kinda like the red garter at cedarpoint(only good), a camp snoopy, and most importantly......complete the path next to wolverine wildcat.

I don't even want them to get another coaster for a while.They don't need another coaster right now. If anything, I would like to see another train added to wolverine wildcat because the line gets crazy long for that ride.

We went a few weeks ago, and had to wait over a half hour for shivering timbers. We even had to wait a few cycles for the falling star. It was probaly the buisiest I have seen the park in a while.

People are going to the park mostly for the water park. If you give them a reason to go the the ride side, they will come. I also think part of the reason is that a lot of people have the idea that all wooden coasters are ruff. Michigans adventures large coasters are all wood(except thunderhawk).

Again, just my oppinion.

crazy horse said:
The park has been very buisy the past few times I have been there, and the waterpark was packed as well. By looking into the waterpark, it looked like a sea of people.

Yeah, when I was there it was indeed packed to the gills, as they say. But the park is freaking TINY, and the midways are little more than wide sidewalks in many places. So, while it may look packed, that same crowd at a park like CP would likely mean 15 minute waits for even the park's most popular attractions.

The park is located right in the middle between detroit and chicago...

I think you should get a new map if you ever travel to Chicago. :)

Muskegon is nowhere near either Chicago or Detroit - over 3 hours from either, while I can get to Sandusky from just north of Detroit in just over 2 hours.

3 Hours....In between detroit and chicago.

3 Hours is still well within the "day trip" guidlines.:)

It actually takes me a little longer to get to michigans adventure, than it does cedarpoint.I live about a half hour north of detroit.

The water park Midways flow better than the ride side. A Planet snoopy would be a welcome addition to the park, but a better addition or upgrade would to just redesign the whole ride sides midway and ride placements. Obviously I am not saying they need to relocate the coasters but the flat rides are just well dumped where they had electrical hook ups it appears. Cedar Fair has upgraded the Infostructure drastically since they took over and it is a very welcome and noticible diffrence. A better layout on the land they have would be better.