Park Review: Michigan's Adventure

Here is the third of my 5 park reviews from this summer. After working at Cedar Point for 4 weeks, I was able to spend a day off to take an 4.5 hour road trip to the west coast of Michigan, and visit the land of Shivering Timbers, Michigan's Adventure.

I will be using the "Eric Griswold" rating system, which rates parks and rides from -3 to +5 as follows:

+5 - The Ultimate
+4 - Top 10 material
+3 - Excellent
+2 - Above Average
+1 - Okay
0 - Slightly Favorable
-1 - Lousy
-2 - Miserable
-3 - Tear it Down and Try Again

Each ride will be rated in 3 categories: "Technical" (banking transitions, rider comfort, overall look of the ride), "Pacing" (how well the ride keeps the adrenaline flowing. (This area will have the most effect on the final rating)), and "Originality" (or lack thereof). All three scores will be weighted differently, depending on how much they affect the overall ride experience, and compiled for an overall rating.


THE STORY:

My michigan's adventure trip began at 6:00 in the morning on a crisp, clear thursday in Sandusky, OH. The road trip from Cedar Point to Michigan's Adventure was a long one, especially when I got on the wrong road in Toledo, and ended up losing an hour of travel time trying to get back on track. Grand Rapids, Lansing, and finally Muskegon. as soon as I got off the interstate, I was looking on the horizon every 2 minutes trying to see if Shivering Timbers was visible on the horizon yet. I had been waiting to see this coaster for about 4 years now, so I was very anxious to see it. However, to my suprise, I could not see any part of the park until I was practically in the parking lot. What a sight it was. Half-a-mile of hills all lined up, the train flying over the tops of all of them. The anticipation was killing me. Still, when I got in the park, I first took a classic, fun ride on Zach's Zoomer, and then hopped on Corkscrew (ugh...), Mad Mouse, and Wolverine Wildcat. I new from the beginning that Shivering Timbers would be my new favorite wood coaster (I hadn't been to Holiday World yet), but the question was by how much. (more about this coaster in the review). I went on Shivering Timbers 5 times, grabbed a lemonade and a funnel cake, hit the water park, and at 8:30 pm, greatly satisfied with a great day, headed home. I don't remember much about the trip back except that I was about to fall asleep the whole time. I made 3 stops between Muskegon and Ann Arbor to get a caffinated drink, but it wasn't helping. I finally just pulled over at a rest stop and fell asleep. At 4:30 in the morning, I woke up again and finished travelling back to Cedar Point.



MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE - MUSKEGON, MI


THE PARK: +3

This park is off to a great start. The prices are absolutely dirt-cheap. Admission is only $23, and most of the games are half as expensive as the same game at Cedar Point. Admission to the small water park is free, although it doesn't add much to the park. Shivering Timbers, of course, is the real reason everyone comes to this park, and I must admit the park's rating would be immensely lower than it is now. Still, this park has a good showing for its size, and was well worth the trip. The only thing that the park doesn't have is variety. There are 2 junior coasters, 2 big wood coasters, a wild mouse, and an arrow corkscrew. If this park was a little bigger, and had a few more coasters, it would be nearly on the same level as Cedar Point, dare I say. Still, I reccomend this park asit is off to a really good start.




THE COASTERS:



ZACH'S ZOOMER - low +2

For a junior coaster, this is a very fun ride. I'm an ACE member, so maybe I like classic coasters like this a little more than most people, but I still think this coaster was very fun, and it has charm. There are some good lateral g's in the turns, and it has definite charm to it. True, it isn't a mega-thrill machine, but I enjoyed it nontheless. If there is one thing I have learned in the past few years in ACE, it is that a coaster doesn't have to be the tallest and fastest to be a good ride.




CORKSCREW - 0

I was never a fan of Arrow corkscrews, and this one is especially mediocre. It looks severely undersupported in the corks, does not have the charm of the Corkscrew at Cedar Point, is shorter, rougher, and the line absolutely crawls. The paint scheme is rather snazzy, and it is a nice looking corkscrew coaster, but the fact remains that it is still just a older coaster that has become completely obselete by now. Ride it for numbers.

Technical: -1
Pacing: 0
Originality: high 0




MAD MOUSE - high +2

I was plesantly surprised by this wild mouse coaster. The corners, of course, had lots of lateral g's, and the quick, fast drops made this coaster really feel out of control. The overall ride was a little short, the seats were slightly uncomfortable, and the line was the longest in the whole park, but I still think this ride deserves some credit for being a fun ride that gives you a nice little thrill and makes you smile at least. Also, if anyone thinks that banked corners don't show up on wild mouse coasters, take a look at this coaster. There are several banked corners near the end, and even a bit of trick track just before the brakes. Just another one of those little surprises that make this ride fun.

Technical: low +1
Pacing: +3
Originality: high +2




WOLVERINE WILDCAT - low +3

Looking back at this ride, it doesn't seem like this coaster could be much for a big thrill, but I was very impressed at how much this Schmeck-style woodie delivers. The real selling point of this coaster is the out-of control feeling. There is a good, powerful combination of turns and speed hills, generating a fun combination of g's. If you have never seen the track "give" on a wood coaster, you will see it on this one. one of the fan turns passes within feet of the queue line, and you can see the wood get pushed toward you very well. The line moves very slow, but it is well worth it. And with the completion of this coaster, it was finally time for me to ride the main attraction, Shivering Timbers.

Technical: low +3
Pacing: +3
Originality: low +3




SHIVERING TIMBERS - +5

What can I possibly say about this ride short of "Fabulous"? This is one of those coasters that you truly can't find anywhere else. Just looking at it gives you the feeling that it is amazing. Hill, hill, hill, hill, hill, unbelievable. Well, spleandor out of the way, I'll move on to the rating breakdown.

Technical: high +4
The only place this ride loses any points in is technical. The turnaround is poorly shaped, and there is one hill where the train comes down hard. Despite that, this is truly an amazing ride. It looks splendid, the hills are shaped perfectly to provide maximum airtime, and the line moves at a very fast pace compared to the park's other rides. This is a coaster worth traveling hundreds of miles just to ride.

Pacing: +5
The lift is 125 ft. There is a 120 ft first drop, then a 100 ft drop, then a 96 ft drop, each lifting you out of your seat the whole time. You think it's about time for the turnaround after the 3 big drops, but then 2 more hills are thrown at you. Half a mile away, the train whips around a fast turn, and takes a short break as it levels out for just a second. Then, the track dips and turns right back into the ride, throwing you into a double-up that throws you out of your seat, whips you sideways violently in the trick track, and then hits you with three more wicked fast camelbacks. How this coaster possibly maintains that kind of speed after a mile of track, I have no idea... but it does. You then get thrown sideways, and hanging on for dear life as you roar through the final double helix with great posotive and lateral g's. Finally, you hit the brakes and breathe for the first time in nearly 3 minutes. Truly amazing stuff.

Originality: +5
This coaster is something truly unique. The trick track is a very nice surprise. The three drops at the beginning are unprecidented in the world of wood coasters. The hills all redefine the word "airtime", taking you completely off your seat at least 10 times. And who can argue with the classic out-and-back layout? (Well, this is more of an out-out-out-out-and-back.) In the end, and a trip to Holiday World later, this truly unique an mosterous woodie slipped ahead of The Villain at Geauga Lake and into the #3 spot on my top wood coasters list. If you have never been to Michigan's Adventure, you should definitely make the trip and ride this coaster. It is just amazing.



Well, that's about it. I had a great day, and headed back to Cedar Point anxiously awaiting my next day off so I could finally take the trip I have been waiting for for so long... Holiday World. Till next time, see ya'. [;)]

Next park review: Holiday World

-review posted by CJD

Another good park review cjd. I pretty much agree with every thing you had to say a rate about Michigan's Adventure. Shivering Timbors does rule!

are you going to hershy park?

I will be going to Hersheypark next summer. And I also hope to go to Dorney Park, Dollywood, and Paramount's King's Dominion. And I will be making a return trip to Holiday World, and of course I will be riding Cedar Point coasters all summer. And if I have enough money at the end of the school year, I will be going to Wild Adventures and Six Flags Over Georgia. All things considered, I am hoping to break 115 coasters by the end of summer 2005.

you are SO lucky man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![:)]

hey, I don't work during my entire summer vacation for nothing. All these trips this past summer cost me about $450 in gas, food, and park tickets. I expect it will cost even more next summer because all of the trips are so long. Also, I don't use hotels, so I have to leave as soon as I get off work, at about 6 pm the night before the park visit, sleep in the car, then finish the trip early in the morning. After the park visit, I drive as far as I can that night, and then sleep in the car, and arrive back at Cedar Point before I have to go back to work at 4 pm, and then work until park closing at 11:30. Alot of work for one visit to an amusement park. (but I think its worth it)