MIA '06 - Grand Rapids

[MrPKI]

MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE TO ADD $6 MILLION IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR 2006!
MUSKEGON, Mich., Oct. 26, 2005 - To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park has announced plans to add more than $6 million in capital improvements for the 2006 season.

The park first opened as Deer Park in 1956 and has grown into Michigan's largest amusement and waterpark. Since 2001 when it was purchased by Cedar Fair, L.P., the park has added more than $18 million in capital improvements.

New for 2006 will be Grand Rapids, a 1,500-foot-long rapid river ride that will carry riders through a rocky canyon filled with geysers and a waterfall. It will cost more than $5 million to build, and will be the largest single ride expenditure in the history of the park. Grand Rapids will be located near the Adventure Falls water ride, and will be themed in the logging era.

"We are extremely excited about the addition of Grand Rapids and believe it is the perfect centerpiece for our Golden Anniversary Celebration," said Camille Jourden-Mark, Vice-President and General Manager of Michigan's Adventure. "Our guests will love it. They WILL get drenched!"

Riders will be challenged from beginning to end as nine-passenger rafts brave churning rapids, while navigating the twists and turns of a river canyon. Seated in circular rafts, riders will face each other, and will be able to watch as their fellow rafters get soaked by the spray and walls of waves. The adventure will last for more than 2 minutes, and can accommodate nearly 800 riders per hour. Guests must be at least 42 inches tall to ride Grand Rapids.

For the less adventurous, there will be an observation platform so families and friends of riders will be able to view the action from a dry vantage point.

Grand Rapids was designed by IntaRide, LLC of Glen Bernie, MD and Glynn Geotechnical Engineering of Lockport, NY.

Also new for next summer will be Coasters, a classic 1950's-style diner complete with a jukebox, vintage seating, and neon fixtures. Coasters will serve hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, milk shakes, malts, and other temptations. The 3,000-square-foot eatery will offer indoor air-conditioned comfort, as well as outdoor seating. Coasters will cost approximately $1.25 million to build.

"This will be a very fun summer at Michigan's Adventure," said Jourden-Mark. "We are excited to show our appreciation for 50 years of patronage and support."

Overall, Michigan's Adventure has more than 60 rides and attractions including six roller coasters. Since opening in 1998, Shivering Timbers has been consistently ranked as one of the finest wooden roller coasters in the world by Amusement Today's Golden Tickets Awards. Amusement Today is an international amusement and waterpark publication based in Arlington, Texas.

Guests at Michigan's Adventure can also get drenched in WildWater Adventure Waterpark, Michigan's largest waterpark. The 10-acre waterpark has body slides, tube slides, 3 wave pools, kiddie play areas, family raft slides, and Funnel of Fear--a giant funnel water slide that opened in 2005. Use of WildWater Adventure Waterpark is included with admission to Michigan's Adventure.

Michigan's Adventure will open for the summer on Saturday, May 20, 2006.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Michigan's Adventure, 2006 season passes will be available for only $85.00 each through October 31, 2005. This is the lowest price of the season. The passes are valid at Cedar Point and all other Cedar Fair amusement parks. For more information about Michigan's Adventure, guests may call 231.766.9959 or visit miadventure.com for the latest news.
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I think this sounds cool; I especially like the name. It's not like most of rapids rides that have clone names (White Water Canyon, Thunder Canyon, Thunder River, ect.)

[lewis31lewis52]

This will look great at the park. I've always said that a rapids ride would fit in there. I like the name too. If you don't know, Grand Rapids is a city in Michigan near Michigan's Adventure.

Now all they need is the CF park requisite Beemer Invert and I'll be all set!

[MrPKI]

Yes, I know Grand Rapids is a city in MI. My dad is from there originally so I learn these things. I've never been to the park though. Every says this is a much needed expansion though.

[Darth Gilbert]

This is fabulous news. I think the River Rapids ride will fit perfectly with the direction and demographics of the park and is a great follow up to the Funnel of Fear. :D

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see a big Hypercoaster there someday, but right now, I don't think the park could really support it.

[Harpo]

One thing that's always puzzled me about MIA... it's got a coaster called Wolverine Wildcat, which would seem to be a combination of University of Michigan and Northwestern. To continue with that theme, I think there should be a new coaster called Spartan Hoosier for Michigan State University and Indiana University. Then, perhaps we could follow it up with the Buckeye Boilermaker for Ohio State and Purdue. Since there are 11 Big Ten teams, we might run into a bit of an issue with a 6th coaster, but we'll worry about that when the time comes!

[MrPKI]

The name Buckeye Boilermaker would sicken my dad, and for that matter anyone else in our family including me.

[raptorrvnge4928]

LOL Well the coaster with the individual name should of course be the Spartan coaster... It should also be the best coaster in the park. hehehehe... even though they arent the best football team in the Big Ten.


See, thats where we need a new addition to the Big Ten.... C'mon Notre Dame!


... but hey, even though the football season is shot, you can always look ahead to basketball. Hehehehehe.

[lewis31lewis52]

Don't even make me write the B-word (I bleed maize and blue).

And MrPKI, I wasn't just refering to you, just anybody not from Michigan who may not know what Grand Rapids is.

[Harpo]

Originally posted by lewis31lewis52
Don't even make me write the B-word (I bleed maize and blue).


I'm terribly sorry. Perhaps if you cut down on the corn consumption, you can stop bleeding maize. Might want to consider a bandage, too -- terrible thing to go around bleeding all the time. Makes such a mess on the white carpeting, and blood stains are so hard to get out. :D

On the plus side, if both colors are oozing out at the same time, they'll blend into a nice green, and green goes great with the white carpet.

[fathorse]

I thought it was using Wildcat since that seems to be a common name for high school football teams (there's like 5 Wildcats near me, 2 in the same league), and since Michigan plays like one this year, it all fits nicely!

[IEATPASTE001]

So MIA is moving a city and filling it with water? Wow they have a lot of money!

[Squid2]

What, New Orleans? j/k Seriously, it's cool to hear that another river rapids ride is going in somewhere, but there's something I noticed that's got me curious.... 9 passenger boats? I know of 6, 8, and 12, but I've never heard of a odd number of passengers in a River Rapids Ride. Anyone know who's making it?

Squid2

[fathorse]

Where do you see the number 9 in that article? There's no mention of that at all.

[MrPKI]

5th paragraph. To answer your question, I'm pretty sure that it's being built by Intamin, but yeah I've never heard of 9 passenger rafts either......that's strange. Maybe they have a new model now, I don't know.

[lewis31lewis52]

Originally posted by fathorse
I thought it was using Wildcat since that seems to be a common name for high school football teams (there's like 5 Wildcats near me, 2 in the same league), and since Michigan plays like one this year, it all fits nicely!

Actually, it's called tha because it's designed after the Cincinatti Coney Island - I think - and the Wolverine was added to make it more of a different name because we are, after all, the Wolverine State.

Oh, and Harpo, I tried doing that, but it didn't seem to work. Guess I watch too much U of M football! ;)