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Your biggest positive surprise?

Shivering Timbers- Michigan's Adventure

I went into this with low expectations. It has a simple but classic out&back layout that I'm usually not all that fond of, and it's a bit of an older woodie so I expected it to be very rough. Also, the ride ops on Wolverine Wildcat stapled me, which resulted in very minimal airtime- I expected the shivering timbers ride ops to do the same.

However, this ride really blew away my expectations. The ride ops didn't staple me, which allowed a lot of ejector on the out&back layout, so I appreciated it. The ride has a good track length, being what I believe to be the sixth-longest woodie in the US. And it wasn't nearly as rough as I expected, either. I admit that I marathoned this a couple of times over while I was visiting- I just really enjoyed this ride! Honestly, in my opinion, and experience, this is the only ride that's worth riding at Michigan's Adventure.
I can only assume this is the result of the ongoing retracking? I am not sensitive to rough woodies (at least I like to think that), but while I *loved* the airtime in the front row on this, it was so ridiculously rough with jackhammering and especially potholes that I felt I had to stop after four rides if I wanted to avoid a terrible headache or worse. And I have never, on any ride, heard so much of the train complain out loud about the roughness while we were sitting on the final brake run. And that was after all four of my rides.

If it’s smoother now that would make me very happy, because I thought it had the potential to be a world-class coaster.
 
Tornado at Bakken. Yes it's violent and yes the restraint cuts into your neck on the first corner but it's all part of the fun and I can't think of many coasters that feel as out of control start to finish. I reckon the people who complain about it get excited when they ride a particularly smooth Roller Skater and think Blue Flyer is the best UK woodie.
 
I can only assume this is the result of the ongoing retracking? I am not sensitive to rough woodies (at least I like to think that), but while I *loved* the airtime in the front row on this, it was so ridiculously rough with jackhammering and especially potholes that I felt I had to stop after four rides if I wanted to avoid a terrible headache or worse. And I have never, on any ride, heard so much of the train complain out loud about the roughness while we were sitting on the final brake run. And that was after all four of my rides.

If it’s smoother now that would make me very happy, because I thought it had the potential to be a world-class coaster.

Yeah, I've only ridden it with the retrack. I rode it sometime in their 2018 operating season, so I also never got the chance to ride it with the trick track.
 
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