Fun things at Silver Dollar City

There are so many details at Silver Dollar City — form interesting decorations to “hidden” displays you find by looking through a hole in the wall. Here is a short video of some of them… and after my next visit, I hope to do a longer version and include more.

I think my favorite is the talking boot…

Escape Rooms in Branson

There are a number of escape rooms in Branson, Missouri. So far, we have visited:

  • Xcape Branson (Retromania) – They have four escape rooms currently, each one being based on a movie: E.T., Indiana Jones, Alien and Back to the Future. There are unlicensed, with names like “Escape to the Future” and “Escape: Temple of Doom”. We have done the E.T. and Indiana Jones ones, so far.
  • Cryptex – They have five original escape rooms. We did Poisonous Debate which was based on Sherlock Holmes.
  • The Masters of Escape – A brand new high tech VR and escape room place with six different rooms. We have done their The Chocolate Factory Escape, which is themed like Willy Wonka (you even get chocolate at the end of the game).

At some point, I’d like to do a writeup of how each of these are operated. There are some very “home made” escape rooms where you spend all your time looking for three or four digit numbers to unlock padlocks, and then there is the theme park-style high-tech offerings. You never know what you are going to get just by reading a room description!

If you would like to help me collect information on these escape rooms, and if you use Facebook, I set up a group just for this purpose:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bransonescaperooms

Until then…

Immersive Disney Animation attraction

Lighthouse Immersive is a company that creates projection shows that pop-up around the world. They currently have The New Immersive Van Gogh The Next Chapter and Immersive Disney Animation. These exhibits set up in various locations, and are currently operating in Las Vegas Nevada and Toronto Canada (for Van Gogh) and Branson Missouri and Iwate Japan (for Disney).

Somewhere I had heard about the Van Gogh exhibit (possibly last year when we visited Vegas to see Meow Wolf Omega Mart), but I did not know about the Disney show until I saw it last year as “coming soon” for Branson.

See also: Photos from Omega Mart

When it began showing last year, the $49.99-$99.99 (!) price was a nonstarter. We skipped it.

From what we could tell, you just stood in a large room and watched a montage of Disney animation projected on the walls. It did not look as interesting as the waiting area for Disney California Adventure’s Art of Animation Building.

See also: Photos of the DCA Art of Animation Building

Either due to it being off season, or perhaps low demand due to the high price, Lighthouse began running some steep discounts this year. This allowed us to see it for a mere $30. While I still think this price is too high, I think that about most of the touristy things I visit 😉

As I look at their website today, it seems the $29.99 price may be the “new” price for Branson in 2025. Maybe we weren’t the only ones thinking $50 was a bit too much…

What is Immersive Disney Animation?

The experience is basically four things:

Lobby – The ticket counter area where you wait for your showtime. There are two photo opportunities: a large inflated Mickey Mouse, and a large “Immersive Disney” backdrop.

Immersive Disney Animation lobby.

Exhibit Room – This area has displays about the history of Disney animation, as well as some photo ops and a place where you can draw Disney characters. We both had fun drawing. These are not “classes” like you see at Disney theme parks, but tables with some “how to draw” sheets on it along with paper and pencil. It is completely self-guided, but still fun.

Once you have drawn your Disney masterpiece, you can go over to The Wish Station and scan your drawing in. It is supposed to show up at the end of the show, but we did not see this happen (everyone was leaving, so we did too).

There is also an animator’s desk (like those I’ve seen at Disney theme parks), some of the models animators use for drawing reference, as well as a Steamboat Willie photo op.

Steamboat Willie photo opp. Odd choice, considering this is now in the Public Domain.

The displays here are interesting — very much like those on display at Disney theme parks. If you are a fan of Disney animation, you may find you could spend a half hour or more just trying to read everything.

There is also a small snack bar as well as a gift shop full of Disney merchandise. Do not worry about buying anything before the show — when the show ends, you will exit through the gift shop.

Show Room – I am not sure what to call this. It isn’t a theater. It is a very large room with a small amount of 2-person cube-shaped benches. There is no other seating. While watching the show, you either have to be lucky enough to claim a bench, else you have to stand or sit on the floor. For an hour.

The main show room, with projections on every wall and even the floor. Cool!

There are many projectors and lights suspended from the ceiling, as well as tall square mirrored columns along the center of the room which contain additional projectors and smoke/bubble machines that are used during the movie. The mirrors are a wonderful touch since they reflect what is on the walls so you don’t “see” the columns as obviously as you would otherwise.

There are also projections on the floor. As you walk in, if you pay attention to your steps, you will notice that things on the floor move as you walk over them. If you have never seen this, it is quite neat. For those who have been to their local science centers or kids discover centers or similar places, you’ve probably seen this on a small scale. But here, it covers the entire floor of this large area. Impressive.

The Show

When the show begins, the lights dim and the walls begin showing projected clips from various Disney animated movies. Spaced out along the wall are the “main scenes” so it is important to locate those and sit in front of them if you want to see them.

In between each of these scenes will be filler animation. These are … not great. They are often flat 2D shapes that just move around. Those are not at all “Disney quality animation.” When we watched, our bench was in front of one of these filler areas so we had to watch the main show by looking to our left or right.

One cool thing to note — those benches change color during the show. This was something I found quite neat.

Unlike a typical Disney show, there is zero storyline here. It just starts playing movie clips and continues doing so for just under an hour. Our show started at 1:10pm and ended at 2:08pm.

Dozens and dozens of Disney movies are represented — sometimes just a segment from the movie, and other times montages that mix things from different movies.

It is a fine presentation, but comes across more like a random “screen saver” than a real show. Disney is famous for story-driven entertainment, but Lighthouse does not seem to specialize in that.

Wish List: We thought they could have easily improved the experience by creating some kind of story. For example, the show could begin with everyone entering the “Disney Animation Archives” where all the cartoon props and sets and films are stored. Mickey, who starts the current show, could begin by trying to find something. As he goes through different sections, animation from that area could come to life. In classic Disney style, “something goes horribly wrong” when he opens the wrong thing and lets the villains out. That would lead to a montage of “bad guy” animation.

Same stuff, just presented in a more interesting way.

But we didn’t get that. Instead, it was clip after clip after clip. Each one came with matching floor projections (leaves, fish swimming around, and even cars driving around). All of the floor projections would move out of your way as you walked over them, and the young kids (and some adults) seemed to have fun running around and seeing what the floor would do.

But it was one hour of this. About the only thing else that happened were some bubbles (under the sea, of course), and later, some bubbles filled with smoke. The kids REALLY liked this part 😉 and I admit I always like the “smoke bubbles” because I cannot blow them at home.

It looked like most kids got bored long before the end of that hour. Frankly, I think they would do much better with a lower ticket price and a shorter show. People will line up and wait for Disney shows that might only be 15-20 minutes long. The closest Disney theme park thing this reminds me of is Mickey’s Philharmagic at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disney California Adventure in California — just without the storyline.

Then you exited through a gift shop…

Just like at Disney, you exit through the gift shop…

Is it worth it?

If you have never seen any projection show at a theme park, and have never seen the “interactive floor” projections, and if you love Disney … you will experience some great stuff here. It is a wonderful way to get immersed in Disney without the time, effort and expense of a Disney vacation.

But if you have seen these types of shows before, and experienced the displays at Disney parks or traveling exhibits, you may find this less satisfying. It certainly provides a wonderful “Disney fix” but this fix is missing the “heart” of why we love Disney so much. Sure, the great animation is still great animation, but it is reduced by the low quality of the “filler” animation. Also, after the novelty of projections on the floor and wall wears off, it’s just watching clips.

At $29.99, I think it is worth checking out. At $50, I’d say pass unless you are desperate for a Disney fix.

But wait! It can cost more!

I am a sucker for upcharges like “VIP tickets” and such. They had three levels of tickets — Basic (just the show), Premium (which gave you a light up wrist band and collectible print), and VIP (which added a cup, badge/lanyard, “front of line” entrance which would let you get to the benches first, FLEX — no idea, and free returns to see the show for 30 days other than Saturdays).

I believe the wrist bands are supposed to change color during the presentation, but I did not notice anyone with one so I cannot confirm. If they do, I suspect they change colors to match the benches. Disney has done something similar in their theme parks with color changing Mickey ears at the California Worlds of Color show. (Incidentally, the company that did the water tech for the Worlds of Color show out there is also the same company that did the Fire and Water show at Branson Landing.)

I can see the VIP pass being of use for families who want to ensure they can get a bench to sit on, and like souvenirs. Likewise, if they have kids that might want to come back again and run around during the trip. With the “come back” feature, if you saw it two times during your Branson trip, that would be the same price as buying two basic tickets. (This is comparing the $100 VIP with the $50 basic pass. At the discounted ticket price, this may not be the case.)

Conclusion

I am very glad we got to experience Immersive Disney Animation. I enjoyed drawing Minnie Mouse, getting some photos taken, and playing with the projection floors (even if I was getting bored, myself, by the end of the hour). During the peak heat of Missouri summers, I think I would have enjoyed this air conditioned indoor experience even more.

Knowing what I now know, I wouldn’t have done it at $50, but at $30 I think it is worth doing as long as you understand what you are actually going to experience.

And, I most certainly want to see some more from Lighthouse Immersive. It would be fun to see them use this type of presentation for music where you have projections going along with some genre of music (or specific band).

See for yourself

Browse over 500 photos from Immersive Disney Animation.

Or, watch some VR 360 video clips:

VR walk from the lobby through the exhibit area.
VR walk around the presentation room before the show starts.
VR clip of some of the presentation.

If you have seen this show, please leave a comment with your thoughts. If it was the greatest thing ever, let us know!

Until next time…

More Missouri and Silver Dollar City photos…

New photos from attractions in Missouri have been added to the Misc gallery:

https://misc.disneyfans.com/OtherPlaces/Missouri/index.html

This includes Sight & Sound Theatre (very well-themed and detailed), Ozark Hills Winery, and stops at interesting eateries such as The Pie Safe, Brason Walkers (zombie themed walking tacos) and more.

The Silver Dollar City gallery has also been updated bringing the count to over 6000 photos (so far):

https://themeparks.disneyfans.com/SilverDollarCity/index.html

And a bunch of VR360 photos have been posted to the “Branson in VR” Facebook group and the “Park Hopping in VR” Facebook group, as well as new VR360 videos being added to the YouTube channels for each of those.

Check ’em out… Much, much more VR stuff to be added as I get time.

Branson and Silver Dollar City photos added

Two of my galleries have been updated with new photos:

Branson Missouri photos, including A Tribute to the King, Retromania, Branson Landing water show, Masters of Escape, and much more:

https://misc.disneyfans.com/OtherPlaces/Missouri/index.html

And new Silver Dollar City photos:

https://themeparks.disneyfans.com/SilverDollarCity/SilverDollarCity2025/index.html

Also, new VR photos have been posted to Branson in VR and Park Hopping in VR on Facebook, and new VR videos are showing up on the YouTube channels for each one. Here’s a VR walk from the entrance of Silver Dollar City to the old Fire in the Hole, then over to the new Fire in the Hole.

…with many more scheduled to post.

Top 10 articles in 2024

Yep, dozens of visitors still end up at this blog! Huzzah.

I am a bit late on this update, but if you compare the Top 10 articles of 2023 to this year, you will see something interesting. It appears this site is slowly attracting Silver Dollar City visitors. This makes me happy, since this is a park I knew basically nothing about. I had visited one time as a teenager in 1984, then finally got back in 2024. Since it is just a “short” 6-hour drive down the road, I am now kicking myself for not making the trip sooner. It is far more affordable than most of the other theme parks I have visited.

Anywho, here is the list of the Top 10 most-viewed from 2024.

To be continued…

Theme parks are cheap…

”It seems like only yesterday” that SeaWorld Orlando became the first park out there to break the $50 admission price. Today, we’d “kill” for a chance to buy tickets at that low, low price.

But, theme parks are still cheap — compared to basically any other expense you have on the same trip.

In Orlando, you can still find “dirt cheap” hotels, but if you are visiting Disneyland in California, finding a hotel below $100/night near the park is rare (if it even exists at all in 2025). Thus, buying a five day pass to a big theme park is usually cheaper per-day (admission cost) than spending all those nights in a hotel.

And the hotel likely doesn’t have a single rollercoaster or stage show.

The high cost of these vacations is still from things like lodging and food. Food is especially annoying. I can get a cup of coffee down the road at Douglas Cafe in Des Moines for under three bucks. I can buy two strong margaritas for ten bucks down the road at a local bar. At a theme park, a good mixed drink is more than $16 (maybe more in 2025).

I believe it is easy to spend more on food and drinks inside a theme park in a day than the admission costs.

Yet, we seem to focus on the high cost of theme park tickets.

Perspective.

Silver Dollar Adventureland?

As rumored, Herschend has purchased the Palace Entertainment assets from Parques Reunidos. Herschend runs Silver Dollar City and Dollywood, among other places. Here is their website:

https://www.hfecorp.com

Iowa’s Adventureland was sold to Palace Entertainment a few years ago, and rumor of them getting rid of it has been circulating for awhile now.

As soon as more news floats around, I’ll see what stories I can share…

Five Immersive Worlds?

If you would have told me, even ten years ago, that I would be an annual passholder that goes to Universal Orlando Resort instead of Walt Disney WOrld, I would never have believed you. Yet, here we are…

The game is/was Disney’s to lose. Many DisneyFans such as myself have been beaten down so much by vacation spreadsheeting, daily scheduling and price increases (as well as long lines, because whatever Disney does, we seem to roll with it and line up for it) that we have started looking for more relaxing “high energy” theme park vacations.

And believe me, hanging out at Universal Studios Florida during Mardi Gras enjoying food booths, the parade and tons of street entertainment turns out to be a very relaxing way to spend vacation dollars. (Sadly, we are missing Mardi Gras this year due to lack of budget for such a trip.)

My point is: I am clearly on the pro-Universal Orlando Resort side these days.

Three Theme Parks!

Universal takes alot of flack from theme park fans for stating that it has three “theme parks.” Sure, Volcano Bay may be organized like a theme park with themed areas and decorations, but to most of us, it is a water park — not a theme park. Water parks can be as themed as you want, but if I am wearing a swimsuit and going underwater, I do not consider that a theme park. Do you?

If you do, then Walt Disney World used to have seven theme parks, I guess, since it had Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as three water parks.

Now, with the upcoming opening of Epic Universe, I suppose Universal will be saying it has four theme parks.

But I digress…

Immersion!

There is a new extended promo video for Epic Universal. It is very well done:

About the only thing I would have changed is the scene with the kid on the Mario Kart ride. That makes it look like you go somewhere and put on a VR helmet, rather than being an actual physical ride where you get on a vehicle that moves through sets.

Then there is this…

The worlds of Epic Universe are:

  • Dark Universe – an immersive area of spooky structures and Frankenstein’s castle. All the preview footage looks amazing. This looks like it has the level of detail the Harry Potter areas have.
  • Isle of Berk – this land is based on a computer animated movie, so the “look” is more cartoonish. It looks like it will be far more immersive than Toon Lagoon (with all the flat comic book images) and Marvel Superhero Island (with all the flat graphic novel images). I do not think anyone will feel like they are “in” a cartoon, but certainly will be immersed in the imagery of the cartoon.
  • Super Nintendo World – much like Isle of Berk, this one will have videogame-ish imagery. You won’t feel like you are in a “real” place, but you will be surrounded by live action versions of things you have only seen on your Nintendo on TV.
  • Ministry of Magic – if the previous two Harry Potter areas are any indication of the quality of this land, this will also be a fully immersive area where — if it were not for the trash cans and other clues — you might feel like are in a part of Paris of the time period the film is set.

….and I count four immersive worlds. Because the fifth area is apparently:

  • Celestrial Park – the entrance area of the park, with restaurants and shopping, and a water fountain show. There will also be a carousel and roller coaster.

But how immersive does this land look? Does it make you feel like you are in another world? If this had been built as an expansion to the existing Citywalk, would it fit in there? I suspect it would, though the entire area will have a consistent look of colors and decorations.

But I do not find anything about it, via promo videos or construction footage that makes me consider it anywhere near the same category of a Harry Potter land.

I get marketing. But sometimes it feels like marketing may just set people up to be disappointed. Imagine the Disney folks who hear that Universal has “three theme parks” so they give it a try only to find it has two, plus a fancy swimming park.

Does referring to Celestial Park in the same category of “immersive worlds” as Ministry of Magic work for you?

As I mentioned in my previous post, I feel that Universal could have blown people away by having the entrance area be on-par with something like the Harry Potter areas — or at least something as well detailed and unique as Port of Entry at Islands of Adventure.

Perhaps it is intentional. You walk through Citywalk and then go into Epic Citywalk and then … get transported to a truly unique world through a portal.

We shall see… I can’t wait to get out there!

Epic Universe predictions…

Much like the generation before mine has a different perspective, those of us that have been experiencing the evolution of theme parks (in my case, since the early 1970s) have a different perspective than “the kids today” on what the future looks like.

We are now just months from the opening of Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park in Orlando. Like you, I have some thoughts — possibly predictions — based on a lifetime of theme park experience and observation. This, of course, does not make them any more than guesses, but it is still fun to write about. 🙂 I encourage you to do the same. If you can type (or dictate), you can have a blog. Consider starting one and sharing your thoughts, too!

Epic Universal “predictions”

  • The entrance area is not a theme park. The park’s “Main Street” is Constellation Park. This area has a style, but not really a theme (there is a different between theming and decorating). To me, it looks like it will be Epic CityWalk … just with a carousel and roller coaster added. It will be the least interesting first impression of the three Universal parks there. I would have expected them to try to outdo the immersive Port of Entry over at Islands of Adventure. Or, better yet, something as immersive as the existing Harry Potter lands. Imagine stepping into that versus “hey, there’s a pizza place, and there’s a bar, and we can get seafood there.”
  • Admission sold separately. There are four concierge booths — one outside each of the lands. Parks don’t build things unless they need to (restrooms) or if they make money (snack bars, gift shops, restaurants). The parks “need” First Aid, but you won’t find a first aid office in each land of the existing parks. If you trip and have a bleeding knee in Marvel Superhero Island, you have to waddle your way over to Lost Continent to get a bandage. This makes me think there are plans to use them for income, such as as ticket booths for each land. You could pay to get in to the main CityWalk area of the park, then pay to enter specific lands. (Now that Epic CityWalk makes even more sense, doesn’t it?) Indeed, years ago there was speculation this is why they were designing the parks like this — disconnected lands, one entrance and exit. However, opening like that might not make sense to anyone who has ever been to any other large theme park in America. Thus, we get a “normal” theme park experience — for now. I predict that could change, especially if the park does not meet expectations. They might end up having one “low” price to enter the park, and then you could pay to get in to the land(s) you really want. (Think of all the Harry Potter fans that are dying to see the new Potter area, but have zero interest in How To Train Your Dragon.) Disney has nothing like this.
  • 2025 visits will be special. While Disney continues to spiral (even with huge lines and sold out $75 popcorn buckets), Universal is going “full steam ahead.” But are they? Entertainment has been cut at the existing parks. Street characters removed. Events scaled back. You can find broken effects and rides that have needed updating for years. “They are just using the money for Epic.” But, without committing to keeping things looking good and running good, the same will likely happen to Epic. Early visitors will see the park shiny and new, then paint will fade in the Florida sun and possibly not get repainted for a decade. Menu items that do not prove popular will be removed (I suspect the “blood” on the meals in Dark Universal may not last). Ride effects may prove troublesome and break and not be repaired, or just be shut off (Yeti, anyone? Indiana Jones “collapsing” ceiling and “three tunnels” effects, etc.). The same might happen with street characters, stage shows and other entertainment. It is therefore very important to see this park as soon as you can.
  • Later visits will be special. Things will break down. Things will not work. Going early will not give the “full” effect of the park. Visiting months later, or next year, will likely provide a more full experience. This is problematic for me. Initially I wanted to be there in the masses for the first public day, just to say “I was there”. I skipped the opening of Animal Kingdom, showing up later in the year, and missed out on the “boat ride” that was shut down quickly. I learned from this. When Disney’s California Adventure opened, I scheduled a trip 10 days after opening. I avoided the crowds (which never appeared) and hoped the park would be running a bit smoother a week in. This worked out well and I still managed to see the bee bodies that were only there my first day in the park then removed (to never return) later in that week. Had I waited much longer, I would be like most folks who never knew they existed.
  • And so on…

Islands of Adventure was supposed to be the park that would outdo Disney, but it did not really do much. As a lifelong Disney fan, I visited Universal the year before IoA opened and explored the preview center, and then returned on opening year to see it. That park opened at the end of May, and I visited six months after that. Our single day in the park, starting at “rope drop”, had us ride everything within a few hours (and that does not count the first hour where we walked around the entire park and most things were down, or had not started running yet). It was not an epic experience — so let’s hope Universal has learned alot about park operations in the past 26 years.

And pay no attention to the downtime Hagrids and many other new rides have had when they first opened. I would be shocked if we didn’t see extensive downtime on the Dark Universe and Harry Potter rides during initial weeks (or even months) of operation.

Set your expectations properly, get out there as soon as you can, and plan to return 6 months or a year later — and then we’ll know how epic Epic Universe is.

And, well, if I just happen to get a good deal on a flight, I may end up in the opening days/weeks crowds just to say “I was there.”

It should be an epic experience unlike anything we’ve seen before. Warts and all.

Until then…