The 2027 season passes for Iowa’s Adventureland have been put on sale. The highest end pass allows access to 11 formerly Palace Entertainment parks, with none of the Herschend Family Entertainment parks on the list (such as Dollywood or Silver Dollar City). Unless additional parks are added later, it looks like we have another year to wait and see how HFE will be integrating the Palace Entertainment parks with their own properties.
Here is a story I do not know if I ever shared on this site.
In December 2023, we visited Universal Orlando and watched their Universal Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s. Here are my photos of that specific parade:
I noticed Universal had a video crew set up just across the street from us. I also noticed they were using a large professional VR camera (a large black sphere covered in camera lenses) to record the parade. I was intrigued because I had brought my own VR camera and was set up to record the parade from the same location they had chosen.
Here are photos of the crew and their equipment, as well as my camera mounted on the railing.
I wondered what they were going to do with this VR footage. They had their camera surrounded by a crowd. That would allow a 360-degree video to turn and look at them rather than the parade. How were they going to deal with that?
The following year, we found out. Universal posted this “immersive 180” degree video about their Christmas event. Instead of a full 360-degree video, they posted it using just the front portion. This allows you to look up, down, left and right, but not behind. Here is their video (and be sure to use your mouse to “look around, up and down” while you watch it):
Near the end of this video is where they used footage they recorded that night. At about 4:17, you can see us across the street wearing our yellow/orange Wizard Quest shirts. My camera was on the railing directly in front of us.
And here is the view from my camera around that same time, with their camera crew in the background:
I never posted my video of the parade. There were already dozens, if not hundreds, of videos of it that year. But now that I think about it, I was there on a special night when Universal was recording footage for one of their official videos. Because of this, I decided to upload my video with notes about the camera crew being there.
And now you know (er, have seen) the other side of the story 😉
Fandom is a weird state of mind. For this specific post, I will be referring to the fandom of theme parks, amusement parks and other “useless recreation” activities.
Theme park fans will speculate endlessly about what is coming next. If construction is underway, you can bet there will be endless blog posts, videos and social media updates about every little detail. All the “experts” will chime in.
That is part of the fun, just like discussing what you think will happen in the next season of your favorite TV show, or in Part 2 of a movie.
Some folks don’t get it. “Why don’t you just ask?” or “Why don’t you just wait? They are making an announcement next week?“
That is like looking at the end of the book to see how it ends. Or looking up walkthrus and puzzle solutions to a game. Or reading spoilers online before you go see a movie. Or watching full video tours of a park before you visit…
Some folks do that. Some prefer to speculate and enjoy discussing it.
I know I could just write a park and ask them questions about their “secret language” or “hidden easter eggs,” and they might tell me. But I think it is way more fun to figure out the puzzle without someone giving you the solution.
Most folks who are into movies like good movies, and dislike bad movies. If a movie is a remake, and is good, folks like this may like it. If the movie is an original, but is bad, folks like this may dislike it.
Then there are the haters that simply hate something because it is a remake, regardless of if it is a good movie or a bad movie.
Disney has put out a number of live action remakes of their animated films. Some have done better at the box office than the original animated version, and others have … not.
When a remake happens, and the content is changed too much from the original, some folks will dislike it. It could be simple — “why is her hair straight?” — or more involved — “why did they completely leave out the dragon? he was a major part of the original!”
With the live action Moana being discussed, early reviews of it I have watched have not criticized it for changing things too much … but … for making it so close to the original it falls into the “what’s the point” category.
Honestly, I think I am on the side of “make it like the original” unless there is some universally hated aspect of the original that a remake could fix. You know the types… “I loved everything about this movie except the ending.” A remake could change the ending and, perhaps, make people happier.
But for Disney, if they change too much, haters hate. If they make it too close to the original, solving that issue, apparently haters hate.
When Iowa’s Adventureland was purchased by Palace Entertainment in 2021, it joined a list of other amusement centers owned by them. Certain levels of the Adventureland season pass gained access to other Palace properties.
With HFE’s original park, Silver Dollar City, a mere six hour drive from Des Moines, folks began to wonder if their Adventureland season pass would allow access to Silver Dollar City.
HFE confirmed early on (via website updates) that the Adventureland pass was still only good at other former-Palace Entertainment Parks. The HFE parks were not part of the perks, currently.
When we visited Silver Dollar City this year, we asked at the ticket counter if the Adventureland season pass offered a discount on day tickets there. They said no. We have since confirmed that they actually do, but not at the ticket counter. You have to go to guest relations first:
“Adventureland Pass Holders receive 50% off full priced one-day admission for the pass holder only. Please visit our Guest Relations team, located on the right-hand side of the pathway just before the park turnstiles and present your Adventureland pass to purchase the discounted ticket. The offer is only for the passholders.”
HFE Customer Support
When we inquired about discounts at other HFE parks, they did not know.
“We are very limited on this information. I have forwarded your email to the appropriate leadership team to answer your question. Thank you!”
HFE Customer Support
We have since received more details. HFE does not know, but…
“I have been advised that the Adventureland Pass Holder will need to reach out to Adventureland regarding discounts/benefits for other properties.”
HFE Customer Support
So … it might. HFE does not know which of their parks get a discount, but Adventureland should. Fair enough.
We have been Silver Dollar City passholders for the past few years and find the park very unique and charming. And, they have free parking for everyone, not just pass holders! Maybe we’ll see some of these perks make their way into the Iowa park.
The Aukipi Dictionary, now in its second edition and sold at Lost Island Theme Park in Waterloo, Iowa, can be useful in understanding all the signs you see in the park.
The dictionary itself is needed to understand the subtitle:
“An Official Auk Modu Language Guide”
Auk means “lost” and modu means “island”, so it is the Lost Island Language Guide for the island’s language, Aukipi. And you can infer some meaning of that word if you know that ipi means “to speak.”
They must have had such a great time coming up with this language!
With our dictionary in hand, let’s translate some signage we see in the parks…
Realms (lands) of the park
Ara Matua – “to open” “ground”
Awa – “water”
Mura – “fire”
Tamariki – “spirit”
Udara – “air”
Yuta – “earth”
Lost Island 2025, Awa (water) entrance.Lost Island 2025, Mura (fire) entrance.Lost Island 2025, Tamariki (spirit) entrance.Lost Island 2025, Udara (air) entrance.Lost Island 2025, Yuta (earth) entrance.
Rides of the park
Not all of the rides use the Aukipi language. You will find things like “Sea Swell” that are in English. But, some of them make more sense if you know what the word(s) mean…
Amara Aviators – amara means “flying machine”
Awaati Water Battle – awaati means “otter”
Eeki Eeki Escape – eeki eeki means “giant squid”
Golapa Sprouts – golapa is a “species of tree, identified by its helicopter seed pods”
Kapulele Gliders – kapulele means “butterfly”
Kukui Station – kukui means “crazy”
Lokolo – “caterpillar”
Mama Pezaki – pezaki is a “topical fish; fuchsia in color”
Mura Dancer / Mura Fury – mura means “fire”
Nopuko Air Coaster – unofficially, some fans pronounces this as “no puke, oh!” and say it means “do not puke”. It is not listed in the dictionary 😉
Ohu Hoppers – ohu means “frog”
Tuka Tumbler – tuka means “turtle”
Lost Island 2026, Lokolo (caterpillar).
Shops of the park
While some of the locations have English names, such as “Whalebone Grill” and “Thirsty Voyager”, others use the in-park language:
Totara Market – totara is a “species of tree”, and this food location looks as if it was built into the base of a large tree.
Udaran Delights – Udarans are the people of the Udara (air) realm.
Ummi Ummis – ummi ummi means “food” so this location is literally a stand with “Foods” on it 😉
Lost Island 2025, Totara Market
Where to go now?
And with the dictionary giving us the Aukipi word for restroom – wakatiki – you might expect to look for that on signs, but thankfully they went with English on those.
Lost Island 2025, Udara restroom sign.
The one thing that might make this more fun is if the signage were bilingual, like the signs at the Japan Disney parks. I have never been to those parks, so I don’t have a photo to include, but here is a blog post about it if you are curious:
The people of Lost Island will speak to you with phrases in this language, and you will find more items to decode (using the dictionary, or my online translator) throughout the park. They even have a special font they use.
This is not your average amusement park — it is an actual theme park.
I love Lost Island so much.
What did I miss that you think should be in this article? Leave a comment…
I do a poor job of remembering to post here about the 360-degree photos and videos I have been adding. There are now over 100 360-degree photos taken at Atlas9 in Kanas City shared to my Park Hopping in VR Facebook group. Here is a link to the gallery:
I have also uploaded a 360-degree video of various scenes from within the attraction. Even when you can look up, down, left and right (and even behind you), these images don’t do justice to what actually being there is like.
Atlas9 Scenes
And, I have an 18-minute walk through of most of the rooms in the attraction. I missed a number of them, but this should give you an idea on how all the craziness is connected. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Atlas9 Walkthru
Be sure to check out the 90+ 360-degree videos shared on my Park Hopping in VR YouTube channel.
Viewing (and recording) this type of video is generally very boring (at least to me), but it is great for preservations. Posting in coming weeks are similar 360-degree videos from the Lost Continent section of Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando. That area is now a construction zone, and I had recorded it my previous visit due to rumors that this would be happening. I just regret not doing it before they already had much of the area closed down.
TL:DNR – Folks say a lot of stuff on the internet. This article is just a compilation of some predictions I’ve seen about Universal allowing or NOT allowing adults without children access to their new kiddie park. Don’t shoot the messenger 😉
Universal Kids Resort is a new kiddie park opening July 1st in Frisco, Texas. Frisco is about 30 miles outside of Dallas, and about 40 miles from the very first and original Six Flags.
The official website describes the Universal Kids Resort as follows:
“Opening July 1, 2026 in Frisco, Texas, this first-of-a-kind resort is specifically designed and developed for families with young children. Enjoy Universal Destinations & Experiences’ iconic brand of entertainment, adventure and fun, bringing to life beloved characters and stories in ways that will just wow the youngest theme park goers in a totally inclusive way.”
Unlike the other Universal Studios parks in America – Universal Studios Hollywood and the three theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort – this one is specifically targeting families with young children. There are no grownup rides in the park, though there are family friendly rides that parents can ride with their small child.
Folks have been comparing it to the concept of the LEGOLAND parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centers. Fun for kids, but not necessarily something a grown adult would have much interest in. (Though, if you are into LEGOs as an adult, I could definitely see the appeal of a LEGO amusement center.)
The opening of this Universal kiddie park comes just a few years after the opening of the adult-oriented Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas. That Universal experience has multiple bars, “scary” haunted houses and roaming serial killers and is about as opposite as you can get from Universal Kids Resort.
Will adults without children be allowed in?
When the park was announced, there was much interest coming from Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort fans. Those without children seemed to agree they wouldn’t be interested in visiting to ride the kiddie rides, but they were interested in seeing what Universal would do with the concept.
Then the question started popping up: would adults without children be allowed in?
The vast majority of people are good people, but these days an adult going into Chuck E. Cheese without kids may turns some heads. It is still a restaurant, after all, and serves beer and wine, but . . .
Some armchair theme park “experts” confidently stated that Universal could not turn away guests without children, and wouldn’t want to turn away extra money even if they could do that. Meanwhile, some folks involved in the legal aspect of family law mused on how this could go very wrong the first time something bad happened because the wrong “childless adult” was let in.
I’ll say it again: the vast majority of people are good people. But sometime it does only take “one bad apple“…
That’s ridiculous! But is it?
Even here in Des Moines, Iowa there have been scandals involving our local amusement park. Back around 2010 there were news articles about an incident where an adult had inappropriate contact with under-aged guests in the park. There was another incident involving a park entertainer, though I seem to recall they were caught after they left park employment. These instances caused the park to release a statement saying it would start checking all season pass holders against a sex offender database.
Adults without children go to amusement and theme parks all the time. While amusement parks are certainly designed with children in mind, they often have many rides a child cannot go on (roller coasters and such). Some even have places kids can’t go – such as full bars serving alcohol – or events that are open only to those 18+ or 21+. While some complain about “Disney Adults,” and some would prefer lower crowd levels by requiring only families with kids to be there, the reality is … adults enjoy having fun too 😉
But Universal Kids Resort is not one of those parks. I understand why so many were curious about how Universal Studios would handle this subject.
Now we know. I guess?
Portions of the theme park universe lit up recently when the first full video reports about Universal Kids Resort hotel were uploaded. Universal invited some out to stay at the new hotel and explore the park. This type of coverage is a great way to get the word out about new things, and Universal (and other parks) leverage this “free publicity” heavily.
Inevitably, the internet started saying “but they don’t have kids — why are they even there?” To me, the answer is simple: they love Universal and/or theme parks. It is possible to enjoy visiting a well-done theme park without ever riding a ride. Heck, many of us often do that (not voluntarily) when we go to a park during peak season and all the rides have 3 hour waits so we end up not riding rides 😉
Frankly, I have thought we might like to visit this resort if I ever make it to the Meow Wolf installation nearby in Grapevine, TX. I’d love to document it and add it to my theme parks photo gallery.
But I think we may want to bring a grandkid with us. Somehow I think an adult without children wandering around children play areas and taking photos would not be a good look in 2026 😉
Comment away if you wish…
UPDATE: Now that I have seen video coverage of the park, including multiple full walkthroughs, are are no longer interested in visiting it with a grandkid. We have a park here in Iowa – Lost Island Theme Park – that actually looks better themed than Universal Kids Resort, and has more things an adult can enjoy. It will be interesting to see how Universal’s new park evolves in coming years. I expect it to be quite popular with its target demographic of children.
In the early days of the World Wide Web (ie, mid 1990s into the 2000s), I took photos to share because there were so few pictures on the web. Back then, most folks didn’t even know the term “digital camera.” It was rare for me to see anyone else walking around Disneyland using one. Today, almost everyone carries a 4K camcorder and high-megapixel digital camera with them at all times — their phone.
Yet, I still take photos and share them, but today it is mostly for preservation. I frequently find myself consulting my galleries to see what used to be where. “Did they really cut a new hole in the sidewalk to add this tree? Wow, it looks like they did.”
Lost Island 2026 – new shade tree planted.
My recent visit to Lost Island Theme Park in Waterloo Iowa was the first time I have not taken my digital camera with me to a theme park since I got my first one in 1996. The few photos I took were done with my phone. The only time I previously did this was not by choice — I was visiting an attraction that did not allow digital cameras 😉 but was fine with cell phones. (More likely, still not fine with phones, but they know if they banned those they will lose customers…)
I also prefer using a digital camera out of politeness to guests around me. When we are in a dark area (such as a theater or indoor attraction), folks using their phones to take pictures/videos light up the area with their screens. I specifically get digital cameras that have an eyepiece/viewfinder so I can take pictures without emitting extra light from a screen. Folks who visit big parks like Disney or Universal will no doubt know what I am talking about when you have literally dozens of phone screens in front of you all lit up as you are trying to watch something in a darkened theater.
Is VR better for preservation?
Most folks rightfully think that virtual reality is only for viewing in a VR helmet. While this is true for that kind of VR, taking “VR photos” is really just taking a 360 degree image that lets you point the viewfinder later in any direction you choose. Unfortunately, the quality of these cameras is …very poor… compared to even a cheap cellphone. (Techies can read this blog post from another one of my sites for an explanation.)
Lately, I have been doing more VR recording using cheap consumer cameras such as the Insta360 X5 or DJI Osmo 360. While these cameras can take “normal” photos, they are nowhere as good as what I can take with my phone or digital camera. They also have no viewfinder so the screen has to be used when taking a phone (or a phone screen, linked to the camera) causing the battery life is much worse than a decent digital camera.
I take 360 degree photos to preserve the location. For example, using my phone I took this photo of the opening show at Lost Island:
I was pretty far away, so I used my phone’s zoom. The subject of the photo is the park’s characters. They represent the realms of the park (Fire, Earth, Water and Air). This photo is fine, but does not tell the full story like a VR photo can.
Here is a different photo, taken further back using the Insta360 X5 in photo mode.
Click that and you can look around and find the characters in the distance. You can also see the crowd level during this performance.
And as a moment in time, we now can see what early morning crowd levels were on a Saturday in early June in 2026. As the park’s popularity grows, there may be a day when hundreds of people are watching this show, but a close up of the characters will look the same and not reflect that.
But people hate effort…
The problem with 360 photos is the extra effort it takes to view them. While you can view them on a web page (if it has a special plug in such as the one above) or Facebook, you would need a special app installed to view it on your phone or on your computer. If I just send you this image, you probably wouldn’t care for how it looks:
DCIM\Camera01\IMG_20260606_110835_00_002.ins
Everything is all warped and wobbly due to this being a combination of two opposite-facing 180 degree fisheye lenses stitched together in this weird panorama.
Also, we tend to be a bit lazy. When you take a photo and show it to me, you did all the work composing that image to capture what you wanted me to see. If you show me a 360 photo, what were you taking a picture of? “Everything” is the answer. But why would I care? What would I want to look at in your photo of “everything”? Now I have to do work and scroll around and see if I can figure out what might be interesting in it.
Even if 360 photos eventually get supported natively on iPhones and Androids without requiring downloading a special viewer app, I am doubtful they would catch on. People hate effort.
But VR better for preservation…
Hopefully this silly demonstration makes the point that capturing a location in VR is a much better way to preserve all the details. Sure, someone can take a photo of the Disneyland castle…
Disneyland castle, 2022.
…but unless they took time to take other photos of areas around it, such as gardens, walkways and such…
Disneyland castle path, 2022.
…you really have no way to understand what the area was like. And that’s just fine — you see a picture, you either like it or dislike it or don’t care about it at all — and “it is what it is.”
Back to 1996
In 1996, my first digital camera has such limited memory I could only take 16 “high resolution” (i.e., 640×480) images before it was full. Instead, I would shoot in a much lower 320×240 resolution to capture more photos. Back then, that was still half the size of a PC screen with a VGA monitor.
In 2026, those 1996 photos and even the “high resolution” photos that camera took are the size of a thumbnail on a modern display 😉 They are even too tiny for my text watermark to fit on them when I share them on this blog:
Back to 2026
While modern cameras can take higher resolution photos, and have enough memory to take thousands of them in a day instead of dozens … you’d still not capture everything unless you were really trying. For example, in 1997 I created a “virtual tour of Disneyland Main Street”. You can still find it on my ancient site:
I walked around Main Street and stopped at different locations and took a photo facing in each direction.
Facing NorthFacing EastFacing SouthFacing West
In 1997, this was a ludicrous experiment – spending that much time walking to all those locations and taking four photos. And cameras were not fast back then, so you had to wait a bit between each photo while it saved.
Pity the resolution I had to use was so small (320×240) as this may be the most complete tour of Main Street from that era you will find online in 2026.
Basically, I have been hoping for a way to preserve places since I had my original digital camera.
In conclusion…
Technology has chained, and while I still prefer using my digital camera instead of my phone or VR camera, I expect to slowly start taking more and more VR photos for preservation.
Until that time, you can check out my galleries with over 250,000 digital photos, dating back to 1996.
Decisions, decisions. Should I watch a 26 minute video to get a dozen news tidbits, or glance at a website and read all that news and more in just a minute?
We are in a world where, on one hand, we have more time due to all the technology around us — washing machines, dishwashers, robot vacuums, and so on. Remember hand writing? Now we type and print a full page faster than we could have written out a post card.
Yet, theme park news has migrated to a slow, inefficient form. Video is great if you get to see moving video of something being described … but when it’s 90% on somebody’s face just talking to you, with occasional still photos popping up, some of the precious time technology has gained you has now been stolen by the same technology.
Maybe I should make a 26 minute video to rant about that…
