Retro digital photo essays from DisneyFans.com.
The news broke a few days ago … the deal has been done. Herschend Family Entertainment now owns the Palace Entertainment parks, including our own Adventureland amusement park here in Iowa.
When I get around to merging in my separate Adventureland blog into this one, I’ll post some follow-ups with more “unsubstantiated crazy rumors” about what folks believe can/will/might happen next 😉
The fourth season of the Lost Island Themepark here in Iowa began this weekend. For 2025, the Nika’s Gift carousel has opened, and construction on their new coaster, Fire Runner, continues. If all goes well, it could open this season, giving the park two new rides for 2025.
Other rides that have been added since the park opened in 2022 include the water ride Yuta Falls and the Matugani roller coaster.
If you are considering a visit, take a look through the photo galleries here from 2022, 2023 and 2024 (with photos from 2025 to be added later this year).
https://themeparks.disneyfans.com/LostIsland/index.html
It is a wonderful park with a very unique theme that is full of plenty of lore, including its own language, and original characters. Check out their official website for more information:
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…
When I set up this sub-site to host my Adventureland History Wiki, I created this blog to hold Adventureland-specific posts. Since then, the scope of my main blog has increased, so I think I will move all of these Adventureland posts over to the main blog to keep everything in one place.
Hopefully this will go smoothly. I am hoping to work on this some upcoming weekend.
Once done, I will try to start writing some new retro photo essays about Adventureland, similar to the ones I’ve written about Disney and Universal. Adventureland just celebrated its 50th birthday, so it will be fun to look back 30 years ago when I first started taking photos at the park.
To be continued…
There are a number of escape rooms in Branson, Missouri. So far, we have visited:
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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.)
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).
Browse over 500 photos from Immersive Disney Animation.
Or, watch some VR 360 video clips:
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…
NOTE: Herschend does not own Adventureland. They plan to own it, but the sale has not yet happened. Per HFE:
“We do not currently operate any Palace Entertainment properties. Until the sale is final, please direct any questions to the relevant property or a Palace HQ representative.” – Herschend
On March 18, 2025, Herschend Family Entertainment announced plans to acquire the Palace Entertainment U.S. properties, including Iowa’s Adventureland:
Herschend is the family that originally leased the Marvel Cave near Branson, Missouri and then opened Silver Dollar City in 1960. Today they are a large corporation that owns a number of attractions around America (and some outside of it).
Adventureland had been acquired by Palace Entertainment in December 2021:
Palace Entertainment is a subsidiary of Madrid, Spain-based Parques Reunidos which owns properties around the world.
I haven’t visited Adventureland since their 21+ Halloween event in 2018 so I cannot directly comment on the final years under the original Krantz family’s ownership, nor can I comment on the three seasons Palace Entertainment has operated the park (2022-2024), but I certainly have alot to say about Silver Dollar City.
I first visited Silver Dollar City as a teenager in 1984. It was a lovely park, and I thought “I should really get back here in 40 years.” So I did, returning in 2024 and buying their low-cost annual pass which let us visit several times that year. The main reason for making the 6-hour drive to Silver Dollar City so many times last year, and twice (so far!) this year, is their special events.
Silver Dollar City has more events each year than even Walt Disney World’s Epcot does — and that’s saying something. This year, the are hosting:
We saw several of these events last year, and their Harvest Festival had more pumpkins than any place I have ever been, including pumpkin patch. An Old Time Christmas has more Christmas lights than any place I can think of other than the discontinued Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights that used to be held at the Disney/MGM Studios in Florida.
You can take a look at this original Herschend park by browsing through my (currently) 6000 photos:
https://themeparks.disneyfans.com/SilverDollarCity/index.html
This is the question fans of (insert name of Palace Entertainment park that HFE is about to start running) have been asking online. There are plenty of folks upset with what Palace Entertainment did with their home park (see the various Kennywood groups for great examples of this), but also plenty that really liked the new energy they brought.
The same can be said for Adventureland. Many classic rides and shops and long-running entertainment offerings were removed, but the park received new rides and new paint.
Looking at Silver Dollar City is most likely not going to be a way we can figure this out. SDC is operated as a theme park, not an amusement park. They have themed areas where the workers wear costumes to match. Even the people working in the popcorn wagon are wearing 1800s outfits. The workers on their prison-themed Flooded Mine boat attraction are dressed in black and white striped convict outfits (and, you get a gun that looks like a real gun to shoot at targets).
The folks working their steam train are dressed as conductors. It is a completely different type of park than Adventureland.
The park also does its best to make things fit with the area they are in. Even the Dippin’ Dots stands are themed and not just the same modern food stand you would see at a carnival.
Also, while Adventureland has served beer for decades, there is no alcohol sold at SDC or its water park. Other attractions they operate in the area are also alcohol-free, though I have been told some of the hotels they run have booze. I am waiting on an official list from HFE on which of their properties allow alcohol.
When Palace took over Adventureland, I was told by management of the park that they were not really keen on having an Oktoberfest. Since that event continued as planned the next three years under Palace, perhaps they looked at the amount of money it made and decided to keep it.
While Adventureland has a church, SDC takes Christianity much further. Many fans of the park call Herschend a “Christian business.”
SDC is a place where, if you sneeze, someone will say “bless you” instead of “gesundheit”. Entertainment in the park will share Christian stories, or offer prayer requests at the end of the show. Their Christmas event actually says Christmas, and features a living nativity show as well as a stop on the steam train to hear “the true story of Christmas.” The park even has a church with Sunday service.
Each day starts with a flag ceremony, recognizing veterans. Many shows will ask veterans to stand and be recognized. This is not specific to SDC — it is common at many of the attractions in the Branson area. For this reason, all of this may just be “because the park is there” rather than “because Herschend owns it.”
If you have seen anyone commenting on this acquisition, you might have seen references to cinnamon bread. Cinnamon bread appears to be the “Dole whip” of Silver Dollar City (and also at the sister park, Dollywood, which originally was a second SDC). There can be long lines to buy a fresh loaf of this stuff. The park even has an express lane at the shop that sells it JUST for buying loafs!
Fans of it are hopeful this might make its way to the Iowa park.
Nothing. We know nothing but there is an intent to buy the Palace Entertainment parks. We can only look at other properties SDC has acquired to look at changes they made — and, changes may be localized and not apply at any other property. (For instance, alcohol being served at one Herschend property did not mean it would be served at all of them.)
Time will tell. Meanwhile, Adventureland has already had two different general managers since they took over the park, so another change of boss may not be as disruptive as it was the first time it changed.
More to come…
