Category: Branson

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.

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.

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…

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:

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…

There will be a new virtual reality (or so it seems) attraction opening in Branson, Missouri later this year. It is taking over the former Andy Williams Moon River Theater. According to the always-accurate Wikipedia, Andy Williams opened that theater in 1992. According to this article at Thousands Hills, Williams performed there until 2011 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away the following year.

According to an article by SJB, the property had been up for sale and was most recently purchased by Mindscape Creative. They specialize in 5-D theater attractions (the gimmicky name for having 3-D or VR movies that feature things like moving seats, scenes, or in-theater effects such as wind and such).

Per their press release:

Time Travel is making its way to the former Andy Williams Moon River Theater in Branson, MO, with Truth Traveler, a virtual reality ride and attraction developed by the acclaimed Ark Encounter and Mindscape Creative. Mindscape Creative, known for their expertise in blending cutting-edge technology with captivating narratives, has worked with the Ark Encounter to bring Truth Traveler to life at their Kentucky location and is also developing it for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

– Truth Traveler Press Release

Ark Encounter is an attraction located in Kentucky that opened in 2016. It features a “life sized” replica of what the biblical Noah’s Ark could have been like.

Unsurprisingly, with their involvement, Truth Traveler is also a bible-inspired attraction.

From the look of some of the concept art, it reminds me of early EPCOT at Walt Disney World.

The images hint of what may be a pre-show, or other exhibit within the attraction.

Several characters have been created for the attraction, including The Inventor, P.O.D. and Rae:

Although some of the concept art makes it look like a fully immersive ride environment…

…other images reveal that may just be what you see while sitting in a less-themed room and wearing a V.R. helmet:

Of interest, it looks like they are using HTC VIVE V.R. helmets (you can buy consumer versions of those to use at home) and the MX4D movie theater seats (we have those at one of our local theaters here in Des Moines, Iowa). As such, the experience may only be unique for those who have never tried V.R. before, and do not regularly watch movies in moving theater seats. (And we actually have two theater chains in Des Moines with different brands of moving seats, in theaters that feature effects such as wind, smells, etc.)

Hopefully, the storyline will be compelling, as well as any exhibits/pre-shows/etc. to make this stand out from the various other 5-D theater experiences found in Branson already.

And, for those looking for a more Christian-based positive message, the movie alone may be an attraction. For those less interested in that type of messaging, perhaps one of the several other attractions that let you blast zombies or aliens will be more interesting.

Since Branson is just a “short drive” down the road from where I am, I do expect to drive down and check out this new attraction when it opens. At that point, I hope to add new photos to the Branson photo gallery as well as VR images and movies to my Branson in VR projects.

More to come…