Adventureland isn't really in the center of attention a lot because they don't have a crazy collection of roller coasters. Though they're trying to change that by adding some new coasters (one of which looks really good), as well as getting rid of one of the worst coasters ever. But it's a really nice park. It's got some pretty good wooden roller coasters, a great collection of flat rides, really friendly staff, and an atmosphere that's just great to relax in. This is one of those parks that you can totally tell is made for locals and is not a big tourist attraction. It may not have any Disney like theming or Maverick like rollercoasters, but Tornado and Outlaw are both fun roller coasters and this park has a really cool small park charm that you can only get at parks like Adventureland. Plus, they did add Monster, which looks really good. So yeah. While some hard core roller coaster enthusiasts may just treat this park like a credit whoring stop and just ride the coasters and leave, however, if you do that, then you really haven't experienced Adventureland. This is the type of place where you just relax, take your time, and soak up all of the charm and atmosphere that the park has to offer. Trust me, you'll have much more fun this way.
Here are the reviews of all the Flat Rides at Adventureland. First off, they've got a Space Shot. While it's not very big, nor is it very strong, it's still a really fun ride that really really blends in well with the park. Their frisbee Sidewinder runs a really good and insane program, so be sure to check that out. Also, I checked out their breakdance. HOLY SH*T!!! THIS THING RUNS INSANE!!! It really spun me around like crazy. WAY better than the one at Califoria's Great America. While those are all the flat rides that I rode that still exist (Very bummed, but not too surprised that their Top Spin and Inverter are now gone). But there are many many more that I didn't ride. Adventureland also has a paratrooper, a wipeout,a falling star, a rotor, a tilt a whirl, a himalaya, a pirate ship, some teacups, bumper cars, a ferris wheel, a carousel, and some weird flat ride that looks cool called Lighthouse. Oh, and I forgot to mention that they got a Windseeker clone since my last visit. Enjoy your view of never-ending cornfields.
It's nothing special or unique, but....Space Shots are fun too.
Water Rides
While I never managed to ride any of them, Adventureland does have 3 water rides that look really cool. I almost rode Sawmill Splash, which is their spinning raft ride. However, my group bailed out on me. Looked like a really fun ride and from what I could tell, it got you pretty wet. The park also has a river rapids ride and a log flume, both of which look pretty cool. So you can check those out if you want to cool off.
I had to go to France to get on one of these spinning raft rides.
Water Park
And then there's their water park. It was brand spanking new when I was there. So obviously, I didn't go in and check it out. But it did look nice. So I'm sure you'd enjoy it.
Dining
While Adventureland is home to lots of typical amusement park crap, it's both affordable and has a little bit of variety. Now I doubt that it has some amazing food collection like Knoebels or Kennywood, it does have other options. For our lunch, they served us roast beef sandwhiches, which were quite welcomed since after that, we didn't really get much food other than typical amusement park crap. But still, Adventureland is doing well in the food department.
Yeah. This was one of the better lunches we had on the trip.
Theming and Other Attractions
Here are the reviews of all the other stuff at Adventureland. While Adventureland doesn't have any fake mountains or areas to transport you to another world, but it does have a lot of Iowan Charm. The park has a lot of trees to make the park look nice, and then there all sorts of just random things like signs and such here and there. And of course, who can forget the place where you can buy popcorn from the pigs stomach. Yeah. You can't forget about that place. And as for other stuff to do, I'm sure there are just other random things for you to do in the park. Not sure if they have any shows or anything, but I do know they have a train. So that's a good way to relax. And yeah, even if there's nothing else to do, you can just buy an affordable Vault (they don't rob your wallet here), sit on a bench, and soak up the Adventureland charm. So yeah. This place is still cool even without the rides.
Thanks for the Popcorn Mr. Pig!!!
In Conclusion
While Adventureland isn't going to be the next new coaster hotspot in America, it really shouldn't be. This is one of those parks that should remain an hidden gem among the middle of nowhere cornfeilds in Iowa. So when people come, they'll get to experience some really good wooden coasters, and I assume a great Eurofighter too, some fun flats, and a great atmosphere. So really, you should have a great time at this amusement park. And of course, the employees are some of the friendliest around and will totally make your day. So yeah. When in Iowa, hit up Adventureland. I mean, what else there in Iowa aside from Corn, Adventureland, and Leslie Hall?
Enthusiast FAQs.
*Are there kiddy coaster restrictions? - Adventureland doesn't have a kiddy coaster.
Tips
*Don't treat Adventureland as just a credit whore stop.
*Check out their flat rides. They run great programs.
