Eric S.
Yelp
SATURDAY IN THE PARK
Iowa's largest/only major amusement park is a pretty nice place, all things considered.
Looking at the upcoming calendar year, I knew my chances of logging new roller coaster credits would be far & few between, so I planned a trip to Des Moines on the weekend of 6/9/18 (much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, who's still sorta pissed at me).
I knew to keep my expectations low, as a midsize park like Adventureland wouldn't measure up to giants like Kings Island. I purchased my ticket online for $45, which struck me as WAY too much for a place that only had 4 major coasters. Parking was a fair $10 (for comparison, it costs $26 to park your freakin' car at Six Flags Great America in northern Illinois).
Arriving shortly after the gates opened, I made a beeline for their lowest capacity attractions. As with other parks I've reviewed, I dedicated separate entries for all the big ones, though I'll briefly summarize them here:
+ Stormchaser, the park's tallest ride is a tower swing that offers great views: yelp.com/biz/storm-chaser-altoona-2
+ Dragon, a unique steel coaster with painful transitions and powerful G-forces: yelp.com/biz/dragon-altoona
+ Outlaw, a compact wooden twister with minimal airtime but lots of laterals: yelp.com/biz/outlaw-altoona
+ Underground, a mysterious dark "coaster" that turns out to be a giant disappointment: yelp.com/biz/the-underground-altoona-2
+ Tornado, their wooden out-and-back design is rough but a classic: yelp.com/biz/tornado-altoona
+ Monster, a phenomenal looping coaster with a custom nighttime lighting package: yelp.com/biz/monster-altoona-2
Ride ops were about what I expected for a modest place like this. Station attendants on the coasters were fairly friendly, although one older lady barked at me to "stay behind the yellow line" (one of my toes had crossed it). Employees throughout the park treated guests with respect, even those who didn't deserve it -_-
Adventureland has a decent layout, the only dead-end being in their Outlaw Gulch area at the far corner of the park. I LOVED that there were plenty of benches & areas for people to sit and take a chill break. Lots of trees meant lots of shade, and since central Iowa can get ridiculously hot, it's very much appreciated.
Food was pretty 'meh'. I got a rather tainted pickle on a stick, a frozen lemonade, some pathetic chicken & waffle sliders ($5), and tasty sriracha chicken bites in a waffle cone ($7.50). Soft drinks are only $3, which felt like a steal in comparison to the $5 soda robbery at Six Flags.
Bread = 3.5
Circuses = 4.5
Crowds felt light on a Saturday in early June......but I'm used to encountering the cast of Ben Hur at places like Cedar Point, so perhaps it's relative. There weren't as many juggalos or country bumpkins as I expected, and line jumping didn't appear to be a major issue. Nice people live in Iowa, it seems.
* TL;DR *
If you're a resident of Des Moines who fancies themselves an amusement park visit, Adventureland has got you covered. Then again, the closest major park is 200 miles away (Worlds of Fun, in Kansas City) so there's a whole captive market thing going on.
Still though, there's enough flat rides and kiddie attractions to bring the entire family here and make a whole day out of it. I'm very glad I visited when I did and totally lucked out with weather. The food was weak, but the employees were kind for the most part, and the rides were fun. 'Monster' is a standout attraction and easily one of the most wickedly badass coasters I've ridden in some time.
After having spent a full 12 hours here, I can safely say that the midwestern charm is not lost on these folks. I'd happily recommend this park!