Tips 4 a Family Fun Day at Adventureland and Adventure Bay

Tips 4 a Family Fun Day at Adventureland and Adventure Bay

Updated for 2022. 

Since we moved back to Des Moines we’ve made a point to visit Adventureland at least once a summer. The kids have already asked when we’ll be going this summer (and, are anxious to get to Adventure Bay; come on Mother Nature, bring on the summer temps!). To help you make the most of a day at Adventureland, here are a few of our tips. 

Know Before You Go

  • Hours of Operation: Adventureland opens for the sesaon on Friday, May 14, 2022 and Adventure Bay opens for the season on Friday May 27, 2022.  Park hours vary, so be sure to visit the calendar for their daily hours. 
  • Cost of Regular Ticket: Single Day Ticket prices vary throughout the season.  It is highly recommended to purchase tickets on-line to save anywhere from $10 to $30 per ticket at the gate.
  • Parking: Surface parking is available and costs $15 if purchased on-line or $20 at the gate. 
  • Food: Outside food and beverages are not permitted. Adventureland offers a wide variety of food and beverages for purchase at several concession and restaurant locations.
  • Cashless: Adventureland has gone cashless in 2022.  They now only accept payments such as debit cards, credit cards, and prepaid cards. If you only have cash, guests have access to multiple easy-to-use Cash to Card kiosks conveniently located throughout Adventureland Resort. You can convert cash onto a card free of charge and use it throughout the Adventureland Resort – in the park, at the campground, and the Adventureland Inn.
  • Prior to your visit check out Adventureland’s website.

Finding Discount Tickets

Adventureland offers a few different ticket options, including a Season Pass option. For those that will be visiting the Park multiple times a summer, a Season Pass might make sense. Check out our article about the benefits of having an Advenutureland Season Pass. For those of you that will be attending the amusement park for just one day, there are a few ways that you can save.

Season Pass Holders:  Season Pass Holders can purchase discounted Single Day Tickets for their guests.

Groups: Discounted group rates are available at Adventureland for groups of 15 or more all attending the same day.  

Military: Military members are eligible to receive up to four (4 )tickets for themselves and their friends/family. Please note the military discount for single day tickets cannot be combined with any other discounts, or during special Holiday pricing ( traditionally late October thru December 31st).

While You’re There

As a native Iowan, I have fond summer memories of visiting Adventureland as a kid and teen and spending an entire day riding every ride and roller coaster multiple times, including the beloved Silly Silo, which has unfortunately been retired.  I also remember plunging down the flume ride and getting soaked; and gobbling up all the scrumptious ice cream my tummy could hold.

Time has changed a few things at Adventureland, including the addition of Adventure Bay.  Yet it still seems just like it did then and remains an enjoyable amusement park to now share with my kiddos.  There’s enough to keep everyone occupied, including several family rides, roller coasters ranging from mild to wild, and plenty of drenching water rides.

Adventureland also boasts an enormous ferris wheel that lights up the sky at night and offers a spectacular view of the park. Classic family rides, such as the carousel, bumper cars, and many beloved carnival and arcade games are scattered throughout the park’s 180 acres. Families with young children won’t find a shortage of kiddie rides, either.

The addition of Adventure Bay has provided opportunities for some splashtastic fun.  Whether you’re swimming, sliding or riding a wave, Adventure Bay offers a number of ways to cool off. The Park features a wave pool, eight water slides and a long lazy river. Younger children will enjoy Kokomo Cove which has seven water slides and over 100 other water features such as tipping cones, hose jets, water guns and more.

There’s different schools of thought on how to best attack the park and avoid long lines.  We’ve had great luck hopping on the Sky Ride and making our way to the back of the park to start our day in Adventure Bay.  The morning can be a bit cool for the water rides, but you will be able to go down the slides as many times as you want without hardly waiting in a line.

Last summer we started our day in Adventure Bay and there were hardly any other people in the wave pool with us.  The one drawback is having to carry your wet towels and suits around with you.  But you can always have someone run them out to the car.

We’ve also gone to the Park on cloudy/rainy days, which typically scare away other attendees.   Again, lines were short and we were able to ride rides several times in a row with virtually no wait.  If there is rain in the forecast, be sure to come prepared with ponchos, which also come in handy on the water rides!

Whatever path you decide to take through the Park, you will want to wear comfy shoes.  There is a ton of walking at Adventureland.  If you have small children consider taking breaks throughout the day.  And, don’t forget the sunscreen, you don’t want a sunburn to ruin anybody’s fun.

Food

Adventureland offers several food and concession options. It’s not dis-similar to fair food and not what I would call a lot of healthy options.  You’ll find kid-friendly food like burgers, chicken strips, turkey legs and pizza.  They also have funnel cake, an ice cream shop and you can grab a bucket of cookies.  Find a detailed list of their food options here. Keep in mind, lines can move slow during typical mealtimes, when everybody is wanting to eat at the same time.  It might be in your best interest to eat a little earlier or later in the day, if you can make those adjustments. 

To stay hydrated, I do recommend purchasing a refillable souvenir cup.  Once you have the cup the refills are a lot cheaper than buying a new drink every time.  It’s a good deal AND a great souvenir all in one.  You can also bring empty refillable water bottles into the park and fill them at bottle filling stations located at the Chicken Shack, Dragon Island Bridge, Outlaw Gulch and Adventure Bay.

Your tickets do allow you to go in and out of the park.  To help cut down on costs, bring along a picnic lunch in a cooler and take a break at either lunch or dinner. You’ll find many people dining in the parking lot or at picnic tables near the entrance.  This is also a good time to dump off that wet towel and suit and it’s a nice break to the day.

After Your Visit

A day playing at Adventureland can be exhausting! If you don’t want to make the trek back to Des Moines (or wherever you’re from) right away, book a room at Adventureland Resort. Little ones will love swimming in one of the hotel’s three pools. There’s also a campground that has its own outdoor pool.  Bonus, the resort offers trolley rides to and from the amusement park exclusively for campground & hotel guests.

Adventureland
305 34th Ave NW
Altoona, IA 50009
(515) 266-2121
https://www.adventurelandpark.com/

 

 

Are you a regular at Adventureland?  Share your tips with us in the Comment section below.

3 Comments

  1. Unfortunately you can no longer bring old refill able cups. We tried to use our slushy cups from last year and we were told to throw them away and that they could only use 2020 cups nothing else.

  2. Going to Adventureland for the first time- thanks for all of the tips! They are definitely coming in handy 🙂

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