Lost Island
A hidden gem in Waterloo
Before the new school year began, I wanted to take my sons, ages 12 and 15, for a day of fun. I decided on Lost Island Themepark in Waterloo. We enjoyed our time at Lost Island Waterpark a few years ago and I had heard the new theme park was now open. The two parks are located next to each other, but they are separate. When we went to the water park, it was very busy, and I assumed the theme park would be too. Our summer schedule has been extremely full of both of my kids at summer camp and me teaching summer school. I thought Friday, July 28th was our best option for going on a weekday (fewer people and shorter lines at the park). I knew there was a heat advisory in effect and the temperature was to be 98 degrees, so we set off on our 2-hour trip to Waterloo armed with sunscreen and refillable water bottles.
I bought advance tickets online for $14 less than the price of admission at the gate. After I paid the $10 parking fee, I looked toward the parking lot. There weren’t many cars, so I thought I was looking in the wrong direction. I asked the young parking attendant if that was all the people in the park. He said, “Yes, good for you, but bad for us.” We parked in a spot very close to the entrance and walked in under the impressive A-frame sign.
As we entered the park, we were in awe. The park was beautiful, full of eye-catching colors and designs, but it was nearly empty. As we began to explore our surroundings, we commented on how it felt like a ghost town, but everything was new. It was almost like being on a movie set. We walked over to the first ride to conquer, a big purple roller coaster called Nopuko Air Coaster, originally from an amusement park in Cape Town, South Africa. It’s a suspended coaster (riders hang below the track) with five inversions. This ride most definitely falls under the category of extreme and my two sons and boyfriend, Nick, all said the ride was very jerky. Nick and my younger son, Carsten, rode it four times in different seats (front, back, and middle) just to be sure it wasn’t smoother in a different spot. I am not brave enough, nor do I have a strong enough stomach to ride most of the extreme thrill rides. I watched and took video and could hear Carsten screaming as they sailed under the tracks at full speed and spiraled out of control up and down hills and around corkscrews.
There are five realms within Iowa’s only immersive theme park – Ura (Fire), Awa (Water), Udara (Earth), Uda (Air), and Tamariki (Spirit). Fire, Water, Earth, and Air represent the four elements, while Spirit is in the middle of the “island.” Each of the five realms has its own characters, architecture, and overall color scheme.
We walked around the park stopping to explore the interactive features and rides. The heat soon got to us (feels like the temperature was 111) and we filled up water bottles at a filling station. We were happy to find a couple of rides (Skyborne Drop Tower and Volkanu: Quest for the Golden Idol, a virtual reality ride), both had air-conditioned buildings. No one was in line, so we were able to walk straight to the viewing area to watch a short video related to the story behind the ride. The cool air was a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat. The dark ride was one of my favorite rides. We all had fun on a video game journey trying to eliminate the enemies, tiki-like statues, with our laser shooters. Both times, Nick had the highest score each time and I, of course, had the lowest score.
Lost Island offers plenty of rides for different ages and preferences. A few of the rides are similar to the ones at Adventureland, but even more extreme. Young children with strong stomachs can enjoy the colorful spinning rides and could also partake in the family rides such as the Awaati Battle water gun boats and Yuta Falls log ride. I especially liked the log ride as it had a small drop first followed by a huge drop. Each boat could hold up to six people. The big splash at the end was refreshing on a scorching hot day.
As the afternoon progressed, we took breaks in the air-conditioned cafes and shaded areas. We cooled down with ice cream, drinks, and slushies. Carsten and Nick tried the brand-new bright green launch coaster from Gothenberg, Sweden, the Mataguni, and loved it so much, they rode it three times in a row. No one else was in line, so didn’t even have to deboard. At the end of the day, we realized we had never once rode a ride with someone else. Even when Nick braved a couple of rides on his own, they operated the ride just for him.
Located throughout the park were several play structures and one of them was ADA-compliant with whimsical interactive features. Those play areas would be great in cooler weather for kids who aren’t big enough for rides or don’t care much for rides. The restrooms, water fountains, and concession areas are well-spaced throughout the park. There are not many places to sit down between realms, but each realm has tables in the shade or inside.
Overall, the park is very well designed. It’s obvious a lot of thought was put into creating an enchanting experience for its guests. I felt like the names of the realms and some of the rides were a bit confusing and hard to remember, but the park is not so big, you will get lost.
Lost Island Themepark opened in June of 2022 and added a few new rides in 2023. One of the rides set to open soon is a carousel of sea animals in the water realm. The park was voted one of USA Today’s “Reader’s Choice” Outdoor Parks. I can see why it won an award as the park’s tropical appearance and colorful rides are impressive. The idea of an immersive theme park is new to me. I have not been to Disney World and only visited Disneyland as a child. Besides the neighboring water park, Lost Island offers mini golf and go-karts too. We thought about checking out the go-karts, but our plans were canceled by an evening thunderstorm while we were eating dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse.
We cooled off at the end of the day and decided the heat was worth it to have an (almost) private oasis for a day. Lost Island is one of Iowa’s hidden gems and I hope more people discover this place full of adventure.
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