originally posted on 10/8/2021 1:42:16 AM
All photos by Tom Nickerson. View full-sized image.
Amusement park or theme park, what is the difference? Well, on Sunday, September 19, ACE members saw a new park that will help settle that question. The owners of the new-for-2022 Lost Island Theme Park (Waterloo, Iowa) opened their doors for a construction tour. Eric and Molly Bertch, the owners of Lost Island, gave ACE the first-ever tour of the park. ACE members were invited to walk in the park, see rides being built, hear the plan and vision for the park and even take some photos.
ACEers knew from the time they signed up to the time they showed up that they were going to be seeing something special. Upon registering, attendees were informed that the tour would have uneven terrain because there were no walking paths to the site. They were also informed that photos would be limited, and in select locations, owing to things not yet revealed to the public. But that didn’t stop 30 ACE members from seven different states from jumping at the chance to see a new from-the-ground-up theme park. Upon arriving and going through the locked gate, ACEers could see the beginning of what is going to be a great adventure. Fresh blacktop and curbs were in the process of being laid, and many buildings still needed siding and windows. Eric Bertch welcomed ACE and laid a few ground rules: first, be aware of the terrain and second, remember when and where it’s okay to take pictures.
View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
The tour then started, and Eric explained the vision for Lost Island. In this theme park, the goal is to transport visitors to a world not surrounded by corn fields but instead a world of creativity, imagination and exploration. Maintaining the Lost Island theme from their waterpark across the street, the Bertches planned a world with four themed areas. Eric said, “We have drawn inspiration from Malaysia, Indonesia and all the South Pacific … to create a theme park with a new language and a new idea … to provide an island feel in the Midwest.” The four themes have already been announced: Udara-Air, Awa-Water, Yuta-Earth and Mura-Fire.
The Bertches (in blue shirts) welcomed ACE.
View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
As ACEers toured the facility, they were brought to each one of the lands for an explanation of which rides would go where. Almost all the rides for the property were in place and being installed. The rides are being installed by Swiss Rides Services out of The Netherlands.
The first area ACE was shown was the home of the Tamariki. This was the main kids’ area. It had several rides already in place and ready to go. ACEers could already see the bright, vibrant colors that would be used in this park. Molly did all the color design and a lot of the creative artwork. She worked very closely with ride manufacturers to get rides unique for their park and their design. Guests coming in will be blown away by the colors and playfulness of this land. Eric talked about the pieces and mentioned that every land will have not only signature elements but also a unique center piece that will be interactive. There will even be an interactive app with a story and challenges.
The suspended looping coaster has been relocated from Ratanga Junction in Africa.
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The next land visited was Udara (air). Here all the rides will revolve around air — using it, flying in it, exploring it. This is also home to one of the park’s roller coasters and was ACE’s first opportunity to take photos. The roller coaster is the Vekoma suspended looping coaster, Cobra, relocated from Ratanga Junction in South Africa. It was completely refurbished and repainted and moved to Iowa. It will feature the newest trains that Vekoma offers on this model. When asked how one finds a roller coaster from South Africa to buy, Eric jokingly said, “You can find and buy anything off the internet these days.” He then gave a brief description of working with ride brokers and how the process works.
The next land is Awe (water). As one would guess, this area incorporates everything water related. Here ACEers learned about the themed restaurants and the themed water rides. There will be four rides in this area. Awe is also the biggest land of the park. It hosts the island in the park’s namesake. Surrounding the island will be a 39-acre lake and water elements such as waterfalls and waterspouts.
The launched coaster previously operated at Liseberg in Sweden.
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Continuing to the next land Yuta (earth), this was the second place ACE was able to take photos, as it also features an already-announced roller coaster. This land will include the relocated and fully refurbished Kanonen from Liseberg in Sweden. This Intamin hydraulic launch coaster is unlike any other in the United States. ACEers were able to take pictures from a few settings, including underneath.
The final land is Mura (fire). This will be the last land that guests will encounter as they flow through the park. Mura will have four main rides that are bound to leave visitors in shock and awe. This is the pinnacle of the park and is sure to be a “big bang” with guests.
Go to Lost Island Theme Park - The Lost Island - Waterpark - Waterloo, Iowa for all the updates and follow ACE North Central on Facebook as the region will post more details when released by the park. Finally don’t forget to please exit through the gift shop.
— Tom Nickerson, ACE North Central Regional Representative
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