DinoLand U.S.A., which sadly won’t be with us much longer, is one of my favorite things to come out of the ’90s at Walt Disney World.
On June 20, 1995, then-CEO of the Walt Disney Company Michael Eisner, announced the addition of a fourth park to the Walt Disney World Resort. Animals have been a part of the Walt Disney Company from the beginning; Going back to Mickey Mouse and the plethora of animal-centric animated films that followed, and early theme park attractions like the Jungle Cruise, and Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventures Series, to name a few.
Initial plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park focused on animals both real and imaginary. As such, Imagineers planned for the park to have distinct areas for each type of animal, including a safari and lands inspired by real-world places with real animals, along with DinoLand to tell the story of extinction and a land that would have been known as “Beastly Kingdom,” that if built would have showcased mythical animals.
The park’s budget ultimately did not allow for the creation of both Beastly Kingdom and DinoLand prior to opening on Earth Day in 1998. While Imagineers on both projects made pitches for their land to be the one that wouldn’t get cut, DinoLand’s team ultimately won because it was easier to adjust plans for the land in a way that would be more budget-friendly.
While budgets are often cited as the main reason why DinoLand was picked over Beastly Kingdom, it’s important to note that dinosaurs also encompassed one of the main points that Disney wants guests to leave the park with an understanding of: Extinction.
Extinction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not a zoo (and “Natahzu,” if you know, you know), but it is accredited by the AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums). As a result, conservation messaging is not only a central part of Disney’s thematic storytelling but a requirement to uphold the park’s accreditation by the AZA.
The concept and dangers of extinction are conveyed to guests through the very existence of DinoLand. One connection between contemporary animals and dinosaurs can be found in a mural focused on extinction located in front of the screens by the exit of the DINOSAUR attraction inside the Dino Institute gift shop. On the wall opposite the screens showing guests’ on-ride photos is a mural showing extinct animals, like dinosaurs and mammoths, with endangered species following closely behind. This artwork serves as a word of caution, showing how other animals in the past have gone extinct. Still, it could happen to the endangered species we love today if not for the conservation efforts of the AZA and other entities and individuals.
Several attractions at Animal Kingdom showcase conservation successes. For example, the park’s main bird show Feathered Friends in Flight ends positively, sharing the success story of the bald eagle and its removal from the endangered species list. Similar successes are often celebrated on Kilimanjaro Safaris, the animal walking trails, and through educational programming with the park’s Wilderness Explorers. As guests explore all of the park’s themed lands, they will also soak up important conservation messaging, but when it comes to learning about the consequences of extinction no other area brings these issues to light like DinoLand U.S.A.
Diggs County
I love the puns in DinoLand U.S.A., and Diggs County is the perfect place for us to start exploring the concepts behind what I believe is one of the most thematically detailed lands at Disney World. “Diggs County” is the fictional county that encompasses every piece of the DinoLand story. Initially, the area was home to a gas station run by Chester and Hester. The gas station itself is loosely inspired by Sinclair Oil, with dinosaur imagery in its logo and marketing, and also serves to set the stage as an area that would have a quirky roadside attraction, similar to what you would see driving along a major road trip route like Route 66.
For years, Diggs County was an area you would simply pass through and maybe stop for gas…until dinosaur fossils were discovered. At this point, the Dino Institute was formed to serve as a central site for research and archaeology as paleontologists moved into the area to study the fossils.
Eventually, the Dino Institute began to attract tourists, and the owners of the gas station decided they wanted to be a part of the new tourism landscape, too. As such, Chester and Hester turned their humble gas station into a gift shop that celebrated all things dino, and their parking lot was converted into a carnival (Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama).
The Dino Institute
Before we go deeper into Chester and Hester’s story, we should take a few steps back to the Dino Institute. The Dino Institute itself is home to the DINOSAUR attraction, which allows guests to board “time rovers” and travel back to the age of the dinosaurs. The time rover concept is a new alternative to the exhibits in the “old wing,” aka the fossils and other artifacts kept behind glass as guests make their way through the queue and toward the ride vehicles.
The background of the Dino Institute is rooted in academia and traditional archaeological study, however, in the overarching storyline of DinoLand U.S.A. guests could see the clash between the older academics and the younger generation of graduate students who are interning at the institute. (We’ll come back to this later.)
The scene for this area is set before even approaching the entrance to DINOSAUR, as most guests will enter through a set of main arches that will bring them right by Dino-Sue. The real SUE is an extremely important artifact as it is both the largest and the most complete T. rex skeleton ever unearthed. The one outside the Dino Institute is a replica, however, the real structure is on display at the Field Museum in Chicago.
Named for the renowned paleontologist who discovered the skeleton, Sue Hendrickson, Sue’s bones were discovered near Faith, South Dakota in 1990. The skeleton dates back 67 million years to the Cretaceous period and is about a 90% complete skeleton. As Sue was being uncovered, it took a crew of six people more than two weeks to remove the bones, where they were then shipped off to organizations around the country to be preserved and studied before their permanent assemblage at the Field Museum. (If you visited Animal Kingdom shortly after the park opened, you may have even seen paleontologists uncovering some of the actual Sue’s bones right in DinoLand!)
The skeleton went through a public auction process in 1997, with the Field Museum ultimately purchasing it for $8.4 million, thanks in large part to support from major corporations like McDonalds and the Walt Disney Company. The replica outside the Dino Institute celebrates this discovery and has kept Sue as part of the educational component of DinoLand U.S.A. since the park opened.
Another replica of a skeleton from the Field Museum can be seen at the “Oldengate Bridge” by the entrance into DinoLand from Discovery Island. This one features a Brachiosaurus skeleton that was discovered in 1900. At 52 ft. tall it makes for an incredible entryway into the land, and you can walk through the skeleton on the bridge if you visit the Boneyard, DinoLand’s kid-friendly playground and dig site.
Moving inside the Dino Institute, the sights should feel nostalgic and familiar to anyone who has been to a science or natural history museum. It is also worth pointing out that the fossils in the exhibit cases that line the queue are authentic, and while it’s easy to rush toward the ride, it’s worth taking the time to really explore some of these exhibits (especially now that we know the clock is ticking on this attraction.) The style of the exhibits in the queue, and even the gift shop, are likely reminiscent of school field trips and days spent wandering the halls of a museum, but the thrill ride inside is totally unique.
DINOSAUR (and Countdown to Extinction)
Countdown to Extinction was an opening day attraction, that was changed to DINOSAUR on May 1, 2000. The attraction takes guests from the Dino Institute back 65 million years in time on a thrilling journey to bring back an Iguanodon.
Once inside the Dino Institute, guests would pass by museum exhibits and ultimately find themselves in front of a skeleton of a Carnotaurus, the carnivorous dinosaur used in place of a T. rex as many other dinosaur stories typically use, notably Universal’s Jurassic Park (1993). Here, one could take in the foreshadowing of the Carnotaurus’s role in the ride, and listen to some brief audio explaining the end of the dinosaur age by Bill Nye the Science Guy.
In the next room, guests enter the pre-show, which kicks off with Dr. Marsh introducing herself as the director of the Dino Institute. She continues on to share the newest technology that guests will experience firsthand on the ride: The Time Rover. After her introduction, the video cuts to Dr. (Grant) Seeker (get it?), whose goal is to derail Dr. Marsh’s planned mission to bring back an Iguanodon, the dinosaur he believes “is the key to understanding these magnificent creatures.”
He shares that the time rovers will be traveling to the end of the Cretaceous period, which Dr. Marsh quickly steps in and points out is too close “to the giant asteroid impact that destroyed most lifeforms on Earth.” Despite her attempts at locking the time’s coordinates, Dr. Seeker gets in and guests are on their way to board time rovers for a race against the asteroid’s arrival and away from the Carnotaurus while trying to complete the mission. It’s a bumpy ride in the dark full of twists, turns, and incredibly immersive dinosaur imagery, making for a truly unique thrill ride.
While the sets and dinosaur animatronics were created new for Countdown to Extinction, the ride vehicles and track layout were repurposed from the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. The ride vehicles or “CTX Rovers” are totally unique from other dark ride attractions in that the base of the car runs on a flat course, but the seating area rises and drops to create the sensation of a bumpy ride.
Initially, the ride is effectively a tour experience set while looking for the Iguanodon as the computer in the time rover identifies notable dinosaurs. As the meteor showers get closer, the ride becomes more thrilling and the time rovers pick up the pace as they race through the darkness and dodge a Carnotaurus or two. By the end of the attraction, guests make it back with the Iguanodon, and if you stick around and watch the security footage played near the exit toward the gift shop, you’ll see Dr. Seeker trying to keep its arrival under wraps.
Countdown to Extinction and DINOSAUR only had a few minor changes between the two versions of the attraction. When it was rethemed to feature small nods to the animated film Dinosaur (2000) were added to the attraction. These were very small nods and not a total IP overhaul like what we often see at the parks these days (ie: this was not a Maelstrom >> Frozen Ever After situation at all.)
The statue of the Styracosaurus outside the attraction was changed to Aladar, the Iguanodon and protagonist of the film. Aladar was also featured in the pre-show footage when Dr. Seeker mentions Iguanodons, and on the security footage at the end of the ride. Otherwise, the changes from Countdown to Extinction to DINOSAUR came in the form of toning down the ride’s thrill factor.
When Countdown to Extinction opened, some guests (primarily parents of younger children) complained that the ride was too scary. To remedy this, Disney toned down the speed and bumpiness of the ride vehicles. Unfortunately, this did little to make the ride less scary to children who were still afraid of dinosaurs coming after them in the dark, and adults who liked the thrill ride element became disappointed that some of the thrill was removed.
Countdown to Extinction was still running during my first trip to Animal Kingdom, but I didn’t ride it because I was too scared to go on it altogether at the time. I regret that now of course, but I’m guessing if I did go on it then I’d be traumatized forever and wouldn’t have the nostalgia for it I have today.
The Boneyard
The Boneyard is the dig site where the paleontologists from the Dino Institute and grad students would spend most of their time. Here they would dig up new dinosaur bones, study fossils, and record their observations as they learned more about these prehistoric creatures.
To be totally honest, I haven’t spent too much time in The Boneyard myself because it really is more geared for kids. I did, however, take a tour of the area while I was training to work in DinoLand during my Disney College Program, and it truly is an underrated spot in terms of theming and storytelling at Disney World.
On the surface, it’s just Disney-created dinosaur bones and some slides, but there are so many details if you take the time to explore. The bulletin boards for instance are full of notes and Easter eggs between the grad students and older paleontologists, and some of the features throughout The Boneyard are interactive (as in certain fossils will make dinosaur sounds for example.)
I do wonder if part of why so many people didn’t care for the storytelling in DinoLand comes down to the fact that there wasn’t a way to get them into The Boneyard. And I totally understand not spending a lot of time in there if you don’t have kids, but there really are so many details to see. If you’re reading this, and able to walk through The Boneyard before this part of DinoLand closes, I highly recommend it!
Restaurantosaurus
Another incredibly well-themed area that not enough guests check out (unless they’re traveling with some picky eaters) is Restaurantosaurus. This quick-service restaurant is not somewhere I’d recommend going for the food as it’s your typical theme park fare of burgers and hot dogs, but for theming, Restaurantosaurus is one of the best-designed restaurants on property.
According to the DinoLand backstory, Restaurantosaurus was originally an old fishing lodge in Diggs County that the Dino Institute interns made into a restaurant so they could make some extra money. I don’t know how “official” this is as I’ve heard a few versions of this story, but when I worked in DinoLand, I was told that one of the students had a little too much to drink one night at a party and wrote “osaurus” after “Restaurant” on the sign, and it became a joke that caught on with other students joining in and “osaurus-ing” everything in the building.
It’s another area like The Boneyard where to truly appreciate the theming you’re going to have to take some time out of your park day (and definitely do before this closes!) to go through each room of the restaurant and check out all of the details. Inside you can see where the interns lived (with dorms set up on the “second floor”), plus all kinds of dinosaur artwork and information about their findings on their digs. You’ll even see original paintings by Joe Rohde, nods to other Disney dinosaurs, and so much more.
Each section of the restaurant is themed to a different piece of what working at the Dino Institute was like, and if you paid close attention to the bulletin boards in The Boneyard, you may even recognize some of the intern and paleontologist names referenced throughout Restaurantosaurus.
Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama
I have some incredibly fond memories from Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, and I am so not ready for this land to close next month 🥺. To be totally honest, I thought this part of Animal Kingdom was tacky, too, before I “got” it, but now that I do and have so much nostalgia from working here, oof…it is going to hurt when this one goes.
Anyway, we’re back at Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, the parking lot turned carnival created by Chester and Hester, the owners of the gas station (aka Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures). This part of DinoLand used to be home to Primeval Whirl as well, a standard Wild Mouse-style coaster you’d see in carnivals across the country, but unfortunately it permanently closed in 2020. And since I’m sure Disney knew about DinoLand’s eventual demise back then, nothing replaced it but more empty “parking lot” space, which is really quite sad.
I’m starting this part of the tour with Primeval Whirl for two reasons: One- No post about DinoLand is complete without mentioning that I actually hated riding Primeval Whirl (and I hated listening to the sound effects from it while I was working at the carnival games). And two- Because I hated the sensation of the big drop that quickly went up-hill then took a sharp turn so much, and probably because our break room was right behind the ride so I could not escape the sound effects, I used to have these terrible nightmares about flying off Primeval Whirl to my death. And that would be the worst way to go.
Anyway, Primeval Whirl got a lot of crap from Disney fans for it being a not all that unique coaster since the ride system is one that’s very common at all kinds of amusement parks and carnivals. The storyline of Primeval Whirl, however, is something people often missed. It actually mimicked the experience of getting on a time rover at the Dino Institute of going back in time and avoiding the asteroid impact, just in a more cartoonish way, and I always appreciated the connection to DINOSAUR anyway.
The rest of the carnival area includes TriceraTop Spin (a Dumbo-style spinner but with Triceratops), the Fossil Fun Games, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, and lots of fun artwork and Easter eggs. The Fossil Fun Games are basically your average carnival games that you’ve probably seen many times before, but they have unique dinosaur theming that keeps with the story of the land, and they have fun spiels the Cast Members running them can do to make them feel more “Disney” (at least they did when I worked there…Unless I was the only one doing what managers told us to do…Come to think of it, I haven’t heard anyone really spiel at all every time I’ve visited since my College Program ended.)
Whack-A-Pachycephalosaur for instance is DinoLand’s “whack-a-mole” game, but instead of moles you have Pachycephalosaurs, which offered a fun opportunity to teach guests about dinosaurs in that this species was chosen for the game because their skulls were 10-inches thick so you wouldn’t be hurting them.
Mammoth Marathon is a skeeball game that has a mammoth assigned to each player that will race across the board with the higher score you get. Then there’s Brontoscore, basically a basketball game (only this one isn’t rigged like at most carnivals where either the hoop is smaller or the ball is over-inflated. At least that’s what I was told.) Fossil Fueler is the squirt gun game, but it’s themed to gas pumps because you’re in the parking lot of a gas station after all. And there is Comet Crasher, where guests throw “comets” (whiffle balls) into craters for a prize. Comet Crasher is the only game of chance. where the other ones if you are good at you should be able to win (so if you are reading this before your last visit to DinoLand and hoping to win a prize, you may want to try one of the other games first!)
Inside Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, you used to find dinosaur merchandise, but even by the time I worked there it was turning over to be a pretty generic Disney store with many of the items not even themed to Animal Kingdom never mind dinos. The best part of Chester & Hester’s is the theming above the shelves, which is packed with dinosaur memorabilia interspersed with gas station accessories. You can even see a photo of Chester & Hester themselves (in case you missed the other one, which is located in Restaurantosaurus).
Much like Restaurantosaurus, you could truly spend a lot of time inside Chester & Hester’s checking out all of the details that went into decorating the space. The exterior of the store has signage mentioning things like a “Going Out of Existence Sale,” which was obviously created as a nod to dinosaurs going extinct, but with DinoLand itself going out of existence soon, this area really has a whole new meaning.
What’s Next for DinoLand U.S.A.
After years of rumors regarding the possible closure of DinoLand U.S.A., Disney confirmed that the land would be replaced at last year’s D23 Expo. At this year’s event, the company shared that a new land inspired by the Tropical Americas will be taking over the space currently occupied by DinoLand. The new land will feature attractions inspired by the Indiana Jones franchise and Encanto (2021). We’ve also learned that DinoLand will close in phases, with Dino-Rama being the first to permanently close on January 13, 2025.
While I am excited to see an Indiana Jones attraction come to Walt Disney World, and I do think there is a lot of potential for Encanto to be a part of Animal Kingdom, I am also completely distraught at the loss of DinoLand. Between my love of dinosaurs and the fact that DinoLand is where I started during my Disney College Program, this one hurts.
To cope with this massive loss, I will be attending the final day that Dino-Rama is open in January, and am planning to write a series of DinoLand posts on here to save all of the history and Easter eggs to look back on when it’s gone.
Stay tuned for the next part of this series!
