Located in Animal Kingdom, DINOSAUR without a doubt wins the prize for the scariest attraction at this park. Though the minimum height requirement for this ride is 40 inches, many kids exceeding this stature will be frightened. The age at which kids would enjoy the ride and have fun would probably be around nine years-old and up, depending on the child’s personality.
In the line before the ride, a person on a TV tells the mission and, of course, the safety instructions. The main point in the attraction is to go into the future through a time machine and bring back a live iguanodon, a type of dinosaur.
After the clip, time travelers walk through the chamber with the power sources for the time machine. Passengers then board the Time Rover, a car which takes them to the past. After hearing the safety warnings again, the jeep starts moving.
The vehicle first rides through a chamber with red lights. Then, a bright light flashes and the Time Rover is in the past. It travels along a bumpy path looking for the iguanodon. Suddenly, the radio announces, “Meteor impact in ninety seconds.”
The guide tells the adventuresome riders to hurry up, and the Time Rover picks up speed, zooming past many different types of dinosaurs. Soon the jeep comes to a stop in front of a tall herbivore, but the guide states that it is the wrong dino. Continuing, the radio soon warns of the meteor impact in sixty seconds. Eventually the Time Rover comes to a stop at a second reptile, a huge carnivorous dinosaur!
Immediately the vehicle speeds past and continues looking for the iguanodon. The radio declares, “Thirty seconds until meteor impact!” before stopping in front of another dinosaur, a giant meat-eater! A hidden camera takes a picture. Then the ride continues towards the exit. “Meteor impact in fifteen seconds.”
Finally seeing an iguanodon, the Time Rover stops and allows the reptile to board. Passengers hear that the meteor will hit earth in ten … nine … eight …. While the countdown continues, the jeep speeds towards the exit to the present. Panicking, the guide yells, “You’re not going to make it! You’re not going to make it!”
With one second left, the Time Rover enters into the present in a bright flash of light. The time travelers return safely. Excitedly, the guide shouts, “You made it!” The iguanodon gets out of the jeep, and passengers travel to the exit as they watch the prized reptile walking up and down hallways.
There are many different details in DINOSAUR that frighten young children. The ground, being very bumpy, makes the jeep unstable, causing kids to think they are going to fall out. Also a dark, shadowy sky looms throughout the ride, producing a disturbing atmosphere. The storyline of a deadly meteor about to strike the earth may terrify kids as well.
The most formidable parts of this attraction are the dinosaurs that constantly jump out beside the jeep, surprising its passengers. My parent had to cover my little brothers’ eyes for several years when they were younger. Although he will ride it with us, my ten year-old brother is still scared of this attraction.
Though there are many fun rides in Animal Kingdom, DINOSAUR exceeds them all for many of the same reasons that young children are afraid. Fearsome, yet fun and exciting, DINOSAUR stands out as an extraordinary, Disney World attraction.
Very well-written! Great Job:-)
My daughter worked at Dinosaur during her college program. She loved her attraction and her fellow cast members!!!! Her BFFs Cast Members were Tower John & Irene (Irene can say the “Dinosaurs are hungry” in 20 languages”)!!!
ps. thanks for this article – I sent this article to her at her job, she graduated from college in May and misses Disney and Dinosaur so much so this really made her day!