News Round Up 2017

I know I'm alone here, but I always really enjoyed the theme of Dino Land. Then again, I really like hokey Route 66 type stuff so it is right up my alley.

We have always enjoyed Dino Land as well, and the friends/family we travel with love it too. One of our best vacations was when we rented a 31' RV and drove down Historic Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, stopping at all the hokey road side attractions I could find! The kids list that trip as their favorite ahead of any Disney vacation we've had, so the Route 66 theme in DL is fun for us. I've always been curious why Dino Land gets so much hate. Sure there are things I feel could be improved, but it's very fun and is something different.
 
We have always enjoyed Dino Land as well, and the friends/family we travel with love it too. One of our best vacations was when we rented a 31' RV and drove down Historic Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, stopping at all the hokey road side attractions I could find! The kids list that trip as their favorite ahead of any Disney vacation we've had, so the Route 66 theme in DL is fun for us. I've always been curious why Dino Land gets so much hate. Sure there are things I feel could be improved, but it's very fun and is something different.

I’ve hated it because the theme wasn’t clear to me and looked like Disney just took the cheap way to fill in that space. It’s out of place when compared to the rest of Animal Kingdom.

It wasn’t until recently where I read online what the theme is supposed to be. Correct me if I’m wrong but the theme is that there is the Dino excavation site (the Dinosaur attraction) along a Rt 66 type road. All of the other restaurants, rides, and games popped up to make money off all the tourists going to the Dino Exhibit.

After learning that, I have a little more appreciation for the land. The paved road down the middle of the land makes a little more sense. I still think it’s out of place though.
 
I’ve hated it because the theme wasn’t clear to me and looked like Disney just took the cheap way to fill in that space. It’s out of place when compared to the rest of Animal Kingdom.

It wasn’t until recently where I read online what the theme is supposed to be. Correct me if I’m wrong but the theme is that there is the Dino excavation site (the Dinosaur attraction) along a Rt 66 type road. All of the other restaurants, rides, and games popped up to make money off all the tourists going to the Dino Exhibit.

After learning that, I have a little more appreciation for the land. The paved road down the middle of the land makes a little more sense. I still think it’s out of place though.
I like the idea of the backstory. I want them to do better though. I think they can make it like a real excavation site. I say this as someone who has worked excavation sites. I would be thrilled if they did so.
 


I’ve hated it because the theme wasn’t clear to me and looked like Disney just took the cheap way to fill in that space. It’s out of place when compared to the rest of Animal Kingdom.

It wasn’t until recently where I read online what the theme is supposed to be. Correct me if I’m wrong but the theme is that there is the Dino excavation site (the Dinosaur attraction) along a Rt 66 type road. All of the other restaurants, rides, and games popped up to make money off all the tourists going to the Dino Exhibit.

After learning that, I have a little more appreciation for the land. The paved road down the middle of the land makes a little more sense. I still think it’s out of place though.

yeah, roughly that - it was a gas station owned by married couple Chester and Hester and then some dinosaur fosils were found and ultimately the dino institute built and so they changed the gas station to be a souvenir store to capitalize on all the tourists

I love the little details - like the imagineers made a new sign for the gas station only to paint over it for the change to being a souvenir store
10_Dino land sign over sign.jpg
 


yeah, roughly that - it was a gas station owned by married couple Chester and Hester and then some dinosaur fosils were found and ultimately the dino institute built and so they changed the gas station to be a souvenir store to capitalize on all the tourists

I love the little details - like the imagineers made a new sign for the gas station only to paint over it for the change to being a souvenir store
View attachment 271305
For the longest time we never knew what the heck was going on with the carnival stuff at Dino Land....I seem to remember when it first opened it was much more educational - even a cast member there talking about archaeology with bones on display along with other stuff that was found. Were the other rides there then? I really don't remember.

I have to admit that the only reason we visit that area now is for the Dino ride, and often ending up eating at Restaurantasauras for a quick burger. The other rides don't do anything for me, but during a big family trip a few years ago, several of the younger members did have to do all of them and thoroughly enjoyed them....

Replacing the dated Dino ride with the Indy ride that's in DL would be great!! But honestly, I don't mind the Dino ride as it is....it's something we usually try to do, but don't go out of our way for.
 
yeah, roughly that - it was a gas station owned by married couple Chester and Hester and then some dinosaur fosils were found and ultimately the dino institute built and so they changed the gas station to be a souvenir store to capitalize on all the tourists

I love the little details - like the imagineers made a new sign for the gas station only to paint over it for the change to being a souvenir store
View attachment 271305
The first time I was in the carnival area, I noticed the parking spaces painted on the asphalt. It wasn't until much late that it dawned on me: there was never an old parking lot there. They painted it to look like an old parking lot...

That's taking the theme an extra step.
 
The first time I was in the carnival area, I noticed the parking spaces painted on the asphalt. It wasn't until much late that it dawned on me: there was never an old parking lot there. They painted it to look like an old parking lot...

That's taking the theme an extra step.

yup - initial reaction is always "it looks so old and run down and cheap!" ... and I am thinking "hey, it took a lot of work to make something new look old, run down, and cheap!"
 
I like the idea of the backstory. I want them to do better though. I think they can make it like a real excavation site. I say this as someone who has worked excavation sites. I would be thrilled if they did so.


they do (kinda), it's in the kids play area. :D

AnimalKingdom117.jpg


dinoland-usa-030.jpg
 
they do (kinda), it's in the kids play area. :D

AnimalKingdom117.jpg


dinoland-usa-030.jpg

and honestly that all looks great! theres so much more they can do with that! I know Living with the land is not the most popular attraction but a ride like that, that takes you through how paleontologists work? I feel that could be very popular. Or even an "under ground" ride through the layers of the earth, and as you hit different layers of dirt (and there are many) seeing animals from different time periods?? that would be so cool!!
 
and honestly that all looks great! theres so much more they can do with that! I know Living with the land is not the most popular attraction but a ride like that, that takes you through how paleontologists work? I feel that could be very popular. Or even an "under ground" ride through the layers of the earth, and as you hit different layers of dirt (and there are many) seeing animals from different time periods?? that would be so cool!!
A ride through rock layers?! Music to this science teacher's ears! That actually sounds like a fun project.
 

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