I feel like I only just started appreciating the Dinosaur ride recently for how you can’t find it in the other parks, and now it’s going to be rethemed to something you can find in almost if not every other park already…
@@Jose04537 I probably should have clarified I meant in the Disney Parks. At least as far as I’m aware there isn’t another Dinosaur/Countdown to Extinction in the other Disney Parks.
I've always loved this ride since I was like 10 years old. I already like the movie and dinosaurs in general so this was one of my favorite Disney rides for the longest time. Also, it's one of the scariest rides I've been on ever.
I used to work at Dinoland. "Popcorn City," as I used to call it. One truly cannot appreciate all the little story elements and details unless they work there or spend a LOT of time roaming around. The Boneyard is a great example. It has a chalkboard that lists the names of the different scientists. These same name continue to appear throughout the land. The "osaurus" bandit's handiwork can be found many places. A big loss to the area was the original BGM loops. Now, generic pop music is played. But originally, every song was dinosaur related, and we were given fun interludes by the local DJ's.
Dinoland has more thought out story, theming, and unique details than anything in either Galaxy's Edge. A completely original land taking inspiration of roadside america, kitsch, and how dinos have appeared through modern times. I'm really going to miss it. You can tell the Imagineers had fun with this one. The newer disney IP heavy lands just feel slapped in there to fulfill the desire for a "disney plus land".
I'm 77 years old. My late wife and I drove to Disney World for our honeymoon. It was just the Magic Kingdom then. We bought a book of assorted ride tickets and a book of e-tickets. The place was uncrowded. Food was cheap, no waiting in long lines. Great experience, great memories. On our last trip together I pushed her through the place in her wheelchair. No problems. Wow, has that place gone downhill over the years!
I do think that Disney parks have a cultural obligation to be more than just "constantly packed" with rude, sweaty tourists who are there to point at popular properties. Investors and shareholders are such a cancer to American culture.
The closing of this land is breaking my heart. Some of my earliest memories in childhood are being mesmerized by the books about dinosaurs in the store at the end of Dinosaur, and my family has collectively decided that Dinosaur is "our families ride" at Disney after spending so much time there together. We often quote "we're not gonna make it, we're not gonna make it!" to each other throughout the year. I'm grateful that we were able to visit Disney as a family back in 2019 and were able to ride it together then, but I'm sad we won't get one last goodbye. Thank you Dinoland USA for being such a big part of my childhood, family culture, and development as a person in love with earth's life, both past and present. You will be missed dearly by the Hess family.
Wow, wild how I’m now old enough to remember a land that will soon be completely gone. Dino-Rama was definitely strange, but I honestly loved the DINOSAUR ride, sad to see it go!
I appreciate you for this. I worked in Dinoland almost a decade ago and it gave me such a love for its theming! It has always hurt my soul a bit that so few people recognize how well themed it truly is. Fun fact: the carnotaurus at 45:34 has a hidden mickey on it that I used to point out to guests all the time while working photopass. It's a bit hard to spot but it is visible in the video!
There's a ton of detail I missed because it would be far too tedious to cover literally everything, but I was aiming to create the definitive video that explains the land
@ I feel you 100% made something useful for history. Having traveled RT 66 several times, I’m delighted to see how much the land took cues from that part of American history.
I rode Countdown to Extinction as a kid shortly after it had opened - it remains one of the best rides in my memory. It was the only ride I ever remember my parents actually buying the souvenir picture for, because our expressions seeing the carnotaurus were so hilarious we couldn't stop laughing at the booth. I was WAY into dinosaurs at the time, so I was leaning forward against the lap bar, my face full of equal parts terror and bliss. We rode it again right after, and I went home with a stuffed rubber compsognathus that was nearly bigger than me. Wonderful memories from a wonderful ride ❤
i dont comment often on videos, but ive been watching this channel for ages, and, having only gone to disney once in my life, the only thing i can truly remember from all that long ago was playing in that boneyard (17:42). its one of the few memories i still have of the park, besides some moments in epcot (which have all already been demolished). im positive that the only reason i remember it was *because* it wasnt disney themed. i cant remember having as much fun as i did running around there, exploring and uncovering dinosaur fossils with other kids. i thought they were all real. to my little kid brain, it was the best thing to come from the parks. it was such a throwback to see the old digsite, but its even more disappointing to hear that theyre tearing that part down with it. i watch this channel to hear how awful disney has gotten with their leadership and park choices, and hearing theyre tearing down the last emotional connection i have to the park is honestly the last straw. i dont care what Iger does to the parks, none of it will matter anymore. its not the same park in any capacity. it reminds me of the thought experiment; "if you replaced every part of a ship, is it still the same ship?" If you replace every part of a park that held generations of memories, is it still the same park? i dont think so. it hasnt felt the same in a while. and i only went around 2014. (PS. i now collect fossils and bones, which i dont think is a coincidence :] )
its also alot of flat rides. I remember it being neary empty during winter break in the mid 00s. the rest of the park would be packed and dinoland would be empty
For me the problem was never Hester & Chesters. The theming was a little tacky, but that was the point. The rides were off-the-shelf models, which again, was the point. My problem was the carnival games area. You pay umpteen dollars to get into the park, get nickel and dime to death on parking, food, and merch, and then have to pay an additional charge to play a game. And the prizes weren't even Disney related! It felt like Six Flags rented a block in the middle of a Disney park. I don't agree with the new IP being pumped in, but I'm not judging the new land yet. I'm hoping that actually plan to include animals from the central America's. For a zoological park we've heard nothing of the unique flora and fauna coming to the area. Slightly worrisome.
And at least Dinoland had gators. This new area should be emphasizing actual animal exhibits, but it sounds like we won't be getting a single live animal.
I was visiting Islands of Adventure on a recent trip and I was thinking about how even that park falls victim to that Six Flags carnival game thing, which is fitting when it opened so close to Animal Kingdom and both parks clearly drew at least some ideas from each other. The theming of so much of it is world-class and so many of its rides are stand-outs, but then there are randomly games with unrelated off-the-shelf prizes in the Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park sections that feel like relics from back when Universal was widely seen as second place to Disney's first. With Jurassic Park you could make the excuse that the area's trying to emulate a theme park within a theme park, but I don't think most guests would think about it like that in similar fashion to AK Dinoland
@@RariettyC Yeah, I do really dislike that aspect of the park. At least the games in Jurassic Park are themed to exist within the story of the land, but the Toon Lagoon midway of games is awful.
Disney was short on funds in late 1990s - early 2000s. A few years earlier, Euro Disney was a financial drain. So many of the rides at Animal King Dinoland USA and California Adventure Paradise Pier & Bug’s Life were cheap carnival type rides(mostly spinning/swinging) and some themed playgrounds. Ironically, Walt did not want a carnival type experience, because of the cheap feel and lack of storytelling.
The weird part was they cheaped out and left it. Now they are going to tear it down rather than just upgrading it to the original vision. They could slow rolled this upgrade over the past 20 years instead they left it stagnated.
I never really had an appreciation for the Dino-Rama area of the park, and honestly even with the clever theming in mind, it still feels a bit out of place in a Disney park for reasons I really can't explain. As a kid the design of Animal Kingdom felt like it still had a foot in reality in a way and there was an air of respect for wildlife and other cultures. Dino-rama just feels jarringly out of place from all of that. The loss of DINOSAUR really does suck though, as I have fond memories of being terrified of it as a child, but still rode it on return trips and was disappointed that elements that I remembered clearly were no longer there or just inoperable
My thoughts, too. I appreciate the story that they developed and how charming it can be. But that doesn't change that fundamentally, the land was a cheap tack on in an otherwise lush expensive park. After going through the other areas, full of foliage and tons of shade, a roadside attraction with tons of cement and very little shade feels off. I appreciate the need for flat rides, and I love the ride Dinosaur, but I'd be lying if I say I'd miss it compared to what's coming.
youre not wrong. A bunch of flat rides in a disney park, and then you pay to play games that exist in your local fire dpt, church fundraiser, or school hosted carnival. its not disney quality. sure its "meant to be that way" but its also a bit like claiming other misteps in park design are actually good.
Thank you so much for this deep dive. I’m so disappointed in the way Disney is going. A land as clever as this has so much potential for amazing improvements, and creating an educational element as well. Scrapping it for two IPs is truly a desperate attempt. Now, the destruction of the Rivers of America, and Tom Sawyer Island for more concrete and a Cars Land (?!) are despicable to me. They’ve succeeded in destroying EPCOT, now Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom. I know this is my own opinion. People may be excited for these things coming up. Changes are good to keep things fresh; but I just feel this is extreme.
I agree! If they insist on adding Cars to one of their parks, why not Hollywood Studios? They already have Toy Story there, and they have plans on adding a Monster's Inc. ride. Why not dig into that a little more and start working to dedicate that half of the park to the art of animation and heavily feature Pixar and Disney's own contributions to animation? Both of them were pioneering studios and they could easily create an educational yet fun theme to half of the park while leaving the other to be live action focused (Star Wars, add a new expansion for the Indiana Jones land, bring back the action shows as a way to honor Stunt actors). Something like this would also give Hollywood Studios some identity back.
Glad you're talking about this, Posey. It kinda grinds my gears when I hear other Disney creators say that Dinosaur was terrible and deserves to be replaced by Indiana Jones. I may not be a big fan of the carnival, I agree it's well themed and Dinosaur is one of my all time favorite attractions. This is another account of "Disney PLEASE stop removing places and just facelift them!" There's a lack of commitment to the bit here. (also WOW that "extra large" bit makes way more sense when you remind me of the McDonald's sponsorship.) I was there in 98 when the park opened, though I was really really young, and so it has a big place in my heart that's about to be a dinosaur shaped hole :c
Countdown To Extinction gave me one of favorite Disney memories. When the carnotaurus lunges at you at the end they take a digital picture and you can buy copies. Well I get motion sickness so I spent the whole trip on Dramamine. When our picture was taken everyone is jumping in fear…except me.. I’m sitting stonefaced silently repeating my mantra of “I will NOT throw up”. I always found the contrast hilarious.
The trail next to Chester and Hester’s was to have a life like, animatronic dinosaur. This was an after opening day addition that never happened. The only existing element associated with this is the detached garage you show at 30:39, it was built to house the hydraulic pump to support the figure.
It eventually had more static figures than what is displayed in this video, but for some reason, Disney let these get overgrown by plants. Guests could still see them if they looked for them, but it was obvious this area wasn't being properly maintained.
@@aaronsarchive82 I thought I remembered more on the trail, but I watched through video from the park opening and it seems to be about the same as what's there now.
I don't understand people that don't like this channel because "all Poseidon does is complain about Disney." 1) If they were to watch his videos all the way through, they would see you give credit where credit is due 2) He "complains" about Disney because they themselves are making so many poor decisions! If Disney were on the right track / doing the right thing, there would be little to *critique* and much to compliment!
There's no meta commentary of other forces going on. Apparently Disney execs live in a bubble where they are freebasing the ideas to be boring and safe to not mess up their stock-based performance bonuses instead of simply doing what any rational person would do in that position with that incentive structure. Time to start questioning the game instead of complaining about the players.
I'm not a financial expert at all but I think a big problem Disney faces is that their inherent stock worth is tied to the parks. In 2023, ~38% of Disney's revenue came from its theme parks, versus ~6% of Comcast's venue came from the Universal parks. I feel like this causes Disney execs to want to take more conservative options compared to Comcast, who seem to allow Universal parks to take more risks since a massive failure wouldn't bring down the whole company.
@feist_ I agree. Plus, there is the obvious elephant in the room: He doesn't just talk about Disney. Like you said, he talks about Disney because they themselves are making the poor decisions. So if people should be mad at anyone, it should be at Disney, and not at Poseidon.
@@ChienaAvtzon Hi! In another comment I made, I said I can see why this is being removed and understand, but I'm upset that Disney has put little to no effort into this part of AK for YEARS. Like, why? Why not upgrade it every now and then or completely change the theme (while keeping it dino)? Instead, they let it rot for years and blamed us for not going and being uninterested in the ugliest part of AK. I guess that's why I agree with it being a bad thing. They had years and years to fix it up but instead throw it all away for Encanto and Indy.
Sure, half of dino land looks bad, but that's no excuse to remove all the dinosaur theming, especially to replace the land with one that won't even have any live animals to go with it's theming. I doubt Disney even brings back the tortoise and croc despite them fitting the new theme perfectly.
Yeah in terms of educational leaning there are so many options in this land. Dinosaurs are a huge part of Earth's history. They have let DINOSAUR degrade into a shadow of its former self and blame consumers for not liking it. They have a chance to reimagine this area of the park and do something cool and original but they just wont and that's really frustrating.
The croc was already removed and sent to another facility elsewhere, so yeah, I doubt it's coming back, which is ironic since American Crocodiles are found in Tropical America.
@@GotA-do4ob Disney executives thinking that people don't like rides because there's not popular IP and not because they literally let their rides fall apart.
@@GotA-do4ob Yeah. They should fix up the land to include more dinosaur-themed attractions like a new roller coaster, a new dark ride, a carousel with rideable dinosaurs, etc.!
@@carminecdinoproductionsI always throw an idea out to have a bumpy safari jeep ride through paddocks of rescued animals of various eras. Anything would be better than what’s coming
It’s kinda funny that the theme is so good and so immersive that people actually think Disney just build a random road side attraction and therefore it failed.
Great breakdown of Dinoland’s history and the creative loss in tearing it down. Totally agree it’s sad to see Disney moving away from its unique theming in favor of familiar IP, but I think there’s a bigger picture to consider here. Disney’s execs aren’t just randomly deciding to make the parks 'sterile' or IP-focused-they’re following incentives that prioritize secure, profitable investments. Fans and shareholders consistently show demand for these recognizable, branded experiences, so it’s no surprise that Disney leans into IP, especially with execs whose bonuses hinge on reliable performance. It’s frustrating, but this is part of a broader cycle where consumers crave the familiar, companies respond to that demand, and creativity takes a back seat to what’s seen as a safe bet. Instead of just looking at Disney’s choices, maybe it’s time we question how consumer habits and corporate pressures influence all these decisions. Disney’s not the only one; this is happening across entertainment, where IP-driven, predictable options get favored because they guarantee engagement. Thanks for sparking such an important conversation on creativity vs. commercialism!
It's not just consumer choice either. I feel that it would be inevitable for Disney to make IP tie-ins, especially considering many of the founding rides of the park were IP tie-ins. Many of the rides are starting to fall out of relevance or are just very tired and it would make sense that they be replaced or updated in a natural cycle. I would actually be quite happy to see The Grand Fiesta in the Mexico Pavilion replaced with something fresh, such as a Coco Día de Los Muertos ride which could be very tasteful and educational and would make complete sense. The Ratatouille ride, for instance, while poorly executed (I found it pretty boring) fits in well in the France Pavilion and is rather unobtrusive. Same thing with Frozen Ever After replacing Malestrom. Poorly executed, but it makes sense at least. The difference between simple IP integration and cash-grabs for the sake of profit margins is execution. There is no reason why Disney couldn't bring their very well executed Zootopia park from China to Animal Kingdom instead of trying to shoehorn Encanto and Indiana Jones of all things into the park. I don't necessarily think Zootopia is a great choice due to the message and themes presented in the movie itself, but if they are looking for animals as a requirement then it makes more sense then the vague "well there's that one kid that talks to animals in the Madrigal family."
"...this is happening across entertainment, where IP-driven, predictable options get favored because they guarantee engagement." Is it though? Throughout 2023, most Disney films underperformed or lost money and many Disney+ shows with legacy franchises had relatively poor or mediocre viewership. Things are looking up this year with Deadpool and Wolverine, Inside Out 2 and Agatha, but I think those are exceptions for a variety of reasons specific to those productions. I'm not convinced that Mufasa is going to perform well or even make money and if Disney's park investments are so beneficial, why did 2023 park attendance drop to 2011 numbers, with 2024 being even worse?
@@PoseidonEntertainmentGood points on recent trends, and I agree that Disney’s heavy reliance on IP had mixed results this past year. But I think it’s worth remembering that this strategy has delivered consistent returns for them over the last decade, especially with the kind of massive box office wins we saw from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises. There may be signs of IP fatigue now, but given Disney’s overall success with IP over the years, it’s tough to say if this recent dip is more of a fluke or the start of a long-term shift. On the parks side, there’s definitely a conversation to be had about why attendance is down-maybe people are looking for new experiences, or maybe it’s just cyclical. But I’d still argue Disney’s IP-focused model has generally worked well, even if 2023 wasn’t their best. If they can keep innovating within their IP strategy and occasionally balance it with fresh ideas, it’ll be interesting to see if they can turn it around
so disappointed they’re getting rid of this, granted when you’re there does it feel like you stepped back to the 90’s in the best way? yes. is it intense & unique? YES. we dont need another indy ride 😢
I love Disney details like this, but I feel like things like this can only be appreciated by pass holders that can go to these parks multiple times a month and have time to explore these amazing details. Unfortunately, those of us for whom a Disney trip is a once in a lifetime experience or at least rarely on occasion, we don’t really have time to explore and discover because our time is limited. That’s a huge shame because so much work went into these details and story and so few people had the time to actually discover them. Disney is not only moving always from this glorious attention to detail style to paint by numbers bland theming, but also out pricing many of us anyway. I guess UA-cam vids are the only way the rest of us will be able to revisit these awesome details
Yeah, you have a good point about none of this mattering if people only have limited time. When I went and did most of the filming for this, I had to wait for the sun to move for some of the shots I wanted and just casually wandered around the park and spent some time on Discovery Island, having a meal and sipping a soda as I watched Everest across the water. The park was designed to be more laid back and relaxing, but Disney has created that culture of being so expensive that you're limited on how you can budget your time. I hate the U.S. business and investor class that is destroying legacy corporations, as I think that businesses should do more than just aim to make money, but should also be cultural institutions themselves. Even Eisner recognized this when trying to raise the stock price or cheaping out on projects.
Well said. There’s no way I could have absorbed and appreciated this years ago, let alone someone now with the inanity of pay to play fast pass genie whatever, rope drop park hop nuts to butts frenzy. Incredibly sad DW is cheaping out destroying original concept masterpieces of imagineering when there is no shortage of space compared to California. They’ll never build something to this level of detail and storytelling again. should toss all IP rides into Hollywood studios and quarantine that corny lazy garbage into one doomed place.
@ I will say this, the last time I went to Animal Kingdom, I took some time to appreciate little details, especially all the animals carved into buildings throughout the park. It gave me a profound love for Animal Kingdom and made it my favorite of the four parks. I truly love it very much!
I didn't really pay attention to Dinoland because I'm still seething over Beastly Kingdom. I'll admit there was more effort and detail than I thought. I like the reference to the Cabazon dinosaur shop at least. It is a little quirky compared to the rest of animal kingdom but Beastly would have been too and theres an alien land section. They arent replacing it with Beastly so as of right now I'm still going to seethe.
what's that thing palpatine tells luke in episode 6? let the hatred flow through you! let the loss of Dinoland and Beastly Kingdom fuel you! and become a fully fledged Sith Lord, you can be like vader and force choke the execs who sass you. or just be really angry....that's less fun though.
Aw this is such a bummer! I was one of the people who missed out on the Dinosaur ride- I haven't been to Disney in years, but I went with my friend in the 2010s and we totally missed the Dinosaur ride!! I vaguely remembered it from when I was a kid, but I saw the Hester&Chester's park and I assumed that Disney had gotten rid of the Dinosaur ride and all the animatronics and stuff that I liked, so my friend and I just left that area! Honestly, I understand the theme of Hester&Chester's, but to me I see a big stretch of hot, unshaded concrete in the Florida sun and I do NOT want to wander and explore it. I wish there had been more obvious signs or paths to the boneyard or that walkway with all the dinosaur statues because I probably would have really enjoyed those areas, I just thought that the concrete carnival was all that was there!
Dinosaurs are timeless. I mean even creationists museums have dinosaurs. There is something about dinosaurs that fascinates us. I find it a bit sad that Disney is abandoning this theme. Dinosaurs will always be somewhat popular with young boys. I feel like Disney seems to neglect this target demographic in favor of a more girl focused target demographic. In the future I expect that other parks are going to reconsider the dinosaur theme. Either Universal will expand their jurassic park theme or smaller parks will do something.
I doubt it. I think JP is actually kind of at fault for why companies are so scared to do anything with dinosaurs. They either think they will be looked at as a JP clone or they have the same mentality as whatever idiot decided the driving rational in the first Jurassic World movie for creating hybrids should be that "normal dinosaurs are boring." I hate to break it to most people, but we know about hundreds of thousands of dinosaurs and we learn of more each day. Not to mention all the rest of the life throughout prehistory. And yes, I guarantee you will have people reject something because it doesn't have the handful of dinos they are familiar with, most people going to a park like disney will have paid enough to give it a chance and discover they actually like these other creatures. But yeah, try to explain that in an economy where anything not making a million dollars in 5 minutes is an instant failure versus anything that makes a million dollars for ONLY five minutes.
I haven’t been to this place, but after hearing you explain it, I’m deeply fascinated. In a way, I both understand why it’s special AND why it’s going away in favor of something more straightforward. It’s an extremely high concept theme dripping with meta irony: A high-budget Disney amusement area simulating a low-budget roadside amusement themed after the idea of dinosaurs, in other words a simulacrum of a simulacrum of an idea. Baudrillard would’ve had a field day with this area. But as a layperson, I can understand why it goes over regular people’s heads. People hear “Dinoland” and expect a straightforward dinosaur land because Disney is usually pretty straightforward: the Frontier area is themed to the frontier, the Future area is themed to the future, the China area is themed to China. The closest I can think of to this is Paris’ Discoveryland, themed to a past idea of the future, but in my experience most people just read that as “sure, steampunk” because, well, it’s pretty. This is more like if Epcot’s China area, rather than being themed to China, was themed to a dilapidated Chinese diner in San Fransisco playing up stereotypes to entice white customers. That said this is a super interesting area that I’m sad I’ll never get to see.
Thank you for this video & for going over the theming and history of this amazing land so well. I appreciate you comparing it to art, that's exactly what it is. Some people will get it and see it and others wont. All around it really sucks this area is going away, I think this is second biggest mistake Disney will ever make right behind taking away Rivers of America. 100% agree with everything that you said, per usual. Thank you so much again for sharing this with your subscribers!
Always surprised me they didn't do more with this area especially with Joe Rohde saying the park was severely lacking capacity. A small c or d ticket ride wouldve been great showing off more of the lands story. Imagine a small world type ride with the dinos having fun or small dark ride showing off the crazy jokes they got themselves into. Instead we are replacing a land when we couldve and shouldve had expansion
I took a backstage tour of Dinoland during my Disney college program and that was the first time I heard about the story of the land! It made me really appreciate all of the small details that they put into the land! My favorite part of the tour was finding out about the replica of Sue the T-Rex since I live near the Field Museum and have visited her before. I will miss Dinoland once it’s gone
Gonna miss this land, especially Dinosaur/Countdown to Extinction. Honestly, with some of my favorite rides including Great Movie Ride, Splash Mountain and Dinosaur gone, and a bunch of other fav rides ruined by changes or in bad shape I have little to no reason to want to visit Disney World. The only rides I would go out of my way to go on when visiting are Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain and (unironically) Living with the Land. I would be excited for the South America re theme, but I know it won't be as dense and highly detailed as Africa or Asia without Joe Rohde's input. They haven't even announced what (if any) animal exhibits are gonna be put in place.
I'm glad to hear someone else say this. Maybe I'm just old, but most of the attractions from the past 15 years haven't excited me that much. And yes, I'm including Galaxy's Edge and Pandora in that statement. Tearing down my favorites is making me less likely to continue going.
I'm really hoping that South America feels like Africa and Asia and not just Encanto Land. It's a good movie and I'm glad to have another ride that isn't intense, but it would be a shame to theme the entire area around two IP and not the actual continent.
The only thing I'm excited about is that they may still do new zoo exhibits with new animals for Tropical Americas. I'm not totally against adding some South American rainforest areas. The carved-wood carousel sounds lovely and cool. But boy, do I not go to Animal Kingdom for Indiana Jones and Encanto. I go to AK to look at animals! (And ride Everest)
I think the idea of a Tropical Americas land is great, but this is just probably the worst way to go about executing it. The park needs more attractions, not replacements and it needs to be something more interesting than just superficial dressing on IP rides.
Yeah, absolutely. I agree with someone else in the comments who said what a bad sign it is that we haven't heard anything about planned animal exhibits and trails.
Sad to see Dinosaur go. It’s certainly dated but still a great ride nonetheless. The story is really easy to follow, and the ride is fun. I’d rather Dinosaur than either of the Avatar rides (even taking wait times out of the equation). I think the best rides at Animal Kingdom are the non IP based, Dinosaur, Everest, Safari. I certainly enjoy many of the other WDW IP attractions but it gets to a point where every park is starting to have the same ride ideas.
I love the attention to detail and theming in Dinoland. However, I always thought the tacky nature clashed with the rest of AK. Even Pandora seems to fit better with the nature/market aesthetic of the rest of the park. I thought if Dino Land would’ve been placed in Hollywood Studios it would fit better, especially incorporating Gertie somehow.
Another thing that's weird is that this land seemed to get no love for Disney all these years. I mean, if you're gonna let it stagnate there for so long, why not tear it down sooner? It will be missed by me, but I can see why it was torn down. I don't blame people for not liking this land. I just wish what was replacing it was thematically better.
i can't thank you enough for making this video. ive always loved dinoland and some of my earliest and fondest memories are from there, and as ive grown older ive come to also appreciate its ingenious and detailed themeing, so its closure absolutely breaks my heart. i appreciate how thoroughly youve documented the entire land, i know ill be coming back to this video to reminisce once its all gone
Your introduction to this video was absolutely spot on, Poseidon! Explaining the story of Dinoland U.S.A., in particular, has been a huge missed opportunity; it is truly one of the most intricate lands that Disney has ever built. Animal Kingdom is my favorite park due to the storytelling, imaginative theming, and importance of the original concept. EPCOT is second, of course, since being optimistic about technology's impact on humanity is essential. Now, DINOSAUR: I have enjoyed your prior analysis on DINOSAUR vs. Indiana Jones (my favorite video of your's), as well as the concept of a time traveling roller coaster. Both videos were excellent. DINOSAUR is easily my favorite ride at AK because of its backstory, theming, and strong execution. Wonderful deep dive!
I wish they would work to just fix and bring back the original things we are missing from the Indiana Jones stunt spectacular rather than just building a another Indiana Jones ride.
If you tore out the show and Star Tours, you would probably have enough room for an Indy mini-land with a new attraction. Those two things are not bad, but they've certainly lived long past their shelf life.
My family visited DAK in June of 1998 soon after opening and even then the Dinioland felt a bit low in expectations. Frankly amazed it lasted this long
My opinion on the matter is... frankly, one of general apathy. The way I see it, we're exchanging one short-sighted corporate decision for another. I remember good times at Dinoland. The Boneyard, Dinosaur, and even Primeval Whirl were all good. But as I've gotten older and more interested in theme parks, I have to lament all the things that the final form of the land ended up costing us. I find it quite poetic - how the land is being demolished for the exact same reasons that got it built in the first place. But, you know, I think you're right. If they didn't build that damn fair, opinions on Dinoland would almost certainly have been a lot more positive. Maybe people wouldn't have been cheering for its demise. I'm not about to say "Oh, they should have just built the Excavator, that would have solved everything." But building basically anything on top of the Din-O-Rama area could have flipped opinions pretty thoroughly. The problem here was that the carnival was placed as the center of the land. It gave off the impression that 'hey, here's the best we have to offer you!"
I do think the Excavator would have changed the course of how the park developed quite a bit though. It's not my favorite idea, but if it was built with a layout on the level of California Screamin/Incredicoaster, I think it would have become a popular park staple. Everest probably wouldn't have been built but I don't think Dinoland would be leaving either. Also, yeah, I think if Dino-Rama hadn't been built, either the Excavator or a dark ride would have eventually gone into that space.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Oh of course. The Excavator not being built is what led to Everest stepping in to fill the role. But yeah almost anything would have been a more favorable use of space.
I never got to ride Countdown to Extinction, I've only been to Disney World twice... I wish I could have seen it, I love dinosaurs. My family is a little too frantic with vacation planning, so I'd be too wiped out to really explore on most days.
What a shame. DINOSAUR was one of my favorite attractions ever! I can't believe the next time I go to Disney that ride won't be there along with splash mountain! Haven't been to Disney since 2018.
nobody mentions it? I bring up the obvious air hockey paddle all the time as it cracks me up! My roommate actually took a look at the varying photos I have or found of the vehicles and was pointing out all sorts of things they used as themeing for the vehicles. Pretty fun. Ah sweet dinoland... one of the most fun backstories ever that nobody can understand without being told. Such a shame. I'm going with my family for my final visit to this land later this month, and it'll be the first and last time for my sister's kids to enjoy what's left before it goes extinct. Thanks for this video! It's a great overview of the land and its history.
I already really loved Dinosaur and the land in general (AK is my #2 park), this really made me think about and appreciate it even more. It kind of makes me want to write a kid-appropriate narrative story that would take in all this and put it into a cohesive narrative, just to immortalize it before it's all gone. I know Disney would never green-light something like that and sadly this beautifully thought out and themed land will eventually be mostly forgotten. Thank you for putting this together
The dinosaur ride was one of my all time favorites. Way better than Indy at DL and actually has a story and thrill. Your video really touches on the little details Joe Rohde made sure were included. Thanks for the video, well done as usual. I will miss Dino land
As a millennial who agrees with most of what you say, I like seeing the DuckTales characters at the park. Might be a weird place to put them, but is what it is. Also I don’t mind Kevin being an animal kingdom. As always enjoyed the video.
As a once a year visitor from the UK, AK has always been my favourite park. The atmosphere in each area feels right for the country and I am always really happy to sit and drink a coffee looking across at rides or walking through the different countries. The only exception has always been Dinoland. Even now when you explain the themes, background and history it still seems like a cheap and tacky aberration in an otherwise beautiful park. Two more IP based attractions is going to make it even worse. AK is a holiday away from the other Disney parks.
You don't think that removing Dino-Rama would improve the land though? I can imagine a Dinoland with Dinosaur Treasures and Restaurantosaurus juxtaposed with mountain scenery of the American west, hiding a new dinosaur themed e-ticket.
I do lament the loss of Dinoland USA, and having only been to it once as a child I have gained more appreciation for it after having watched this video, but many aspects of the land are very visibly outdated. All things must eventually come to an end, I just wish that whatever is replacing it was dinosaur-themed as well, but alas… Also, Kevin slander? Sorry bro, can’t get behind that.
If they merged Indy with some sort of dinosaur story, blending with the existing dig site/intern theming, it could be really great. That doesn't seem in the cards, though.
The problem with theming it as a tacky roadside tourist trap is that you now have a tacky roadside tourist trap. The whole point of Disney's expensive theming is to make you forget that the entire park is a tourist trap.
Only if you don't look for the details and story though. With Dinoland, I'm seeing a high level of art that Iger era Disney has never come close to achieving, other than maybe Pandora.
@PoseidonEntertainment it's a wonderful story and a great theme. That still doesn't change the fact that there's a big parking lot with cheap carnival attractions in a very expensive theme park.
As a Dino-Nut, Dinoland was always my favourite part of AK right from first visit in 99. So glad you covered the Dinosaur Jubilee area which I adored as a child, even if I could tell my parents were bored. Restaurantosaurus has also always been my favourite place to eat in Disney. Really sad to see it all go, even if I knew it was coming for a long time.
I have so many favorite memories of this part of the park. They used to sell latex dinosaurs in eggs that you could open, similar to the big latex Carnotaurus toys they still have there. I got an Iguanadon from one of those eggs, I took him everywhere in the park as my friend that trip and I've kept him over since. His latex is breaking down, and I've never seen anyone else even know that those toys existed, so, I'll never be able to buy another. He'll be lost to time, just like the real Igaunadons, now the ride goes too. When they rethemed the area to Donald's birthday bash, I was so excited. Scrooge and Ducktales were some of my favorite pieces of Disney mascot media, so, getting to see that at my favorite area was lovely. I also hung out with one of the announcer/host ladies who ran the big music event there, and she even played my favorite song. I'll miss that land so much, nothing compared to it, and given that Disney is devastatingly expensive, I can't even afford to go and say goodbye...😟
Thanks for capturing the depth of Detail of Dinoland (RIP) ... As a one time visitor we enjoyed the Boneyard for a few hours, but as most didn't take this deep dive or even know where to start understanding the numerous storylines that you have pointed out. Time will tell if current and future Disney projects will continue this level of detail.
It’s a good day when Poseidon is back with another god tier, perfectly executed video reminding the company how abysmal and creatively bankrupt they are. 🎉 it was also cool to see old AK clips as I was there in the week after it opened!
Closing down Dino Land USA was the final straw that broke the camel's back for me and killed off all the love I had for Disney, which is a shame because I loved Disney when I was way young.
as a kid going i just thought the fair was "oh cool, dinosaurs, and 2 time travel rides" as a teen i didn't like it and thought it was lazy, and made to be cheep like paradise pier, but thanks for paointing all of this out, i still think it shows that it's lower budget compared to other animal kingdom areas, but its story more than makes up for it, actually really witty and smart. Great Video
I remember this was my favorite Disney ride for years. It's insane that the 2011 trip I took to Disney World was likely the last time the park was still mostly true to its roots. I haven't been back since and it's seeming like it'll stay that way.
Dinosaurs are THE representaion of extinct, ancient animals. I'm stunned Disney is removing dinosaurs altogether instead of just reworking how dinos are shown off.
Its interesting that there’s such a drastic difference in theming or “effort” between the fair rides and the playground and attraction surrounding it. Wouldn’t this just confuse visitors to make it seem like Disney did not try with this land?
this was a really nice overview of Dinoland. its honestly kind of sad how much disney has been pulling live performance around the parks so drastically recently, particularly wandering cast member performances and even live performance from sections of the park that sorely need it. the suggestion of incorporating more performing cast members into dinoland sounds like a really fun, simple, and cute way to breathe more life into the land without even having to significantly renovate it, even if just a small amount. as interesting as the tropical americas concept is for a replacement to dinoland, it definitely feels more like theyre intending to just focus on incorporating recent IPs versus trying to add cohesion to the park - like potentially emphasizing how the tropical americas would fit into the other regional-themed areas of Animal Kingdom and the nature and wildlife of those regions. Basically all we've heard about the tropical americas land is IP stuff, and tying in Encanto to the animal themes via Antonio's room/powers feels like a bit of a stretch (the Indiana ride even more so) - and I say this as someone who loves Encanto. Their pitch for the tropical americas area just feels like it would fit better in Epcot or something (which is already right there anyways?) rather than Animal Kingdom, since they seem to want to focus more on the people and culture than the animals (which isnt inherently a bad thing! it's great to want to emphasize the people and culture! but again - that's more of what Epcot is about versus Animal Kingdom!). Given how poorly disney has been handling budget recently (such as cutting back a LOT of live performance stuff) you'd think they'd want to focus more on how to make the most of what they have without completely rebuilding from scratch? When the Dinoland closure was first announced, a mutual of mine made a half-silly pitch about how if disney wants to incorperate more IPs into that area of the park to replace it, turning Dinoland into Camp Half-Blood from the Percy Jackson franchise would be a good fit, and honestly the more I think about it and particularly after watching this video I think that was a missed opportunity that would have been a great way to try and preserve a lot of the old buildings and reuse stuff from Dinoland while not straying too far from the premises of Animal Kingdom (since the original pitch for the kingdom included a fantasy section and the PJO franchises involves a good deal of environmentalism, so it'd be a good mix of both). I get if they're concerned with a lack of interest in dinosaurs in pop culture right now, but it's a shame they don't seem to be giving much care to what will go there other than something they can cram the largest concentrations of IPs into at once. I really do hope with the new updates they try to keep and recycle as much of the old buildings as possible, since they really are impressive particularly in their details.
Jungle cruise plus dinosaur safari could have been great. Your guide is an intern and jokes are an extension of the puns and jokes throughout the land already
Dinoland was doing well until McDonald’s ended their sponsorship, which they were the ones who mostly funded the attraction. It’s sad that Disney couldn’t find another sponsor to keep Dinoland from extinction! Bob Iger has done such a bad job with Disney’s theme park business in the long run, he neglected lot of original themed attractions and pushed into stale IPs like Marvel and Star Wars.
People treat attraction/land sponsorships like a bad thing and I can understand something like Exxon, but in general, I think the parks should go back to this on a serious scale, even if just for maintenance.
@@PoseidonEntertainmentsponsors like McDonald’s and Coca Cola are big companies that help theme parks and even local community events! As much as they’re hated for their marketing, they’re still a big revenue for Disney theme parks to maintain their business, so attractions can refurbish and stay relevant. Despite McDonald’s reputation as a junk food brand, which Disney ended their deal, it was bad for Dinoland since they couldn’t find an alternative company that could cross promote their products at the theme park.
I've been fascinated with dinosaurs ever since I was young - even before Animal Kingdom opened. So Dinoland has always fascinating to me, capturing both the corny nostalgia of dino-mania with also a rich appreciation for science and learning.
To say Disney world is in the sink is an understatement. It is in the septic tank, it is just waiting to finally get cleaned out by the septic tank guy.
Persuasive speech. I never fully appreciated the depth of the story there until your video. We can only hope they are putting in as much thought into its replacement.
While I totally agree with you here, when it comes to modern disney parks, it is abundantly clear why they are abandoning Dinoland in favor of more popular IP. As much as I personally love that land, it's no real mystery why it is going away. Us park-heads are the vast minority of park-goers, so most people in the year 2024 and beyond are incapable of recognizing and don't at all care about the nuance and deep level of theming that Dinoland has. They'll leave saying, "that just felt like a cheap county fair," but that is part of why I believe it is such an effective land in general. I think I have commented before on another one of your videos singing the praises of Dinoland, but I will reiterate that I do find it to be one of the best examples of lands with a deeper level of theming than may initially meet the eye, and that it always leaves you with plenty of new details to take in and discover every time you go back. Even the gift shops truly feel as if you're at a real, unique road-side dino attraction. It just has a unique feeling to it that I believe you can't get anywhere else in the whole resort outside of that particular land--and I don't mean just the dinosaur theming itself. It feels like a completely unique area that is real and lived in. It truly is a pretty unique experience at the WDW parks, imo (and fwiw, Dinosaur is probably my second or third favorite ride at the park behind Everest and Kilimanjaro Safari). While I am excited to see the direction that the new Indiana Jones attraction there will take, I will always hold a distinct nostalgia and appreciation for Dinoland USA and will be sad to see it go. For whatever reason, some of my most distinct childhood memories of our yearly trips to WDW with my cousins take place in Dinoland, so it does hold a special place in my heart. It is a classic example of Imagineering turning the somewhat mundane into a unique and immersive experience. Hate to see it go.
If people don't really "get" Dinoland, then I think that's fine. Most people will never know the stories or details of park lands and attractions, but I don't think that's a reason to remove them. The issue is that Disney doesn't see the potential a new dinosaur themed e-ticket could bring to the park in both terms of attendance and in fixing the perception of the land. Most people do not recognize the stories and details of HHN houses, but I believe the design is strong enough to keep them coming back, which is what I think a new ride could do in changing perception about Dinoland. If just Dino-Rama was removed, I think that Dinosaur Treasures and Restaurantosaurus would fall less into the background.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Oh, don't get me wrong; I am not in favor of them entirely removing Dinoland at all. I'm just assessing it through the perspective of the road map that the Disney parks are currently following. Right now, whether or not a land has the potential of standing alone as its own unique area in a park doesn't matter (to them). If there is no existing IP attached to a land, it is on the chopping block. Given that, it is no real mystery why they are abandoning Dinoland at this point (and yes, I do know about the vague tie-in with the Dinosaur movie lol). I have no doubt that some sort of adequately-budgeted re-haul of the existing land could be very successful, but the reality is that we will probably never see a unique, mostly IP-less land like Dinoland being created and implemented into the parks in such a prominent way ever again. Like you, I would much rather see a proper update to Dinoland rather than see it be destroyed, but the reality is that Disney probably feels like they are leaving money on the table in terms of what that plot of land could potentially be for them. It's just a sad reality.
My family and I went to Disney earlier this year, and we were absolutely disgusted at the state of the parks, with the lazy cheap designs and IP's being slapped on everywhere. I went on Dinosaur (for the last time :( ), and there was no line, and while my parents saw the Nemo musical, I got to ride Dinosaur 3 times back to back. I had a fantastic time on one of my favorite rides ever, but it's so sad to see how the parks are all being destroyed for temporary profit. For that and many other reasons, we've decided to not return to Disney world, after going for nearly 30 years... Fun fact, we went to Animal Kingdom when it first opened, and it was phenomenal.
a lot of my early memories of my first trip to disney are at dinoland!!!! i remember the mcdonald’s theming around the dinosaur attraction (the signs showing dinos after you leave the dinosaur gift shop used to be advertisements for mcdonald’s with slogan’s like “have you had your raptor today?” or something along those lines lol), playing in the bone yard, and celebrating my 5th birthday at restaurantosaurus where they used to have character breakfast with donald (and we still have the souvenir photo from it!!). i also have such fun memories from later years going on primeval whirl with my dad. dinosaur is also the only “thrill” ride that my mom likes, as she can’t do rollercoasters. i’m really devastated to see dinoland go, especially when the indiana jones ride is most likely just going to be a reskin of the dinosaur track and a dupe of disneyland’s. dinoland is original and innovative!! and i think spending the money to supe up the land rather than demolish it all together would have been a better plan. :(
During my January 2023 trip, I saw the Abbott’s storks and spent quite a bit of time watching them build a nest. Later, on a vlog, i saw the eggs and hatchlings. It was magical. I know the crocodile has been relocated, and i suppose the storks have been too. I would love to see them again. Disney Parks are about SO much more than rides
When I went to WDW, I gave Dinoland a very thorough visit, early in the morning. The rides and games weren't open yet, but I saw them without feeling a need to participate. But I saw everything I wanted to and rode Dinosaur. Awesome, but unless you eat at the restaurant, or play at the dig site, it's a quick visit. I understand why it's going, but don't agree that it should. The imagineering is outstanding. I wanted to see it before it's shut down.
Honestly Dinoland USA should have closed years ago and rethemed as a Scrooge McDuck expedition site with artifacts he found around the world , I honestly felt the recent meet and greets was a sign of DuckTales slowly taking over but nothing happened
Seriously gonna miss Dino-Land. It was one of my favorites as a kid, and well; still is! Because I think we can all agree that dinosaurs and prehistoric fauna are for EVERYONE!
When do we have the very real conversation that Bob Iger, not Bob Chapek, was more detrimental to the Disney Parks? Chapek was bad, sure… but Iger opened the floodgates.
I feel like I only just started appreciating the Dinosaur ride recently for how you can’t find it in the other parks, and now it’s going to be rethemed to something you can find in almost if not every other park already…
Well said🎉
You literally can, in Jurassic World The Ride in Universal Studios Parks.
@@Jose04537 I probably should have clarified I meant in the Disney Parks. At least as far as I’m aware there isn’t another Dinosaur/Countdown to Extinction in the other Disney Parks.
@@Jose04537different rides lol
I've always loved this ride since I was like 10 years old. I already like the movie and dinosaurs in general so this was one of my favorite Disney rides for the longest time. Also, it's one of the scariest rides I've been on ever.
I used to work at Dinoland. "Popcorn City," as I used to call it. One truly cannot appreciate all the little story elements and details unless they work there or spend a LOT of time roaming around. The Boneyard is a great example. It has a chalkboard that lists the names of the different scientists. These same name continue to appear throughout the land. The "osaurus" bandit's handiwork can be found many places. A big loss to the area was the original BGM loops. Now, generic pop music is played. But originally, every song was dinosaur related, and we were given fun interludes by the local DJ's.
Dinoland has more thought out story, theming, and unique details than anything in either Galaxy's Edge. A completely original land taking inspiration of roadside america, kitsch, and how dinos have appeared through modern times. I'm really going to miss it. You can tell the Imagineers had fun with this one. The newer disney IP heavy lands just feel slapped in there to fulfill the desire for a "disney plus land".
I'm 77 years old. My late wife and I drove to Disney World for our honeymoon. It was just the Magic Kingdom then. We bought a book of assorted ride tickets and a book of e-tickets. The place was uncrowded. Food was cheap, no waiting in long lines. Great experience, great memories. On our last trip together I pushed her through the place in her wheelchair. No problems. Wow, has that place gone downhill over the years!
I do think that Disney parks have a cultural obligation to be more than just "constantly packed" with rude, sweaty tourists who are there to point at popular properties. Investors and shareholders are such a cancer to American culture.
Sorry for your loss. It sounds like you had a wonderful life together.
A Deep Dive? Surely this is an excavation? :D
Orrr even better, a deep dig!
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Dusting off this issue quite nicely.
The closing of this land is breaking my heart. Some of my earliest memories in childhood are being mesmerized by the books about dinosaurs in the store at the end of Dinosaur, and my family has collectively decided that Dinosaur is "our families ride" at Disney after spending so much time there together. We often quote "we're not gonna make it, we're not gonna make it!" to each other throughout the year. I'm grateful that we were able to visit Disney as a family back in 2019 and were able to ride it together then, but I'm sad we won't get one last goodbye. Thank you Dinoland USA for being such a big part of my childhood, family culture, and development as a person in love with earth's life, both past and present. You will be missed dearly by the Hess family.
Wow, wild how I’m now old enough to remember a land that will soon be completely gone. Dino-Rama was definitely strange, but I honestly loved the DINOSAUR ride, sad to see it go!
Same. It's sad to see everything you loved and or cherished go away.
Glad i got to ride it all the way back in 2003!
It was one of my favorite rides!
I appreciate you for this. I worked in Dinoland almost a decade ago and it gave me such a love for its theming! It has always hurt my soul a bit that so few people recognize how well themed it truly is.
Fun fact: the carnotaurus at 45:34 has a hidden mickey on it that I used to point out to guests all the time while working photopass. It's a bit hard to spot but it is visible in the video!
RIP the Dinosaur ride…..
I thought after the removal of the great movie ride, it couldn’t get worse, I was wrong.
This video is now a historical document. Great work, and I had no idea about this intricate theming-backstory beforehand.
There's a ton of detail I missed because it would be far too tedious to cover literally everything, but I was aiming to create the definitive video that explains the land
@ I feel you 100% made something useful for history. Having traveled RT 66 several times, I’m delighted to see how much the land took cues from that part of American history.
I rode Countdown to Extinction as a kid shortly after it had opened - it remains one of the best rides in my memory. It was the only ride I ever remember my parents actually buying the souvenir picture for, because our expressions seeing the carnotaurus were so hilarious we couldn't stop laughing at the booth. I was WAY into dinosaurs at the time, so I was leaning forward against the lap bar, my face full of equal parts terror and bliss. We rode it again right after, and I went home with a stuffed rubber compsognathus that was nearly bigger than me. Wonderful memories from a wonderful ride ❤
Ah, I remember when the shops had actual dinos and not just Mickey and Winnie the Pooh.
i dont comment often on videos, but ive been watching this channel for ages, and, having only gone to disney once in my life, the only thing i can truly remember from all that long ago was playing in that boneyard (17:42). its one of the few memories i still have of the park, besides some moments in epcot (which have all already been demolished). im positive that the only reason i remember it was *because* it wasnt disney themed. i cant remember having as much fun as i did running around there, exploring and uncovering dinosaur fossils with other kids. i thought they were all real. to my little kid brain, it was the best thing to come from the parks.
it was such a throwback to see the old digsite, but its even more disappointing to hear that theyre tearing that part down with it.
i watch this channel to hear how awful disney has gotten with their leadership and park choices, and hearing theyre tearing down the last emotional connection i have to the park is honestly the last straw. i dont care what Iger does to the parks, none of it will matter anymore. its not the same park in any capacity. it reminds me of the thought experiment; "if you replaced every part of a ship, is it still the same ship?"
If you replace every part of a park that held generations of memories, is it still the same park?
i dont think so. it hasnt felt the same in a while. and i only went around 2014.
(PS. i now collect fossils and bones, which i dont think is a coincidence :] )
We just got back and I made sure to visit dinoland. My daughter spent so much time in the boneyard playground. I'm glad she got to go before its gone.
I was fortunate enough to go here, I remember how excitedly I was to hear Bill Nye the Science Guy's voice in the que for the Dinosaur ride
Your deep dive makes me wanna go enjoy Dino-land before it closes. It genuinely looks amazing.
No one goes to dinoland? Wow, its almost like IT HASNT BEEN UPDATED IN YEARS.
its also alot of flat rides. I remember it being neary empty during winter break in the mid 00s. the rest of the park would be packed and dinoland would be empty
For me the problem was never Hester & Chesters. The theming was a little tacky, but that was the point. The rides were off-the-shelf models, which again, was the point. My problem was the carnival games area. You pay umpteen dollars to get into the park, get nickel and dime to death on parking, food, and merch, and then have to pay an additional charge to play a game. And the prizes weren't even Disney related! It felt like Six Flags rented a block in the middle of a Disney park. I don't agree with the new IP being pumped in, but I'm not judging the new land yet. I'm hoping that actually plan to include animals from the central America's. For a zoological park we've heard nothing of the unique flora and fauna coming to the area. Slightly worrisome.
And at least Dinoland had gators. This new area should be emphasizing actual animal exhibits, but it sounds like we won't be getting a single live animal.
I was visiting Islands of Adventure on a recent trip and I was thinking about how even that park falls victim to that Six Flags carnival game thing, which is fitting when it opened so close to Animal Kingdom and both parks clearly drew at least some ideas from each other. The theming of so much of it is world-class and so many of its rides are stand-outs, but then there are randomly games with unrelated off-the-shelf prizes in the Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park sections that feel like relics from back when Universal was widely seen as second place to Disney's first. With Jurassic Park you could make the excuse that the area's trying to emulate a theme park within a theme park, but I don't think most guests would think about it like that in similar fashion to AK Dinoland
@@RariettyC Yeah, I do really dislike that aspect of the park. At least the games in Jurassic Park are themed to exist within the story of the land, but the Toon Lagoon midway of games is awful.
Disney was short on funds in late 1990s - early 2000s. A few years earlier, Euro Disney was a financial drain. So many of the rides at Animal King Dinoland USA and California Adventure Paradise Pier & Bug’s Life were cheap carnival type rides(mostly spinning/swinging) and some themed playgrounds. Ironically, Walt did not want a carnival type experience, because of the cheap feel and lack of storytelling.
The weird part was they cheaped out and left it. Now they are going to tear it down rather than just upgrading it to the original vision. They could slow rolled this upgrade over the past 20 years instead they left it stagnated.
I never really had an appreciation for the Dino-Rama area of the park, and honestly even with the clever theming in mind, it still feels a bit out of place in a Disney park for reasons I really can't explain. As a kid the design of Animal Kingdom felt like it still had a foot in reality in a way and there was an air of respect for wildlife and other cultures. Dino-rama just feels jarringly out of place from all of that. The loss of DINOSAUR really does suck though, as I have fond memories of being terrified of it as a child, but still rode it on return trips and was disappointed that elements that I remembered clearly were no longer there or just inoperable
My thoughts, too. I appreciate the story that they developed and how charming it can be. But that doesn't change that fundamentally, the land was a cheap tack on in an otherwise lush expensive park. After going through the other areas, full of foliage and tons of shade, a roadside attraction with tons of cement and very little shade feels off. I appreciate the need for flat rides, and I love the ride Dinosaur, but I'd be lying if I say I'd miss it compared to what's coming.
youre not wrong. A bunch of flat rides in a disney park, and then you pay to play games that exist in your local fire dpt, church fundraiser, or school hosted carnival. its not disney quality. sure its "meant to be that way" but its also a bit like claiming other misteps in park design are actually good.
I like roller coasters, haunted houses, and everything a lot. But even as I got older the dinosaur ride still got me a bit spooked lol
Thank you so much for this deep dive. I’m so disappointed in the way Disney is going. A land as clever as this has so much potential for amazing improvements, and creating an educational element as well. Scrapping it for two IPs is truly a desperate attempt. Now, the destruction of the Rivers of America, and Tom Sawyer Island for more concrete and a Cars Land (?!) are despicable to me. They’ve succeeded in destroying EPCOT, now Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom. I know this is my own opinion. People may be excited for these things coming up. Changes are good to keep things fresh; but I just feel this is extreme.
I agree! If they insist on adding Cars to one of their parks, why not Hollywood Studios? They already have Toy Story there, and they have plans on adding a Monster's Inc. ride. Why not dig into that a little more and start working to dedicate that half of the park to the art of animation and heavily feature Pixar and Disney's own contributions to animation? Both of them were pioneering studios and they could easily create an educational yet fun theme to half of the park while leaving the other to be live action focused (Star Wars, add a new expansion for the Indiana Jones land, bring back the action shows as a way to honor Stunt actors). Something like this would also give Hollywood Studios some identity back.
Perfect Thumbnail
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Glad you're talking about this, Posey. It kinda grinds my gears when I hear other Disney creators say that Dinosaur was terrible and deserves to be replaced by Indiana Jones. I may not be a big fan of the carnival, I agree it's well themed and Dinosaur is one of my all time favorite attractions. This is another account of "Disney PLEASE stop removing places and just facelift them!" There's a lack of commitment to the bit here. (also WOW that "extra large" bit makes way more sense when you remind me of the McDonald's sponsorship.) I was there in 98 when the park opened, though I was really really young, and so it has a big place in my heart that's about to be a dinosaur shaped hole :c
I loled at "Posey."
@ TY I have no idea what a better name to use so “posey” has been keeping me commenting just to say it
Countdown To Extinction gave me one of favorite Disney memories. When the carnotaurus lunges at you at the end they take a digital picture and you can buy copies. Well I get motion sickness so I spent the whole trip on Dramamine. When our picture was taken everyone is jumping in fear…except me.. I’m sitting stonefaced silently repeating my mantra of “I will NOT throw up”. I always found the contrast hilarious.
The trail next to Chester and Hester’s was to have a life like, animatronic dinosaur. This was an after opening day addition that never happened. The only existing element associated with this is the detached garage you show at 30:39, it was built to house the hydraulic pump to support the figure.
It eventually had more static figures than what is displayed in this video, but for some reason, Disney let these get overgrown by plants. Guests could still see them if they looked for them, but it was obvious this area wasn't being properly maintained.
@@aaronsarchive82 I thought I remembered more on the trail, but I watched through video from the park opening and it seems to be about the same as what's there now.
I don't understand people that don't like this channel because "all Poseidon does is complain about Disney."
1) If they were to watch his videos all the way through, they would see you give credit where credit is due
2) He "complains" about Disney because they themselves are making so many poor decisions! If Disney were on the right track / doing the right thing, there would be little to *critique* and much to compliment!
There's no meta commentary of other forces going on. Apparently Disney execs live in a bubble where they are freebasing the ideas to be boring and safe to not mess up their stock-based performance bonuses instead of simply doing what any rational person would do in that position with that incentive structure. Time to start questioning the game instead of complaining about the players.
I'm not a financial expert at all but I think a big problem Disney faces is that their inherent stock worth is tied to the parks. In 2023, ~38% of Disney's revenue came from its theme parks, versus ~6% of Comcast's venue came from the Universal parks. I feel like this causes Disney execs to want to take more conservative options compared to Comcast, who seem to allow Universal parks to take more risks since a massive failure wouldn't bring down the whole company.
Explain how demolishing the ugliest area, at any Disney park, is a bad thing?
@feist_ I agree. Plus, there is the obvious elephant in the room: He doesn't just talk about Disney. Like you said, he talks about Disney because they themselves are making the poor decisions. So if people should be mad at anyone, it should be at Disney, and not at Poseidon.
@@ChienaAvtzon Hi! In another comment I made, I said I can see why this is being removed and understand, but I'm upset that Disney has put little to no effort into this part of AK for YEARS. Like, why? Why not upgrade it every now and then or completely change the theme (while keeping it dino)? Instead, they let it rot for years and blamed us for not going and being uninterested in the ugliest part of AK.
I guess that's why I agree with it being a bad thing. They had years and years to fix it up but instead throw it all away for Encanto and Indy.
Countdown to Extinction/Dinosaur has always been my favorite disney ride. So sad to see that land being stripped :(
Dinosaur genuinely scares me!!!! It’s a great insane ride
Sure, half of dino land looks bad, but that's no excuse to remove all the dinosaur theming, especially to replace the land with one that won't even have any live animals to go with it's theming. I doubt Disney even brings back the tortoise and croc despite them fitting the new theme perfectly.
Yeah in terms of educational leaning there are so many options in this land. Dinosaurs are a huge part of Earth's history. They have let DINOSAUR degrade into a shadow of its former self and blame consumers for not liking it. They have a chance to reimagine this area of the park and do something cool and original but they just wont and that's really frustrating.
The croc was already removed and sent to another facility elsewhere, so yeah, I doubt it's coming back, which is ironic since American Crocodiles are found in Tropical America.
@@GotA-do4ob Disney executives thinking that people don't like rides because there's not popular IP and not because they literally let their rides fall apart.
@@GotA-do4ob Yeah. They should fix up the land to include more dinosaur-themed attractions like a new roller coaster, a new dark ride, a carousel with rideable dinosaurs, etc.!
@@carminecdinoproductionsI always throw an idea out to have a bumpy safari jeep ride through paddocks of rescued animals of various eras. Anything would be better than what’s coming
I’m glad I got a chance to finally ride the Dinosaur ride in my last trip to WDW before it gets replaced next year.
It’s sad they’re killing this place for brand synergy.
It’s kinda funny that the theme is so good and so immersive that people actually think Disney just build a random road side attraction and therefore it failed.
@@MaximilianZ96 It’s still a poor choice of theming, chosen merely because it could be done dirt cheap.
They built a random roadside attraction cause they had no money to do anything better
Great breakdown of Dinoland’s history and the creative loss in tearing it down. Totally agree it’s sad to see Disney moving away from its unique theming in favor of familiar IP, but I think there’s a bigger picture to consider here. Disney’s execs aren’t just randomly deciding to make the parks 'sterile' or IP-focused-they’re following incentives that prioritize secure, profitable investments.
Fans and shareholders consistently show demand for these recognizable, branded experiences, so it’s no surprise that Disney leans into IP, especially with execs whose bonuses hinge on reliable performance. It’s frustrating, but this is part of a broader cycle where consumers crave the familiar, companies respond to that demand, and creativity takes a back seat to what’s seen as a safe bet.
Instead of just looking at Disney’s choices, maybe it’s time we question how consumer habits and corporate pressures influence all these decisions. Disney’s not the only one; this is happening across entertainment, where IP-driven, predictable options get favored because they guarantee engagement. Thanks for sparking such an important conversation on creativity vs. commercialism!
It's not just consumer choice either. I feel that it would be inevitable for Disney to make IP tie-ins, especially considering many of the founding rides of the park were IP tie-ins. Many of the rides are starting to fall out of relevance or are just very tired and it would make sense that they be replaced or updated in a natural cycle. I would actually be quite happy to see The Grand Fiesta in the Mexico Pavilion replaced with something fresh, such as a Coco Día de Los Muertos ride which could be very tasteful and educational and would make complete sense. The Ratatouille ride, for instance, while poorly executed (I found it pretty boring) fits in well in the France Pavilion and is rather unobtrusive. Same thing with Frozen Ever After replacing Malestrom. Poorly executed, but it makes sense at least.
The difference between simple IP integration and cash-grabs for the sake of profit margins is execution. There is no reason why Disney couldn't bring their very well executed Zootopia park from China to Animal Kingdom instead of trying to shoehorn Encanto and Indiana Jones of all things into the park. I don't necessarily think Zootopia is a great choice due to the message and themes presented in the movie itself, but if they are looking for animals as a requirement then it makes more sense then the vague "well there's that one kid that talks to animals in the Madrigal family."
"...this is happening across entertainment, where IP-driven, predictable options get favored because they guarantee engagement."
Is it though? Throughout 2023, most Disney films underperformed or lost money and many Disney+ shows with legacy franchises had relatively poor or mediocre viewership. Things are looking up this year with Deadpool and Wolverine, Inside Out 2 and Agatha, but I think those are exceptions for a variety of reasons specific to those productions. I'm not convinced that Mufasa is going to perform well or even make money and if Disney's park investments are so beneficial, why did 2023 park attendance drop to 2011 numbers, with 2024 being even worse?
@@PoseidonEntertainmentGood points on recent trends, and I agree that Disney’s heavy reliance on IP had mixed results this past year. But I think it’s worth remembering that this strategy has delivered consistent returns for them over the last decade, especially with the kind of massive box office wins we saw from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises. There may be signs of IP fatigue now, but given Disney’s overall success with IP over the years, it’s tough to say if this recent dip is more of a fluke or the start of a long-term shift.
On the parks side, there’s definitely a conversation to be had about why attendance is down-maybe people are looking for new experiences, or maybe it’s just cyclical. But I’d still argue Disney’s IP-focused model has generally worked well, even if 2023 wasn’t their best. If they can keep innovating within their IP strategy and occasionally balance it with fresh ideas, it’ll be interesting to see if they can turn it around
so disappointed they’re getting rid of this, granted when you’re there does it feel like you stepped back to the 90’s in the best way? yes. is it intense & unique? YES. we dont need another indy ride 😢
I love Disney details like this, but I feel like things like this can only be appreciated by pass holders that can go to these parks multiple times a month and have time to explore these amazing details.
Unfortunately, those of us for whom a Disney trip is a once in a lifetime experience or at least rarely on occasion, we don’t really have time to explore and discover because our time is limited. That’s a huge shame because so much work went into these details and story and so few people had the time to actually discover them.
Disney is not only moving always from this glorious attention to detail style to paint by numbers bland theming, but also out pricing many of us anyway. I guess UA-cam vids are the only way the rest of us will be able to revisit these awesome details
Yeah, you have a good point about none of this mattering if people only have limited time. When I went and did most of the filming for this, I had to wait for the sun to move for some of the shots I wanted and just casually wandered around the park and spent some time on Discovery Island, having a meal and sipping a soda as I watched Everest across the water. The park was designed to be more laid back and relaxing, but Disney has created that culture of being so expensive that you're limited on how you can budget your time. I hate the U.S. business and investor class that is destroying legacy corporations, as I think that businesses should do more than just aim to make money, but should also be cultural institutions themselves. Even Eisner recognized this when trying to raise the stock price or cheaping out on projects.
Well said. There’s no way I could have absorbed and appreciated this years ago, let alone someone now with the inanity of pay to play fast pass genie whatever, rope drop park hop nuts to butts frenzy. Incredibly sad DW is cheaping out destroying original concept masterpieces of imagineering when there is no shortage of space compared to California. They’ll never build something to this level of detail and storytelling again. should toss all IP rides into Hollywood studios and quarantine that corny lazy garbage into one doomed place.
@ I will say this, the last time I went to Animal Kingdom, I took some time to appreciate little details, especially all the animals carved into buildings throughout the park. It gave me a profound love for Animal Kingdom and made it my favorite of the four parks. I truly love it very much!
I didn't really pay attention to Dinoland because I'm still seething over Beastly Kingdom. I'll admit there was more effort and detail than I thought. I like the reference to the Cabazon dinosaur shop at least. It is a little quirky compared to the rest of animal kingdom but Beastly would have been too and theres an alien land section. They arent replacing it with Beastly so as of right now I'm still going to seethe.
what's that thing palpatine tells luke in episode 6? let the hatred flow through you! let the loss of Dinoland and Beastly Kingdom fuel you! and become a fully fledged Sith Lord, you can be like vader and force choke the execs who sass you.
or just be really angry....that's less fun though.
Dinosaur is my favorite ride. There’s nothing else like it, not even Indian Jones. I’m so sad to see it go.
Aw this is such a bummer! I was one of the people who missed out on the Dinosaur ride- I haven't been to Disney in years, but I went with my friend in the 2010s and we totally missed the Dinosaur ride!! I vaguely remembered it from when I was a kid, but I saw the Hester&Chester's park and I assumed that Disney had gotten rid of the Dinosaur ride and all the animatronics and stuff that I liked, so my friend and I just left that area! Honestly, I understand the theme of Hester&Chester's, but to me I see a big stretch of hot, unshaded concrete in the Florida sun and I do NOT want to wander and explore it. I wish there had been more obvious signs or paths to the boneyard or that walkway with all the dinosaur statues because I probably would have really enjoyed those areas, I just thought that the concrete carnival was all that was there!
Dinosaurs are timeless. I mean even creationists museums have dinosaurs. There is something about dinosaurs that fascinates us.
I find it a bit sad that Disney is abandoning this theme. Dinosaurs will always be somewhat popular with young boys. I feel like Disney seems to neglect this target demographic in favor of a more girl focused target demographic.
In the future I expect that other parks are going to reconsider the dinosaur theme. Either Universal will expand their jurassic park theme or smaller parks will do something.
I doubt it. I think JP is actually kind of at fault for why companies are so scared to do anything with dinosaurs. They either think they will be looked at as a JP clone or they have the same mentality as whatever idiot decided the driving rational in the first Jurassic World movie for creating hybrids should be that "normal dinosaurs are boring." I hate to break it to most people, but we know about hundreds of thousands of dinosaurs and we learn of more each day. Not to mention all the rest of the life throughout prehistory. And yes, I guarantee you will have people reject something because it doesn't have the handful of dinos they are familiar with, most people going to a park like disney will have paid enough to give it a chance and discover they actually like these other creatures. But yeah, try to explain that in an economy where anything not making a million dollars in 5 minutes is an instant failure versus anything that makes a million dollars for ONLY five minutes.
I haven’t been to this place, but after hearing you explain it, I’m deeply fascinated. In a way, I both understand why it’s special AND why it’s going away in favor of something more straightforward. It’s an extremely high concept theme dripping with meta irony: A high-budget Disney amusement area simulating a low-budget roadside amusement themed after the idea of dinosaurs, in other words a simulacrum of a simulacrum of an idea. Baudrillard would’ve had a field day with this area. But as a layperson, I can understand why it goes over regular people’s heads. People hear “Dinoland” and expect a straightforward dinosaur land because Disney is usually pretty straightforward: the Frontier area is themed to the frontier, the Future area is themed to the future, the China area is themed to China. The closest I can think of to this is Paris’ Discoveryland, themed to a past idea of the future, but in my experience most people just read that as “sure, steampunk” because, well, it’s pretty. This is more like if Epcot’s China area, rather than being themed to China, was themed to a dilapidated Chinese diner in San Fransisco playing up stereotypes to entice white customers.
That said this is a super interesting area that I’m sad I’ll never get to see.
Thank you for this video & for going over the theming and history of this amazing land so well. I appreciate you comparing it to art, that's exactly what it is. Some people will get it and see it and others wont. All around it really sucks this area is going away, I think this is second biggest mistake Disney will ever make right behind taking away Rivers of America. 100% agree with everything that you said, per usual. Thank you so much again for sharing this with your subscribers!
Always surprised me they didn't do more with this area especially with Joe Rohde saying the park was severely lacking capacity. A small c or d ticket ride wouldve been great showing off more of the lands story. Imagine a small world type ride with the dinos having fun or small dark ride showing off the crazy jokes they got themselves into. Instead we are replacing a land when we couldve and shouldve had expansion
I took a backstage tour of Dinoland during my Disney college program and that was the first time I heard about the story of the land! It made me really appreciate all of the small details that they put into the land! My favorite part of the tour was finding out about the replica of Sue the T-Rex since I live near the Field Museum and have visited her before. I will miss Dinoland once it’s gone
Losing all this seriously feels gut wrenching...especially having loved it since I was a kid....
Gonna miss this land, especially Dinosaur/Countdown to Extinction. Honestly, with some of my favorite rides including Great Movie Ride, Splash Mountain and Dinosaur gone, and a bunch of other fav rides ruined by changes or in bad shape I have little to no reason to want to visit Disney World. The only rides I would go out of my way to go on when visiting are Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain and (unironically) Living with the Land.
I would be excited for the South America re theme, but I know it won't be as dense and highly detailed as Africa or Asia without Joe Rohde's input. They haven't even announced what (if any) animal exhibits are gonna be put in place.
I'm glad to hear someone else say this. Maybe I'm just old, but most of the attractions from the past 15 years haven't excited me that much. And yes, I'm including Galaxy's Edge and Pandora in that statement. Tearing down my favorites is making me less likely to continue going.
I'm really hoping that South America feels like Africa and Asia and not just Encanto Land. It's a good movie and I'm glad to have another ride that isn't intense, but it would be a shame to theme the entire area around two IP and not the actual continent.
The only thing I'm excited about is that they may still do new zoo exhibits with new animals for Tropical Americas. I'm not totally against adding some South American rainforest areas. The carved-wood carousel sounds lovely and cool. But boy, do I not go to Animal Kingdom for Indiana Jones and Encanto. I go to AK to look at animals! (And ride Everest)
I think the idea of a Tropical Americas land is great, but this is just probably the worst way to go about executing it. The park needs more attractions, not replacements and it needs to be something more interesting than just superficial dressing on IP rides.
Yeah, absolutely. I agree with someone else in the comments who said what a bad sign it is that we haven't heard anything about planned animal exhibits and trails.
Sad to see Dinosaur go. It’s certainly dated but still a great ride nonetheless. The story is really easy to follow, and the ride is fun. I’d rather Dinosaur than either of the Avatar rides (even taking wait times out of the equation). I think the best rides at Animal Kingdom are the non IP based, Dinosaur, Everest, Safari. I certainly enjoy many of the other WDW IP attractions but it gets to a point where every park is starting to have the same ride ideas.
I love the attention to detail and theming in Dinoland. However, I always thought the tacky nature clashed with the rest of AK. Even Pandora seems to fit better with the nature/market aesthetic of the rest of the park. I thought if Dino Land would’ve been placed in Hollywood Studios it would fit better, especially incorporating Gertie somehow.
Another thing that's weird is that this land seemed to get no love for Disney all these years. I mean, if you're gonna let it stagnate there for so long, why not tear it down sooner? It will be missed by me, but I can see why it was torn down. I don't blame people for not liking this land.
I just wish what was replacing it was thematically better.
@@TerryKitts I suppose, but they should have bit the bullet way sooner and torn down the area years ago rather than letting it sit there for 20~ years
Wow, never even scratched the surface of this land when i went, now its gonna be gone… what a shame
Couldn’t agree more
i can't thank you enough for making this video. ive always loved dinoland and some of my earliest and fondest memories are from there, and as ive grown older ive come to also appreciate its ingenious and detailed themeing, so its closure absolutely breaks my heart. i appreciate how thoroughly youve documented the entire land, i know ill be coming back to this video to reminisce once its all gone
Wonderful video
Your introduction to this video was absolutely spot on, Poseidon! Explaining the story of Dinoland U.S.A., in particular, has been a huge missed opportunity; it is truly one of the most intricate lands that Disney has ever built.
Animal Kingdom is my favorite park due to the storytelling, imaginative theming, and importance of the original concept.
EPCOT is second, of course, since being optimistic about technology's impact on humanity is essential.
Now, DINOSAUR: I have enjoyed your prior analysis on DINOSAUR vs. Indiana Jones (my favorite video of your's), as well as the concept of a time traveling roller coaster. Both videos were excellent.
DINOSAUR is easily my favorite ride at AK because of its backstory, theming, and strong execution.
Wonderful deep dive!
I wish they would work to just fix and bring back the original things we are missing from the Indiana Jones stunt spectacular rather than just building a another Indiana Jones ride.
If you tore out the show and Star Tours, you would probably have enough room for an Indy mini-land with a new attraction. Those two things are not bad, but they've certainly lived long past their shelf life.
Is Florida just too hot to really appreciate this sort of details when placed on a hardtop area with little shade?
Florida is too hot to enjoy anything. Southern California has the perfect climate for building parks.
My family visited DAK in June of 1998 soon after opening and even then the Dinioland felt a bit low in expectations. Frankly amazed it lasted this long
Great deep dive video.
My opinion on the matter is... frankly, one of general apathy. The way I see it, we're exchanging one short-sighted corporate decision for another.
I remember good times at Dinoland. The Boneyard, Dinosaur, and even Primeval Whirl were all good. But as I've gotten older and more interested in theme parks, I have to lament all the things that the final form of the land ended up costing us.
I find it quite poetic - how the land is being demolished for the exact same reasons that got it built in the first place.
But, you know, I think you're right. If they didn't build that damn fair, opinions on Dinoland would almost certainly have been a lot more positive. Maybe people wouldn't have been cheering for its demise.
I'm not about to say "Oh, they should have just built the Excavator, that would have solved everything." But building basically anything on top of the Din-O-Rama area could have flipped opinions pretty thoroughly. The problem here was that the carnival was placed as the center of the land. It gave off the impression that 'hey, here's the best we have to offer you!"
I do think the Excavator would have changed the course of how the park developed quite a bit though. It's not my favorite idea, but if it was built with a layout on the level of California Screamin/Incredicoaster, I think it would have become a popular park staple. Everest probably wouldn't have been built but I don't think Dinoland would be leaving either. Also, yeah, I think if Dino-Rama hadn't been built, either the Excavator or a dark ride would have eventually gone into that space.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Oh of course. The Excavator not being built is what led to Everest stepping in to fill the role.
But yeah almost anything would have been a more favorable use of space.
I never got to ride Countdown to Extinction, I've only been to Disney World twice... I wish I could have seen it, I love dinosaurs. My family is a little too frantic with vacation planning, so I'd be too wiped out to really explore on most days.
What a shame. DINOSAUR was one of my favorite attractions ever! I can't believe the next time I go to Disney that ride won't be there along with splash mountain! Haven't been to Disney since 2018.
I agree.
I love that you mentioned the air hockey paddle. My brother and I have joked about this for years. Glad someone else noticed it!
Love these videos, thanks for the great commentary and footage!
nobody mentions it? I bring up the obvious air hockey paddle all the time as it cracks me up! My roommate actually took a look at the varying photos I have or found of the vehicles and was pointing out all sorts of things they used as themeing for the vehicles. Pretty fun. Ah sweet dinoland... one of the most fun backstories ever that nobody can understand without being told. Such a shame. I'm going with my family for my final visit to this land later this month, and it'll be the first and last time for my sister's kids to enjoy what's left before it goes extinct. Thanks for this video! It's a great overview of the land and its history.
I already really loved Dinosaur and the land in general (AK is my #2 park), this really made me think about and appreciate it even more. It kind of makes me want to write a kid-appropriate narrative story that would take in all this and put it into a cohesive narrative, just to immortalize it before it's all gone. I know Disney would never green-light something like that and sadly this beautifully thought out and themed land will eventually be mostly forgotten. Thank you for putting this together
The dinosaur ride was one of my all time favorites. Way better than Indy at DL and actually has a story and thrill. Your video really touches on the little details Joe Rohde made sure were included.
Thanks for the video, well done as usual. I will miss Dino land
As a millennial who agrees with most of what you say, I like seeing the DuckTales characters at the park. Might be a weird place to put them, but is what it is. Also I don’t mind Kevin being an animal kingdom. As always enjoyed the video.
I think the DuckTales characters have their place, but Dinoland wasn't it
As a once a year visitor from the UK, AK has always been my favourite park. The atmosphere in each area feels right for the country and I am always really happy to sit and drink a coffee looking across at rides or walking through the different countries. The only exception has always been Dinoland. Even now when you explain the themes, background and history it still seems like a cheap and tacky aberration in an otherwise beautiful park. Two more IP based attractions is going to make it even worse. AK is a holiday away from the other Disney parks.
You don't think that removing Dino-Rama would improve the land though? I can imagine a Dinoland with Dinosaur Treasures and Restaurantosaurus juxtaposed with mountain scenery of the American west, hiding a new dinosaur themed e-ticket.
I do lament the loss of Dinoland USA, and having only been to it once as a child I have gained more appreciation for it after having watched this video, but many aspects of the land are very visibly outdated. All things must eventually come to an end, I just wish that whatever is replacing it was dinosaur-themed as well, but alas…
Also, Kevin slander? Sorry bro, can’t get behind that.
Riding dinosaur in 2004, I had no idea about the camera spot and the dinosaur, the picture of my genuinely surprised face was awesome.
If they merged Indy with some sort of dinosaur story, blending with the existing dig site/intern theming, it could be really great. That doesn't seem in the cards, though.
literally the only person i’ve ever seen who likes dinoland
The problem with theming it as a tacky roadside tourist trap is that you now have a tacky roadside tourist trap. The whole point of Disney's expensive theming is to make you forget that the entire park is a tourist trap.
Only if you don't look for the details and story though. With Dinoland, I'm seeing a high level of art that Iger era Disney has never come close to achieving, other than maybe Pandora.
@PoseidonEntertainment it's a wonderful story and a great theme. That still doesn't change the fact that there's a big parking lot with cheap carnival attractions in a very expensive theme park.
You have a great informative channel, I have watched all of them.........awesome job!
As a Dino-Nut, Dinoland was always my favourite part of AK right from first visit in 99. So glad you covered the Dinosaur Jubilee area which I adored as a child, even if I could tell my parents were bored. Restaurantosaurus has also always been my favourite place to eat in Disney. Really sad to see it all go, even if I knew it was coming for a long time.
I have so many favorite memories of this part of the park. They used to sell latex dinosaurs in eggs that you could open, similar to the big latex Carnotaurus toys they still have there. I got an Iguanadon from one of those eggs, I took him everywhere in the park as my friend that trip and I've kept him over since. His latex is breaking down, and I've never seen anyone else even know that those toys existed, so, I'll never be able to buy another. He'll be lost to time, just like the real Igaunadons, now the ride goes too.
When they rethemed the area to Donald's birthday bash, I was so excited. Scrooge and Ducktales were some of my favorite pieces of Disney mascot media, so, getting to see that at my favorite area was lovely. I also hung out with one of the announcer/host ladies who ran the big music event there, and she even played my favorite song.
I'll miss that land so much, nothing compared to it, and given that Disney is devastatingly expensive, I can't even afford to go and say goodbye...😟
Thank you thank you thank you for this. I've been so worried about losing all these details and not being able to find them.
Yeah, it was impossible and tedious to cover everything, but I tried to reasonably show as much as I could.
Thank you for this great video!!
Thanks for capturing the depth of Detail of Dinoland (RIP) ... As a one time visitor we enjoyed the Boneyard for a few hours, but as most didn't take this deep dive or even know where to start understanding the numerous storylines that you have pointed out.
Time will tell if current and future Disney projects will continue this level of detail.
No Iger era project has reached this level of detail, maybe with the exception of the Adventureland Treehouse of all things.
It’s a good day when Poseidon is back with another god tier, perfectly executed video reminding the company how abysmal and creatively bankrupt they are. 🎉 it was also cool to see old AK clips as I was there in the week after it opened!
Closing down Dino Land USA was the final straw that broke the camel's back for me and killed off all the love I had for Disney, which is a shame because I loved Disney when I was way young.
as a kid going i just thought the fair was "oh cool, dinosaurs, and 2 time travel rides" as a teen i didn't like it and thought it was lazy, and made to be cheep like paradise pier, but thanks for paointing all of this out, i still think it shows that it's lower budget compared to other animal kingdom areas, but its story more than makes up for it, actually really witty and smart.
Great Video
You are so totally my favorite parks UA-camr🙏
I remember this was my favorite Disney ride for years. It's insane that the 2011 trip I took to Disney World was likely the last time the park was still mostly true to its roots. I haven't been back since and it's seeming like it'll stay that way.
Dinosaurs are THE representaion of extinct, ancient animals. I'm stunned Disney is removing dinosaurs altogether instead of just reworking how dinos are shown off.
Its interesting that there’s such a drastic difference in theming or “effort” between the fair rides and the playground and attraction surrounding it. Wouldn’t this just confuse visitors to make it seem like Disney did not try with this land?
this was a really nice overview of Dinoland. its honestly kind of sad how much disney has been pulling live performance around the parks so drastically recently, particularly wandering cast member performances and even live performance from sections of the park that sorely need it. the suggestion of incorporating more performing cast members into dinoland sounds like a really fun, simple, and cute way to breathe more life into the land without even having to significantly renovate it, even if just a small amount.
as interesting as the tropical americas concept is for a replacement to dinoland, it definitely feels more like theyre intending to just focus on incorporating recent IPs versus trying to add cohesion to the park - like potentially emphasizing how the tropical americas would fit into the other regional-themed areas of Animal Kingdom and the nature and wildlife of those regions. Basically all we've heard about the tropical americas land is IP stuff, and tying in Encanto to the animal themes via Antonio's room/powers feels like a bit of a stretch (the Indiana ride even more so) - and I say this as someone who loves Encanto. Their pitch for the tropical americas area just feels like it would fit better in Epcot or something (which is already right there anyways?) rather than Animal Kingdom, since they seem to want to focus more on the people and culture than the animals (which isnt inherently a bad thing! it's great to want to emphasize the people and culture! but again - that's more of what Epcot is about versus Animal Kingdom!). Given how poorly disney has been handling budget recently (such as cutting back a LOT of live performance stuff) you'd think they'd want to focus more on how to make the most of what they have without completely rebuilding from scratch?
When the Dinoland closure was first announced, a mutual of mine made a half-silly pitch about how if disney wants to incorperate more IPs into that area of the park to replace it, turning Dinoland into Camp Half-Blood from the Percy Jackson franchise would be a good fit, and honestly the more I think about it and particularly after watching this video I think that was a missed opportunity that would have been a great way to try and preserve a lot of the old buildings and reuse stuff from Dinoland while not straying too far from the premises of Animal Kingdom (since the original pitch for the kingdom included a fantasy section and the PJO franchises involves a good deal of environmentalism, so it'd be a good mix of both). I get if they're concerned with a lack of interest in dinosaurs in pop culture right now, but it's a shame they don't seem to be giving much care to what will go there other than something they can cram the largest concentrations of IPs into at once. I really do hope with the new updates they try to keep and recycle as much of the old buildings as possible, since they really are impressive particularly in their details.
Jungle cruise plus dinosaur safari could have been great. Your guide is an intern and jokes are an extension of the puns and jokes throughout the land already
Dinoland was doing well until McDonald’s ended their sponsorship, which they were the ones who mostly funded the attraction. It’s sad that Disney couldn’t find another sponsor to keep Dinoland from extinction! Bob Iger has done such a bad job with Disney’s theme park business in the long run, he neglected lot of original themed attractions and pushed into stale IPs like Marvel and Star Wars.
People treat attraction/land sponsorships like a bad thing and I can understand something like Exxon, but in general, I think the parks should go back to this on a serious scale, even if just for maintenance.
@@PoseidonEntertainmentsponsors like McDonald’s and Coca Cola are big companies that help theme parks and even local community events! As much as they’re hated for their marketing, they’re still a big revenue for Disney theme parks to maintain their business, so attractions can refurbish and stay relevant. Despite McDonald’s reputation as a junk food brand, which Disney ended their deal, it was bad for Dinoland since they couldn’t find an alternative company that could cross promote their products at the theme park.
I've been fascinated with dinosaurs ever since I was young - even before Animal Kingdom opened. So Dinoland has always fascinating to me, capturing both the corny nostalgia of dino-mania with also a rich appreciation for science and learning.
To say Disney world is in the sink is an understatement. It is in the septic tank, it is just waiting to finally get cleaned out by the septic tank guy.
Persuasive speech. I never fully appreciated the depth of the story there until your video. We can only hope they are putting in as much thought into its replacement.
While I totally agree with you here, when it comes to modern disney parks, it is abundantly clear why they are abandoning Dinoland in favor of more popular IP. As much as I personally love that land, it's no real mystery why it is going away. Us park-heads are the vast minority of park-goers, so most people in the year 2024 and beyond are incapable of recognizing and don't at all care about the nuance and deep level of theming that Dinoland has. They'll leave saying, "that just felt like a cheap county fair," but that is part of why I believe it is such an effective land in general.
I think I have commented before on another one of your videos singing the praises of Dinoland, but I will reiterate that I do find it to be one of the best examples of lands with a deeper level of theming than may initially meet the eye, and that it always leaves you with plenty of new details to take in and discover every time you go back. Even the gift shops truly feel as if you're at a real, unique road-side dino attraction.
It just has a unique feeling to it that I believe you can't get anywhere else in the whole resort outside of that particular land--and I don't mean just the dinosaur theming itself. It feels like a completely unique area that is real and lived in. It truly is a pretty unique experience at the WDW parks, imo (and fwiw, Dinosaur is probably my second or third favorite ride at the park behind Everest and Kilimanjaro Safari).
While I am excited to see the direction that the new Indiana Jones attraction there will take, I will always hold a distinct nostalgia and appreciation for Dinoland USA and will be sad to see it go. For whatever reason, some of my most distinct childhood memories of our yearly trips to WDW with my cousins take place in Dinoland, so it does hold a special place in my heart. It is a classic example of Imagineering turning the somewhat mundane into a unique and immersive experience. Hate to see it go.
If people don't really "get" Dinoland, then I think that's fine. Most people will never know the stories or details of park lands and attractions, but I don't think that's a reason to remove them. The issue is that Disney doesn't see the potential a new dinosaur themed e-ticket could bring to the park in both terms of attendance and in fixing the perception of the land. Most people do not recognize the stories and details of HHN houses, but I believe the design is strong enough to keep them coming back, which is what I think a new ride could do in changing perception about Dinoland. If just Dino-Rama was removed, I think that Dinosaur Treasures and Restaurantosaurus would fall less into the background.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Oh, don't get me wrong; I am not in favor of them entirely removing Dinoland at all. I'm just assessing it through the perspective of the road map that the Disney parks are currently following.
Right now, whether or not a land has the potential of standing alone as its own unique area in a park doesn't matter (to them). If there is no existing IP attached to a land, it is on the chopping block. Given that, it is no real mystery why they are abandoning Dinoland at this point (and yes, I do know about the vague tie-in with the Dinosaur movie lol).
I have no doubt that some sort of adequately-budgeted re-haul of the existing land could be very successful, but the reality is that we will probably never see a unique, mostly IP-less land like Dinoland being created and implemented into the parks in such a prominent way ever again.
Like you, I would much rather see a proper update to Dinoland rather than see it be destroyed, but the reality is that Disney probably feels like they are leaving money on the table in terms of what that plot of land could potentially be for them. It's just a sad reality.
I remember, as a little kid, playing in the dig site and getting scared on “Dinosaur,” I’ll be really sad when this well-themed area is gone.
My family and I went to Disney earlier this year, and we were absolutely disgusted at the state of the parks, with the lazy cheap designs and IP's being slapped on everywhere. I went on Dinosaur (for the last time :( ), and there was no line, and while my parents saw the Nemo musical, I got to ride Dinosaur 3 times back to back. I had a fantastic time on one of my favorite rides ever, but it's so sad to see how the parks are all being destroyed for temporary profit. For that and many other reasons, we've decided to not return to Disney world, after going for nearly 30 years... Fun fact, we went to Animal Kingdom when it first opened, and it was phenomenal.
a lot of my early memories of my first trip to disney are at dinoland!!!! i remember the mcdonald’s theming around the dinosaur attraction (the signs showing dinos after you leave the dinosaur gift shop used to be advertisements for mcdonald’s with slogan’s like “have you had your raptor today?” or something along those lines lol), playing in the bone yard, and celebrating my 5th birthday at restaurantosaurus where they used to have character breakfast with donald (and we still have the souvenir photo from it!!). i also have such fun memories from later years going on primeval whirl with my dad. dinosaur is also the only “thrill” ride that my mom likes, as she can’t do rollercoasters. i’m really devastated to see dinoland go, especially when the indiana jones ride is most likely just going to be a reskin of the dinosaur track and a dupe of disneyland’s. dinoland is original and innovative!! and i think spending the money to supe up the land rather than demolish it all together would have been a better plan. :(
During my January 2023 trip, I saw the Abbott’s storks and spent quite a bit of time watching them build a nest. Later, on a vlog, i saw the eggs and hatchlings. It was magical. I know the crocodile has been relocated, and i suppose the storks have been too. I would love to see them again. Disney Parks are about SO much more than rides
When I went to WDW, I gave Dinoland a very thorough visit, early in the morning. The rides and games weren't open yet, but I saw them without feeling a need to participate. But I saw everything I wanted to and rode Dinosaur. Awesome, but unless you eat at the restaurant, or play at the dig site, it's a quick visit. I understand why it's going, but don't agree that it should. The imagineering is outstanding. I wanted to see it before it's shut down.
Honestly Dinoland USA should have closed years ago and rethemed as a Scrooge McDuck expedition site with artifacts he found around the world , I honestly felt the recent meet and greets was a sign of DuckTales slowly taking over but nothing happened
Seriously gonna miss Dino-Land. It was one of my favorites as a kid, and well; still is! Because I think we can all agree that dinosaurs and prehistoric fauna are for EVERYONE!
Glad I went when I was still able to! Went to Animal Kingdom a few months ago and enjoyed Dinosaur... but nobody else in my family wanted in. Oh well.
When do we have the very real conversation that Bob Iger, not Bob Chapek, was more detrimental to the Disney Parks? Chapek was bad, sure… but Iger opened the floodgates.