Florida Guide > Animal Kingdom
Ride Guide – Dinosaur
Slightly hidden in Animal Kingdom is, what we feel, an absolute gem of a ride – Dinosaur! Don’t let it’s tucked away location fool you, if you want something fun and funky, this is definitely a ride to go on. It is also completely indoors, which can bring a nice break from the heat of the Florida sunshine.
So . . . what is Dinosaur! ? It is time travel at its best. The pre-show fills you in with all of the details, although I will say is that it does seem to be a little bit bizarre, but why is it an absolute certainty that when scientists discover the means of time travel, the first candidates that they will choose for their experiments will be a crowd of tourists visiting a theme park? Let’s not worry about the technicalities, instead just suspend belief for a while and enjoy the ride! Housed in the Dino Institute, before the ride, enjoy the scenery – there are real dinosaur remains on show.
After the pre-show movie, which does an excellent job of setting the scene for the ride, you move through to the loading bay area. Disney really cannot be faulted for all of its theming in its rides, the attention to detail and the total immersion in the experience really are second to none.
You board your Time Rover vehicle, which looks like a rather beefed up four-by-four off-roader and, after the checks and instructions, move through to the launch area. This is the time tunnel which magics you back through time to the end of the cretaceous period. You are now on an unofficial mission to bring back an Iguanadon which has been tagged by one of the scientists from a previous visit. The only slight snag with visiting this time period is that it is just before a meteor struck the earth!
As you roar through the time tunnel, with lights flashing around you, you emerge from it into a wonderful jungle, full of the sights and sounds of the dinosaur era. All the time, the scientist, Dr Seeker, who previously tagged the Iguanadon and sent you on this mission, narrates your journey. This is one bumpy and hectic ride!
You move from point to point, around sharp corners and you really feel like the Time Rover is travelling over a bumpy forest floor. Throughout the ride the drama heightens as you encounter various different dinosaurs who appear to be at times friendly and at other times, less so! You are also counting down against the clock to the imminent impact of the meteor.
The sound and energy level can be quite scary for some of the younger riders who would be tall enough for this ride (and, by the screams, some of the older ones! ). It is really the totally immersive feeling of being in the jungle which sets this ride apart and creates the atmosphere and the drama, although the ride is bumpy and jerky, it is not scary like a roller coaster type ride.
A definite must for us on every trip, for a combination of many factors and we would definitely recommend seeking it out.
Ride Facts:
Minimum Height – 40 inches (100 cm)
FastPass – Yes
Single Rider – No
Location – Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Within Dinoland USA.
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