What the heck is Dinoland U.S.A?

Brummyboy92

Active Member
Original Poster
The first time I saw Dinoland I was really confused as well. I liked the Dinosaur ride, but didn't understand the carnival theme. Australia sounds cool, but I think South America would be a good option as well. However, I would want one of these to be a whole new land instead of replacing Dinoland. Hoping Dinoland will someday get a refurb and remove the carnival.

South America would be awesome, can't believe I forgot about that huge continent, LOL. You could have so much fun with that theme, and incorporate Indie into it without it being the only focus.

I guess the only other issue with AK, is that it seemed to lack rides, however that seemed to be a problem across the board outside of MK.
 

DfromATX

Well-Known Member
When my son (pictured in my profile) was 4 he loved it, especially Triceratops Spin. He was such a sweet little boy and begged me to ride it with him. We must have ridden it 5 times in a row. He's turning 17 this month (and not as sweet anymore). :cautious: We pretty much skip Dinoland now.
 

Victor Kelly

Well-Known Member
It is a great place to bypass. Primeval Whirl....is horrible. I thought it was going to spin the whole time which would have made it a very interesting wild mouse type ride....but no, it is horrible.

I am in agreement that the area needs to be 90% bulldozed. The only thing it does do is satisfy the youngest visitors. But really the whole park does that with only 2 exceptions, Everest and Flight of passage.
 

wdwjmp239

Well-Known Member
Dinoland USA is a mess - that's what it is.

Dino-Rama literally is themed to be a cheap carnival on top of a car park. The Imagineers did the best they could with the orders they were given (build rides that add up to X capacity on X budget), but it just wasn't possible to produce anything that meets the high standards set by the rest of the park. As a result, it is absolutely a net negative for the park, because it suddenly removes you from the otherwise beautiful environment that would make up your entire day.

Something is going to happen to it, perhaps relatively soon, but it can't be soon enough.

Dinoland USA is pretty much a "loss leader" for Disney. True, it was probably used as a justification to cap out the remaining amounts of a project budget somewhere and that's what Disney came up with, probably hamstringed with a bunch of limitations, restrictions, and things of that nature. Then, probably in a design meeting someone said, "I went to the local carnival last weekend......" and that's what they came up with. Now, they have a ride that's not working (last I heard Primeval Whirl" was shut down unexpectedly). Probably the only thing bringing in any traffic over there is Dinosaur! Oh well....it is what it is, right?
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Dinoland USA is pretty much a "loss leader" for Disney. True, it was probably used as a justification to cap out the remaining amounts of a project budget somewhere and that's what Disney came up with, probably hamstringed with a bunch of limitations, restrictions, and things of that nature. Then, probably in a design meeting someone said, "I went to the local carnival last weekend......" and that's what they came up with. Now, they have a ride that's not working (last I heard Primeval Whirl" was shut down unexpectedly). Probably the only thing bringing in any traffic over there is Dinosaur! Oh well....it is what it is, right?
How is it a loss leader? Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama was an expansion. Primeval Whirl has reopened.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Dinoland USA is a mess - that's what it is.

Dino-Rama literally is themed to be a cheap carnival on top of a car park. The Imagineers did the best they could with the orders they were given (build rides that add up to X capacity on X budget), but it just wasn't possible to produce anything that meets the high standards set by the rest of the park. As a result, it is absolutely a net negative for the park, because it suddenly removes you from the otherwise beautiful environment that would make up your entire day.

Something is going to happen to it, perhaps relatively soon, but it can't be soon enough.
It's not all that negative if you have lived in the era of roadside carnivals, and with the backstory fits in perfectly. Is it as fancy as the rest? no! Could they have done something better, sure! But, the idea that it is a mess is strictly opinion from people that can't accept that it just is what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything other then time correct and how little else could have fit in there, with the Dino theme.
 

Magicart87

No Refunds!
Premium Member
It's not all that negative if you have lived in the era of roadside carnivals, and with the backstory fits in perfectly. Is it as fancy as the rest? no! Could they have done something better, sure! But, the idea that it is a mess is strictly opinion from people that can't accept that it just is what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything other then time correct and how little else could have fit in there, with the Dino theme.

Respectfully disagree. I think fault lies in TDO/Imagineering working with limited attraction concepts and not knowing what era this roadside carnival theme is supposed to evoke. The immersion and the "product of it's time" charm doesn't exist. The land's visuals are far too modern and pristine to appear as any other era but a current one. It's also a huge visual departure from the "aged aesthetics" that grace most of Disney's Animal Kingdom. It feels un-Disney because it looks un-Disney. It doesn't reflect a dumpy roadside carnival of an era gone by it just looks like a cheap carnival overlay. Not a good fit for Disney. Had they pushed those visuals to their extremes: made the carnival a product of it's time, worn, aged, shoddy in appearance yet charming in it's concept, it would have looked the "right kind of cheap" to fit the backstory. As is... it's neither an homage nor parody.
 
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