Dino-Rama Replacement

[Amidala]

I'm pretty sure this has been discussed on here before, but the threads on it are from quite a few years ago, so hopefully it's okay to start something new! With all of the changes to WDW announced at D23, I've been thinking a lot about what could stand to be replaced...and Dino-Rama is always the first to come to mind. Now that Pandora has really fleshed out the fictional/mythical creatures aspect of the park, it feels like DAK is really coming together (and solidifying the argument that DAK isn't a half-day park). And now more than ever, Dino-Rama just sticks out like a sore thumb.

I'm not saying there can't be a children's area with mild rides and games–but the generic carnival-style theming feels so out of place at WDW, especially at DAK where the theming is so much "grittier" and more realistic than your average Disney park. Also, from a personal standpoint, Primeval Whirl is potentially my least favorite ride across the four gates...A wild mouse roller coaster with little to no theming is something I can ride at my local fair in the mall parking lot. Even replacing the entire area with a single, high-quality attraction would feel like a win to me.

So all that being said...any ideas as to what might fit in that space? (Putting aside Zootopia, which has been argued to death at this point.) Adding more of an "old world" feel to the area (similar to some of the theming for Jurassic Park at IoA) might make for a more convincing lead-in to DINOSAUR. Some ancient temples or other structures and some foliage would go a long way toward making the area feel more authentic. I'm stumped on what attraction (if any) would work there, though.

 

[AceAstro]

I think giving that area a true thrill ride (Dinosaur is barely an E-ticket in my opinion) would really help that area out. I think they could theme the whole area more towards the discovery of dinosaurs and the palaeontologists behind it. Doing it this way the Excavator ride could also be brought back from the drawing board as it was also done by the Dinosaur Institute, tying it in with the Dinosaur Ride.

 

[Miru]

I think giving that area a true thrill ride (Dinosaur is barely an E-ticket in my opinion) would really help that area out. I think they could theme the whole area more towards the discovery of dinosaurs and the palaeontologists behind it. Doing it this way the Excavator ride could also be brought back from the drawing board as it was also done by the Dinosaur Institute, tying it in with the Dinosaur Ride.

Yeah!

Dinoland USA could see feathers added to the predators, too. And what about something about birds? Maybe... Absurd Birds, hosted by... Gonzo?

 

[No Name]

Ah, great topic. As you probbaly know, the original idea was for the back of the park to be about real animals, the left to be about mythical ones, and the right to be about extinct ones. However, since there's now a ride with a mythical animal in Asia, the original vision for the park's layout no longer makes sense. It's moreso divided by place than by animal type. Plus, only two of the seven continents are represented.

So, in my opinion, the whole area should be turned into South America. There are so many things I'd want to include that I can't even begin to list them. It would be wonderful for the park. As for Dinosaur, with some South American faces, changes to the story, and an emphasis that the first ones are believed to have been from SA, it would work.

If they so insist on having the land dedicated to extinct animals, I think it should be renamed Pangea. Pangea was the supercontinent that, millions of years ago, broke apart into the continents we have today. That allows for more than just dinosaurs, fits the park better than a name like DinoLand, and flows with Pandora.

I hope they do something with it soon.

 

[comics101]

My biggest beef with Chester and Hester is the cheapness of it. The idea of a carnival doesn't have to be bad, but if it looks like a typical roadside carnival, then it isn't going to feel like Disney. So, I propose something along the lines of the attached concept art by Imagineers John (photo cred: Disney and More).

Basically, with the Dino Institute having perfected time traveling, as well as having successfully bringing dinosaurs back to the present day, Paleontologists and Dig Site operators have suddenly found themselves out of a job. So what do they do? They take their equipment and mine cars and they turn it into a roadside carnival.
The attractions would all be themed to look like digsite equipment which has been transformed into dinosaur-like robotic creatures. The E-ticket attraction would be called The Excavator, which would follow a similar storyline to the coaster originally conceived for the park.

 

[WazHatter08]

The original idea for Excavator coming back is something I’d like to see

 

[ThemeParkPriest]

D23 Destination starts November 19th, so we might hear a few new developments (like the Dinorama replacement) then.

 

[WazHatter08]

D23 Destination starts November 19th, so we might hear a few new developments (like the Dinorama replacement) then.

Yep

 

[AceAstro]

I think giving that area a true thrill ride (Dinosaur is barely an E-ticket in my opinion) would really help that area out. I think they could theme the whole area more towards the discovery of dinosaurs and the palaeontologists behind it. Doing it this way the Excavator ride could also be brought back from the drawing board as it was also done by the Dinosaur Institute, tying it in with the Dinosaur Ride.

Coming back to this 4 years later I completely disagree with myself lol

A family C-ticket dark ride or 2-3 other flat rides to tie into Chester and Hester’s makes way more sense.

I still think AK needs another thrill ride, but the overall ride lineup needs to be improved first