Dinoland next for updates? / What should be done?

[Brad Bishop]

Re: Cheap & Tacky
- It's designed to look that way... What sucks is that it really is.

It's the Toon Town / Mickey's Starland/Birthdayland of AK. Toon Town and Mickey's Starland/Birthdayland are better done than, say, something you'd find at Six Flags, but they're still a disappointment. They still look "tacked on" instead of something that was integrated with the rest of the park.

That's how Dinorama looks to me. I know that they spent a lot of time getting the details right like how to make asphalt looked aged and cracked and how to have parking lot strips look weathered/worn and all that.. It's still tacky and out of place compared with the rest of AK which is lush and beautiful.

Just that right there tells you something: The literally imagineered a parking lot to put carnival rides on in a park that is otherwise lush with foliage. It seems kind of dumb when you think of it. It doesn't feel like it fits.

Re: Mickey's Birthdayland/Starland: I always got a kick out of Mickey's Judgement Tent. I always imagined him passing judgement on the small children that would come to meet them. (Mickey's voice) "GUILTY! TAKE THEM AWAY!!"

 

[Jedi-Joe]

I agree that the whole land lacks focus and feels cheap (even knowing the backstory) and my sons and I always enjoyed primeval whirl and I love Dinosaur, I think the boneyard is great for the younger kids, but it does need something done since it does feel out of place there. I also thought that dinosaur is basically hidden and if you are not paying attention or you know where to go, it is tough to find. Not sure a log flume ride is best, maybe an addition for a 4D ride in that area with a revamp of primeval whirl.

 

[Brad Bishop]

I agree that the whole land lacks focus and feels cheap (even knowing the backstory) and my sons and I always enjoyed primeval whirl and I love Dinosaur, I think the boneyard is great for the younger kids, but it does need something done since it does feel out of place there. I also thought that dinosaur is basically hidden and if you are not paying attention or you know where to go, it is tough to find. Not sure a log flume ride is best, maybe an addition for a 4D ride in that area with a revamp of primeval whirl.

Primeval Whirl is fun but it is literally the same ride that comes to the local county fair every year (and it's Imagineered to be that way...)..

Imagine them putting "Carneyland" as an add-on to the MK and, while all the rides are safe, they're imagineered to look like they're falling apart and they have cast members dressed as disheveled carneys manning the rides and barking at you from the games. Carneyland would be awesomely themed and it'd be pretty much like you'd experienced at your local fair or carnival that sits in the parking lot of a Walmart for 2-3 weeks out of the year. They could say, "Oh, yeah, the ferris wheel looks ill-kept and 1/3 of the lights are out on it - just like a real carnival! All imagineered to be exactly like that.."

There could even be a whole back-story of how this was the "lost carnival that never was"..

It really just sounds dumb, no matter how much money and care they spent on the details trying to make it "authentic". It's like imagineering a car on blocks. While Disney could fantastically do it, it's still going to look like a car on blocks.

 

[FigmentPigments]

As a former Dinoland CM, this part of the park holds a special place in my heart, although I definitely understand why people tend to dislike Chester and Hester's. (It was my least favorite part of WDW before I worked there, so trust me, I get it lol.) After having worked there and being well, forced, to really understand the backstory, Dinoland has grown on me. I think the story just doesn't get across well, so guests don't really know what things look the way they do. If they made the story more evident, and cleaned it up a little bit, I think the area would be fine.

I know what you mean. My parents think I'm crazy for wanting to spend even a moment there, but I love the little details of the backstory. I especially love looking for references to Animal. Perhaps my two favorite spots are Restaurantsaurus and the Boneyard. The picnic tables in the Boneyard are real treat, and I smile every time I see them. I look at the Zip Awards in the restaurant and like to point out the rafters to anyone who catches me staring at the ceiling. Not to mention all the saurus signs tacked on to everything. I think this area is an under appreciated gem. It's understandable why it's disliked, but if this area were to suddenly disappear, I would mourn.

 

[WDWtraveler]

Photo update as of Monday, May 9. Dino used to be painted yellow. Now Dino is a dark green, with a freshly painted "Dino-rama!" sign.

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

Photo update as of Monday, May 9. Dino used to be painted yellow. Now Dino is a dark green, with a freshly painted "Dino-rama!" sign.

View attachment 141206

Great! It's now basically go-away green!

Honestly, this really does seem like an excellent aesthetic improvement, as it ever-so-slightly tones down the garishness of Dino-Rama, so as to make the area contrast less sharply with the rest of the park.

Now, if only they would do some additional things like adding trees or other flora around the perimeter to further visually isolate Dino-Rama from the rest of Dinoland (I wouldn't be surprised if such a change is being considered), that would be yet another small step in the right aesthetic direction.

Thank you, @WDWtraveler, for posting this!

 

[ℳąȡⱥṁ_Ɱαℌεϻ]

If WDW is still going for a carnival theme for the area, might I suggest adding a Ferris wheel?

 

[brb1006]

If WDW is still going for a carnival theme for the area, might I suggest adding a Ferris wheel?

I hope not,it already looked ugly at Disneyland back in 1987.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I hope not,it already looked ugly at Disneyland back in 1987.

Yeah don't let them catch on....Who knows where they will put another......Awww crap...

 

[ℳąȡⱥṁ_Ɱαℌεϻ]

They could make it look cool though, seeing as how they have some real high quality tech for other things. Maybe something like this, that lights up?

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

They could make it look cool though, seeing as how they have some real high quality tech for other things. Maybe something like this, that lights up?

Yeah....I'd rather not have it look like Fun Spot....

 

[Chef Mickey]

It's the only land at WDW that I believe needs a complete gutting besides Dinosaur.

Mistake from day 1 because they cheaped out.