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Dinosaur, WDW's most underrated ride?
- Thread starter Sammyste
- Start date
FutureCastMembe
Member
This is hands down the only good part of Dinoland USA, my goal everytime I ride it is to stare the Carnataurus straight in the eye so i dont get scared!
maxairmike
Well-Known Member
I really want to know what the heck the sound engineers working on the thing were thinking. The audio levels are all kinds of wrong throughout the ride. I might actually be able to enjoy it if the audio were properly mixed and the levels brought down to a decent db reading. As it sounds right now, I have to plug my ears the entire way through.* The poster that called it a beating in the dark is right, both for your body and ears. It is an aural assault unmatched anywhere else in the resort (except possibly by that horribly catchy and annoying song that is the namesake of an attraction in Fantasyland).
*I say that as someone who will happily sit in the front rows/stand in front of speakers at concerts without a problem. I cringe at the thought of what I would see if I took a meter on the ride with me.
*I say that as someone who will happily sit in the front rows/stand in front of speakers at concerts without a problem. I cringe at the thought of what I would see if I took a meter on the ride with me.
Rowdy
Member
I have to disagree. As a touring musician, maybe I'm use to it, or my ears are just shot, but I don't think it's too loud. I actually enjoy it because it feels like it's a real dinosaur, and not a speaker. I like the realism, as apposed to knowing that it is obviously fake. Maybe the bad mix occasionally, but I think the loudness of the ride really enhances and brings the ride to life.
Bravo 229
Member
Its long been one of my favorite rides in the resort, even though its lost a lot of its effects and isn't as intense as before. I just wish they would put the Time Travel bay doors back up, for me it helps create the illusion of time travel instead of just riding into a dark tunnel.
Prototype82
Well-Known Member
I thought it was fairly popular. But the line's aren't as long as they could be.
maxairmike
Well-Known Member
I have very different expectations for sound levels when I'm on stage vs. off-stage (also a musician, not a touring one, though). My main concern on stage has tended to be if I can hear other parts, and as long as there's no feedback, I can deal with the loudness. Off-stage, its a different story. Maybe if I tried to ride it in my on-stage mindset, I would appreciate the levels a bit more. :shrug:
Personally though, I'm of the mindset that nothing needs to be painfully loud to be effective. Some of my issues could be with my sensitivity to specific frequencies, though. I also have some issues with Stitch.
docandsix
Active Member
Devil's Advocate...
This was my reply to an earlier post asking opinions regarding WDW's most overrated attractions:
1. Dinosaur--It's always been too dark, too loud, and too frenetic to figure out what's going on. What could've been a beautiful but ultimately threatening visit to view exotic life of the distant past becomes a confusing, agitating trip through a high-tech version of the old, cheap, carnival fun house. The only thing that's missing is the obnoxious hiss of compressed air with every "startling" effect. I give it another chance every time I visit, and every time I wind up disappointed. I would rather see the "Primeval World" diorama on the Disneyland Railroad a dozen times than do Dinosaur once.
This was my reply to an earlier post asking opinions regarding WDW's most overrated attractions:
1. Dinosaur--It's always been too dark, too loud, and too frenetic to figure out what's going on. What could've been a beautiful but ultimately threatening visit to view exotic life of the distant past becomes a confusing, agitating trip through a high-tech version of the old, cheap, carnival fun house. The only thing that's missing is the obnoxious hiss of compressed air with every "startling" effect. I give it another chance every time I visit, and every time I wind up disappointed. I would rather see the "Primeval World" diorama on the Disneyland Railroad a dozen times than do Dinosaur once.
wdwfan4ver
Well-Known Member
It is one of my favorite rides and I remembered riding it when it was known as Countdown to Extinction.
Walt Disney1955
Well-Known Member
Yes it does get underrated at times. Not that us diehards forget about it, because we don't, but I immediately think of EE when I think of the rides at AK. Dinosaur is kind of like second banana. Great ride though, worth the price of admission
Spike-in-Berlin
Well-Known Member
During our last visit we stayed for 10 days in the parks and we didn't do it once although we sometimes could have nearly walked on and there were always FP available. I think that says pretty everything about what we think about Dinosaur, did it once in 2007 and that was enough.
I would prefer IJA in any case (I know the ride is the same track layout, I don't care) Dinosaur is IMHO the most flawed E-ticket in WDW.
I expected so much and saw so little, it makes the HM look like a daylight ride, the SFX were underwhelming, especially the final asteroid impact was a major disappointment. Add the fact that it is bumpy and very uncomfortable (I wouldn't care about it at all if the ride would really BE a blast from the past) doesn't add to my desire to do it repeatedly.
I would prefer IJA in any case (I know the ride is the same track layout, I don't care) Dinosaur is IMHO the most flawed E-ticket in WDW.
I expected so much and saw so little, it makes the HM look like a daylight ride, the SFX were underwhelming, especially the final asteroid impact was a major disappointment. Add the fact that it is bumpy and very uncomfortable (I wouldn't care about it at all if the ride would really BE a blast from the past) doesn't add to my desire to do it repeatedly.
Spike-in-Berlin
Well-Known Member
Like every attraction and land at Disney Parks, there is a backstory. Several of the Disney books I have go into great detail about these backstories, and I enjoy reading about them and what each land and attraction represents or how it came to be.
Here is a very brief backstory on Dinoland, U.S.A.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DinoLand_U.S.A.
Yes they thought up a backstory to justify that they watered Dinoland down to the cheap looking area it actually is mostly to spare a lot of money, because they massively cut down the costs in the final phase of DAK; canceling BK, shortening Tiger Rapids by more than the half, dropping the Excavator RC etc. They could also think up a backstory to build an area like "Dumpland", looks, feels and smells like a city dump.
I have to confess, I don't care about the backstory, I care if the theming is creating a place where I like to stay, a beautiful artificial environment. And Chester and Hester is definitely an area I prefer to avoid.
akritas
New Member
Completely agree. I'm always surprised that I don't see more complaints about this, considering when I go with friends and family that is always the reaction getting off.
Aside from the pain it induces, having the audio levels on every effect set to 11 doesn't even give the sound much impact. It should be more intense when it needs to (shame they backed off on the chasing Carnotaurus sounds) but not eardrum-splitting for the time travel, dinosaurs, meteors, Dr. Seeker, and even the onboard computer! Looking at Martin's tribute video, I much prefer the earlier audio package. It had atmosphere, pacing, and you could actually understand what was being said!
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
I thoroughly enjoy the ride. The pre ride story sets the theme of the ride, the ride is fast and rocks you around a lot, exactly what I look forward to. I've never experienced audio problems. Every time I've gone to AK there has been a long line for the attraction. I've hoped that being where it is in the park people have missed it, but they always seem to find it so there quite a wait. As far as Dinoland is concerned, I wish they would scrap it all and rebuild the entire site. It really makes that part of the park look like the trashy amusement parks thing that Walt wanted to avoid.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
I have no problem understanding the ride. It is dark, but the story is pretty easy to follow if you pay attention to the pre-show and listen to the on-ride audio.
docandsix
Active Member
Of course I can follow the story. It's made explicit in too many ways. That's sort of the problem. Being bombarded constantly by narration and spotlights so that I can understand what I'm experiencing amounts to another layer of distraction for me. It's not at all "organic," but rather very artificial. What I'm asking for, what I'd like is a ride where there's enough light and landscaping so that I can see and experience these amazing animals without feeling like I'm in a pitch-black spook house with someone shining a flashlight on rubber statues and screaming, "Look! There's a carnotaurus! Look, there are some compsognathuses which you'd wouldn't have seen unless we artificially illuminated those fake-looking, immobile figures!"
fractal
Well-Known Member
Diagree with this. We love the ride.
fractal
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with this. Backstory, Shmackstory.