Primeval Whirl Replacement??

[Lauriebar]

The thing that disappoints me most about the Dino-rama section is that the whole catalyst for Walt to create Disneyland was that he was tired of spending Saturdays at cheap carnivals and fairs with his daughters. He wanted something more family friendly. He said about Disneyland..."A word may be said in regard to the concept and conduct of Disneyland's operational tone. Although various section will have the fun and flavor of a carnival or amusement park, there will be none of the 'pitches,' game wheels, sharp practices, and devices designed to milk the visitor's pocketbook."


If I am not mistaken that describes to a T the section in Dino-rama with the games of chance...exactly what Walt was trying to avoid.

 

[chrisps]

I hope that roumer is ture becuse I got sick on the primeval whail. I think that there should have been a rollercoaster for famlys to ride or someting bigger and more thilling. I liked the ride but I think that it should have been a biger coaster or a new tipe of thill ride that has never been seen anywere before like misson space.

 

[Kadee]

While reading this, I was a bit confused. I like Dino-land and the Dinosaur ride. Kids seem to LOVE the play area where you can "excavate" and climb on the ropes. I didn't know until reading a post on this thread that Dino-rama and Dino-land were two different areas. The last time we were there, they were building the Dumbo-clone and I don't think they had even started on Primeval Whirl. Is there a distinct border from Dino-land to Dino-rama? Is it really that different? Like I said, I've never seen Dino-rama and just assumed incorrectly that it was the same as Dino-land. Do you think they were just trying to do something for the little kids (whimisical sort of area) as most of the other attractions is AK is on the mature side? Just a thought.

 

[CTXRover]

One can pick apart and dislike the particular theme chosen for Dinorama (that's my problem with it), but not necessarily the "themeing" that went into it. As I've seen a number of times, it has fooled more than a few that Dinorama wasn't actually plopped right on top of an old parking lot (this is NOT true..I can even remember them painting on the "faded" parking lot lines). It does its roadside theme very well....perhaps a little too well for some as it doesn't try to "Disney-fie" the carnival idea. Don't forget, this area was designed and approved under the same guy who was the head honcho, and still is, of AK design..Joe Rhode.

For some background to those who might not be familiar, although Dinorama in particular wasn't in the master plans..the idea for its existence was. Dinoland, from the beginning, was always about America's fascination with Dinosaurs, from archeological digs to dreams of actually walking among living dinos to America's quirky obsession seen in roadside stores and fairs (especially in Utah and Arizona). Dinoland is set up as a power struggle between the archeologists funded by the Dino Institute, and Chester and Hester who had owned a "junk store" and Gas station in the area before the archeologists ever found dino bones in the area. As tourists started to flock to the area due to the dig (the play area) and the Dino Institute (Dinosaur), Chester and Hester (fictitious proprietors of the store in Dinoland) wanted a piece of the pie too and so set up a roadside fair inside the parking lot to their store.

In reality, when Dinorama was added, the only thing in that area was a short trail to a small building where they were cleaning off actual T-Rex bones from "Sue" (the replica stands outside of Dinosaur) and an actual makeshift tent with some bones (and eventually used to test the whole carnival idea before Dinorama construction began).

Again, I'm not a fan of the theme chosen, but if its about making a convincing area that takes you somewhere else...they did it well. The rest of AK is so grand and serious in tone, that this little light-hearted, colorful area is ok with me to an extent. I don't think it ruins Dinoland...but rather gave it a different feel as its the first thing you now see. I don't like how "cheap" things look in terms of Primevil Whirl being nothing more than a trasportable ride that is actually bolted to macadium, but people "dig" it. I've heard on a number of occasions people coming off saying how they can't wait to do it again. Its an admittingly cheap ride designed to provide something else to do. Not everything needs to be an E-ticket.

 

[nicholas]

I had no idea about that backstory. That's very cool.

 

[CTXRover]

While reading this, I was a bit confused. I like Dino-land and the Dinosaur ride. Kids seem to LOVE the play area where you can "excavate" and climb on the ropes. I didn't know until reading a post on this thread that Dino-rama and Dino-land were two different areas. The last time we were there, they were building the Dumbo-clone and I don't think they had even started on Primeval Whirl. Is there a distinct border from Dino-land to Dino-rama? Is it really that different? Like I said, I've never seen Dino-rama and just assumed incorrectly that it was the same as Dino-land. Do you think they were just trying to do something for the little kids (whimisical sort of area) as most of the other attractions is AK is on the mature side? Just a thought.

Dinorama is a "miniland" inside the much bigger land that is Dinoland. Feel free to read my summary of the backstory for the entire land in my previous post.

I originally thought Dinorama was going to be a "kid-friendly" area, much like Flick's Fun Fair is at DCA (a MUCH better realization of the "fair" idea). However, with its dominant ride having a height restriction that is as high, if not higher, than Dinosaur, I don't believe that much anymore. Although Triceratops spin does seem to bring some sort of excitement to a small kid's eye and the games can be played by all....I actually like the games...but I also hate them because of what they go against in terms of Walt's philosophy. If they were free and just there for fun, it would be much better.

 

[CTXRover]

I had no idea about that backstory. That's very cool.

Yea, I thought so to. I' ve gathered some of the history behind Dinoland from a Making of AK book I got during previews for the park back in '98. It even states in there how Dinoland will incorporate a "roadside" feel, so its always been part of the story. I think one can appreciate more what the intent was when understanding the backstory Imagineers had in mind. There are several clues that help portray that idea throughout Dinoland, but its not inherently obvious, which could perhaps be blamed on poor execution of story-telling throughout the land. For instance, next to DinoRama, attached to the store, is a billboard that seemingly was put up by the Dino Institute that welcomes you to Dinoland, USA and what a tourist can do there...like check out the Dino Institute, look at the dig site, etc. and then what is obviously a "prop" posted on top of that original billboard is an advertisment to visit Dinorama....its a telling billboard for the backstory, but, unfortunately, it isn't very visible to most guests unless you are looking for it..

I wish that particular billboard could be displayed more prominently or even a short backstory of what Dinoland is in the guidemap so it can be understood and appreciated by more.

 

[jrriddle]

I would have "less" of a problem with Dino-Rama if they sold it as a kid's area and added more "adult" rides to Dino-Land.

 

[Michael72688]

If they do this I will never go back to WDW again!

 

[Edeyore]

Primeval Whirl Replacement???

I am sorry, but I really do not care about the back story. The fact of the matter is that the section is an eyesore. It reeks of everything that Walt
would have hated, cheap atmosphere or a cheap carnival. It appears they
made the section look that way intentionally. The imagineers imaginations
must have been on vacation.

 

[Lauriebar]

I am sorry, but I really do not care about the back story. The fact of the matter is that the section is an eyesore. It reeks of everything that Walt
would have hated, cheap atmosphere or a cheap carnival. It appears they
made the section look that way intentionally. The imagineers imaginations
must have been on vacation.

I would have to agree. Just because an attraction or area has a back story doesn't make it alright. If this is the case then a garbage dump or ghetto section of the parks could be justified because of the "fabulous" back story!
To me the Dino-rama "theme" is a bad show. Some of the previous posts speak to that...many guests don't realize that the covered up parking lot lines are a part of the back story. Keep in mind that I like Dinoland and the overall theming of the majority of the area(Dinosaur the ride, the Bone Yard, even the quirky props and billboards) however the carny section is so out of place. While the original concept is a good one, in the end it could have and should have been done better.

 

[Michael72688]

It is still one of the best rides at WDW

 

[joel_maxwell]

ive said it once and ill say it again, get a big shovel, dig a big hole until you reach the liquid hot magma of the earth, and pitch it in. :sohappy: :fork:

 

[chancellor]

I have always found it to be the height of irony that the imagineers would intentionally "theme" an area of the park to look like it had no theme. Not only that, but the non-theme "theme" they chose was the very antithesis to the park concept invisioned by Walt Disney. While some might percieve it as a very elaborate inside joke, as several people have pointed out the joke is lost on almost everyone. I am sure the majority of people who visit Dino Rama actually think it was built on part of a parking lot, rather than themed to just look that way.

"There's a fine line between stupid and clever."

 

[Lauriebar]

"There's a fine line between stupid and clever."

Exactly

 

[dxwwf3]

Dinoland, from the beginning, was always about America's fascination with Dinosaurs, from archeological digs to dreams of actually walking among living dinos to America's quirky obsession seen in roadside stores and fairs (especially in Utah and Arizona). Dinoland is set up as a power struggle between the archeologists funded by the Dino Institute, and Chester and Hester who had owned a "junk store" and Gas station in the area before the archeologists ever found dino bones in the area. As tourists started to flock to the area due to the dig (the play area) and the Dino Institute (Dinosaur), Chester and Hester (fictitious proprietors of the store in Dinoland) wanted a piece of the pie too and so set up a roadside fair inside the parking lot to their store.

Again, I'm not a fan of the theme chosen, but if its about making a convincing area that takes you somewhere else...they did it well. The rest of AK is so grand and serious in tone, that this little light-hearted, colorful area is ok with me to an extent. I don't think it ruins Dinoland...but rather gave it a different feel as its the first thing you now see. I don't like how "cheap" things look in terms of Primevil Whirl being nothing more than a trasportable ride that is actually bolted to macadium, but people "dig" it. I've heard on a number of occasions people coming off saying how they can't wait to do it again. Its an admittingly cheap ride designed to provide something else to do. Not everything needs to be an E-ticket.

Overall that was a great post and I agree with these two paragraphs the most. I like the feel to Dino-Rama overall and I also think that AK needed a D ticket ride and something for kids. Not everything has to be a huge E ticket addition. The biggest complaint about the Animal Kingdom was the small number of attractions and they added Dino-Rama. Really the only thing I do not like about it is that you have to pay for those games. If those cheap little games were free (but you didn't win prizes) then I would have no problem with the area at all.

 

[stitchlvr]

I agree with most of this. I think the Dinorama part of AK is sad, and regardless of the story or non-theme "theme", I don't feel it meshes with Walt's visions of a great theme park. Regardless, I have to say we enjoyed PW, other than the 40 min wait in line for it.

The games need to go. That is one thing I refuse to spend money on and I think the rest of Dinorama would be ok if the games were removed.

 

[Lee]

I have 2 problems with Dino-Rama:
1. The games. Games of chance don't belong in a Disney park.
2. The lack of rides. Whirl and Spin are ok for what they are, but the area should have been filled with more dino versions of carnival rides. A tea-cup style ride, a small ferris wheel, etc., most of which would have been kid-friendly.

Oh, and I have heard nothing about removing Whirl. Seems unlikely.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

If they do this I will never go back to WDW again!

Why? I'd arrange a special celebration trip! :lol:

 

[DisneyDream2004]

Hey, don't rip on the games. I won a giant dinosaur on the water pistol game for doing practically nothing. You know how many times I've played that game at the regular carnival and LOST?

No, but seriously, it is kind of out of place. Primeval is actually a halfway decent ride. It's not a GREAT ride, but it's ok. It's about the only good thing in that area What they really should have done is fixed up the theming of it. They obviously wanted to do a Dinosaur theme in AK, but they could have done the whole them much much better. I mean, the last thing I think of when I hear Dinosaur is carnival rides?!?!