Dinoland Monstrosity?

[Shelly]

primeavel whirl is our new favorite ride. We would skip AK altogether if they hadn't put that ride in. The kids love it. I think if they polled the children they would see that they love the "dumbo" type rides, I don't see a problem here. But I agree get rid of the games or make them free.

 

[sillyminny]

Got photos of it?

 

[mousehut101]

http://www.wdwig.com/ak_chester.htm

Thats a link to WDWIG where Deb has some pictures of it...
But I think you really need to see it to understand ;-)

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

Our DD (7 yrs) and DS (4 yrs) love it! They love playing in the Boneyard, especially digging in the sand! DD favorite ride is Primeavil whirl. They love that Restaurantasarus serves McDonalds. Finally, we try to play the carnival games when only myself and one of our kids are playing. I let them win, they are thrilled and the stuffed dinosaur only costs $4. Kids - go figure!

 

[raidermatt]

The new additions being referred to are PWhirl, Triceratops Spin, and the carnival games. Everything else was already there.

That said, when you set the target at cheap and tacky, I can't give high marks for hitting it.

We all know kids love spinners, but why is it that WDW got along fine with just one (Dumbo) for nearly 30 years, but now two of the last three attractions added are spinners? (Aladdin and Tri-Spin)

Dinorama is better than nothing, but Disney is capable of much more. The attendance estimates recently released by Amusement Business seem to show that most people are "unimpressed" by Animal Kingdom's new addition. AK attendance fell 6.4% in 2002, despite Dinorama opening in the Spring.

 

[Ocean]

Originally posted by Luv2Roam
And the arcade -- having to pay for carnie games at WDW. Sorry -- but I think it's cheezy and a step down from what I would expect from Disney. You would have thought they had learned from guest's response at DCA.

I heartily agree with your comments here. I didn't know much about DCA before I visited it, and I thought that those types of games were beneath Disney. It's almost a little insulting to go to WDW and see such an unimaginative attempt developing what could be a fine park.

 

[smileybrat]

i have mixed feelings about it too but kids seem to love it. i went on the pwhirl. it was kind of fun. reminded me of the crazy mouse ride we used to have at white swan park near here. i think disney could have made it better, but they were looking for the cheap look and they succeeded. if you don't have kids (or don't like them period) or like those kinds of rides stay out of that area. your time is better spent somewhere else.

 

[montessori]

 

[Simba's Mom]

I love it. It is definitely the kind of place Clark Griswold wouldn't miss. But then "National Lampoon's Vacation" is my favorite movie. I always look for all the references to WDW, and there are many. Can't help thinking THAT's what the imagineers were thinking when they came up with Dinoland-a place the Griswolds would visit. I keep looking for Aunt Edna!

 

[mousehut101]

I think that picture is too flattering...
(probably because it is a Disney picture).

 

[Luv2Roam]

Looks like the same designers who did Pop Century, doesn't it?
WAZZUP???

 

[baileybrad]

My little boys enjoyed the triceratops spin...oddly the PWhirl while looking very innocent, requires 48" to ride for safety...which eliminates my 5 year old.

I understand the cheesiness that "they" were going for but, snob alert, with the carny games, it is about as weak a product that Disney has ever permanently put their name on. The other 2 that come to mind are Alien Encounter and the first pass at "redoing" the Imagination attraction. I thought the original plans for AK called for a couple of areas relating to animals that never were ie., unicorns, etc. or animals of the future. And this is what they decide to add instead? The Dig site is great for the little ones, I suppose that they thought they were adding something else for them.....but little ones can't ride the Whirl even though the seats are like 8 inches from the ground.

The off the shelf type rides that Disney has been throwing up lately-- Magic Carpet ride in MK, and these 2 are very, very weak, especially, when you compare it to what Islands of Adventure did with the simple concept of a Merry-go-Round and the Dr.Suess attraction.

Disney has, could, and should do better. That is what is suppose to make them Disney.

 

[olena]

They probably could have done a better job with the themeing, but I just love Primeval Whirl. It's just fun....

 

[sunking]

i really enjoy dinoland...i think the theming is very cool and the attractions that they have there are lots of fun...lots of people that don't like it complain about the fact that they charge for some of the carnival like games that they offer...but remember, they are giving away a small prize to the winner of the game...that needs to be paid for by someone...and while on the topic of people not liking the fact that they offer carnival games that need to be paid for...what about the fact that the shooting arcade in the magic kingdom require you to pay to play...why doesn't anyone complain about that...
i love dinoland....make it bigger please.....

 

[jwill]

Sunking:

You brought up a point with the Frontierland Shooting Gallery. The point where I think they differ would be that it is so perfectly themed, you could walk by it without even noticing it. Another way in which it differs is that it doesn't have a barker trying to get you to play it. I may be biased here but I like Frontierland Shooting gallery and stop there on every visit.

 

[sunking]

jwill...i also like the shooting gallery (although i haven't sunk many quarters into it lately) and it does blend well with the atmosphere of frontieer land...but so does the carnival games of dinoland...
i guess this is whey they make vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream huh????

 

[jwill]

orig quote by sunking

i guess this is whey they make vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream huh????

Your right, were both just throwing our two cents worth out there.

 

[invalid_char]

TOTALLY GROSS imho. Makes me not want to go to AK, which used to be our favorite park because of its natural beauty and low cheese quotient. Now I'm afraid of going anywhere near the place... puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

Better to not have done anything at all... brings the whole park down.

 

[sm4987]

I thought it was a pretty nice area. My kids enjoyed it, but were angry that they were too short to ride the Primeval Whirl.

 

[fiveforall]

We loved the area. I thought the cheesey music was a hoot, and the rides were fun for my kids. As far as the carny games go, I really didn't like them. What really made me sick was when my DD(5) and DS(3) were about to play a game and a fortyish man said to his wife, "Let's play this. We can beat these kids." and he did.