Dinosaur Ride Advice Please :)

[Jacqui Padden]

Hello all
Can anyone tell me how scary Dinosaur is in AK? My 11 year old wants to go on it - I’m not very brave when it comes to rides but here’s the lowdown on some rides I’ve tried in Disney and Universal, and liked. I should mention that I get Motion sickness so if Dinosaur is worse than these rides I may struggle:
Thunder mountain
Splash mountain
Jurassic Park
Spider-Man
Star tours
Test Track
Soarin’

I hadn’t been brave enough yet for Dinosaur, space mountain or Everest. But I’m going again in October and I want to come back this year saying I tried at least 2 of these 3!
Any advice/knowledge would be great.
Thank you

 

[Klayfish]

Dinosaur isn't "scary" IMO, it's just really, really bumpy. It's very dark in there, lots of loud noises. The car you ride in bounces around, a lot. It's really hard to compare it to the other rides you list (at least the WDW ones, never been to Universal). Doesn't have a big drop like Splash, never goes very fast like TT. But the motions are pretty dramatic, you get tossed around a good bit. The car has a metal grab handle in front of your seat. I always grab it to help brace myself. There are parts meant to "scare" you, but it's not like scary in the concept of a Halloween haunted house of horrors. More just the element of surprise.

I love it, it's a lot of fun.

 

[Iowamomof4]

I laughed my way through Dinosaur. It drove my 16yo nuts. lol

Dinosaur is very herky-jerky, but not really fast like a roller coaster or anything. You have a seatbelt and a bar in front of you to hang on to. To me, the ride is really nothing. And the dinosaur animatronics are just plain silly, but for whatever reason it does seem some people find it a bit scary. If I were bringing a child along (like, under 10 or one that might really buy into the storyline and allow themselves to get scared), then I'd be more cautious.

 

[thelittlemermaid2]

If you can handle Spider Man and Star Tours you should have no problem with Dinosaur! As mentioned above it's pretty bumpy but there are no drops or even really sharp turns, it's like off-roading in a jeep

 

[AngiTN]

I too was going to ask if you can go off roading in a jeep, or ride on a very bad road, in the back seat. (since you bring up motion sickness, do you also get travel sickness?)
That would be the only question I have. It's not scary but it is rough

 

[Jacqui Padden]

Dinosaur isn't "scary" IMO, it's just really, really bumpy. It's very dark in there, lots of loud noises. The car you ride in bounces around, a lot. It's really hard to compare it to the other rides you list (at least the WDW ones, never been to Universal). Doesn't have a big drop like Splash, never goes very fast like TT. But the motions are pretty dramatic, you get tossed around a good bit. The car has a metal grab handle in front of your seat. I always grab it to help brace myself. There are parts meant to "scare" you, but it's not like scary in the concept of a Halloween haunted house of horrors. More just the element of surprise.

I love it, it's a lot of fun.

Dinosaur isn't "scary" IMO, it's just really, really bumpy. It's very dark in there, lots of loud noises. The car you ride in bounces around, a lot. It's really hard to compare it to the other rides you list (at least the WDW ones, never been to Universal). Doesn't have a big drop like Splash, never goes very fast like TT. But the motions are pretty dramatic, you get tossed around a good bit. The car has a metal grab handle in front of your seat. I always grab it to help brace myself. There are parts meant to "scare" you, but it's not like scary in the concept of a Halloween haunted house of horrors. More just the element of surprise.

I love it, it's a lot of fun.

I too was going to ask if you can go off roading in a jeep, or ride on a very bad road, in the back seat. (since you bring up motion sickness, do you also get travel sickness?)
That would be the only question I have. It's not scary but it is rough

Thanks all - yes I do get travel sickness but I always take avomine before going to theme parks anyway - which is why I can go on Star Tours and Spider-Man. I do feel like Star Tours is my limit though - I do look forward to it finishing because I start to feel a bit green - and green isn’t my colour!

 

[Jacqui Padden]

If you can handle Spider Man and Star Tours you should have no problem with Dinosaur! As mentioned above it's pretty bumpy but there are no drops or even really sharp turns, it's like off-roading in a jeep

Thankyou - that’s really helpful.

 

[Jacqui Padden]

I laughed my way through Dinosaur. It drove my 16yo nuts. lol

Dinosaur is very herky-jerky, but not really fast like a roller coaster or anything. You have a seatbelt and a bar in front of you to hang on to. To me, the ride is really nothing. And the dinosaur animatronics are just plain silly, but for whatever reason it does seem some people find it a bit scary. If I were bringing a child along (like, under 10 or one that might really buy into the storyline and allow themselves to get scared), then I'd be more cautious.

I think that’s why I’m cautious. I’ve watched it on YouTube and it doesn’t look that bad (lights on version) but then I read it’s the scariest ride in Disney by far - and seeing as I haven’t been brave enough for Everest or Space Mountain yet, I’m a tad nervous

 

[disneyfreak202]

If you can handle Jurassic Park then you can handle Dinosaur in the element of scariness. The dinosaur part after the big lift is pretty much what Dinosaur is the whole time. That dark and that "scary". Motion sickness wise, I take Bonine and Dramamine when I go to theme parks. I can barely handle Star Tours without feeling super sick, even Rock n Roller Coaster and Space Mountain were making me feel a little sick at times this last trip. Dinosaur though I can handle like a champ and I get terrible Car Sickness too. I think you should be fine in both categories of motion sickness and scariness.

 

[Selket]

I think that’s why I’m cautious. I’ve watched it on YouTube and it doesn’t look that bad (lights on version) but then I read it’s the scariest ride in Disney by far - and seeing as I haven’t been brave enough for Everest or Space Mountain yet, I’m a tad nervous

I agree it isn't scary - well any more than Haunted Mansion is scary (it's dark inside the ride as you know). The biggest problem I have with it is how rough it is - I don't enjoy that part at all. I found the Safari jeep ride in the AK to be rough/bumpy also (I had a serious brain injury a few years ago) but being outdoors and sort of seeing where you're going makes that obviously not scary in the same way dinosaur could be. I can still ride Everest though - once or twice. Space Mountain is also very rough (jerky) so I don't do it either and Star Tours usually makes me nauseous but I'm fine with FOP or Soarin.

I would pick Everest over Space Mountain - unless you're fine with rough/bumpy. You're also in the dark on SM while Everest is outside of course. I find Everest to be just about my favorite Disney ride - I love going backwards apparently - lol.

 

[Iowamomof4]

I think that’s why I’m cautious. I’ve watched it on YouTube and it doesn’t look that bad (lights on version) but then I read it’s the scariest ride in Disney by far - and seeing as I haven’t been brave enough for Everest or Space Mountain yet, I’m a tad nervous

Wow. I just don't see how an adult would ever label it the scariest ride unless they were referring to how kids would see it. And I don't mean at all to discount how others view things, I just really don't see it. The story is that you're going back in time to find and bring a dinosaur to the present day. I mean, it's all completely made up and not even realistic at all. Not in any way like what you might find at a haunted house or anything else (trying to think of things where even adults might be scared even though they know in their heads it isn't real). This one is just so silly to me, it's hard for me to buy into it. Even my 9yo thought it was pretty lame.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

The theme is the "scary" part.
Its dark and loud.
The ride itself does not have big drops or anything.
Its just very jerky. You're basically offroading in a jeep.
If you don't like being tossed around I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[DizBelle]

If you can handle Spider Man and Star Tours you should have no problem with Dinosaur! As mentioned above it's pretty bumpy but there are no drops or even really sharp turns, it's like off-roading in a jeep

I disagree. I think Dinosaur is WAY more jerky and bumpy than Star Tours and Spider Man. It is VERY DARK and VERY LOUD. If Star Tours is your limit, I think Dinosaur goes beyond it at least a couple of notches.

As far as scary, my 5 yo niece was whimpering at the end of Dinosaur but she loved EE so much she wanted to ride it multiple times.

 

[Haber]

I'm to the point where I research roller coasters for smoothness before going to parks as some of them give me headaches. I also really regretted Orange Mission Space because of motion sickness. That said, I loved Dinosaur! It's BOO! scary rather than I'm-going-to-die-on-this-ride scary.

 

[anna_m]

I get hideously nauseated on Star Tours - I end up with my eyes closed and my head down the whole time, just breathing deeply.
I got off of Dinosaur and threw up.
The ride is amazing - I love dinosaurs! - but the motion sickness was terrible.
For a frame of reference, I don't normally feel sick on single track rides with no screens where you're facing forward the whole time. So BTMRR, Splash, Space, Everest = fine. It's the being jerked around that sets me off.

 

[Tksolomom]

I think Dinosaur is on par with Spider-Man and Star Tours. It is rough, but my son and husband who get sick on Star Tours do not on Dinosaur at all. It is like a rough Jeep. As for scariness, it is no worse than Jurassic Oark as a PP mentioned.

 

[Lynne M]

I don't think Dinosaur would make you motion sick. It's not fast, there are no drops, no going upside down, it's not a motion simulator like Star Tours, and it's not a coaster like EE or RnR. You're basically riding on a mostly flat track, through a dark, loud environment, with the occasional dinosaur there as you go by, and there's a big dino that lunges out of the darkness at the end. That's the scare factor.

The biggest challenge with the ride is the way the car bounces around and slams down against the track. I was a little sore after the ride, and I don't have any back or neck trouble. I'd avoid it like the plague if you do have a bad back or neck.

 

[NH-to-FL]

I go on Star tours frequently and Dinosaur once every few years. I just rode Dinosaur again in late July. In my opinion Dinosaur is much more jerky than Star Tours. It approaches the limit of what my somewhat fragile back can take. Like others I hold on to the bar pretty tightly. Not because I am scared but to keep myself from being tossed around.

As other have noted the animatronic dinosaurs are not scary, at least to this adult, but I have witnessed a few young kids freaked out by the combination of the loud noises, flashing lights, and the animatronics.

I love Star Tours but do understand that there are some who are affected by the combination of the motion and the 3D visuals.

 

[angierae]

The ride itself was fine - like people have said, it's jerky and bumpy. But the loud noises and being startled are what did it for me - I won't ride it again. I don't like being startled.

 

[Jacqui Padden]

If you can handle Jurassic Park then you can handle Dinosaur in the element of scariness. The dinosaur part after the big lift is pretty much what Dinosaur is the whole time. That dark and that "scary". Motion sickness wise, I take Bonine and Dramamine when I go to theme parks. I can barely handle Star Tours without feeling super sick, even Rock n Roller Coaster and Space Mountain were making me feel a little sick at times this last trip. Dinosaur though I can handle like a champ and I get terrible Car Sickness too. I think you should be fine in both categories of motion sickness and scariness.

That’s great - really good to know. Thank you for your post - I’ve booked a Fastpass