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| Dinosaur |
|
|
| Disney's Animal Kingdom |
| Land |
DinoLand U.S.A. |
| Opening date |
April 22, 1998 |
| Music |
Original score by Richard Bellis [1] |
| Length |
3 ft (0.9 m) |
| Height requirements |
40" (102 cm) |
| Previous name |
Countdown to Extinction |
| Sponsored by |
McDonald's |
 |
Must transfer from wheelchair |
 |
Assistive listening available |
 |
Closed captioning available |
 |
FASTPASS available |
|
Dinosaur (originally named Countdown to Extinction) is a thrill ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It is a rough dark ride. Guests are taken through primeval scenes populated with audio-animatronic dinosaurs. The ride is loosely related to the Disney movie of the same name; originally named Countdown to Extinction, the ride's name was changed to fit the movie, and the ride itself was toned down.
The ride's pre-show film director is Jerry Rees, best known for his animated film The Brave Little Toaster. It was written by Steve Spiegel, with Reed Smoot as Director of Photography.
In Dinosaur, guests board "Time Rovers" at The Dino Institute, a once secret research facility. Dr. Seeker, one of the scientists, has hacked the time travel systems originally made for a 'time tour', so the visitors go back to find an Iguanodon, and bring it back. The only dangers are the carnivorous dinosaurs, and the fact that the time they go to is extremely close to the time when the meteor that supposedly killed all the dinosaurs, hits.
Once the time travel sequence is complete, the rover drives through the jungles, seeking for an Iguanodon, guided by Seeker. Soon, they encounter a Carnotaurus, and escape. After several more encounters with other species, they encounter the same Carnotaurus, and quickly flee from the predator, only to encounter it once again. As they escape, they finally find the Iguanodon, and bring it with them towards their escape through time. With literally seconds to spare, and one last scare from a Carnotaurus, they escape back to modern times, with the Iguanodon in hand. Humorously, the creature is wandering the halls of the institute, and Seeker must leave to find it "before security does."
[edit] Dinosaurs encountered
[edit] Accidents
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In April 2005, 30-year-old Ryan Norman of Mooresville, Indiana, lost consciousness shortly after exiting the ride and later died. He wore a pacemaker, and Norman's parents said he had a heart condition. An investigation showed the ride was operating correctly and was not the cause of Norman's death.
[edit] Attraction facts
Diagrams showing the range of motion of an enhanced motion vehicle.
- Grand opening: April 22, 1998 (Opened with Disney's Animal Kingdom)
- Previous attraction name: Countdown to Extinction
- Show length: 3:10
- Height Requirement: 40" (102 cm) or taller
- Additional features:
- Location: DinoLand U.S.A.
- Ride system: Computerized ride vehicle synced to show scenes
- Features: Appearances by actors Wallace Langham and Phylicia Rashad.
Raymond, Disney's fully articulated Triceratops horridus skeleton that is located in the attraction's pre-show area, has a nameplate that misspells the name of the archaeologist who found, dug, and donated it. The nameplate reads "Dr. W. R. Gartska", when it should read "Garstka".[2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
28°21′18″N 81°35′16″W / 28.355, -81.58778Coordinates: 28°21′18″N 81°35′16″W / 28.355, -81.58778
