Dinosaur (Disney's Animal Kingdom)

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Dinosaur

Locations, openings and status
Disney's Animal Kingdom April 22, 1998
McDonald's Open

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, but no significant changes were made to the ride itself.

The ride's 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.

[edit] Story

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In Dinosaur, guests board "Time Rovers" at The Dino Institute, a once secret research facility. The guests are taken into the Cretaceous period, just before the arrival of the meteor which is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Their mission is to capture a living Iguanodon (Aladar from the Dinosaur movie to be exact) and to return it to the present. The mission is complicated by encounters with various dangerous dinosaurs (including a Carnotaurus) and the arrival of the meteor.

[edit] Attraction facts

Grand opening: April 22, 1998 (Opened with Disney's Animal Kingdom)
Previous attraction name: Countdown to Extinction (No major change to attraction with name change)
Show length: 3:10
Height Requirement: 40" (102 cm) or taller
Additional features:
- Interacts with Pal Mickey
Location: DinoLand U.S.A.
- Geographical location: 28.357109° N 81.587262° W
Ride system: Computerized ride vehicle synced to show scenes
- Uses the same technology and shares the same track layout as Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
Extra options: