Way back in 2000, I rode this while it was still Countdown to Extinction and came off puzzled. I was really underwhelmed and just found the ride a bumpy joyride that was just lacking in so many ways (poor story, poor theming, bumpy ride, etc). Flash forward to this year, after a renovation to Countdown to Extinction, a new name (Dinsoaur), and a changed ride experience, I gave this attraction a second chance and am certainly glad I did since it instantly skyrocketed into one of the park’s best attractions in my opinion thanks to the intense ride it provides from beginning to end, but there are a few flaws that hold this attraction back from true greatness.
First off, I have to address the ride’s looks, which are a mixed-bag. Honestly I’m not a big fan regarding the looks of the building that houses this attraction since it’s just so generic and unimaginative in my opinion, but it’s what inside that matters. In the brief queue featured inside is an impressive skeleton of a once-ferocious dinosaur along with some really nice pictures that create the illusion that I was in a high-class research institution.
Regarding lines and the queue, this thing really has sporadic waits. Sometimes I saw waits around 45 minutes and other times it was a walk-on. And unlike other attractions when waits reflect the time of day you ride, Dinosaur really has no rhyme or reason as to how long its waits will be at any given time. However, if it does build up an unbearable wait, just grab a Fastpass and wait it out, and you’ll return with almost no wait at all.
Like many of Disney’s attractions, Dinosaur is preceded by a pre-show establishing the simple plot of the attraction- travel back in time using the Time Rover to safely rescue the iguanadon before a devastating meteor impact occurs. I know many people really dislike the pre-show, but I don’t mind it at all as I find it pretty comical and quite enjoyable. Eventually you reach the loading bay and get assigned one of four rows. Of all the rows my personal favorite is the front just because of the unobstructed view, but all seats other than that give an identical ride experience, and each padded seat is very comfortable, especially thanks to a simple seatbelt being the primary restraint.
Riders begin by traveling back in the Cretaceous Period in a futuristic, time-travel sequence that is very well executed in my opinion with the intimidating, blood-red lighting and top-notch sound effects. Once back in time, riders are thrust into a frenetic search for the iguanadon. Along the way there are many well executed encounters with other dinosaurs, ranging from gentle herbivores to gigantic menaces like a T-rex. I loved all of the dinosaur animatronics and their intricate details, especially the impressive T-rex, which riders encounter at various points during the ride. Even after multiple rides, some of the scenes still caught me off-guard and caused me to jump, especially the ride’s iconic scene towards the end where your picture is taken. In typical Disney fashion though, riders successfully escape the perils of their mission (a ferocious meteor shower) at the last possible instant with “one extra passenger…extra large” and satisfy the rebel employee’s goal to bring back his prized dinosaur.
Now ride itself was very bumpy just as I remembered. While I tolerated the bumpiness this time around much better, it still does throw you around quite a bit so just be prepared before riding since others I rode with refused to reride like I did. However, I personally really enjoyed the bumpiness featured throughout the attraction since it really made the attraction much more intense and thrilling, especially during some of the sudden drops featured throughout the attraction. Not only that, but it really helped maintain the attraction’s rather serious tone. Really, the added motion helped Disney create both a dark ride with a motion simulator in a style similar to Spiderman, only on a simpler scale and pulled off with less success.
While the dinosaurs and Time Rovers are impressive feats even for Disney, some glaring negatives really held this attraction back despite its lofty potential. Honestly, I think Disney attempted to cut-corners with this attraction regarding the theming featured throughout the attraction, and it really hampered my ride experience, leading me not to be fully immersed in the ride experience like I typically am with a Disney attraction. First, lackluster theming surrounds the simply dazzling dinosaurs, which is a shame. As an attempt of hiding their shoddy work, Disney utilizes extremely dark lighting for this attraction to try and conceal their lack of scenery, which only hurt my enjoyment even more by making my eyes really have to work to take in each and every one of the scenes. Also, Disney disappointed me greatly with the infamous meteor shower featured during the attraction’s finale. Instead of blowing me away with incredible fire effects or even GCI for that matter, some faint lights and corny sound-effects that bear no resemblence to a meteor shower at all are utilized. What a shame since this really could have been something truly special.
Despite how I enjoyed the ride far better this time around and found it to be pretty fun, it just has some shortcomings that really hamper the ride experience from being the elite attraction it clearly has the potential of delivering. The very poor theming featured during the attraction (landscapes and meteor shower) really were disappointing, but were compensated for with the simply stunning dinosaur animatronics and impressive range of motion of the Time Rovers. However, what the ride does successfully is deliver in the thrill department with a ride that combines frighteningly realistic dinosaur animatronics with an action-packed ride experience. My second favorite attraction in the entire park is certainly worth experiencing, especially in a park devoid of many major thrill rides, but just be prepared for some turbulence.
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