Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The closing date for Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is now set for Feb. 1, and for many longtime Walt Disney World fans, especially Orlando locals, it feels like the end of an era. Since opening in 1998 as Countdown to Extinction, the ride has been a rare example of original Imagineering: a story, a world, and a cast of characters created entirely for Walt Disney World, not for a movie or franchise.

Dinosaur is more than the roaring Carnotaurus or the jarring turns in the dark. It was the experience of stepping into a fully original universe filled with humor, suspense, and a personality all its own. The Time Rover’s comfortable seats were a small but beloved detail, especially for taller riders. Having ridden Dinosaur at least 30 times,

See Full Page