Dinosaurs Alive! | |
---|---|
Canada's Wonderland | |
Area | Planet Snoopy |
Status | Removed |
Opening date | May 6, 2012[1] |
Closing date | October 29, 2018 |
Replaced by | Snoopy's Racing Railway |
Carowinds | |
Area | Carolina RFD |
Status | Removed |
Opening date | March 29, 2013[2] |
Closing date | August 18, 2019[3] |
Replaced | Joe Cool's Driving School |
Cedar Point | |
Area | Adventure Island Camp Snoopy |
Status | Removed |
Cost | $1 million[5] |
Opening date | May 12, 2012[4] |
Closing date | September 3, 2018 |
Replaced | Paddlewheel Excursions |
Replaced by | Forbidden Frontier (2019-2022) |
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | |
Status | Removed |
Opening date | April 28, 2012 |
Closing date | October 28, 2018 |
Kings Dominion | |
Area | Old Virginia |
Status | Removed |
Soft opening date | April 5, 2012 |
Opening date | April 6, 2012[6] |
Closing date | October 28, 2018[7] |
Replaced by | GrimmWoods (2021-Present) |
Kings Island | |
Area | Coney Mall |
Status | Removed |
Opening date | May 26, 2011[8] |
Closing date | October 29, 2017[9] |
Replaced by | Orion, Kings Mills Antique Autos |
Valleyfair | |
Status | Removed |
Cost | $3.5 million[11] |
Opening date | May 11, 2013 |
Closing date | October 27, 2019[10] |
Replaced by | Monster Jam (2022-2023) |
Worlds of Fun | |
Area | Africa |
Status | Removed |
Opening date | April 20, 2013 |
Closing date | October 27, 2019[12] |
Replaced by | Zambezi Zinger |
Ride statistics | |
Attraction type | Walkthrough exhibit |
Theme | Dinosaurs |
This is a pay-per-use attraction |
Dinosaurs Alive! was an animatronic dinosaur themed area which formerly operated at several amusement parks and zoos, but has since been closed.
The exhibits were created by Dinosaurs Unearthed. Some markets, like Toronto, previously staged their touring exhibit at other venues.[13] Some reviewers noted that seeing a roller coaster in the background was an "incongruity".[13] A sand pit allowed children to "dig" for dinosaurs at an area near the end of the attraction.[14]
Dinosaurs
[edit]The exhibits featured dinosaurs that were built to scale and depicted various habitats they would have likely encountered. Among the variety of species present throughout the attraction, the dinosaurs themselves could range from several feet in height and length to the much larger Ruyangosaurus, which stood more than 30 feet (9.1 m) tall.[15] Each amusement park configuration was unique, with some featuring exhibits not present at the others:
In addition to being life-sized, many of the dinosaurs were animatronic. Models featured moving skin, with no visible joints or seams.[13] Some were interactive, that allowed visitors to press buttons on the exhibit's sign to control the movement of various body parts depending on where the button was located (e.g., button on snout opens jaws, button on throat thrashes neck and button on rear makes the tail sway). The non-interactive animatronic dinosaurs were activated when motion sensors detect movement by guests walking by. Sound effects from hidden speakers also accompanied the various movements including roaring, bellowing and/or shrieking.[14][13][24]
Size
[edit]Location | Park | Dinosaurs | Trail length | Area |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary, Alberta | Calgary Zoo | 20 | ||
Vaughan, Ontario | Canada's Wonderland | 40[1] | Unknown | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
Charlotte, North Carolina | Carowinds | 32 | 1,000 yd (910 m)[25] | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
Sandusky, Ohio | Cedar Point | 50 | 1,900 ft (580 m) | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
Allentown, Pennsylvania | Dorney Park | 37 | 2,100 ft (640 m) | 3.3 acres (1.3 ha) |
Doswell, Virginia | Kings Dominion | 36 | 3,000 ft (910 m) | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
Mason, Ohio | Kings Island | 60 | 4,000 ft (1,200 m) | 12.5 acres (5.1 ha) |
Scarborough, Ontario | Toronto Zoo | 16 | ||
Shakopee, Minnesota | Valleyfair | Unknown | 2,837 ft (865 m) | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
Kansas City, Missouri | Worlds of Fun | 35 | 1,900 ft (580 m) | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
Movie
[edit]A dinosaur-related 3D movie was shown at Carowinds in their respective Action Theater with the motion seats removed. It was also shown at King Dominion and Canada's Wonderland as well. The film was included with park admission at most parks,[26][27][28] while admission to both the attraction and film costed $6 at Canada's Wonderland.[13] At Wonderland, the film shown in the theater is the 11-minute Monsters of the Deep,[29] while Dinosaurs: Monsters of Patagonia was shown at Carowinds and Kings Island.[28]
Kings Island, Cedar Point and Carowinds charged an additional $5 admission per person over the age of 2. However, Carowinds did offer special Dinosaurs Alive! endorsement stickers that could be attached to season passes for $15, granting the passholder unlimited trips through the exhibit for that season.
Reception
[edit]The added admission fee was the target of criticism. Cedar Point representatives have stated that the fee is to avoid overcrowding in the section.[25] A writer for Wired.com suggested that, given the cost of admission, parking and food at Canada's Wonderland, the added cost of Dinosaurs Alive! was trivial.[13] Some theme park enthusiasts suggested in advance of opening that the attraction would not be "repeatable", in advance of its Cedar Point opening.[25]
Many dinosaurs in the Canada's Wonderland attraction were juveniles, causing one reviewer to speculate this was "a cost-saving measure."[13] The reviewer also noted that in some instances, the info panels didn't match the depiction in the exhibit. For example, the Canada's Wonderland Eotyrannus lacked feathers despite the nearby illustration suggesting otherwise.[13]
See also
[edit]- 2011 in amusement parks
- 2012 in amusement parks
- 2013 in amusement parks
- Dinosaur Island (Sea World)
- Dinosaurs Alive!, an IMAX film
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Dinosaurs Unearthed at Canada's Wonderland". Press Release. Canada's Wonderland. 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ "Carowinds opens for the year". Seattle PI. March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive | Animatronic Dinosaurs | Carowinds". www.carowinds.com. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! about". Cedar Point. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ "Press Release". Cedar Point. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Kings Dominion's new attractions on schedule — Richmond Times-Dispatch: Business: p, business, economy, local, companies". .timesdispatch.com. 2012-03-06. Archived from the original on 2012-04-10. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! Update". www.kingsdominion.com.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! at Kings Island opens to rave reviews". KI Insider Blog. May 30, 2011. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Kings Island To Retire Dinosaurs Alive This October". Screamscape. September 27, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- ^ @ValleyfairMN (8 May 2019). "Dinosaurs Alive! Date of Extinction:..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Dinosaur exhibit new Valleyfair attraction in 2013". Shakopee Valley News. September 6, 2012. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ "Amusement Park & Attractions | Kansas City, MO | Worlds of Fun". www.worldsoffun.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Moon, Brad (11 June 2012). "Canada's Wonderland Plays Host to Dinosaurs Alive! Exhibit". Wired.com. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ a b ""Must go faster!" RUUUUUUUUN! Dinosaurs Alive! at Canada's Wonderland". Afar. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ "Ruyangosaurus". Dinosaursalive.kingsdominion.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-05. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
- ^ "A SNEAK PEEK INTO DINOSAURS ALIVE 2016!". calgaryzoo.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-14.
- ^ "Canada's Wonderland Dinosaurs". Canada's Wonderland. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Cedar Point". Cedar Point. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Dorney Park". Dorney Park. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Kings Dominion Info Page". Kings Dominion. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Kings Island Dinosaurs". Kings Island. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ^ "Toronto Zoo | Press Releases". www.torontozoo.com.
- ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! at Valleyfair" (PDF). Dinosaurs Unearthed. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Egan, Kerry (12 August 2013). "Budding paleontologists can find dinosaurs at Carowinds". South Carolina. Just Right. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ a b c Bullock, Joel (23 September 2012). "Carowinds and Valleyfair to add Dinosaurs Alive! for 2013". The Coaster Critic. Virginia. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ Kings Island. "E-Newsletter — Dinosaurs Alive! 3D an Adventure With Teeth!" VisitKingsIsland.com. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. May 10, 2011, accessed May 10, 2011.
- ^ Sim, Nick. "Kings Island's Dinosaurs Alive! 3D movie to be free for 2012 season". Theme Park Tourist. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- ^ a b "Carowinds Offers Newest Attraction: Dinosaurs Alive!". The Weekend Homemaker. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ Fox, Jim (2013-05-04). "Summer of thrills at Canada's Wonderland, Toronto's CN Tower". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
External links
[edit]- Dinosaurs Alive! at Canada's Wonderland
- Dinosaurs Alive! at Carowinds
- Dinosaurs Alive! at Cedar Point Archived 2012-01-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Dinosaurs Alive! at Dorney Park
- Dinosaurs Alive! at Kings Dominion
- Dinosaurs Alive! at Kings Island
- Dinosaurs Alive! at Valleyfair
- Dinosaurs Alive! at Worlds of Fun
- Removed amusement attractions
- Amusement rides introduced in 2012
- Amusement rides that closed in 2018
- Amusement rides introduced in 2013
- Amusement rides that closed in 2019
- Amusement rides introduced in 2011
- Amusement rides that closed in 2017
- Canada's Wonderland
- Cedar Point
- Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
- Kings Dominion
- Kings Island
- Cedar Fair attractions
- Carowinds
- Valleyfair
- Worlds of Fun
- Animatronic attractions
- Dinosaurs in amusement parks
- Amusement rides manufactured by Dinosaurs Unearthed