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Dinosaurs Alive! (attraction)

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Dinosaurs Alive!
Canada's Wonderland
AreaPlanet Snoopy
StatusRemoved
Opening dateMay 6, 2012 (2012-05-06)[1]
Closing dateOctober 29, 2018
Replaced bySnoopy's Racing Railway
Carowinds
AreaCarolina RFD
StatusRemoved
Opening dateMarch 29, 2013 (2013-03-29)[2]
Closing dateAugust 18, 2019[3]
ReplacedJoe Cool's Driving School
Cedar Point
AreaAdventure Island
Camp Snoopy
StatusRemoved
Cost$1 million[5]
Opening dateMay 12, 2012 (2012-05-12)[4]
Closing dateSeptember 3, 2018
ReplacedPaddlewheel Excursions
Replaced byForbidden Frontier (2019-2022)
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
StatusRemoved
Opening dateApril 28, 2012 (2012-04-28)
Closing dateOctober 28, 2018
Kings Dominion
AreaOld Virginia
StatusRemoved
Soft opening dateApril 5, 2012 (2012-04-05)
Opening dateApril 6, 2012 (2012-04-06)[6]
Closing dateOctober 28, 2018[7]
Replaced byGrimmWoods (2021-Present)
Kings Island
AreaConey Mall
StatusRemoved
Opening dateMay 26, 2011 (2011-05-26)[8]
Closing dateOctober 29, 2017 (2017-10-29)[9]
Replaced byOrion, Kings Mills Antique Autos
Valleyfair
StatusRemoved
Cost$3.5 million[11]
Opening dateMay 11, 2013 (2013-05-11)
Closing dateOctober 27, 2019 (2019-10-27)[10]
Replaced byMonster Jam (2022-2023)
Worlds of Fun
AreaAfrica
StatusRemoved
Opening dateApril 20, 2013 (2013-04-20)
Closing dateOctober 27, 2019 (2019-10-27)[12]
Replaced byZambezi Zinger
Ride statistics
Attraction typeWalkthrough exhibit
ThemeDinosaurs
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:

Park Dinosaurs
Brookfield Zoo
2009 Ruyangosaurus, Protoceratops, Yangchuanosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Metriacanthosaurus, Omeisaurus, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, Allosaurus, Baryonyx, Deinonychus, Parasaurolophus, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus
2013 Shantungosaurus, Styracosaurus, Kosmoceratops, Olorotitan, Gigantoraptor, Alxasaurus, Sinosauropteryx, Velociraptor, Microraptor, Stegosaurus, Amargasaurus, Spinosaurus, Omeisaurus, Triceratops, Parasaurolophus, Dyoplosaurus, Tuojiangosaurus, Carnotaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Dilophosaurus and Tyrannosaurus
Calgary Zoo[16] Tyrannosaurus rex
Canada's Wonderland[17] Albertosaurus, Allosaurus, Baryonyx, Carnotaurus, Chasmosaurus, Deinonychus, Dyoplosaurus, Eotyrannus, Herrerasaurus, Huayangosaurus, Hypacrosaurus, Irritator, Kosmoceratops, Maiasaura, Mamenchisaurus, Mojoceratops, Monoclonius, Monolophosaurus, Ouranosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Ruyangosaurus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Tenontosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus
Carowinds Tsintaosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Triceratops, and more
Cedar Point[18] Albertosaurus, Allosaurus, Amargasaurus, Angustinaripterus, Anhanguera, Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, Carnotaurus, Chasmosaurus, Deinonychus, Dilophosaurus, Eotyrannus, Herrerasaurus, Hypacrosaurus, Irritator, Kosmoceratops, Mamenchisaurus, Mojoceratops, Monoclonius, Monolophosaurus, Olorotitan, Omeisaurus, Ouranosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Ruyangosaurus, Saltasaurus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Tenontosaurus, Torosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus
Dorney Park[19] Albertosaurus, Allosaurus, Amargasaurus, Angustinaripterus, Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, Carnotaurus, Chasmosaurus, Deinonychus, Dyoplosaurus, Eotyrannus, Herrerasaurus, Irritator, Kosmoceratops, Mamenchisaurus, Mojoceratops, Monoclonius, Monolophosaurus, Ouranosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Ruyangosaurus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Tenontosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus
Kings Dominion[20] Albertosaurus, Allosaurus, Amargasaurus, Angustinaripterus, Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, Carnotaurus, Chasmosaurus, Deinonychus, Dyoplosaurus, Eotyrannus, Herrerasaurus, Irritator, Kosmoceratops, Mamenchisaurus, Mojoceratops, Monoclonius, Monolophosaurus, Ouranosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Ruyangosaurus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Tenontosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus
Kings Island[21] Albertosaurus, Allosaurus, Amargasaurus, Angustinaripterus, Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, Carnotaurus, Chasmosaurus, Deinonychus, Dilophosaurus, Dyoplosaurus, Eotyrannus, Herrerasaurus, Hypacrosaurus, Irritator, Kosmoceratops, Mamenchisaurus, Metriacanthosaurus, Mojoceratops, Monoclonius, Monolophosaurus, Olorotitan, Omeisaurus, Ouranosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Pinacosaurus, Psittacosaurus, Ruyangosaurus, Saltasaurus, Sauroposeidon, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Styracosaurus, Tenontosaurus, Torosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus
Toronto Zoo[22] Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex
Valleyfair[23] Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, Dilophosaurus, Huayangosaurus, Mamenchisaurus, Omeisaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Yangchuanosaurus
Woodbine Fantasy Fair[citation needed] Spinosaurus
Worlds of Fun Allosaurus, Baryonyx, Carnotaurus, Chasmosaurus, Dacentrurus, Deinonychus, Herrerasaurus, Irritator, Kosmoceratops, Mamenchisaurus, Mojoceratops, Olorotitan, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Ruyangosaurus, Saichania, Saltasaurus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Tenontosaurus, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus rex

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]
Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit entrance at Canada's Wonderland
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]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Carowinds opens for the year". Seattle PI. March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  3. ^ "Dinosaurs Alive | Animatronic Dinosaurs | Carowinds". www.carowinds.com. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  4. ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! about". Cedar Point. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  5. ^ "Press Release". Cedar Point. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! Update". www.kingsdominion.com.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "Kings Island To Retire Dinosaurs Alive This October". Screamscape. September 27, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  10. ^ @ValleyfairMN (8 May 2019). "Dinosaurs Alive! Date of Extinction:..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "Amusement Park & Attractions | Kansas City, MO | Worlds of Fun". www.worldsoffun.com.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ a b ""Must go faster!" RUUUUUUUUN! Dinosaurs Alive! at Canada's Wonderland". Afar. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  15. ^ "Ruyangosaurus". Dinosaursalive.kingsdominion.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-05. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  16. ^ "A SNEAK PEEK INTO DINOSAURS ALIVE 2016!". calgaryzoo.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-14.
  17. ^ "Canada's Wonderland Dinosaurs". Canada's Wonderland. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  18. ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Cedar Point". Cedar Point. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  19. ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Dorney Park". Dorney Park. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  20. ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Kings Dominion Info Page". Kings Dominion. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  21. ^ "Kings Island Dinosaurs". Kings Island. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  22. ^ "Toronto Zoo | Press Releases". www.torontozoo.com.
  23. ^ "Dinosaurs Alive! at Valleyfair" (PDF). Dinosaurs Unearthed. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ Kings Island. "E-Newsletter — Dinosaurs Alive! 3D an Adventure With Teeth!" VisitKingsIsland.com. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. May 10, 2011, accessed May 10, 2011.
  27. ^ Sim, Nick. "Kings Island's Dinosaurs Alive! 3D movie to be free for 2012 season". Theme Park Tourist. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  28. ^ a b "Carowinds Offers Newest Attraction: Dinosaurs Alive!". The Weekend Homemaker. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  29. ^ Fox, Jim (2013-05-04). "Summer of thrills at Canada's Wonderland, Toronto's CN Tower". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2014-07-16.
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