It's over and now in the past. The original Countdown to Extinction at Disney's Animal Kingdom was ambitious in some ways and lazy in others. Stealing the exact same track layout as the great Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland was the lazy part but helped contain expenses in a park that was built way over budget. But from there on out, it was a pretty clever and unique take on the dinosaur world.
Imagineer Joe Rhode and his team brought a great respectful vibe by housing the attraction in a museum, only to counterbalance it with adding much humor to the preshow. OK, sometimes it was cheesy. Very cheesy. I mean, Dr. Grant Seeker?
In the early years of the new park, it was a thrill ride in a whole new vein from Universal's Jurassic Park. The difference was necessary if Disney was going to stand out from its main dinosaur competitor. It was dark, scary, and exhilarating! When they renamed the attraction to match a new movie, it was a bad move and the beginning of the end. Letting effects go missing, toning down the scare factor, and seeing maintenance become less and less, it was clear Disney suits were planning a change.
I'm very sad to see Disney give up on dinosaurs, but I'm excited for the transition of the land to Tropical Americas. The new Indiana Jones Adventure will surely be a great one, and an Encanto attraction - does it really fit either?- should be charming. It's a kid friendly dark ride this park needs so badly. The land should be beautiful and fit in well with what's in Africa and Asia and Discovery Island- something Chester and Hester's Dinorama never did accomplish.
(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
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