Days of Disney Past: EPCOT Center

Make no mistake about it: The original EPCOT Center was absolutely groundbreaking! Sure, it was like a "permanent World's Fair", but it was done with that forward thinking class and style that only The Walt Disney Company could pull off in this era of themed entertainment. There may be a reason that there are so many articles on this blog about the place. Unrealized pavilions and their concept art? Check? Critique on new additions and subtractions? Absolutely! Trip reports galore? Naturally! However...

There's an old saying that "There's nothing like your first time." It happens to be true when I speak about our first visit to EPCOT Center. In an unexpected twist, it almost instantly became our favorite Disney park. This was the park as originally envisioned, not the one chock full of intellectual properties and animated characters. No Frozen, no Guardians of the Galaxy, no Nemo, no Ratatouille. We had taken the monorail to EPCOT Center before the park was even open to the public, and I was smitten when I saw the scope and scale of the project. Breathtaking, really!

Go forward one year, and we were there at the gates. There was no access to the park via the International Gateway back then. One way in, and one way out.

In the days when pleasing the guest was king, World Showcase opened the exact same time as Future World, so we entered the park and almost walked right past Spaceship Earth and directly to the Mexico Showcase. Almost. Of course, we were not immune to the charms of the future world as portrayed by Disney. In fact, I remember clearly just staring at the huge silver sphere. Couldn't take my eyes off it, but we had to stop and get to the World Key Information Stations inside Earth Station to book meal reservations. Super easy, super fun and reasonably priced. 

We only had to wait a few minutes, but we stayed busy by watching a terrific kaleidoscope of images previewing the wonders we'd soon encounter.  Just the presentation and the surrounding area felt fresh, optimistic, and inspiring. The future wasn't scary. It was approachable. We made our way to the front of the line and to the screen. 

This alone was a touch of something entirely new. In fact, in 1982 touch sensitive computer screens were something of a rarity. The Bell System (at divestiture the attraction would then be officially sponsored by AT&T, the company I worked for at the time) and its branch Bell Laboratories really were bringing us the future of communication. Moments after a young woman came to the screen to help us with our meals choices, we were on our way.  No, you didn't have to book 90 days in advance to get a meal reservation. You could do it the day off and get a great selection of choices. Simple, relaxed, friendly, efficient.

The future was interesting, but for me, nothing could compare to the chance to explore the countries of the world. So, deciding to bypass Future World for the time being, we strolled into Mexico.  It and China next door just seemed to beckon us compared to the more familiar Canada and the United Kingdom. The lone Mayan pyramid and the small cantina on the glistening lagoon gave us no hint to what we were about to experience.

Until the changeover from El Rio del Tiempo to the Gran Fiesta and perhaps one day Coco, the sights, sounds, and feel of Mexico made it our favorite place in all of World Showcase. I won't bore you with the details of El Rio del Tiempo, but I will tell you, we were enchanted by it and wished it had lasted even longer than it did. It was planned to be much, much longer - more akin to Pirates of the Caribbean- but yes, budgets were blown past, and time was running short. (If you want to see lots of art and images plus links to video etc, just search on the site for "Cinco de Mayo" or go here for one of many posts.) 

Having visited Baja California, Mazatlan, and Acapulco, I have aways had a soft spot for the country. The gentle boat ride by an active volcano gave the pavilion a touch of glamour and mystery. Something the Gran Fiesta Tour version of the ride replaces with silliness and cheap marketing. It's too bad, but it was foreshadowing of what was to come. We wandered around the pyramid under the moonlight, so glad we were returning for lunch later in the day.

Naturally, we strolled along the promenade and continued on to find China. For younger readers, it's important to remember that at the time, only a select few people were given the ability to travel to this country, thereby making a visit to a fairly accurate representation of the landmarks of the country all the more alluring. The highlight? Meeting the nationals who were privileged to work there. Asia had always fascinated me, and China was out of reach. I was thrilled to step into a place that was forbidden in the real world.

There were no Disney themed items to be found in the shops of World Showcase, only authentic goods right from the countries represented. It was as close as an authentic experience a traveler could get without hopping on an airplane. Needless to say, we were again stunned by the beauty of the landscaping and architecture, thrilled by the 360 movie, Wonders of China. Dreams of traveling there were lit inside.

Making our way around the lagoon, we stopped at Germany and Italy, winding up at the American Adventure. We were very impressed by the show, (Disney always had a way of making you feel proud to be an American) but disappointed there was nothing else to represent our country. Fast food? That's it? Disappointing to say the least, but there was still much to explore. That view backwards to Future World and Spaceship Earth made it crystal clear- wow, this park was huge.

We chose to head back toward Mexico for lunch as we had waterside dining reservations at the San Angel Inn Restaurante.  It was dark, cozy, romantic- and we so enjoyed the margarita, queso fundido, and our main course. It was my first taste of Mole Poblano and not my last, becoming a new Mexican favorite. We ended our lunch with another cruise on the river, heading back into Future World from there.  

The afternoon crowds were heavy back in the other end of the park, so it was fairly easy to get into the big ticket attractions of Future World. First stop, Journey Into Imagination. My father-in-law worked for Kodak for his entire career, so we had heard great things about what Disney came up with. In a word, Imagineer Tony Baxter and his team pulled off something truly magical! Figment and Dreamfinder were delightful and will always be the true "hosts" of the park.  (I cannot tell you what a bastardization of the original attraction this third version is. The second was the worst, but this one is awful too. You'd have to experience the original to understand exactly what I'm saying.) Before I became a collector of sorts of Disney park memorabilia, I purchased a Figment of my own. I had him until two years ago, when his neck broke. RIP, Figment.

Magic Journeys in 3D (a new thing!) was a great second attraction to the pavilion, and the Image Works was just plain fun. We stayed almost two hours- something you could not pay me to do now.

Sing along now: "Just make believe you're a tiny little seed..." The Land is our favorite of the original Future World attractions that are still present in the park. Up until the point Horizons debuted a few years later, this was where the future was in Future World. The Listen to the Land boat tour was the perfect way to share the latest in farming technologies to the public. This was a case of "Edutainment" at its best. 

The film Symbiosis was preachy at times, but the cruise through the greenhouses made learning fun. Kitchen Cabaret brought it home for the kids. The silly presentation about nutrition, while enjoyable, was not on par with the much better Audio-Animatronic musicals found in the Magic Kingdom. However, this wasn't meant to be an E Ticket  headline attraction either. (The show's eventual replacement, Food Rocks, was even less effective.)

Starting with the following morning when we would return for a second full day at EPCOT Center, breakfast at The Good Turn would become a tradition until it became too expensive or too difficult to book. We always enjoyed the warm Florida sun streaming through the greenhouse dome, and intentionally stretched our meal time long enough to rotate into the darker showroom of the boat cruise. It's in the hidden places such as this that Disney's Future World has its own unique, optimistic charms. The future should be warm and hopeful, and it always was in the way Disney chose to present it back then. Now, it's just cartoon filled and silly. New landscapes for selling plush toys and Disney+ subscriptions. 

The Living Seas wouldn't come until later, so we wandered through Communicore (now Innoventions). We passed through both East and West, and we decided to make that area part of the next day. Back then, EPCOT Center was a two full day park. Now we still go for two days because its our favorite park, but it doesn't hold nearly as much substance. Anyway, we were among the first to vote for The Person of the Century poll. Kind of a fun thing to throw in there. My bet was Disney didn't like the results, and the show- and announcement of the winner- soon disappeared.

A journey deep into Spaceship Earth was a perfect way to continue our trip. It was very impressive, and I was pleased to see my employer was represented by such a fine attraction. The ride was long enough to truly "get lost" in the story. The changes over the years have not always taken away from the grandeur- until there was a new ending filled with monitors on the ride vehicle.  Such a pity.

Across the way, we wandered into the Universe of Energy. It's inherent surprises did the trick they were designed to do, and who doesn't love dinosaurs? Yet, it was next door's World of Motion that we really loved from our first ride. Everything about it was Disney Imagineering at its best.

Let me be clear- I love old school Audio-Animatronic adventures like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. They rely on story to bring the thrills and surprises. World of Motion easily held its own with these classics. From the train being held up (in a nod to the never built Western River Expedition) to the policeman on motorcycle behind the billboard, the attraction built to a grand finale- a ride through the city of the future. Humorous, informative and very repeatable. (Gary Owen's narration was incredible in his signature style.) Motion became a three ride a day attraction for us, and we did it again several hours later after nightfall.  

Upon exiting and by then knowing the song "It's Fun to Be Free" by heart, we stepped into the Transcenter for the Bird and Robot / The Water Engine show followed by the automotive displays, a nice nod to the sponsor. 

I'm all for thrill rides-  and I truly love Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- but there is something about these older lengthy and leisurely attractions like those mentioned above that really take you out of present day reality and into another realm. This is something Disney did better than just about anyone, but this fact about immersion is almost lost on the current batch of Imagineers... and park guests are now trained to run from E Ticket ride to E Ticket ride due to their brief attention spans and fear of missing out! Without the balance of all kinds of attractions, the audience is limited. This is why parks like California Adventure 1.0 and Disney's Animal Kingdom are not as popular as they could have been. I'd have to say that having smaller but engaging attractions and displays were something I enjoyed here and at Walt's park and at Disneyland Paris. It's a lost art to fill in spots with attractions like these where the business will never create extra revenue by selling upgraded experiences.

Evening meant a return to World Showcase starting with the beautiful gardens of Canada. The land's signature attraction, "Oh, Canada!" had nothing on its Chinese counterpart. This was not the case when we viewed "Impressions of France".  Superlatives are not enough, so Josh D'Amaro, Imagineers, and Budgeteers, after all these years, isn't it time to update the film and give it a technology upgrade as well? It's a masterpiece. So is the pavilion it is built around. A late night stroll through "France" and then around the promenade basking in the glory of a beautiful Florida evening was the perfect way to end our first visit to EPCOT Center. (By the way- Thank God Ratatouille is an add and not an "instead of"!)

The original plan was for tons of additional international pavilions and attractions. You can go here for images about Japan's Omnimover ride, plans for Brazil, Spain, the UAE, Costa Rica, Russia, the abandoned Science and Technology pavilion, and more (like Germany's Rhine River Cruise, the U.K.'s own canal trip). You can even go here to see some of the original ideas for the park before it looked it it does now. But back to our first time visit...

We'd come back and do it again the next day, this time starting in Future World and then working our way through World Showcase, beginning with Canada. 

The changes over the years would not always please us. It actually may be our fault that Epcot changed so radically. Take a look at this article and tell me I'm not wrong. Still, this one single theme park is a big reason I return to Walt Disney World. There's nothing like it.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Epcot's Communicore- Explore, Discover, and Relax

If you've read this blog for any measure of time, you are well aware of my love for the original EPCOT Center. The park was a masterpiece of design as much as Epic Universe will be for this generation of theme park fans. At the center of Future World is the iconic Spaceship Earth. On the sides of this massive structure was Communicore, duo crescents that offered an enticing display of interactive hands on attractions that complemented the main pavilions. This little piece of concept reveals inviting, wide open spaces. It was a great place to relax and explore until you were ready to go on the park's original, great attractions such as Journey into Imagination, World of Motion, and Universe of Energy. A park of optimism, fun, and ambition. Boy, I miss those days!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disney Dinos and More Disney Dinos

Disney is famous for adding dinosaurs into their parks in all shapes, sizes, and in multiple types of experiences. I stumbled upon this piece of concept art by the original Imagineers for EPCOT Center's Future World pavilion, the surprising and incredible Universe of Energy. For those who weren't fortunate to ride the original, the moment when the theater cars split and turn into ride vehicles was a "Wow!" moment to rival anything else in the park. And then, the dinosaurs!

Now, it will be interesting to see if the long delayed Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind even mention the beasts. But don't be dismayed if they don't. You can find all of your Disney Dinos from all over the world right here.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Before Jurassic Park and Jurassic World

Could Epcot's soon to open Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind take us back to the era of the dinosaurs? The title itself suggests going back in time. It would be a pretty cool nod to the past! When the previous Future World tenant Universe of Energy welcomed guests, after a mesmerizing pre-show, they were carefully placed into bench style theater seats that transformed into a ride to the prehistoric age on a single guide wire. It was quite the surprise when the seating sections broke off and started moving through the attraction. What an engineering feat! Those brilliant Imagineers found ways to delight and educate.

Globally, fans love their dinosaurs! Long before Universal's Jurassic Park area, and even the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films, the Disney theme parks were full of creatures from eons past. There are far more there than you might imagine. Take a journey into each of the parks and discover where these prehistoric beasts reside. They are taking over the world!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

EPCOT Center's Never Built Future World Rollercoaster

 If you think Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the first rollercoaster planned for Epcot, think again. That honor actually goes to another Future World pavilion and not a reworking of the classic EPCOT Center attraction Universe of Energy. Any guesses as to what it could be?

Well, you'd be correct if you didn't think it was Test Track! But it was an attraction thought of for the Transportation pavilion, an early predecessor to the World of Motion. Imagineer Clem Hall designed the piece of concept art for that compound in Future World, but it never was built as designed. Fans never saw what could have been until years later. 

Look closely, and you'll see a four looped coaster track off to the back left side of the rendering before it heads back into the main structure. Shades of Tron, I'd say, decades before Shanghai Disneyland's "E Ticket" attraction came to be. 

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Dinosaurs Take Over the Disney Parks!

Walt Disney was a man fascinated by the future, but he was also passionate about what happened prior to his lifetime. It seems there wasn't a single area of popular thought and study in which Walt would choose to remain ignorant. If he was uninformed, it seemed Walt always recruited the help of the experts. He was wise but also shrewd. He had the pulse of the paying public, their tastes and habits, always at the forefront of his mind when planning his films and theme parks.

Prehistoric times certainly captured his vivid imagination. From Fantasia to the Toy Story series and Dinosaur, Disney films on the subject were made with or without Walt at the helm.

The three shots above are official Disney photographs.

The same holds true for the theme parks. In each one, dinosaurs are found in various shapes, sizes, and conditions. Let's take a look back into our own Time Machine and travel from coast to coast and beyond...

1964 New York World's Fair

This one started it all. Sure, dinosaurs had been a staple of Disney films, but when it was time for the Imagineers to bring them to life in themed environments, they did so in thrilling ways.

After being turned down by General Motors, Walt was sent to the competition to create a moving exhibition for the Ford Motor Company. Walt really wanted a big presence at the World's Fair- and with it the opportunity to showcase the Imagineers art, all the while testing the concept of a new Disneyland and how it would appeal to East Coast audiences.


The beginning of the journey in Ford vehicles Magic Skyway was through a primeval forest, complete with moving, breathing, roaring dinosaurs. Guests responded enthusiastically to the Disney attractions which encouraged the Imagineers to look for additional places to let these prehistoric beasts roam.


You could say the multiple Disney shows, It's A Small World, Progressland (Carousel of Progress), Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, and Magic Skyway, were the hit of the exhibition! When the Fair closed, plans were put into place to transfer the attractions to Disneyland. As for the Magic Skyway, the cars themselves didn't survive the change in locale, but the prehistoric creatures soon found a new home in Anaheim.

Disneyland

This 1966 addition to the park brought primeval life forms to the Grand Canyon diorama. Now, guests aboard the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad would end their grand circle tour of the park with a view of the peaceful Grand Canyon of today and then view Walt's dinos in all their glory. 

Another official photo.

Be warned, however, that riders viewing the trains as strictly transportation may miss the creatures if they board at Main Street without completing the entire tour.

A bit of rare Imagineering art.

Different poster, but the dinos were just beyond this tranquil scene!

Guests boarding trains for a different journey also encounter a dinosaur, albeit a passive one. Over in Frontierland, the thrilling ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad concludes with a quick burst through a dinosaur! Sun-bleached bones make a perfect tunnel for the trains of the gold filled mountain to rush through.

This INCREDIBLE photo from Mint Crocodile.

Enlarge and save it.

At Disneyland, some dinos- and their homes- never got off the drawing boards. Tony Baxter's beautifully planned Discovery Bay included a prehistoric journey all its own. The model below even sports a brontosaurus bathing in the river on the edge of town.

Discovery Bay reached the end of its era when Disney leadership decided the Island at the Top of the World movie, the basis for a main attraction in the land, became a box office flop. Without a recognizable flagship draw,the beautifully designed expansion faded away only to survive in Disney lore and in the hearts of passionate fans.

Disney's California Adventure

Anaheim's second Disney park had its own primeval creature once upon a time. But like most of the best design elements for this park, the newest Disney dino was reserved for enhancing the shops contained within it. Dinosaur Jacks' Sunglass Shack, the pink monstrosity in Paradise Pier's Route 66 area, housed a small and limited selection of sunglasses and various sundries. It was the one distinguishing piece of California Crazy architecture to be found in the undernourished park.

Like much of California Adventure, Jack underwent his own transformation as the feminine pink and yellow tones gave way to a more masculine shade of green.

Eventually, the suits and Imagineers decided to restart the entire park with a one billion dollar makeover of its own. Dinosaur Jack faced extinction- and ultimately became a casualty of the new plans- unless Jack has his own tribute as part of Carsland's buttes and canyons.

Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom
Like its older sibling on the West Coast, Florida's Magic Kingdom had its own grand circle tour on the rails but without the thrilling climax of Disneyland's Grand Canyon and Primeval World Diorama. The dinosaur was to be found on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, yet in its no skin and bones only form.

My photo of the Timekeeper poster.

Once upon a time, a dinosaur was also found on the now extinct Timekeeper attraction in Tomorrowland. The filmed show had a very brief shot of a hungry dinosaur as we traveled back in time. It is an attraction that added much character long before the invasion of the animated type now found here.

However disappointing the lack of ancient creatures might have been for Walt Disney World's dinosaur loving guests, the following three parks on the property contained more creatures per square inch than any other Disney place in the world.

With the creation of Epcot Center, Disney Imagineers took on a new philosophical approach in addition to embracing a new design aesthetic. The emphasis here would be on "edutainment", a Disney term coined to combine education and entertainment in a brand new dimension. Did they ever!

Here, guests would be introduced to exciting concepts in science and technology at Future World and explore nations of the globe at World Showcase.


Exxon's Universe of Energy pavilion would not only house a crew of its own primeval creatures, it would also introduce one of the most unique ride systems found in any Disney park. Long before the trackless vehicles of Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt, stageful of guests traveled in cars guided by a single thin wire through the showrooms and its highlight, an all-too-close but ultimately safe encounter with frightful prehistoric animals.

The solar panels on the top of Energy's building help fuel the attraction, but unfortunately they also create a rather boring marque to what is a thrilling and informative evolutionary-based fantasy adventure.

In 1996, the pavilion was retooled as Ellen's Energy Adventure in an attempt to modernize it and draw in the crowds. Instead, using contemporary celebrities only dated the attraction, instantly creating a timestamp upon it. Ellen DeGeneres, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Bill Nye (the Science Guy) added a bit of fun to the proceedings but also downgraded the high capacity attraction from a must-see to an also ran. In 2004, the attraction became sponsorless when Exxon/Mobil denied renewal of its contract.  Closing for good in August of 2017, the building will soon house a rollercoaster attraction based on Guardians of the Galaxy. Will a dinosaur make a cameo appearance?

Disney-MGM Studios / Disney's Hollywood Studios

Three decades of Gertie.

The Studios is where the older cousin to California Adventure's Dinosaur Jack makes her home. At Echo Lake, Dinosaur Gertie makes her presence known in a big, cool way. She is an eye catching location for "Ice Creams of Distinction". In a park that plays tribute to the art of film making, Gertie herself is a tribute to a 1914 animated film by Winsor McCay.

Note the three photos above. They were all taken by me. The top one in 1989, the middle in 2009, and the bottom in 2019. Each depicts background elements uniquely representing the emphasis of the Disney management at the time- the bottom photo shows the crassly out of place Sorcerer's Hat pin show as park centerpiece; the previous photo displaying appropriately in theme buildings and design elements.

Disney's Animal KingdomThe mother load for dinosaur hunters is found in Disney's fourth Florida park. At Disney's Animal Kingdom, an entire land and not just one or two attractions is devoted to the animals we love. The park's logo and signage reinforce the important role these animals play in the creation and execution of the realm. In fact, there are so many dinosaurs to be found here at Animal Kingdom, my photos below only capture a small minority of what is to be found.

Appropriately so, the OldenGate Bridge is the portal through which we pass to enter this impressive tribute to all things prehistoric. Attractions, shops, and restaurants all embrace the theme in a quicky, playful way.

The large play area, known as The Boneyard, is nearby, full of activities for those younger kids who may enjoy a bit of a break from the queues Disney parks are known for! The playful aspect of the area continues, and as you can see below, even the corporate sponsors get in on the fun!

The area is not all fun and games, however. Dinoland U.S.A. recreates the roadside attractions of an American era mostly extinct itself. At opening, this area of the park was based primarily on the idea of an extensive scientific dig begun by a local university. A prominent research laboratory and museum were built right next to the on site student dormatories and mess halls.

Dubbed the Dino Institute, its motto is "Exploration, Excavation, Exultation"- and this is also the area's mission statement and descriptor. Dinoland is meant to be fun! And it is, but it also includes some fairly serious elements in the presentation.

In fact, a casting of Dinosaur Sue, above- from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago- graces the pathway to the land's tentpole attraction. According to many scientists in the field, Sue is the largest and most complete discovery of a Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found. Just the fact that the Walt Disney Company was able to secure such a piece tells us of its prominence in society and its influence in being master storytellers. And what an exciting story they tell with its time travel journey!

Countdown to Extinction, now renamed the generic Dinosaur to capture some interest based on the 2000 Disney movie of the same name, takes guests on an unauthorized adventure back in time to capture a dinosaur of significance.

Signage up front gives guests a very small idea of the intensity of this attraction. Based on the wildly popular ride vehicle used in Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure, your "time rover" brings the brave up close and personal with a wide variety of prehistoric creatures.

Situated inside the museum are displays and models of creatures we will encounter once traveling through time. Everything looks fairly calm to the eye- that is until the lighting changes, and visitors get a glimpse of the Disney's fictional bad guy. The carnataurus we will encounter is almost beyond description. Even in its skeletal form, the creature is huge and menacing.

At this Imagineering masterpiece, the concept of "edutainment" is played to the hilt, and with an evolution versus creation slant at its core. It starts at the entrance and ends at the exit. Here's the theory and the story: A great meteor shower will bring the end of the dinosaur era. It makes for a great premise (and climax!) for the attraction, but it discounts the idea of a great flood, which many creation believing scientists have reason to believe actually did the deed.

No matter, Countdown/Dinosaur rocks hard, really hard, providing the most intense experience in any Disney theme park! It is loud, dark, and rough. The final meeting with the flesh eating monster chasing us moves the experience far beyond the mild sightseeing tour found on Epcot's Universe of Energy or Disneyland's Primeval World.

Above photo copyright The Walt Disney Company

Who would have thought we would actually look forward to being killed by the meteor shower! The entire attraction from start to finish is so intense that after so many chase scenes, the final carnotaurus confrontation is ultimately a relief, signaling the return to the station.

What could have been!

Countdown could have been much higher on the fright factor. A chance meeting with a group of highly irritated raptors was once on tap, above, and it was also once envisioned as a walking tour as well, (seen below).

As mentioned earlier, the attraction's layout mirrors Indy's adventure. In place of the chamber of Mara and a fiery welcome, here riders would have been greeted by a curious brontosaurus on one side of the rickety bridge and a hungry creature on the other!

Regardless of the final design choices, this premier attraction at Dinoland U.S.A. gives dinosaur hunters more than they bargained for! It is not only frightening to us but to others as well. Countdown to Extinction/ Dinosaur is also well advertised artillery that takes a big bite out of Universal's Islands of Adventure and its Jurassic Park experience.

Also at park opening were the Discovery River Boats- which included a cruise by this iguanodon. He (she?) soon became extinct as the cruise was not popular with guests. Why? It was meant as transportation, but visitors expected a full blown adventure akin to the Jungle Cruise.

Initially pleasing to the eye, Dinoland U.S.A. unfortunately has a split personality. One half of the acreage is very much a more realistic treatment of the theme, while the other is the quirky carnival titled Chester and Hester's Dinorama. The concept art shown above is pretty to view but the actual final result brings little to the table.

Midway games, a spinner ride eerily reminiscent of Fantasyland's Dumbo, and a small spinning coaster bring up the attraction count for the park making it Disney's quick answer to complaints about Animal Kingdom being a half day experience. Triceratop Spin and Primeval Whirl (a name that's a pun but also a tribute to Disneyland) round out the carnival atmosphere and games.

Lame Dumbo remake is not a winner.

Lucky the Dinosaur in 2003. Getty Images.

Chester and Hester's Dinorama did have one redeeming factor: it was the temporary home of Lucky the Dinosaur, a free roaming animatronic that wandered the park with the help of his handler. Unfortunately, after a tour of California Adventure, this charming fellow was shipped off to Hong Kong to open the minimally built park.

Whether you view this addition as poorly deisgned or something to be viewed lovingly with tongue firmly in cheek, one thing is certain: Chester and Hester's Dinorama brings highly colorful- and kid friendly- dinosaurs into Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Some of the dinosaurs planned for the Animal Kingdom were extinct before birth! Initial plans for the park included the Excavator coaster. It can clearly be seen in place at the top left corner of the above concept art for The Boneyard.

It is hard to tell whether this attraction would be a fairly unthemed coaster or one that just took some design elements from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The piece directly above seems like a unique take on the dinosaur concept, but the one above that seems like a descendant of the final portion of the "Wildest Ride in the Wilderness". Perhaps more art will surface one day and give clues to what could have been.

All said, Disney's Animal Kingdom provides the most dinosaur encounters on any Disney property- and with the most variety. However, there is still one more Florida location where dinosaurs have a story to tell.

Downtown Disney

Corporate cousin of the once popular Rain Forest Cafe chain of resturants, the T-Rex Cafe arrived at Downtown Disney as the most recent dino addition to Walt Disney World.

My apologies to losing the name of the photographer who took the amazing shot above, but here is just one case where the artist's illustrations do not do justice to the end result. Beautiful!

Disney dino hunters know that North America is not the only place to find these enormous beasts. Let's stop at Tokyo Disneyland as the first international hunting ground...

Tokyo Disneyland

Given that the first Asian Disney park is almost a piecemeal reproduction of its American sisters, it should come as no surprise that the dinosaurs at Tokyo Disneyland are found at the same attractions.

Here, the Western River Railroad departs only from Adventureland but still concludes with a journey through the Primeval World. And yes, the dino bone tunnel found at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad shows up here in Japan as well.

Tokyo Disney Sea

Surprisingly, from what I can find, no dinosaurs currently show up at the elegant Tokyo Disney Sea. Although Rex from Toy Story Midway Mania (above) will soon be taking up residence here, it is rather amazing that the beloved creatures do not make an appearance anywhere in the park.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Lucky the Dinosaur was one of the must see attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland in September 2005. Good thing, as this first Chinese park debuted with the fewest number of attractions ever found in a Magic Kingdom styled park since Disneyland itself. The first photo shows Lucky at the D23 convention, the second in an illustration.

Coming soon will be Rex, the plastic toy, who will make his appearance at the park's Toy Story Playland. He'll be more of a mascot than in an actual attraction, but none the less, he'll be present soon.

A planned roller coaster for the park's massive Adventureland never saw daylight. Instead this seeming combination of an off the shelf coaster with themed elements from Countdown to Extinction may surface in the future at another Disney park. Nothing ever really is wasted at Imagineering.

Disneyland Paris

Aside from the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad connection, (and I do not clearly remember if the bones are there), the only dinosaur I could think of here in Paris' beautiful Disneyland is one that is extinct. In the park's long gone but never forgotten Visionarium, our journey quickly takes us back in time. We encounter our dinosaur ever so briefly but then off we go again.

Walt Disney Studios Paris

Here at the Studios, this lackluster park does have one claim to fame: it is the only Disney park that represents the cult favorite Dinotopia.
The two photos above, courtesy Photomagique, display show elements from the Disney television series. Dinosaurs aside, the studio tram tour lacks the depth it needs as a centerpiece attraction for the park.
Toy Story Playland will appear in Paris, too, soon making its debut in the little park that hopes it can. Loveable Rex will be mostly a giant hood ornament of sorts as he sits around in an area that, much like Chester and Hester's Dinorama, will bring a few new lightly themed attractions to this needy second park.

Concluding our world tour and time travel, it is plain to see that dinosaurs of all shapes, sizes, colors and personalities have taken over Disney parks worldwide, much to the delight of guests young and old.

Drawings and schematics are highly guarded for Shanghai Disneyland and any other future plans for parks all over the world. Will the dinosaurs make the cut to the next series of additions? Who knows. Yet one thing is certain. Prehistoric creatures of all sorts draw an audience. It is a fact Walt himself knew well. Be it in film or at the parks, Disney will continue to include our prehistoric friends whenever a great concept comes along.

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Most photos copyright Mark Taft.)