Dinosaurs Alive! (attraction)

Dinosaurs Alive!
Canada's Wonderland
Area Planet Snoopy
Status Operating
Opening date May 6, 2012 (2012-05-06)[1]
Carowinds
Area Carolina RFD
Status Operating
Opening date March 29, 2013 (2013-03-29)[2]
Replaced Joe Cool's Driving School
Cedar Point
Area Adventure Island
Camp Snoopy
Status Operating
Cost $1,000,000[3]
Opening date May 12, 2012 (2012-05-12)[4]
Replaced Paddlewheel Excursions
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Status Operating
Opening date April 28, 2012 (2012-04-28)
Kings Dominion
Area Old Virginia
Status Operating
Soft opening date April 5, 2012 (2012-04-05)
Opening date April 6, 2012 (2012-04-06)[5]
Kings Island
Area Coney Mall
Status Operating
Opening date May 26, 2011 (2011-05-26)[6]
Valleyfair
Status Operating
Cost $3.5 million[7]
Opening date May 11, 2013 (2013-05-11)
Replaced Antique Cars
Worlds of Fun
Area Africa
Status Operating
Opening date April 20, 2013 (2013-04-20)
General statistics
Attraction type Walkthrough exhibit
Manufacturer Dinosaurs Unearthed
Theme Dinosaurs
Single rider line m

Dinosaurs Alive! is an animatronic dinosaur themed area located at several Cedar Fair parks. Kings Island was the first park to open the attraction in 2011, while the other parks opened their attraction in 2012 or 2013. The version of this attraction at Kings Island is the world's largest animatronic dinosaur park.[8] A $5–6.00 fee is required in order to enter the attraction. At Kings Island, Worlds of Fun, Carowinds and Kings Dominion, admission is free with a Gold or Platinum Pass. Each park also features Dinostore, a gift shop filled with dinosaur toys and souvenirs.

The exhibits are created by Dinosaurs Unearthed. Some markets, like Toronto, have previously staged their touring exhibit at other venues.[9] Some reviewers have noted that seeing a roller coaster in the background had an "incongruity".[9]

A sand pit allows children to "dig" for dinosaurs, at an area near the end of the attraction.[10]

Size

Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit entrance at Canada's Wonderland.

Each version of this attraction is different in every Cedar Fair park since each version of the attraction vary in size and the amount of dinosaurs each attraction has. As of now, Kings Island's version of the attraction is the largest out of all five versions, which is also the world's largest dinosaur park containing sixty dinosaurs.

Location Park Dinosaurs Trail length Area
Ontario (Vaughan) Canada's Wonderland 40[1] Unknown 7 acres (2.8 ha)
South Carolina (Fort Mill) Carowinds 32 1,000 yd (910 m)[11] 5 acres (2.0 ha)
Ohio (Sandusky) Cedar Point 50 1,900 ft (580 m) 4 acres (1.6 ha)
Pennsylvania (Allentown) Dorney Park 37 2,100 ft (640 m) 3.3 acres (1.3 ha)
Virginia (Doswell) Kings Dominion 36 3,000 ft (910 m) 6 acres (2.4 ha)
Ohio (Mason) Kings Island 60 4,000 ft (1,200 m) 12.5 acres (5.1 ha)
Alberta (Edmonton) Telus World of Science Unknown Unknown Unknown
Minnesota (Shakopee) Valleyfair Unknown 2,837 ft (865 m) 5 acres (2.0 ha)
Missouri (Kansas City) Worlds of Fun 35 1,900 ft (580 m) 2 acres (0.81 ha)

Dinosaurs

There are several types of dinosaurs used in this attraction. Dinosaurs can range several feet in height and length, many of them larger than a full-sized elephant. The largest dinosaur on display, the massive Ruyangosaurus, is more than 30 feet tall.[12] Below is a list of all of the dinosaurs featured at each park:

Park Dinosaurs
Canada's Wonderland[13] Albertosaurus, Allosaurus, 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.
Carowinds Unknown
Cedar Point[14] 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[15] 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[16] 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[17] 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, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Styracosaurus, Tenontosaurus, Torosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus.
Telus World of Science Unknown
Valleyfair Unknown
Worlds of Fun Unknown

All of the dinosaurs are life-sized, and are animatronic. Some of the animatronic dinosaurs are interactive, allowing visitors to press buttons on the dinosaur's sign that will control the movement of various body parts depending on where the button is 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 are activated when a special sensory camera in front of them captures movement, and they will begin to move in various ways, depending on which dinosaur or species they are. Accompanying the various movements are roaring, bellowing, and/or shrieking sound effects erupting from hidden speakers to make it seem as though the dinosaurs are calling noisily to one another.

Most dinosaur models at the park are motion activated as visitors walk along the path.[10][18] Movement on some dinosaur models can be activated through push button controls.[9][18]

Models have moving skin, with no visible joints or seams.[9]

Many dinosaurs in the Canada's Wonderland attraction were juveniles, causing one reviewer to speculate this was "a cost-saving measure."[9] Some models don't match the info panels in the exhibit; the Canada's Wonderland Eotyrannus lacks feathers, but is depicted with them in the graphic.[9]

The added admission fee was the target of criticism. Cedar Point representatives have stated that the fee is to avoid overcrowding in the section.[11] 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.[9]

Movie

A dinosaur-related 3D movie is currently shown at Canada's Wonderland, Kings Island, Kings Dominion and Carowinds in their respective Action Theaters with the motion seats removed. The film is included with park admission at most parks,[19][20][21] while admission to both the attraction and film cost $6 at Canada's Wonderland.[9] At Wonderland, the film shown in the theater is the 11-minute Monsters of the Deep,[22] while Dinosaurs: Monsters of Patagonia was shown at Carowinds and Kings Island.[21]

At Kings Island, Cedar Point and Carowinds it costs an extra $5 per person over the age of 2, unless they are currently employed by the park in question and have their employee ID on their person, for the walk through exhibit. However, Carowinds does offer special Dinosaurs Alive! endorsement stickers that can be attached to season passes for $15 apiece, which grants the holder unlimited trips through the exhibit until the season's end. These stickers may be purchased at the front gate, the Dinostore, or the exhibit's ticket booth.

Reception

Some theme park enthuasiasts suggested in advance of opening that the attraction would not be "repeatable", in advance of its Cedar Point opening.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Dinosaurs Unearthed at Canada's Wonderland". Press Release. Canada's Wonderland. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Carowinds opens for the year". Seattle PI. March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Press Release". Cedar Point. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Dinosaurs Alive! about". Cedar Point. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  5. ↑ Tuesday, March 6, 2012 12:00 am (2012-03-06). "Kings Dominion's new attractions on schedule — Richmond Times-Dispatch: Business: p, business, economy, local, companies". .timesdispatch.com. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  6. ↑ "Dinosaurs Alive! at Kings Island opens to rave reviews". KI Insider Blog. May 30, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Dinosaur exhibit new Valleyfair attraction in 2013". Shakopee Valley News. September 6, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Kings Island to open world's largest dinosaur park". Mason Buzz. March 18, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Moon, Brad (11 June 2012). "Canada's Wonderland Plays Host to Dinosaurs Alive! Exhibit". Wired.com. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  10. 1 2 ""Must go faster!" RUUUUUUUUN! Dinosaurs Alive! at Canada's Wonderland". Afar. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Bullock, Joel (23 September 2012). "Carowinds and Valleyfair to add Dinosaurs Alive! for 2013". The Coaster Critic. Virginia. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  12. ↑ "Ruyangosaurus". Dinosaursalive.kingsdominion.com. Retrieved 2013-01-25.
  13. ↑ "Canada's Wonderland Dinosaurs". Canada's Wonderland. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Cedar Point". Cedar Point. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Dorney Park". Dorney Park. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Dinosaurs Alive! At Kings Dominion Info Page". Kings Dominion. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Kings Island Dinosaurs". Kings Island. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  18. 1 2 Egan, Kerry (12 August 2013). "Budding paleontologists can find dinosaurs at Carowinds". South Carolina. Just Right. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  19. ↑ Kings Island. "E-Newsletter — Dinosaurs Alive! 3D an Adventure With Teeth!" VisitKingsIsland.com. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. May 10, 2011, accessed May 10, 2011.
  20. ↑ Sim, Nick. "Kings Island's Dinosaurs Alive! 3D movie to be free for 2012 season". Theme Park Tourist. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  21. 1 2 "Carowinds Offers Newest Attraction: Dinosaurs Alive!". The Weekend Homemaker. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  22. ↑ 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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