Imagine a land of dinosaurs that is
sponsored by McDonalds. Can any kid resist this combination? So far, the answer is
no; Dinoland USA is a huge hit and shows no sign of slowing down. The secret to
Dinolands success is that they try to make pre-history come to life. The 50-ft
Brachiosaurus that stands over the entrance is the introduction to a land that features
many tactile, interactive exhibits. The most popular interactive area is The Boneyard,
where kids become archeologists and literally dig up fossils and bones that are buried in
the sand.
One of the "real" rides in Animal
Kingdom is Countdown to Extinction, a wild ride back to the time of the dinosaurs.
If youve been bounced around too much already and are in the mood for something more
sedate, you can take a stroll along The Cretaceous Trail, a re-creation of a
prehistoric forest that contains descendants of the dinosaurs like Chinese alligators and
soft-shell turtles.
Dinoland also presents more Disney-esque
features in its Theater in the Wild. It is currently the home of Journey into the
Jungle Book, a stage play based on the animated film. It is a combination of puppetry
and live actors with plenty of music. Its good, but some of the other stage
presentations of animated Disney films like Beauty and the Beast are better.