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[dc]S[/dc]pending a long honeymoon at Walt Disney World meant Stephanie and I could visit all four of the parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. As I said before, it is a shame Disney’s Animal Kingdom doesn’t get more love.

Really. Animal Kingdom is a beautiful park. Sure, the Animal Kingdom might not have the attractions to compete with the Magic Kingdom, but it is still worth a visit—because it features amazing theming, and some of the best theming is found in DinoLand U.S.A.

Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama

I really love DinoLand U.S.A., and especially the Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama part. As a fan of cheesy Americana tourist traps, the attention to detail in the Chester & Hester’s area warms my heart.

I shot this from atop the TriceraTop Spin (hooray for auto-modes) and it looks like the roof of many of the mom and pop roadside tourist traps I’ve visited over the years, especially those in Michigan.

All’s Fair in Carnivals and Dinos

Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama features a midway with dinosaur themed carnival games. You can win prizes (I won stuffed animals for Stephanie and myself), but they aren’t Disney-themed prizes (no Mickey Mouse dolls here). Instead, the prizes are like those you would find at carnivals or crane games: generic stuffed critters. I won Stephanie a bear in a basketball jersey (similar to this one) and an alligator thing for myself (kinda like this). This tactic seems two-fold to me: first, it does reproduce the cheapo prizes you find in midway games and second, a kid could win a prize at a game and still want (and likely, get) a Donald Duck doll from the gift shop.

I didn’t get shots of this (unless I did on our last visit), but Chester & Hester’s theming makes it look like it takes place in an old parking lot—complete with parking spot lines. The parking lot surface features patch jobs and the like—making it look like this parking lot is old and well-used.

Time Travel Fun with Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl

DinoLand U.S.A. features two ‘time travel’ rides. The ‘real’ time travel ride is Dinosaur (based on the animated film Dinosaur), which I love and Stephanie hates—she has a fear of animatronic dinosaurs.

“Always nice to see Mrs. Huxtable getting work,” I said after the pre-ride movie on Dinosaur.

“Who?” Stephanie asked.

“The head of the Dino Institute, Dr. Marsh (Phylicia Rashad). She was the mom on The Cosby Show. Happy to see she is still getting work.”

Stephanie shook her head. “How do you even remember that?”

“She’s my favorite TV mom!”

The second ‘time-travel’ ride, Primeval Whirl, is found in Dino-Rama, and it is a ‘dime-store’ version of Dinosaur: it features a time travel theme, along with a meteor impact, but it is a spinning carnival roller coaster, not a high-tech animatronic ride. It is super-adorable, and fun.

Both rides are plenty of fun, and the Primeval Whirl fits in great with the Chester & Hester carnival style. Scattered all around the Primeval Whirl are old license plates, including this beauty from our home state of Michigan.

“Dino Droppings?”

I could not help be amused by this sponsorship sign by the bathrooms in Dino-Rama.

I always love seeing what Disney does with signage—especially when the signs have a sense of humor about them. Speaking of signage with a sense of humor, I found this in the Chester & Hester’s Dino Treasures gift shop.

At Disney World, Always Look Up

Disney World parks are great at using every available space for theming (and in Disneyland, where space is at a premium, this is a must). I always try to look at the ceilings and walls in the parks, just to see what Disney does with the space. The Chester & Hester gift shop in Dino-Rama featured plenty of fun visuals.

The ceiling is filled with all kinds of dinosaur toys and items. Another part of the store features a fun diorama along the ceiling and wall.

If you love dinosaurs, or enjoy fun theming, make sure to check out DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Next time: more Animal Kingdom photos.

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