Ride: DINOSAUR

Take off on a scary, prehistoric tour aboard a rip-roaring Time Rover to save a dinosaur from extinction.

Ride Information

Composite Review (4.5 / 5)

The DINOSAUR attraction is a thrilling and intense dark ride located in the DinoLand U.S.A. area of Disney's Animal Kingdom. It’s one of the park’s most intense experiences, often compared to a hybrid of a dark ride and a motion simulator.

The Story & Setting

You are a volunteer at the Dino Institute, where scientists have perfected the technology of time travel. Your mission is supposedly a simple jaunt back 65 million years to witness the moment an asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs. However, the eccentric Dr. Grant Seeker sends you on an unauthorized side mission to retrieve a specific dinosaur—an Iguanodon—just moments before the extinction-level event. Your journey becomes a frantic race against time through a dark, prehistoric jungle.

Key Features and Intensity

• Intense Movement: The Time Rover vehicle is the star of the show, providing a very rough and jerky ride. It bounces, lurches, and swerves dramatically, making you feel like you are driving over truly uneven, prehistoric terrain while dodging massive beasts. Riders with back or neck issues should heed the ride warnings.
• Darkness and Loud Noise: The ride is set almost entirely in the dark, punctuated by flashing strobe lights, sudden dinosaur roars, and alarm sirens counting down to the asteroid impact. This can cause sensory overload for some guests.
• Menacing Animatronics: The attraction features massive, life-like (and intentionally scary) animatronic dinosaurs, most notably the fierce Carnotaurus, who seems to chase your vehicle, creating a high-energy jump scare finale.
• Absence of Big Drops: Despite the intensity, there are no major roller-coaster drops or inversions. The thrilling sensation comes from the chaotic movement of the vehicle and the close encounters with the dinosaurs.

What Guests Are Saying

Guests generally praise DINOSAUR for its unique ride system and high level of immersion and thrill, though many note the intensity:

Positive Reviews & Sentiment:

• "We absolutely love this ride! We love dinosaurs, pretend time travel, animatronics, and thrill rides so this ride is fantastic! Gets our hearts pounding every time! The animatronic dinosaurs are very realistic and the action of the ride motions are full of action."
• "Dinosaur is an iconic and incredibly fun ride. It truly makes you feel as though you are travelling back in time to the prehistoric era. I love the theming around the ride, and how they have different dinosaur fossils as you are queueing for the ride."
• The ride is often called a "must do" and "definitely worth going on."

Warnings and Caveats:

• Many guests agree that it can be very scary for younger children (under the age of 7-10) due to the sheer darkness, loud noises, and scary dinosaurs jumping out. Parents often comment on their children being frightened into silence.
• The movements are legitimately rough. Some people find the constant jerky motion to be uncomfortable or painful, describing it as a "bumpy, janky ride."
• A few reviews mention that some of the animatronics may be broken or have diminished the overall experience, though the ride itself remains thrilling.