They may be extinct, but dinosaurs never go out of style
Dino-themed attractions roar to life this year
Universal’s Jurassic World/Park lands and rides are dino-mite, but prehistoric creatures can also be found lumbering on a surprising number of other midways. There must be a huge stockpile of ancient DNA preserved in amber, because the dinosaurs just keep on coming.
For example, kiddos at Six Flags Over Texas will be able to ogle a T. rex and other Jurassic-era animals this summer when the park introduces Dino Off Road Adventure. The original Six Flags will be converting its Chaparral Antique Cars ride into the new-ish attraction. Opened in 1962, just one year after the park opened, the classic you-drive-‘em ride was manufactured by the legendary (and now defunct) Arrow Development Company.
The attraction will be a clone of sorts, replicating the Dino Off Road Adventure that debuted last year at Six Flags New England. The Massachusetts attraction also repurposed an Arrow antique cars ride that dated back to 1962. Like its New England counterpart, it is likely that the Texas makeover will refashion the antique cars into safari Jeeps as well. The Chaparral Antique Cars was a leisurely jaunt in jalopies that wound along a path with virtually no scenery. Now, drivers and passengers will be able to spy extinct animals as they make their way through the course.
Six Flags Over Texas, which debuted the world’s first log flume ride in 1963, had previously announced that it would be combining its two flume attractions into one super-duper-long ride for 2024. It has since abandoned those plans, however. In addition to Dino Off Road Adventure, the park will be welcoming Sylvester and Tweety Pounce and Bounce, a 41-foot-tall family drop tower ride, and reopening Daffy Duck Bucket Blasters, an interactive, spinning ride that arms passengers with water sprayers to douse guests in the other vehicles.
Folks will also be able to ogle dinosaurs from the relative safety of boats for Explorer River Quest, one of three attractions that will be featured in the new Dino Valley land at Legoland California. Like nearly everything at the toy-centric park, the creatures will be fashioned out of Lego bricks. The dinos in Duplo Little Dino Trail will be made to look like Duplo blocks. Like the Six Flags attractions, guests will ride in Jeep-like vehicles and travel along an outdoor path. The park says that the cars will be outfitted with cameras for passengers to capture the dinosaurs on the interactive ride.
The third attraction in Dino Valley will be Coastersaurus. The steel junior coaster, which climbs 18 feet and and hits a top speed of 21 mph, has been operating at Legoland since 2004. The park sends the ride’s train through the short, 492-foot course twice. Passengers soar past a Parasaurolophus on the ride’s first drop. The land will also offer an interactive dig area with Lego bones and fossil remains for guests to build their own dino models. And dinosaur characters will be on hand to meet and greet visitors. Dino Valley Land is a makeover of the park’s Explorer Island.
2024 will mark Legoland California’s 25th anniversary. In addition to the revamped land, the park will launch the Lego World Parade. Among the floats will be a pirate ship, a Lego City fire truck, and one themed to Lego Ninjago. The Southern California park was the first Legoland to open in the U.S.
Dinosaurs will also be roaring at Wild Adventures in Georgia as part of the park’s returning Dinosaur Explore exhibit. Guests will be able to see a brachiosaurus and other beasts as they walk along a trail. There will be a fossil dig as well.
Are your kids fascinated by dinosaurs? Might you be taking them to see the prehistoric animals at any parks?
When Dinosaurs Alive! came to Kings Island (and Cedar Point) I thought it was alright. The kids loved it, and some of the dinosaurs were interactive (ie, you could put buttons to make them move). My two favorite things were:
1)Most of the paths were shaded, which made for a nice walk on a HOT July day and
2)The paths were outside the typical border of the parks, so you got to see some behind the scenes views not usually visible!
We also visited Dinosaur's Alive at Kings Island and Cedar Point because my kids were at the perfect age. The Columbus Zoo has a boat ride that had a dinosaur overlay around that time too that my kids loved.