At a Glance
Duration: 3 minutes, 30 seconds
Look Out For: sensory overload, rough movements, loud noises, darkness, and big scary dinos
Opening on April 22nd, 1998, Dinosaur is an intense primeval thrill ride featuring close encounters with sharp teeth and hungry dinos. Exciting, right? But how scary is Dinosaur? Let’s take a look at the ratings:
1. Ride Length
Dinosaur has a ride duration of 3 minutes and 30 seconds. This ride is one of the more intense, loud, and scary attractions you’ll find at any of the four parks.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
Dinosaur has a height restriction of 40 inches. In addition, children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult. As a comparison, these are the same restrictions you’ll find at Thunder Mountain or The Tower of Terror – and this isn’t even a roller coaster. Of course, because of its rough nature, there are plenty of warnings for people with back or neck problems as well as pregnant riders.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The Dinosaur ride vehicles consist of large, open jeep-like cars called “time rovers” that seat up to 12 riders in 3 rows of 4. Each rider gets a seat belt so if you’re not too keen on a lap bar, this might be more comfortable for you.
4. How does Dinosaur Work?
This attraction works like a standard track ride in many ways, but does include more dynamic motion than the typical Disney dark ride. As the cars are moved along the track, the ride vehicle lurches up and down as if driving over very uneven terrain. In addition, the cars come to several full stops, speed up, and slow down many times throughout the ride.
5. Is Dinosaur Scary?
Dinosaur is truly dark, loud, and scary – in pretty much every way. Of course, with dinosaurs in the spotlight, you’ll encounter huge menacing beasts, deafening roars, and intentionally scary theming throughout the attraction. As a result of this, I can’t recommend this ride to those prone to sensory sensitivity or those who are easily frightened.
6. How High is Dinosaur?
Dinosaur does not involve heights. As an indoor ride, the track remains on the ground at all times.
7. How Fast is Dinosaur?
Dinosaur does go fast at some points. While it is a very rough and jerky ride, I was surprised to find that the cars reach a top speed of only 12 miles per hour. The attraction definitely feels faster at times, but this may be due to the sudden lurching and overall bumpy ride.
8. Does Dinosaur Have Drops?
Dinosaur does not have drops of any kind.
9. Does Dinosaur Cause Motion Sickness?
Dinosaur should not cause motion sickness to most riders.
10. Is Dinosaur Claustrophobic?
Dinosaur should not be claustrophobic to most riders. While the ride does have a seatbelt, this may feel more natural and familiar compared to a lap bar or harness. There is also a short (3 and a half minute) pre-show video in an enclosed room, but the ride itself has an “outdoor” setting and does not feel especially claustrophobic.
11. Are There Animatronics on Dinosaur?
There are many animatronics on Dinosaur. With its enormous, life-sized and life-like dinos on the ride, this attraction could definitely be frightening for those wary of animatronics. These guys are intentionally scary and they move, roar, and even “chase” you during the attraction – so be prepared if that sounds a bit intense for you
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Dinosaur Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the Dinoland USA area, surrounded by a nicely-themed courtyard featuring some cool dinosaur bones and a fountain. There is seating in this area, so if anyone in your party decides not to ride, there is a pleasant place for them to sit and wait for you.
You’ll enter into what appears to be a pretty basic natural science museum full of exhibits and fossils. From there, you’ll make your way into a large open room – containing a really cool Carnotaurus skeleton – before being ushered into an orientation room with a large screen.
You’ll view a 3-and-a-half-minute pre-show video, where you’ll be introduced to the “time rover” and learn that you’re secretly going off-mission to rescue an Iguanodon just a few moments before a giant asteroid destroys all life on earth. Risky – right?
From my own experience, standing in a crowded and closed-off room while a video plays can feel a bit claustrophobic – so if that’s you also, just know that this is part of the queue and only a few minutes long.
When you exit the room, you’ll walk down a hallway and into the underground research facility. From there, you’ll make your way down some stairs and onto the loading platform.
Dinosaur Ride Walkthrough
Once you board the ride vehicle, you’ll fasten your seatbelt and head off through a flashing light tunnel only to find yourself in the dark, overgrown Cretaceous period.
You’ll pass a harmless plant eater on your right before coming across a larger beast swallowing a little guy whole. The dinosaurs become a little more threatening as you tumble your way through the dark and you’ll suddenly find yourself face to face with a roaring Carnotaurus.
You rush away and pass several more giant creatures as the meteor becomes dangerously close to impact. You have a second encounter with the Carnotaurus as he “runs” full-speed towards your rover – yikes! As you speed away, you can feel his huge footsteps rumbling close behind you.
You manage to escape but not for long – a few seconds later, you come face to face with a third Carnotaurus and you decide to abort mission. However, on your way out, you manage to find the Iguanodon – but not before our toothy friend, the Carnotaurus lunges for the rover one last time and you narrowly escape back to present day – Iguanodon in tow.
With that, you pull right back into the loading station and – you’re done!
Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is Dinosaur? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out this video from 4K WDW:
