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Dinosaurs Alive! was an animatronicdinosaur themed area which formerly operated at several amusement parks and zoos, but has since been closed.
The exhibits were created by Dinosaurs Unearthed. Some markets, like Toronto, previously staged their touring exhibit at other venues. Some reviewers noted that seeing a roller coaster in the background was an "incongruity". A sand pit allowed children to "dig" for dinosaurs at an area near the end of the attraction.
Dinosaurs
The exhibits featured dinosaurs that were built to scale and depicted various habitats they would have likely encountered. Among the variety of species present throughout the attraction, the dinosaurs themselves could range from several feet in height and length to the much larger Ruyangosaurus, which stood more than 30 feet (9.1 m) tall. Each amusement park configuration was unique, with some featuring exhibits not present at the others:
In addition to being life-sized, many of the dinosaurs were animatronic. Models featured moving skin, with no visible joints or seams. Some were interactive, that allowed visitors to press buttons on the exhibit's sign to control the movement of various body parts depending on where the button was located (e.g., button on snout opens jaws, button on throat thrashes neck and button on rear makes the tail sway). The non-interactive animatronic dinosaurs were activated when motion sensors detect movement by guests walking by. Sound effects from hidden speakers also accompanied the various movements including roaring, bellowing and/or shrieking.
Size
Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit entrance at Canada's Wonderland
Location
Park
Dinosaurs
Trail length
Area
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary Zoo
20
Vaughan, Ontario
Canada's Wonderland
40
Unknown
7 acres (2.8 ha)
Charlotte, North Carolina
Carowinds
32
1,000 yd (910 m)
5 acres (2.0 ha)
Sandusky, Ohio
Cedar Point
50
1,900 ft (580 m)
4 acres (1.6 ha)
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Dorney Park
37
2,100 ft (640 m)
3.3 acres (1.3 ha)
Doswell, Virginia
Kings Dominion
36
3,000 ft (910 m)
6 acres (2.4 ha)
Mason, Ohio
Kings Island
60
4,000 ft (1,200 m)
12.5 acres (5.1 ha)
Scarborough, Ontario
Toronto Zoo
16
Shakopee, Minnesota
Valleyfair
Unknown
2,837 ft (865 m)
5 acres (2.0 ha)
Kansas City, Missouri
Worlds of Fun
35
1,900 ft (580 m)
2 acres (0.81 ha)
Movie
A dinosaur-related 3D movie was shown at Carowinds in their respective Action Theater with the motion seats removed. It was also shown at King Dominion and Canada's Wonderland as well. The film was included with park admission at most parks, while admission to both the attraction and film costed $6 at Canada's Wonderland. At Wonderland, the film shown in the theater is the 11-minute Monsters of the Deep, while Dinosaurs: Monsters of Patagonia was shown at Carowinds and Kings Island.
Kings Island, Cedar Point and Carowinds charged an additional $5 admission per person over the age of 2. However, Carowinds did offer special Dinosaurs Alive! endorsement stickers that could be attached to season passes for $15, granting the passholder unlimited trips through the exhibit for that season.
Reception
The added admission fee was the target of criticism. Cedar Point representatives have stated that the fee is to avoid overcrowding in the section. A writer for Wired.com suggested that, given the cost of admission, parking and food at Canada's Wonderland, the added cost of Dinosaurs Alive! was trivial. Some theme park enthusiasts suggested in advance of opening that the attraction would not be "repeatable", in advance of its Cedar Point opening.
Many dinosaurs in the Canada's Wonderland attraction were juveniles, causing one reviewer to speculate this was "a cost-saving measure." The reviewer also noted that in some instances, the info panels didn't match the depiction in the exhibit. For example, the Canada's Wonderland Eotyrannus lacked feathers despite the nearby illustration suggesting otherwise.
Kings Island. "E-Newsletter — Dinosaurs Alive! 3D an Adventure With Teeth!" VisitKingsIsland.com. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. May 10, 2011, accessed May 10, 2011.
This is a pay-per-use attraction