Let’s Get That Dino! 🦕😭
After a 28-year run in Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, the thrill of DINOSAUR will be going extinct!
That’s right, folks, our beloved Dr. Marsh and Dr. Grant Seeker, along with the entire Dino Institute, are scheduled for foreclosure on February 2nd, 2026. The final day for guests to ride the iconic attraction will be February 1st, 2026.
Disney and fans have seen a huge influx to this ride, with wait times exceeding those for every other attraction in the park. Disney has even added a Photopass photographer in front of the famous Iguanodon.
Not only will this ride be closed permanentlym but so will the surrounding Dino Land U.S.A. to make room for Pueblo Esperanza (translated to Village of Hope). This new land, themed around Tropical Americas, will be home to a new Indiana Jones experience and an Epcot attraction.
Courtesy of Disney Parks
This bittersweet news was announced during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at the D23 Expo by Disney Chairman Josh D’Amaro.
Construction is set to begin in the fall of 2027, and the land will open in the year 2027.
Courtesy of Disney || Early concept art for DINOSAUR
If you aren’t familiar with the ride, this attraction is a dark, fast-paced adventure where you board a twelve-person Time Rover through a pherositic forest - home to many dinos!
You are sent here by a paleontologist named Dr. Seeker, who wants you to bring back a 3.5-ton Iguandon, but you will find out right when a giant meteor is coming straight towards Earth.
You will come face-to-face with all kinds of dinosaurs as you swerve around corners and leap into the air!
This attraction was originally called “Countdown to Extinction!” but was renamed DINOSAUR in 2000 to promote the film Dinosaur. The ride has no correlation to the movie except for the meteor.
Did you know that the early version of the ride was deemed too scary? Some scenes and the ending ride scene had to be altered to make the attraction more “family-friendly”. Although this ride is not suitable for all children and includes loud sounds and frightening dinosaurs. Ride at your own risk.
We are so sad to see DINOSAUR leave and bid farewell to everyone at the Dino Institute. What will you miss most about this ride? Are you sad or happy to see it leave?
