Disney World has permanently closed one of its beloved attraction after nearly 30 years… and fans have declared that the theme park will ‘never be the same.’
Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park had its last day of operations on Sunday, marking the end of an era.
The iconic ride transported guests back to the Cretaceous period as they raced against time and attempted to capture a dinosaur – all while an impending meteor approached.
The thrilling attraction had been running since the park first opened in April 1998. It was originally named Countdown to Extinction but re-named Dinosaur in 2000 to promote Disney’s movie of the same name.
It has been shut down to make way for a new Indiana Jones-themed ride, while its surrounding area, previously called DinoLand U.S.A., will be turned into a new land called Tropical Americas, expected to open in the fall of 2027.
Fans flocked to the ride on Sunday to experience it one final time, with its wait time reaching a record-breaking four-and-a-half hours at one point during the day.
Many others took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their heartbreak over it closing and to reminisce about their memories on the ride.
‘RIP to Dinosaur! My favorite ride at Disney World,’ wrote one user.
Disney World has permanently closed one of its beloved attraction after nearly 30 years… and fans have declared that the theme park will ‘never be the same’ (stock image)
Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park had its last day of operations on Sunday, marking the end of an era
‘[The ride] was a genuinely wonderful place for a young dinosaur enthusiast to visit, and I lament that there will be nothing to replace it,’ another added.
‘What a ride – nobody did it like Dinosaur. RIP to Disney World rides that traumatize the children,’ joked someone else.
‘So very sad to say goodbye to one of my absolute favorite dark rides Dinosaur. It cracks me up to remember going to Disney as a kid and seeing it advertised on the map and being like NOPE,’ recalled a different fan.
‘But then I did it back in 2017 and realized it’s one of those rides I’ll always have a soft spot for.
‘I was terrified but thrilled at the same time and I will miss it forever. She’ll live in my memory as long as my mind allows it. Long Live the Dinosaur.’
‘So long to one of the best rides in Disney parks. You’ll be missed,’ read a fifth post.
A sixth said: ‘One of my favorite rides that I have ridden and Walt Disney World will not be the same without this.’
While the closure of Dinosaur is certainly sad for many longtime fans, there are a lot of exciting new things coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom that they can look forward to.
The thrilling attraction had been running since the park first opened in April 1998 but has been shut down to make way for a new Indiana Jones-themed ride. Animal Kingdom is seen
Its surrounding area, previously called DinoLand U.S.A., will be turned into a new land called Tropical Americas, expected to open in the fall of 2027 (stock image)
The 11-acre Tropical Americas land will feature multiple areas and two rides: the new Indiana Jones-themed ride as well as an attraction based on the magical Madrigal ‘casita’ from Encanto.
In addition, a new show called Zootopia: Better Zoogether! recently replaced the former It’s Tough to be a Bug! attraction located in the Tree of Life.
Over at Hollywood Studios, there’s a new Monsters Inc.-themed land being built and the Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster is set to be rethemed to feature the Muppets. The last day to ride the coaster the way it is now is March 1, 2026.
At Magic Kingdom, an area inspired by the Cars franchise, as well as a Villains land are being added to the park.
