Dinoland U.S.A., Possibly the Most Well-Themed Land at Walt Disney World
Go with me on this one. There’s no denying that more and more, Walt Disney World takes you to a whole new world (yeah, I said it) no matter which corner of property you’re on. And with perpetual expansion and reimagining happening every year (think D23 Expo 2017), the Disney company keeps alive the iconic spirit of Walt to “keep moving forward.”
But I’m proposing that Disney has already created the most inspired and relevant land in its parks. And it’s Dinoland U.S.A.
Themed to be a roadside attraction built around the discovery of fossils by the Dino Institute, Dinoland has all the bones (I did it again) of other lands on property; a few rides, a couple gift shops, and even a playground. Standard fare, yes, but it’s the self realization that overlays it all, that puts this area in a realm of its own.
It’s meant to be the kind of place you just stumble upon en route to the main event of your trip. As you walk towards the land, the ground is paved and painted to be an old two lane highway. Complete with highway signs. The kind of place that you tell your friends about because of just how bizarre it is, including a giant, albeit smiling, fiberglass, green dino perfect for photo ops.
This will never be the land where Disney excelled in technology or even overall creativity. Disney isn’t hiding that from you.
But the immersive believability that is a part of all that Disney creates is still so apparent within a land that superficially looks like it’s there just to take up space. So believable, that you could really be out of Disney World and be on an unknown highway going toward your final destination (most likely Expedition Everest in the case of Animal Kingdom)
So even though Dinoland isn’t where you run to at rope drop, and it’s not where you cash in all your fast passes, the realism that you’re truly immersed in such a place that is thrown together exactly as you would expect a roadside attraction, is what makes Dinoland the most well-themed land at Disney.
Hope this brings some magic to your day!
— Laurie
