Chapter 5 - Animal Kingdom - Dinoland - Part 2 posted Jun 2022
We left off the previous Chapter by leaving the Dino Institute and checking out Donald’s Bash.
The path which leaves the Institute also leads to Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures.
The path which leaves the Institute also leads to Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures.
|
|
For current map: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/animal-kingdom/maps/
Review of the Backstory of Dinoland
According to the folklore created by Imagineers, DinoLand USA actually started out as a small town in Diggs County. Then one day in 1947, paleontologists uncovered dinosaur bones near a Sinclair gas station, and everything changed for the sleepy town. Grad students arrived from all over the country to launch fossil hunts.
Gradually, these students founded the Dino Institute, which initially used a fishing lodge (now Restaurantosaurus) but later got its own museum building.
In addition, Chester and Hester – the owners of the gas station where the first fossils were discovered – turned their business into the cheesy, roadside Dinosaur Treasures gift shop.
Source:
According to the folklore created by Imagineers, DinoLand USA actually started out as a small town in Diggs County. Then one day in 1947, paleontologists uncovered dinosaur bones near a Sinclair gas station, and everything changed for the sleepy town. Grad students arrived from all over the country to launch fossil hunts.
Gradually, these students founded the Dino Institute, which initially used a fishing lodge (now Restaurantosaurus) but later got its own museum building.
In addition, Chester and Hester – the owners of the gas station where the first fossils were discovered – turned their business into the cheesy, roadside Dinosaur Treasures gift shop.
Source:
Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures
This Gift shop is loads of fun. It’s a retro-themed dinosaur store, with Animal Kingdom, Disney and dinosaur merchandise. There’s a dinosaur at the center of the store and all kinds of toys hanging from the ceiling.
This Gift shop is loads of fun. It’s a retro-themed dinosaur store, with Animal Kingdom, Disney and dinosaur merchandise. There’s a dinosaur at the center of the store and all kinds of toys hanging from the ceiling.
|
|
The gift is anything but lavish like most of the gift shops in Walt Disney World. It’s set in an old, tin-roofed garage where the floors are concrete. There are bright red "water pipes" running up the walls and across the ceiling. The interior is painted to look like it's been there since the age of the dinosaurs, but it emphasizes the fun theme of the shop.
Gallery
click on photo to enlarge
There are a lot of artifacts scattered around Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures with plentiful amounts of souvenirs that the shop is selling. Scattered amongst the dinosaur bones, plastic dinosaurs, and Coca-Cola memorabilia are a ton of comics mounted adorning the walls, some like Batman or The Amazing Spider-Man.
Never to judge a book by cover throughout Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, where the dinosaur knick knacks are the true treasure waiting to be discovered.
Never to judge a book by cover throughout Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures, where the dinosaur knick knacks are the true treasure waiting to be discovered.
The short retell of the backstory is that Chester and Hester owned a gas station where dinosaur bones were found in the area. The find lead for more and more people to the area, which is why the Dino Institute was founded. Chester and Hester decided to sell souvenirs in their store to make extra money, and realized that they were making more money on the souvenirs so they decided to turn the station into a store full time and called it “Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures”.
Chester and Hester would become more and more prominent as the town expanded its dino tourism.
This was just the beginning for DinoLand USA, though. The Dino Institute invited the famed Dr. Helen Marsh to lead the institute, and she quickly set a new path for paleontology: time travel. (For more on the Dino Institute see Chapter 4 – Animal Kingdom – Dinoland – Part 1)
After all this was a gas station, so the pump still exists.
Chester and Hester would become more and more prominent as the town expanded its dino tourism.
This was just the beginning for DinoLand USA, though. The Dino Institute invited the famed Dr. Helen Marsh to lead the institute, and she quickly set a new path for paleontology: time travel. (For more on the Dino Institute see Chapter 4 – Animal Kingdom – Dinoland – Part 1)
After all this was a gas station, so the pump still exists.
Research:
- http://www.mainstgazette.com/search?updated-max=2019-01-26T09:00:00-05:00
- https://allears.net/walt-disney-world/wdw-planning/chester-and-hesters-dinosaur-treasures-animal-kingdom-glos-souven-ears/
Dinosaur Jubilee
Before the Dino Institute opened, the Lodge (now known as the Restaurantosaurus) was used as a museum. When the lodge grew too small to house all of the dinosaur bones, a tent was erected just across from the Dinosaur Treasure’s Shop on Chester and Hester’s land and some of the larger creature’s skeletons were displayed fully assembled. This exhibit was called Dinosaur Jubilee.
Dinosaur Jubilee was an opening day walkthrough attraction at DinoLand U.S.A.
Taking place in a tent structure across from the Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures shop, Dinosaur Jubilee was an exhibit of fossils and skeleton casts representing some of the Dino Institute's findings.
Most of these casts were supplied by either the Black Hills Institute or Triebold Paleontology. (See references below). Comical guided tours of the displays were offered by the Dino Institute's student interns.
Before the Dino Institute opened, the Lodge (now known as the Restaurantosaurus) was used as a museum. When the lodge grew too small to house all of the dinosaur bones, a tent was erected just across from the Dinosaur Treasure’s Shop on Chester and Hester’s land and some of the larger creature’s skeletons were displayed fully assembled. This exhibit was called Dinosaur Jubilee.
Dinosaur Jubilee was an opening day walkthrough attraction at DinoLand U.S.A.
Taking place in a tent structure across from the Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures shop, Dinosaur Jubilee was an exhibit of fossils and skeleton casts representing some of the Dino Institute's findings.
Most of these casts were supplied by either the Black Hills Institute or Triebold Paleontology. (See references below). Comical guided tours of the displays were offered by the Dino Institute's student interns.
The Prehistoric creatures featured in the exhibit included:
Triceratops
Edmontosaurus
|
Stan the Tyrannosaurus Rex, one of the most complete Tyrannosaurs found before the discovery of Sue
Triceratops
|
Pachycephalosaurus
|
Pachycephalosaurus
|
Tylosaurus along with a Pteranodon in its jaws
|
Tylosaurus along with a Pteranodon in its jaws
|
Animatronics of a Mammoth
|
Animatronics of a Smilodon
|
The Dinosaur Jubilee was designed as a temporary placeholder, it would close in 2000 and was replaced by Dino-Rama. Many of the casts would be donated to various museums while the Archelon was relocated to Dinosaur's gift shop.
Nearby was the Fossil Preparation Lab where one of the paleontologists could be seen cleaning debris and dirt from recent finds.
Nearby was the Fossil Preparation Lab where one of the paleontologists could be seen cleaning debris and dirt from recent finds.
Fossil Preparation Lab
In the Fossil Preparation Lab guests could see real scientists working on the skeleton of Sue the Dinosaur, the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered. The Fossil Preparation Lab operated from April 22, 1998 through 2000. During its run, the Fossil Preparation Lab was also referred to simply as "Dino-Sue" or "See Sue the Dinosaur!".
In the Fossil Preparation Lab guests could see real scientists working on the skeleton of Sue the Dinosaur, the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered. The Fossil Preparation Lab operated from April 22, 1998 through 2000. During its run, the Fossil Preparation Lab was also referred to simply as "Dino-Sue" or "See Sue the Dinosaur!".
|
|
Dino-Sue was named after paleontologist Sue Hendrickson, who found a remarkable skeleton in 1990 at
the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in western South Dakota. Never before had such a complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton been unearthed.
In October 1997, the Chicago Field Museum purchased the skeleton at auction with the helped by donations from Walt Disney World, McDonald’s and the California State University system.
To finish the skeleton for a millennium exhibit, the Chicago Field Museum had seven people working full time on the bones, including as part of the deal for Disney’s and McDonald’s contributions having three scientists worked on it in the Fossil Preparation Lab in DinoLand.
In 1999, the bones were shipped to the Chicago Museum and the Fossil Preparation Lab was closed.
It was eventually replaced by Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama.
the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in western South Dakota. Never before had such a complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton been unearthed.
In October 1997, the Chicago Field Museum purchased the skeleton at auction with the helped by donations from Walt Disney World, McDonald’s and the California State University system.
To finish the skeleton for a millennium exhibit, the Chicago Field Museum had seven people working full time on the bones, including as part of the deal for Disney’s and McDonald’s contributions having three scientists worked on it in the Fossil Preparation Lab in DinoLand.
In 1999, the bones were shipped to the Chicago Museum and the Fossil Preparation Lab was closed.
It was eventually replaced by Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama.
Dino-Sue
Replicas were also made and one stands outdoors in DinoLand U.S.A. near the entrance to the Dinosaur attraction.
By the way, the 90-foot Brachiosaurus skeleton that stretches over Dinoland’s entrance was cast from the mold of the same skeleton that arches over Stanley Field Hall in the Field Museum. (See Animal Kingdom Chapter 4 – DinoLand – Part 1)
By the way, the 90-foot Brachiosaurus skeleton that stretches over Dinoland’s entrance was cast from the mold of the same skeleton that arches over Stanley Field Hall in the Field Museum. (See Animal Kingdom Chapter 4 – DinoLand – Part 1)
Brachiosaurus
Reference:
- https://themickeywiki.com/index.php/DinoLand_USA
- https://yourfirstvisit.net/2020/07/17/a-friday-visit-with-jim-korkis-the-fossil-preparation-lab-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/
- https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Dinosaur_Jubilee#cite_note-1
- https://www.bhigr.com/
- https://www.trieboldpaleontology.com/
- https://allears.net/2012/10/01/a-history-of-dinoland-u-s-a-and-restaurantosaurus-part-one/
Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama
Disney Imagineers love to create intricate backstories about different parks and attractions, and Dinoland USA’s in-story lore covers decades’ worth of history.
After the Dinosaur Jubilee closed, this is where Chester and Hester take the spotlight. They formerly just had their Dino store-turned gas station, but the Imagineers decided add to the fictional timeline and take the idea of a dinosaur-themed tourist trap to the next level with a full-fledged carnival.
In 2002, Disney opened Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, which replaced the Dinosaur Jubilee and the Fossil Preparation Lab. Rather than making authentic paleontology the land’s main focus, the theme is now a cornier celebration of dinosaurs. Within the fictional story, the entrepreneur couple Chester and Hester take their Big Break, after gaining a lot of money at their shop, they decided to invest in the Dino craze even more.
Chester and Hester put up plenty of signs to lure tourists in.
Disney Imagineers love to create intricate backstories about different parks and attractions, and Dinoland USA’s in-story lore covers decades’ worth of history.
After the Dinosaur Jubilee closed, this is where Chester and Hester take the spotlight. They formerly just had their Dino store-turned gas station, but the Imagineers decided add to the fictional timeline and take the idea of a dinosaur-themed tourist trap to the next level with a full-fledged carnival.
In 2002, Disney opened Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, which replaced the Dinosaur Jubilee and the Fossil Preparation Lab. Rather than making authentic paleontology the land’s main focus, the theme is now a cornier celebration of dinosaurs. Within the fictional story, the entrepreneur couple Chester and Hester take their Big Break, after gaining a lot of money at their shop, they decided to invest in the Dino craze even more.
Chester and Hester put up plenty of signs to lure tourists in.
The Dino-Rama, is supposed to be a cheap set of carnival attractions in a parking lot off Highway 498, is actually a feat of Imagineering immersion.
The seemingly cracked asphalt blacktop, for instance, is in fact cleverly disguised concrete, made to last Florida’s dry and wet weather. 
|
|
The cheesy billboards, classic carnival games, and other attractions seem like tourist trap material, but they all received high-quality designing. Together, they make Dino-Rama fit in with the rest of DinoLand’s wacky blend of scientific research and small-town marketing.
Within Dino - Rama is a rainbow-colored land filled with midway games and rides. Guests can try hand at ring toss, water gun shooting, basketball toss, derby racing, mallet games, whac-a-mole, and others. The games have amusing paleontological names like Comet Crasher, Fossil Fueler, and Whac-A-Packycephalosaur.
The entire area opened in November of 2001 to expand Dino-land U.S.A. Dino – Rama even has rides to keep guests entertained.
Within Dino - Rama is a rainbow-colored land filled with midway games and rides. Guests can try hand at ring toss, water gun shooting, basketball toss, derby racing, mallet games, whac-a-mole, and others. The games have amusing paleontological names like Comet Crasher, Fossil Fueler, and Whac-A-Packycephalosaur.
The entire area opened in November of 2001 to expand Dino-land U.S.A. Dino – Rama even has rides to keep guests entertained.
Cementosaurus
2004
|
2019
|
Since Disney launched Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama part of DinoLand, that area of the park has gained a mascot in the form of the Cementosaurus. Found at the entrance to the Dino-Rama (close to the Finding Nemo show), the green Cementosaurus welcomes you into the Dino-themed fun park. It used to be colored orange. However, in 2016 Disney changed its color to green to better match modern depictions of dinosaurs.
Find:
Find:
Triceratops Spin
|
Part of Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, Triceratops Spin is similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant at the Magic Kingdom. Cartoon comets fly by and prehistoric creatures pop up. Guests can even control how high their vehicle (a charming triceratops) flies, and tip it back and forth with a lever.
The attraction was built by a third-party company Zamperla, that specializes in building theme park attractions. The Walt Disney Imagineering team oversaw the creation and ensured that everything including the colors and all the tiny details. Ride Details:
|
|
|
|
Found:
- https://www.disneylists.com/2016/09/7-facts-secrets-triceratop-spin-disneys-animal-kingdom/?utm_source=DisneyList.com+Update&utm_campaign=034d930b54-DisneyLists_com_Update_3_15_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e09735652c-034d930b54-283624153
- https://www.disneylists.com/2020/08/7-facts-secrets-triceratop-spin-disneys-animal-kingdom-2/
Primeval Whirl
Another spinning ride within Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama is Primeval Whirl, a roller coaster themed as a time machine. Guests ride back to prehistoric times through the jaws of a dinosaur, to twist and turn their way past meteors and cartoon dinosaurs on this carnival-style coaster. The ride vehicles themselves spin around unpredictably, so no two rides are the same!
Primeval Whirl is an underrated attraction that doesn’t receive as much hype as many of the other coasters and thrill rides at Walt Disney World.
The ride was a spinning roller coaster purchased from Reverchon Industries. It was a roller coaster in the "Mild But Wild Thrills" category. It had cars that spun in circles while traveling on tracks, permitting the ride experience to vary greatly each time it is ridden. Due to the spinning on the attraction, the cars can actually reach 2.5 G’s when they are spinning. It is definitely more intense than it looks when you are watching it. The ride featured 13 cars, each seating up to 4 riders.
Disney demolished the ride in September of 2021.
Another spinning ride within Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama is Primeval Whirl, a roller coaster themed as a time machine. Guests ride back to prehistoric times through the jaws of a dinosaur, to twist and turn their way past meteors and cartoon dinosaurs on this carnival-style coaster. The ride vehicles themselves spin around unpredictably, so no two rides are the same!
Primeval Whirl is an underrated attraction that doesn’t receive as much hype as many of the other coasters and thrill rides at Walt Disney World.
The ride was a spinning roller coaster purchased from Reverchon Industries. It was a roller coaster in the "Mild But Wild Thrills" category. It had cars that spun in circles while traveling on tracks, permitting the ride experience to vary greatly each time it is ridden. Due to the spinning on the attraction, the cars can actually reach 2.5 G’s when they are spinning. It is definitely more intense than it looks when you are watching it. The ride featured 13 cars, each seating up to 4 riders.
Disney demolished the ride in September of 2021.
|
|
Ride Details:
|
|
Gallery
click on photo to enlarge
Sources:
- https://disneytips.com/8-favorite-things-found-in-dinoland-u-s-a-at-walt-disney-worlds-animal-kingdom/?utm_source=Mickey+Tips&utm_campaign=81c9164eae-MT+Email_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9bf0730414-81c9164eae-307144285
- https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1999-09-06-9909050260-story.html
- https://www.parkeology.com/2010/02/lost-in-animal-kingdom.html
- http://www.parkeology.com/2018/04/20-extinct-animals-animal-kingdom-20th-anniversary.html
Dino Diner in Dino- Rama
If guests are looking for a Disney snack in Dino – Rama There is this little Dino Diner located among the carnival/fair games in Dino-Rama of DinoLand USA. It’s as if someone had left this unique RV, and Disney transformed it into a great snack location.
Dino Diner also serves up frozen beverages and cinnamon-glazed almonds or pecans.
Dino Diner Menu:
If guests are looking for a Disney snack in Dino – Rama There is this little Dino Diner located among the carnival/fair games in Dino-Rama of DinoLand USA. It’s as if someone had left this unique RV, and Disney transformed it into a great snack location.
Dino Diner also serves up frozen beverages and cinnamon-glazed almonds or pecans.
Dino Diner Menu:
Theater in the Wild
|
Theater in the Wild opened in 1998, it was originally an open-air amphitheater. During that time, it has been home to three different productions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Theater in the Wild is a 1,500 seat Theater located in the Dinoland USA. It opened in 1998 with “Journey into Jungle Book” and changing in 1999 to “Tarzan Rocks.” The theater closed in January 2006 so it could be enclosed. It reopened with “Finding Nemo—The Musical” with previews in November 2006. 
|
Photo of Theater in the Wild from 1998 - 2006
©Disney
|
As Imagineer Alex Wright said, “Theater in the Wild is not really part of the lands of Animal Kingdom. Even its name is intended to reflect the idea that it’s an entity unto itself. It offers a performance space that can be used for shows that might not fit very well into any of the established storylines.”
Research:
Research:
- https://yourfirstvisit.net/2020/06/12/a-friday-visit-with-jim-korkis-the-extinct-shows-of-theater-in-the-wild/
- https://d23.com/a-to-z/theater-in-the-wild/
- https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Theater_in_the_Wild
- https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/04/vintage-walt-disney-world-resort-building-a-theater-in-the-wild/
Journey into the Jungle Book
Journey into the Jungle Book was an opening-day attraction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in April 1998. The 30-minute show was a musical based on the film The Jungle Book.
Journey into the Jungle Book was an opening-day attraction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in April 1998. The 30-minute show was a musical based on the film The Jungle Book.
|
This was a hilarious and unusual stage production. The show told the story of the Jungle Book using characters in elaborate puppeteered costumes.
The music and characters from the film stepped right out of what appeared to be a giant, multi-plane picture book on stage. |
The show follows the story as the man-child, Mowgli, is raised among wolf cubs in the heart of an Indian jungle. He is befriended by Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, threatened by wily snake Kha, and the fierce Bengal tiger, Shere Kahn, as he reluctantly makes his way back to the man village.
The show also included musical highlights like Bare Necessities and I Want To Be Like You.
The show also included musical highlights like Bare Necessities and I Want To Be Like You.
|
|
The Show Director was Fran Soeder, who also created The Legend of the Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Journey Into Jungle Book and The Voyage of The Little Mermaid.
It closed in April 1999 and was replaced by Tarzan Rocks.
Info:
It closed in April 1999 and was replaced by Tarzan Rocks.
Info:
Tarzan Rocks!
Tarzan Rocks! was a musical show that took place in the Theater in the Wild at Disney's Animal Kingdom from 1999 to 2006.
Disney rreleased Tarzan on June 18th, 1999, Tarzan went on to become the fifth highest grossing film of 1999 worldwide. At the same time, Disney’s Animal Kingdom was trying to find its place as not only just a zoo, but also a classic Disney Park. There was not a huge Disney presence within Animal Kingdom. Since this immensely popular movie taking place in a jungle, Tarzan was an obvious choice to join the Animal Kingdom.
One of the ideas to involve Tarzan in the parks was to create a roller coaster where guests could have a chance to swing through the jungle like Tarzan himself. Designed as an inverted coaster to help guests experience the feeling of moving from vine to vine, along the way, guests would have learned information about the plants and animals from the African continent. But the idea was scraped as being too expensive.
Tarzan Rocks! was a musical show that took place in the Theater in the Wild at Disney's Animal Kingdom from 1999 to 2006.
Disney rreleased Tarzan on June 18th, 1999, Tarzan went on to become the fifth highest grossing film of 1999 worldwide. At the same time, Disney’s Animal Kingdom was trying to find its place as not only just a zoo, but also a classic Disney Park. There was not a huge Disney presence within Animal Kingdom. Since this immensely popular movie taking place in a jungle, Tarzan was an obvious choice to join the Animal Kingdom.
One of the ideas to involve Tarzan in the parks was to create a roller coaster where guests could have a chance to swing through the jungle like Tarzan himself. Designed as an inverted coaster to help guests experience the feeling of moving from vine to vine, along the way, guests would have learned information about the plants and animals from the African continent. But the idea was scraped as being too expensive.
|
|
The show was a live rock musical revue referred to as the "Two Worlds Tour" loosely following the film's story through its Phil Collins musical numbers.
Taking a high-energy approach, the show featured acrobatics and skating stunts in addition to featuring the characters Tarzan, Jane and Terk.
The show included gymnasts, singers, dancers, aerialists, roller-blading monkeys who went into the audience like in the play Starlight Express, in addition to a scene where Tarzan and Jane swirled on rope vines in an aerial ballet dance high above the stage like at Cirque de Soleil.
The songs were:
Taking a high-energy approach, the show featured acrobatics and skating stunts in addition to featuring the characters Tarzan, Jane and Terk.
The show included gymnasts, singers, dancers, aerialists, roller-blading monkeys who went into the audience like in the play Starlight Express, in addition to a scene where Tarzan and Jane swirled on rope vines in an aerial ballet dance high above the stage like at Cirque de Soleil.
The songs were:
- Two Worlds - Opens the show, the song acts as a prologue for the film, centering the events of when Tarzan and his birth parents ended up in the African jungles, eventually colliding with a broken family of gorillas. It features acrobatic choreography
- You'll Be in My Heart – this is the scene when Tarzan's adoptive mother gorilla Kala sings that her baby should stop crying because she will protect her baby, and keep him safe and warm.
- Son of Man - Featuring stunts from roller-skating monkeys. The song focuses on Tarzan trying to fit in with his gorilla family and although he faces difficulties, he manages to overcome them throughout the years as he enters into adulthood.
- Strangers Like Me - Emphasizing Tarzan's relationship with Jane, culminating in romantic acrobatic vine swinging. The song talks about Tarzan's fascination with Jane, Professor Porter, and Clayton, who are humans like him, yet completely different from him in every way. The song has a verse describing Tarzan's growing romantic feelings for Jane.
- Trashin' the Camp - Features Terk accompanied by a tapdance back-up group. When Terk, Tantor, and their gorilla friends find the camp belonging to the humans, they are intrigued by the items, and then entertained by the fun noises they make by breaking things.
- Finale - featuring a reprise of You'll Be in My Heart and Two Worlds with more acrobatics and monkey rollerskate stunts.
Gallery
|
|
Finding Nemo: The Musical
Tarzan ended its last performance in January 2006. When it was converted from an open-air amphitheater to an enclosed Theater (with air conditioning).
Theater of the Wild used to host Journey into the Jungle Book and Tarzan Rocks, in January 2007 it became home for Finding Nemo: The Musical. This awesome display of puppetry, music, and special effects brings the undersea adventure to life. Academy Award-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez put lots of effort into designing the songs, and a wonderful experience.
This 40-minute show tells Nemo’s story on stage through music, and it’s the most elaborate of any Disney stage shows we’ve seen. Finding Nemo characters are brought to life with spectacular puppets, amazing acrobatics, and original songs.
The film Finding Nemo, wasn’t at all a musical. There really wasn’t a lot of songs in the movie and it was more about the story. That means that most of the songs in the musical are originals that were created just for this stage version of the show. This is the first time that Disney had made a musical stage show from a non-musical film.
Note:
Tarzan ended its last performance in January 2006. When it was converted from an open-air amphitheater to an enclosed Theater (with air conditioning).
Theater of the Wild used to host Journey into the Jungle Book and Tarzan Rocks, in January 2007 it became home for Finding Nemo: The Musical. This awesome display of puppetry, music, and special effects brings the undersea adventure to life. Academy Award-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez put lots of effort into designing the songs, and a wonderful experience.
This 40-minute show tells Nemo’s story on stage through music, and it’s the most elaborate of any Disney stage shows we’ve seen. Finding Nemo characters are brought to life with spectacular puppets, amazing acrobatics, and original songs.
The film Finding Nemo, wasn’t at all a musical. There really wasn’t a lot of songs in the movie and it was more about the story. That means that most of the songs in the musical are originals that were created just for this stage version of the show. This is the first time that Disney had made a musical stage show from a non-musical film.
Note:
- Peter Brosius directed the show. He is an award-winning director on Broadway.
- Robert and Kristen Lopez (a husband/wife team) composed all of the original songs for the show. They co-writing the songs for the musical film Frozen and its sequel Frozen II.
- The designer for the puppet and production components is Michael Curry, who also designed the puppets for the stage version of The Lion King on Broadway.
|
|
|
|
The Imagineers are pros at incorporating technology into live shows to stunning effect, and Finding Nemo: The Musical is no exception. There are shimmering underwater effects, different sizes of “bubbles” on either side of the stage (watch as an animated Nemo swims from one bubble to the next before the show), and a variety of projections, digital backdrops, and creative lighting. It all combines to create an utterly believable – and magical! – underwater world.
|
|
Finding Nemo: The Musical is reportedly permanently closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Its last performance was in March 2020. It’s definitely sad to see such an excellent show closed.
But Disney has announced that an updated version of the “Finding Nemo – The Musical” is coming to the Animal Kingdom in 2022. Let’s see how they will top this one.
Through the Vines:
But Disney has announced that an updated version of the “Finding Nemo – The Musical” is coming to the Animal Kingdom in 2022. Let’s see how they will top this one.
Through the Vines:
- http://www.disneylists.com/2017/03/8-facts-secrets-finding-nemo-musical-disneys-animal-kingdom/?utm_source=DisneyList.com+Update&utm_campaign=75cd374915-DisneyLists_com_Update_1_10_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e09735652c-75cd374915-283624153
- https://www.disneytips.com/8-totally-cool-things-finding-nemo-musical-walt-disney-world/?utm_source=Mickey+Tips&utm_campaign=00826e05ac-MT+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9bf0730414-00826e05ac-307144285
- https://ziggyknowsdisney.com/finding-nemo-show/
Lucky the Dinosaur
Lucky the Dinosaur was an approximately 8ft-tall green Stegosaurus dinosaur which pulls a flower-covered cart and is led by "Chandler the Dinosaur Handler".
Lucky premiered at Disney's California Adventure and came to the DinoLand U.S.A. at Walt Disney World from June to August 2005. He was then moved to Hong Kong Disneyland for celebrating the grand opening of the park in September 2005.
As of June 2009, it has remained in storage at Walt Disney Imagineering, but occasionally being called on to perform for the Backstage Magic Tour from Adventures by Disney.
Lucky was the first Audio-Animatronics figure to walk independently! Imagineers were inspired by technology that began with Audio-Animatronics figures in Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room back in 1963.
Those figures, and the ones that followed at “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” and Pirates of the Caribbean could sing, talk, move and duel with swords, but they could not walk on their own. Lucky could walk and interact with guests and even give an autograph.
Lucky the Dinosaur was an approximately 8ft-tall green Stegosaurus dinosaur which pulls a flower-covered cart and is led by "Chandler the Dinosaur Handler".
Lucky premiered at Disney's California Adventure and came to the DinoLand U.S.A. at Walt Disney World from June to August 2005. He was then moved to Hong Kong Disneyland for celebrating the grand opening of the park in September 2005.
As of June 2009, it has remained in storage at Walt Disney Imagineering, but occasionally being called on to perform for the Backstage Magic Tour from Adventures by Disney.
Lucky was the first Audio-Animatronics figure to walk independently! Imagineers were inspired by technology that began with Audio-Animatronics figures in Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room back in 1963.
Those figures, and the ones that followed at “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” and Pirates of the Caribbean could sing, talk, move and duel with swords, but they could not walk on their own. Lucky could walk and interact with guests and even give an autograph.
|
|
Report:
Walking Velociraptor
Then with her handler Professor Woodson, there was test run of an Iguanodon, who roamed DinoLand U.S.A. from April 2014 until May 2014, that make it back from the late Cretaceous period at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Professor Parker Woodson and her pet velociraptor “Val” are roaming the streets, touring the area and meeting guests.
Then with her handler Professor Woodson, there was test run of an Iguanodon, who roamed DinoLand U.S.A. from April 2014 until May 2014, that make it back from the late Cretaceous period at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Professor Parker Woodson and her pet velociraptor “Val” are roaming the streets, touring the area and meeting guests.
|
|
According to Professor Woodson, she has raised “Val” since birth. Because of that, the velociraptor is friendly toward guests and curious about them and the Dinoland environment. “Val” is constantly moving around the land and does not stop for photos with guests.
Info:
Info:
We've traveled through Dinoland. Remember that the original backstory for the Dinoland U.S.A., generated by the Imagineers, revolves around the discovery of dinosaur fossils in a former sand and gravel pit. Where the benefactor of a local college bought up the site, setting its paleontology students to work on uncovering the dino bones.
This land may seem strange and a collection of ideas just thrown together, but if you understand the theme, notice that it fits in nicely with the rest of Animal Kingdom.
In next Chapter we will travel to Asia and a fictional place called Anandapur and the Expedition Everest. We'll take the thrill ride to see Mt.Everest
This land may seem strange and a collection of ideas just thrown together, but if you understand the theme, notice that it fits in nicely with the rest of Animal Kingdom.
In next Chapter we will travel to Asia and a fictional place called Anandapur and the Expedition Everest. We'll take the thrill ride to see Mt.Everest
|
|
|
Afterword:
WDWMousing.com is designed to be a tour of Walt Disney World through photos. We have been to Walt Disney World countless times over the past 25 years and accumulated a magnitude of photos in that time. This website is an intention to combine two of our favorite pastimes, Walt Disney World and photography, and provide an insightful pictorial tour. While doing so, we've done an extensive research of the internet and literary sources for background information on each area and attraction. The information is available, but most bits and pieces are scattered all over. WDWMousing doesn't intend to rewrite the stories, legends or data, but to try and collect it into one location with reference and links to the original articles and authors. And giving rightful credit. We've stumbled through quite a bit of mis-information, most of which came to life by fans because the origins were lost, forgotten or no one seems to remember. Over the past 25 years we've also lost most of the great Imagineers that helped develop, design and build the original concepts of Walt Disney World. So we believe it's extremely important to make sure that their efforts, intentions, details and creativity in making this the Happiest Place on Earth isn't lost. So we ask for feedback, insights, and suggestions. Thank you WDWMousing 
|
|