The story of Dinoland starts in the early 1940′s. Diggs County was little more than ranch and farmland at this point, which can be seen by some of the structures that are still on the property. A rundown gas station with a shabby mechanics pit is owned by two locals, Chester and Hester. They also own a few acres of land along the highway, so with the gas station, a little wrenching on the side, and a parking lot, they’re able to eek out a living. They sold Sinclair gasoline, you know, the one with the dinosaur as its logo?
Original Sinclair oil cans, from inside Chester and Hester's shop
This will become ironic very shortly.
In 1947, some fossil-hunters poking around the area find a few dinosaur bones. Their findings end up being pretty exciting stuff and soon scientists and grad students are swarming the area. They buy up an old fishing lodge which becomes housing for the students, and a cafeteria for all the workers (this is Restaurantosaurus).
Yes, that is a real Airstream, and inside is attached to the restaurant and includes seating and a juke box.
Next, the Dino Institute is founded and time travel is invented. A modern facility is built to facilitate research, and time-travel tours are offered to the public to subsidize costs (Dinosaur, the ride).
Meanwhile, back at the gas station, Chester and Hester are scratching their heads wondering why everyone around them is getting rich and they’re still just grease monkeys. So, they shove a few things around in the gas station office and make room for some souvenirs. Soon, they’re making more money off tacky plastic dinosaurs than they do pumping gas, so they convert the entire station to a shop called “Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures”.
Chester and Hester's old station, all fancied up as a souvenir store.
Inside Chester and Hester's there's lots going on, an electric train runs around an elevated track, there's old toys hung from the rafters.
The money was really rolling in now, so Chester and Hester decide to add a small amusement park across the street in their old parking lot. Being “frugal” they’re not much into decoration or landscaping, so they plunk a few rides and some games of chance on top of the old tarmac and they’re good to go. Thus, Dino-Rama is born!
That's the old highway those folks are walking on. Think they know it?
If you look closely, you can see the cracked asphalt parking lot still has faded paint stripes.
There are two rides at Dino-Rama, TriceraTop Spin and Primeval Whirl. Let’s start with TriceraTop Spin.
The second “T” in TriceraTop is capitalized, because the ride resembles a giant top. Like those “pump and spin” tops you remember as a kid, the TriceraTop Spin looks like it’s put together from cheap pieces of stamped tin, if you look closely while you’re waiting to ride, you might even spot a few of those metal tabs.
See the little guy on top - give him a virtual push and he'll take you for a spin.
The second ride is Primeval Whirl.
It looks cheap and cheesy for a reason!
Of course, the main draw here in Diggs County is that real time machine over at the Dino Institute, but Chester and Hester have built something sort of like a time machine, in fact, you can see all the high tech geegaws and whatsits on your walk through the queue, just don’t look too close or you’ll realize those “high tech gizmos” are really made from everyday items like discarded hubcaps and large kitchen whisks.
See the hubcaps and wisks?
Looking around this area a bit more, you will keep picking up neat details, like these billboards,
Love how Chester and Hester sort of take over the staid Dino Institute billboard.
road signs,
A little sign takeover too - Nothing Pedestrian about Dino-Rama!
and you’ll realize that the pavement you’re walking on through the entrance is the actual “highway” that goes past Chester and Hester’s place:
The planter boxes are made from old license plates
Disney has done an awesome job of recreating one of those Roadside Attractions from the 1950′s and 60′s with Dinoland. Unfortunately they just didn’t find a way to make the story easy for people to grasp, and most folks simply rush through here quickly on the way to one of the rides, or they chew on hamburgers and fries inside Restaurantosaurus without looking up and realizing how many incredibly detailed props are covering the walls:
Most of these books are puns on real novels, like Beak House.
The loft area is where the college kids sleep - love the laundry!
This is the college kid's rec room and cafeteria, in the far back you can see the jukebox and booths which are housed inside that Airstream.
Be sure to check out the jukebox selections. Some great dino-centric stuff here!
The good thing about it is that you and your family can become Disney Explorers, and spend some time looking at all the cool stuff, reading the funny book titles, and finding all the awesomeness that’s hidden from the average vacationer.
