Primeval Whirl
Primeval Whirl is an attraction located within the DinoLand USA area of Disney's Animal Kingdom
Contents
Attraction History
Primeval Whirl opened on April 18, 2002 as part of the Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama expansion of DinoLand USA [1]. Although the attraction has remained essentially unchanged since it opened, following the accidental death of a cast member in 2007, pressure sensors that automatically stop the attraction were added to Primeval Whirl's track in 2008 [1].
Ride Description
Backstory [2]
According to the backstory of Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama, Chester and Hester initially owned a small gas station near the main highway. Their lives changed however, when in 1947 amateur fossil-hunters found dinosaur bones in the area. Shortly after the find, scientists and grad students flooded the area and the Dino Institute was founded. In order to capitalize on the archaeological find, as others around them had, Chester and Hester began to sell souvenirs at their gas station. After realizing that they were making more money selling merchandise then gasoline, the couple decided to turn the gas station into a shop called "Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures".
Due to the fact that the biggest draw in the area was the time machine over at the Dino Institute, Chester and Hester decided they wanted to get in on the action. In order to do so, they created their own time machine named "Primeval Whirl". Unlike the scientific time machine located in the Dino Institute, Chester and Hester made their machine with car parts, hub caps, and even whisks from a blender.
Fun Facts and Trivia
- Despite the fact that Disney Imagineers were charged with the theming of Primeval Whirl, the attraction itself was an "off-the-shelf" product manufactured by theme park ride manufacturer Reverchon [1].
- The hitchhiking dinosaurs found at the top of Primeval Whirl are a clear references to the Hitchhiking Ghosts found in the Haunted Mansion [2].
