I had previously done a series of posts highlighting the Dinosaurs of Animal Kingdom, which has a TON of dinosaur material. I had also done a Geology of Disney post looking at one aspect of California Adventure, the Cars Ride. Well now I return to Disneyland to look at some more of the dinosaurs there. This is from a trip I took back in December of 2017, during a spontaneous Christmastime trip. The first part we are going to look at is at Big Thunder Mountain.
The Dinosaur of Big Thunder Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain is one of the main roller coasters of Disneyland that has been replicated 3 other times in parks around the world (two of which also have the dinosaur). The theme of the ride is based on Monument Valley, a Navajo Tribal Park that straddles the border between Arizona and Utah. Here is the setup for the ride from Disney:
"Legend has it that after gold was discovered in the 1850s, eerie incidents took place in the mine. Trains would take off and race through tunnels… by themselves.
As you enter the cursed cavern, your train speeds up along the rickety track. Shoot under a booming waterfall and dodge a falling boulder from an unexpected landslide as you swoop around sharp turns and drop into desolate canyons.
On this rip-roaring adventure, you may learn that some legends turn out to be true..."
As you whip around the track, you eventually end up face-to-face with a dinosaur skeleton.