The Fabulous Disney Babe
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A huge earthquake and rumbling rocks warn the passengers that danger is nearby - and it's some sort of natural disaster! Entering another cave, they see the ash and glow of an erupting volcano. The water around the boat begins to bubble and steam, then it enters a warm, tropical setting. A curious brontosaurus peers over at the passengers, and the guide warns them to be quiet, as they are headed right past a family of brontosaurus. Just past the familiar foliage-chewing monsters are the hatching triceratops eggs from Primeval World, and the boat exits the scene right between the fighting tyrannosaurus and stegosaurus. The boat exits the cave and moves onto a lift, where it is hooked up and elevated (yes, vertically) back to the house, passing dinosaur skeletons imbedded in the rocks on the way up.
By October, a lot had changed. The boats were the same, the ride a bit different. The boat travels through the same rocky area, but instead of going down a waterfall, they find a time-travel portal arch (kind of like the one in Pokemon Snap, for any of you parents). The boat vibrates in the arch, and flashing colorful lights signal your trip through time, much like in the Dinosaur ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida. First, guests travel through the age of mammals - there is thunder and lightning, and a volcano eruption has caused a huge prairie fire. A voice on the loudspeaker (remember, the guide is gone) tells them that they should get out of there, and they head toward the next gate.
The lights and vibrations signal the next time change, and guests are now cruising through the age of the dinosaurs. A tyrannosaurus snaps at them, while another battles a giant snake over a fiery pit. After another time arch, we find the brontosaurus family. Apparently, Primeval World has been spared in this version, as there is no mention of giant butterflies, hatching triceratops, or battling Fantasia dinosaurs. One brontosaurus breaks away and starts following the boat, so it speeds up and heads toward the gate, where a scary monster is waiting to jump out at guests.
Suddenly, Something Goes Terribly Wrong!
What, you didn't think that was going to come up? The time transporter device has gone all wacky and even the announcer voice isn't sure where the boat is headed as it motors out of the time arch. The narrator wonders if they've gone so far back in time that they are now in the future. Ruins lie ahead, of some mysterious futuristic civilization long gone.
Suddenly, Something Goes Terribly Right!
However, their super atom blaster is still operational! Laser beam-type shots ricochet everywhere, and a blast hits the boat, causing it to launch back into the present time, where it safely approaches the dock at the end of the ride. Fab
-- Fab
Discuss It
-- Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith can be reached using the Talkback form below or by emailing her at [email protected].
The Fabulous Disney Babe's column is posted every Friday and when ever else she has something to say. For more on Michelle's background, see her first column. She also offers The Fabulous Tour: Disneyland Secrets and Stories. Click here for more information.
The opinions expressed by our Michelle Smith, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted October 19, 2001