PHOTOS, VIDEO: Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama Now Permanently Closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Katie Francis

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People stroll under an entrance archway at Disney's Animal Kingdom, with dinosaur sculptures beside a banner reading "Chester & Hester Say... See Y'all Real Soon!" in the evening, marking a nostalgic farewell to Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama as it is now permanently closed.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama Now Permanently Closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

As the first phase of extinction for DinoLand, U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the area known as Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama has permanently closed as of 7:00 p.m. on January 12, 2025.

Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama Permanently Closed

Map illustration of Disney's Animal Kingdom, featuring Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama. Icons indicate rides, dining, and shopping locations, all nestled amid lush greenery.

The highlighted section of DinoLand, U.S.A. contains all the closed attractions, including:

  • TriceraTop Spin
  • Fossil Fun Games
  • Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures

The main attraction at Dino-Rama, Primeval Whirl, permanently closed and was demolished in 2021.

People stand near the entrance of "Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama!" at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The archway, which now marks a cherished memory since its closure, features two large dinosaur statues.

Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama was designed to look like a roadside attraction with carnival-style attractions, games, and more. It resembled a parking lot as if the entrepreneurial pair set up shop to attract unsuspecting tourists. The backstory is that Chester and Hester first started as a gas station in the 1940s. After the town became a haven for paleontological discoveries, they capitalized on the influx of travelers and opened Dino-Rama. The gas station turned into a gift shop.

TriceraTop Spin

Visitors wait in line at the entrance of Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama's TriceraTop Spin ride, with festive lighting and trees in the background at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

TriceraTop Spin was a classic carnival-style flat spinning ride similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant or the Magic Carpets of Aladdin at Magic Kingdom. Guests could sit four to a Triceratops and cruise the skies of Dino-Rama.

Watch the final ride of TriceraTop Spin below.

Fossil Fun Games

The last Fossil Fun game was played shortly after 6:00 p.m. The games used to have themed prizes, but they were phased out as stock dwindled approaching the closing. A last wave of the toys was released in October and began to run out in early December.

The Fossil Fun Games included Whac A Packycephalosaur, Bronto-Score, Fossil Fuelers, Mammoth Marathon, and Comet Crasher.

Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures

A person holds a Disney pin featuring various animated characters in front of an amusement park building, capturing the nostalgia of Disney's Animal Kingdom even as Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama is temporarily closed for updates.

We made the final purchase at Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures — the area’s gift shop — and decided to illustrate the passing of the torch to Encanto, which will be part of the new Tropical Americas replacement for DinoLand.

DINOSAUR, The Boneyard, Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Bite Snacks, and Trilo-Bites will all stay open for now. DINOSAUR will remain open for all of 2025.

People stroll under an entrance archway at Disney's Animal Kingdom, with dinosaur sculptures beside a banner reading "Chester & Hester Say... See Y'all Real Soon!" in the evening, marking a nostalgic farewell to Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama as it is now permanently closed.

Stay tuned for a detailed look back at the puns, kitsch, and many dinosaurs that called Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama home.

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