Just when you think that a creature has gone extinct, it makes a triumphant return. For some reason, the old Chester & Hester Dino-Rama plush prizes have returned to DinoLand USA just over two months before the area will close permanently. While visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom today, we noticed that some of the legacy versions of the plush prizes were available for guests to win. Here’s a look!
Old Fossil Fun Games Plush Prizes Return to DinoLand USA
Currently only available in small sizes, the old plush prizes can be found at all of the game locations. Most of the locations even have their own specialty plush styles based on the game theme. Here’s a look around!
Fossil Fueler & Whac-A-Packycephalosaur
Comet Crasher
Mammoth Marathon
Bronto Score
Here’s a look at the current offering of (updated) plush prizes. The current lineup of prizes was updated back in September 2020.
Right now, the current missing (updated) plushes are:
- TriceraTop Spin Ride Vehicle
- Donald’s Dino-Bash Dinosaur
- Mickey Mouse
Here’s a look back at the (currently) missing (updated) prizes.
Phased Closure of DinoLand USA Begins in January 2025
As you may have heard, sections of DinoLand USA will begin closing in January 2025. The final day to enjoy DinoLand USA to its fullest will be January 12, 2025 because starting the next day, construction walls go up and the following offerings will be closed permanently:
- TriceraTop Spin
- Fossil Fun Games
- Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures Gift Shop
The phased closure is to allow for a phased construction schedule that aims to keep the DINOSAUR attraction open as long as possible. Currently, the following areas are scheduled to remain open with no definite closing date:
- DINOSAUR
- The Boneyard
- Restaurantosaurus
- Dino-Bite Snacks
- Trilo-Bites
Wondering what all of the closures and construction are for? Walt Disney World has announced that DinoLand USA is going extinct and that it will be replaced by a Tropical Americas-themed land. In the new Tropical Americas land, guests will find an all-new attraction themed to Encanto, a brand new carousel featuring wood carvings of popular Disney characters, and the DINOSAUR attraction will be rethemed to Indiana Jones.
All of this work will be completed in 2027, and while some of the closures of current attractions and offerings aren’t scheduled to close until early 2025, Disney says that work will begin this Fall on the reimagining. We aren’t convinced that the Fall timeline is still on the table, and while there has been some recent construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we’re not willing to call it shovels in the ground for Tropical Americas. For more on that argument, check out our article below.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
