Big Thunder Mountain

In addition to the dinosaur skeleton that the coaster trains pass under, another skeleton is being excavated in this cave.  Surprisingly, this cave does not cover the roller coaster track.  It covers the track of the Western River Railroad narrow gauge railroad.  This ride has 1,610 meters (5,283 feet) of track, a good deal of which passes by Big Thunder Mountain.  After the railroad trains pass the Triceratops skeleton, they enter a building containing プライバルワールド, or the Primeval World Diorama.  This small attraction contains several scenes of dinosaurs in recreations of what is thought to be their prehistoric habitats.  The dioramas are nearly identical to the original Primeval World Diorama located at Disneyland in California.

The display of recreated dinosaurs seems a little out of place at a Disney park, but there is a reason for its existence.  The dinosaurs were originally part of the Ford Magic Skyway attraction at the 1964 New York World's Fair.  The Ford automobile company agreed to sponsor the ride, but stipulated that Disney use Ford vehicles to pass through the attraction.  The ride marked a journey through time by displaying dinosaurs, cavemen, the creation of fire, the invention of the wheel, and finally a futuristic city.  After the Fair closed, Disney moved three of its rides so they could be permanent attractions at its theme parks: Carousel of Progress, It's a Small World, and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  The Magic Skyway was deemed too big to move completely, but its dinosaur displays were relocated to the California park and opened on the Disneyland Railroad in July 1966.

©2022 Joel A. Rogers.