Magic Monday: Primeval Whirl

Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safaris seem to get all the buzz when talking about Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Did you know that nestled in the corner of Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama in Dinoland USA is a rollicking good ride called Primeval Whirl? When you take an initial look at Primeval Whirl it looks a lot like a traditional wild-mouse style roller coaster with hairpin turns, short but steep drops, and a back and forth configuration. The difference is the ride vehicle. The Primeval Whirl vehicle seats 4 people in a semi-circle. The vehicle spins as the ride moves across the tracks. Since it is a free-form spin, it is never quite the same – some rides you are twirling every which way and other times it is not quite as intense.

The theme of the ride is that your vehicle is a time machine taking you back to the time of the dinosaurs. But unlike Dinosaur, these wooden dino cutouts are cartoonish and fun-loving. That’s not to say that this is an easy-going ride. It has a 48” heigh requirement and while it doesn’t look like it will give you much of a thrill – the twisting vehicle, hairpin turns and drops add up to a pretty wild ride!

While Primeval Whirl does offer FastPasses, they are not always available (the FastPass kiosks for Primeval Whirl only operate seasonally, depending on crowd levels in the park). The ride loads slowly but continuously so the line does move at a reasonable pace. Even mid-afternoon in July we only waited about 15 minutes.

My final word of caution – as you approach the station to unload, put your head back against the head rest, the vehicle can jerk to a stop and throw your head around if you have not put it back against the head rest.

So next time you find yourself in Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama take a spin on Primeval Whirl for a great combination of thrills and laughs!