Disney World souvenirs come and go, while a few go extinct forever.
Some items, like antenna covers, can no longer be found in the parks since, nowadays, cars don’t have standing antennas like they used to. So, while you’ll likely find Mickey and Minnie ears at shops for a long time to come, a few items will leave the parks, never to return again. Sadly, that’s what is happening over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom as an iconic souvenir has begun disappearing into extinction.
As you likely know, DinoLand, U.S.A., will be getting replaced by the new Tropical Americas land. The new land, called Pueblo Esperanza, will feature new rides themed to Encanto and Indiana Jones, and a new carousel will have iconic animals from classic Disney movies. However, the arrival of the new land means that the iconic Dinosaur roadside amusement park-themed area has to go.
DinoLand will be closed in phases for construction on Pueblo Esperanza to begin. The first round of closures will include TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures. These attractions will permanently close on January 13th, 2025. As these iconic rides go away, so do other iconic items, such as souvenirs.
Fossil Fun Games includes a variety of carnival-style games where you can win prizes. Since these games are scheduled to close soon, Disney has apparently stopped ordering the iconic toy souvenirs that you can win. Instead, the games are being filled with other random souvenirs from around the park to fill in the gaps as the dinosaur plushes dwindle.
Historically, dinosaur plushes were given out as prizes at these carnival games. These were the only locations where you could find the toys in the park and resort, so they were very exclusive and fun to win!
But we’ve been seeing a steady decline in the number of dinosaur plushes available to win. For the past few months, Disney has likely not been ordering more of these toys, and instead, you’ll find toys that they likely weren’t able to sell out of being added to these games. Recently, we spotted several Pride month, Halloween, and other plushes added to the prize picks with just a few dinosaurs spread throughout! It was a very random spread of prizes that you kinda have to see to believe.
These already exclusive souvenirs are becoming even MORE exclusive, and you only have a short amount of time left to get one before they go extinct! If Disney isn’t refilling them at these games, it’s unlikely they’ll become available anywhere else within the park or resort after Fossil Fun Games close.
Some day, these dinosaur prizes will be all but a memory and special collectible to own. Those who have them will have memories of DinoLand, U.S.A., and the part of Animal Kingdom that will no longer exist. If you want to have a special piece of DinoLand with you forever, we suggest running to play these carnival games now while you still can. Remember, January 12th will be the last day they are available to play!
While it can be sad to see an original part of a park close, it is also exciting to see what’s to come. Pueblo Esperanza will be themed to the most biodiverse areas of the world, so we’ll likely see lots of new and unique animals showcased in the new land. And with a new land comes new souvenirs! Who knows what Disney has in store for us in Pueblo Esperanza?
While we wait to see what’s to come, keep following AllEars for more news!
3 Fascinating DinoLand Facts You Should Know Before Disney World Demolishes It
Do you have any of these exclusive dinosaur prizes? Let us know in the comments!
On my grandsons first trip to Disney, he was a lucky winner of a blue dinosaur and he still has it at 24. We really loved that area, sad it is being replaced.