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/* History */
DinoLand USA is a land in [[Disney's Animal Kingdom]]
==History==
DinoLand USA opened with the rest of Disney’s Animal Kingdom on April 22, 1998. On opening day the land featured the attractions: Countdown to Extinction, The Boneyard, the Dinosaur Jubilee of 1998, Journey Into Jungle Book (located in the Theater in the Wild), Cretaceous Trail (a short walking trail that is no longer listed as an attraction), and the Fossil Preparation Lab (where guests could see the fossil of Sue the Dinosaur) <ref> http://www.florida-project.com/images/guidemaps/dak/disneys-animal-kingdom-guidemap-1998-june-05.jpg <ref/>. When DinoLand USA opened it was sponsored by Mcdonalds <ref name= "dated"/>. As a result of this sponsorship various signs around the land featured references to the fast food giant. Furthermore, DinoLand's two original restaurnts: Petrifries and Restaurantosaurus both served Mcdonalds food <ref name= "dated"/>.
The first major change came to DinoLand USA in April 1999 when Journey Into Jungle Book was replaced by a new show, "Tarzan Rocks!" <ref> http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_jb.htm </ref>.
In preparation for the new millennium, the Dinosaur Jubilee was renamed the Dinosaur Jubilee of 2000. At this time, interactive exhibits featuring wholly mammoths and saber-tooth cats were added to the attraction. These new additions ended up being short-lived however, as by the end of 2000, the attraction closed to make way for DinoLand’s first major expansion- Chester and Hester’s DinoRama <ref> http://www.jamboeveryone.com/2013/03/extinct-dak-files-dinosaur-jubilee.html </ref>. In conjunction with the closing of Dinosaur Jubilee of 2000, the Fossil Preparation Lab also closed.
On May 1, 2001, Countdown to Extinction changed its name to Dinosaur! in an attempt to tie the attraction in with the Disney movie of the same name <ref> https://d23.com/a-to-z/countdown-to-extinction/ </ref>.
On November 18, 2001 a new area of DinoLand called Chester and Hester’s DinoRama opened to guests <ref name= "D23"> https://d23.com/a-to-z/chester-hesters/ </ref>. Opening with the new section were at the attractions: TriceraTop Spin and Midway games (later renamed Fossil Fun Games) <ref name= "D23"/>. These new attractions were subsequently joined by Primeval Whirl on April 18, 2002 <ref name= "D23"/>.
The next major change to come to DinoLand USA happened on January 21, 2006 when Tarzan Rock! closed <ref> http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_tr.htm </ref>. The stage show was replaced in January 2007 with a new show titled [[Finding Nemo- The Musical]] <ref> https://d23.com/a-to-z/finding-nemo-the-musical/ </ref>.
In 2008, Mcdonald’s sponsorship of DinoLand USA came to an end <ref name= "dated"> http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id247.htm </ref>. At this time, all references to the fast food company were removed. Furthermore, the quick service restaurant Petrifries was renamed Trilo-Bites <ref name= "dated"/>. Finally, following the dropping of McDonald’s sponsorship, Restaurantosaurus ceased hosting the Donald’s Breakfastosaurus character breakfast<ref name= "dated"/>.
==Backstory <ref> http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/08/chester_and_hesters_dinorama.html </ref>==
DinoLand USA is set in the fictional Diggs County. In the early 1940s, the county consisted of ranch and farmland. Here, an elderly couple named Chester and Hester owned a rundown gas station along the highway. In 1947 however, things changed in Diggs County. At this time amateur fossil hunters found dinosaur bones in the area and their discovery led scientists and graduate students to flood into Diggs. Initially, the new residents stayed at an old fishing lodge, however when time travel was invented in the 1970s, the Dino Institute was founded. The new modern building became the central location of dinosaur research and time travel.
