Orlando dinosaurs...

Since this year's NCTE/ALAN conference is being held in Orlando, I thought I'd post a bit about the area's dinosaur attractions :-). Photos are from a couple years ago.

Jurassic Park, Universal Studios (Orlando FL). You enter through the King-Kong gates just like in the movie (and to the movie soundtrack!). Inside, they've got Mesozoic plants and recreations of Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus looming over the Jurassic Park Ford Explorers. A "hands on" lab lets you get up close and personal with eggs, skeletons, and other reproductions. Oh, and the water ride is absolutely terrific.

Spinosaurus and me.

Dinoland USA, Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom (Orlando FL). They've got skeletons of Tyrannosaurus rex and Brachiosaurus, as well as reproductions of Ornithomimus, Corythosaurus, and Triceratops in a Mesozoic plant setting. (Their big ride is also supposed to be great, but we didn't get a chance to go on it).

Corythosaurus and me.

Also at Disney's Animal Kingdom is an attraction they call "Conservation Station," which involves a look at wildlife conservation efforts. And, they've got the life-sized cutout below of a rhinoceros, which I include for the sake of comparison :-).