How do they make you feel, my fellow ZooChattians?
Last edited:
Dinosaur Walkthroughs
- Thread starter Leaf Productions
- Start date
I personally love them as it gets people interested in dinosaurs and paleontology and it brings in money to the zoo
Erm I never saw a parakeet walkthrough make people interested into paleontology.
If anything, I think they get people more interested into birds particular than anything else ...
Though I believe Leaf may actually be referring to walkthroughs of animatronic dinosaurs as opposed to living ones. In which case, I'm not totally sure they have much of an educational impact - they largely serve as an entertaining diversion for small children to look at, and possibly also regurgitate the same facts that have been seen quite a few times before. Perhaps distressingly, the educational potential is somewhat jeopardised as some of these can use dinosaur models based on outdated designs, or use facts which have been superceded as outdated. I imagine things such as museums or even Hollywood movies bring more interest to palaentology ...
I recall my 'home zoo' [Marwell] has had 3 dinosaur exhibitions come and go over the span of 8 years or so ['14 / '19 / '22] - 2 of which prominently featured LEGO bricks. I believe in these cases they largely served as an entertaining spectacle, pandering to Marwell's main family demographic, but I'm not sure if they really helped the Zoo longterm other than perhaps bringing them finances that can be used towards animals and new exhibits. From what I hear, '23 will be a good year for new animals / exhibits for Marwell. I don't recall seeing either display, though I did see the LEGO 'supersized' display in '20, which I found rather stagnant. I imagine these dinosaurs would've been the same ... I don't think they would've been greatly beneficial to getting more interest in palaentology. About as much as Peppa Pig World brings interest towards pig agriculture and cultivation ...
ifesbob
Well-Known Member
I don't mind them. I don't know how much educational value they have, or if they divert effort away from the currently living animals, but really I don't mind them. I think a paleontology focused exhibit could be interesting, but that's not what these are. Ultimately they're just additional things for the kids to enjoy, and The Kids is one of the major demographics zoos are concerned with. If nothing else, they probably bring money into the zoo, which can't ever really be a bad thing.
If a zoo has a complete collection (Bronx) is actively planning new exhibits (Philly to an extent) and has a dinosaur walkthrough on the side, I'm fine with that. I was peeved at how Philly used viable exhibit space (that could be used for something grand, something big, SOMETHING GREY WITH TUSKS ok i'll stop) for these attractions and would advertise them like they were the next best thing since sliced bread. At least, that's how dinosaur walkthroughs at Philly come across to me. That said, the best analogy I can think of is living through a Lion King remake so Jon Favreau gets the creative freedom to do more Mandalorian episodes. Philly's raising enough capital to not only maintain/update existing infrastructure, but also do right by their larger animals and finally expand upon the Zoo360 experiment.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
I don’t take much notice of them really though I always hope they are not substituting for an animal exhibit. I’m not a fan but equally I wouldn’t say they are getting in the way or damaging anything in most places I’ve been to.
I guess adult dinosaur fans like them but I tend to think of them as another play area for the kids and I’ve never gone through one that is separate (say YWP or All things wild) though obviously there’s some places where dinosaurs are just lurking around the place (Linton, Ark).
If people enjoy them that’s good and if they draw people to the zoo and generate some funds, (Hamerton’s Dino train for example) or help with dwell time so kids will stay a bit longer to look at the animals that’s also fine for me.
The only one I have thought was a little odd was at Paradise where the noise / volume of dinosaur goings on between the roaring models and the train thing is pretty near the wolves who I tend to think value a bit of peace and quiet. Some of the dinosaurs there also have more space than some of the living stuff does.
Babyrusa?
Walrus?
I'm honestly confused if you're talking about animatronic dinosaur exhibits, or bird walkthroughs and trying to be intentionally confusing about it.
Corangurilla
Well-Known Member
If you replace the Mandalorian with Prehistoric Planet, you have the same analogy, but with the dinosaurs and modern animals swapped.
I can take 'em or leave 'em. Like @ifesbob said, they're mostly there for the kids to enjoy, and most zoos only have them temporarily, although the one at Philadelphia is a little frustrating considering how stagnant that zoo has become. They don't really interest me, yet I'm more than happy with "Ice Age Giant" attractions like the ones Brookfield and Singapore had, probably because post-dinosaur fauna is more "on-topic" for a zoo than dinosaurs (and also because I prefer them over dinosaurs, and because they never get the attention they deserve).
ifesbob
Well-Known Member
I'm almost 100% it's actual dinosaur animatronic walkthroughs
I don't recall saying anything about birds.
You said about dinosaurs ...
I don't appreciate the sarcasm. We're old enough to act like adults, talk about Dinosaur Walkthroughs at Zoo's, and not get into this kind of scuffle.You said about dinosaurs ...
I do like these points that people make, however. Keep it up. Happy to hear from all of you. I wonder how popular the dinosaur walk throughs are now with the iPad kids of modern day.
I've never heard of animatronic dinosaur exhibits* called "dinosaur walkthroughs" before. I associate the word "walkthrough" only with walk-through live animal exhibits, hence free-flight aviaries coming to mind. Your extremely vague first post did not help me figure out what you were actually talking about.
*I assume this is what you are referring to?
*I assume this is what you are referring to?
ifesbob
Well-Known Member
Birds are dinosaurs, or at least, are directly enough descended from them that is acceptable to call birds dinosaurs, so it is a reasonable thing to clarify that you are referring to animatronic dinosaur exhibits
I'm assuming Leaf Productions is using "walkthrough" because you "walk through" it. I can see the confusion, though, especially given jokes earlier in the thread.
I'm assuming Leaf Productions is using "walkthrough" because you "walk through" it. I can see the confusion, though, especially given jokes earlier in the thread.
One of the zoos near me (Roger Williams Park Zoo) is getting an animatronic dinosaur exhibit this summer. To be completely honest, I don't have much of an opinion about it. I hope that it's a good revenue source for the zoo, and I understand why zoos do these as the exhibits tend to be popular, especially with kids, however it's not something that excites me either. The one good thing about these exhibits though is most zoos I've seen do these exhibits have the dinosaurs in a rather secluded area, meaning they don't distract from the feel of the rest of the zoo. Another trend in recent years has been lantern displays, and I'm much less of a fan of the lantern displays as any zoo I've seen with lantern displays put them throughout the entire zoo, which can ruin a bit of the immersion and theming of existing complexes (unless they are placed strategically). While I can understand the revenue-drawing appeal of these lanterns and other nighttime events, I'm not a fan of it when these things interfere with the zoo's existing aesthetic and theming. However, most dinosaur exhibits are rather limited in scope to one section of the zoo, usually without any live animals, meaning it doesn't interfere with the regular guest experience in the same way.
I do think it would be cool, however, given the dinosaur's undying popularity in culture, to see a zoo design an exhibit featuring dinosaurs in a permanent way. Get some animatronic dinosaurs and/or statues of dinosaurs, but exhibit them amongst extant species with various educational displays about evolution, climate change, extinction, etc. For instance, incorporate in some exhibits for the only extant clade of dinosaurs, the birds, to show the similarities between the species, and incorporate in some exhibits for their next-closest relatives, the crocodilians and chelonians. Perhaps include other extant species that roamed the earth at the same time as the dinosaurs, and the exhibit could end with an area with some rodents/small mammals to talk about mammalian evolution and early mammals in the age of the dinosaurs. Actually incorporating this popularity of dinosaurs into an exhibit featuring extant species could be a very engaging and educational display if done correctly, and it certainly would be an exhibit that I'd like to see.
I do think it would be cool, however, given the dinosaur's undying popularity in culture, to see a zoo design an exhibit featuring dinosaurs in a permanent way. Get some animatronic dinosaurs and/or statues of dinosaurs, but exhibit them amongst extant species with various educational displays about evolution, climate change, extinction, etc. For instance, incorporate in some exhibits for the only extant clade of dinosaurs, the birds, to show the similarities between the species, and incorporate in some exhibits for their next-closest relatives, the crocodilians and chelonians. Perhaps include other extant species that roamed the earth at the same time as the dinosaurs, and the exhibit could end with an area with some rodents/small mammals to talk about mammalian evolution and early mammals in the age of the dinosaurs. Actually incorporating this popularity of dinosaurs into an exhibit featuring extant species could be a very engaging and educational display if done correctly, and it certainly would be an exhibit that I'd like to see.
When I was a little kid, The Franklin Park Zoo had an animatronic dinosaur exhibit, but back then, I was so scared of dinosaurs that I didn't want to experience it.
In the past 5 years or so, they had another dinosaur exhibit, which I did check out since my fear of dinosaurs has long since subsided
. One cool thing about the new exhibit was that it went through an old unused exhibit area that has been blocked off for decades. It was cool to have the opportunity to walk through this old part of the zoo for the first time.
In the past 5 years or so, they had another dinosaur exhibit, which I did check out since my fear of dinosaurs has long since subsided
. One cool thing about the new exhibit was that it went through an old unused exhibit area that has been blocked off for decades. It was cool to have the opportunity to walk through this old part of the zoo for the first time.
You bring up an excellent point that I feel like should be mentokend. It helps to repurpose old areas, give them a bit more life. Even as you said, have the chance to visit an old area that might spark some old memories that you’ve kept away so long. That’s the beauty of dinosaurs, kid.When I was a little kid, The Franklin Park Zoo had an animatronic dinosaur exhibit, but back then, I was so scared of dinosaurs that I didn't want to experience it.
In the past 5 years or so, they had another dinosaur exhibit, which I did check out since my fear of dinosaurs has long since subsided