SATURDAY SIX – In Memoriam 2025 Part 1 (Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, Rip Ride Rockit)

This week’s SATURDAY SIX is our annual look back at things we lost in the theme park world over the past 12 months. Now we knew this year was going to be tough when we wrote last year’s In Memoriam because so many beloved attractions at the time were stuck in Theme Park Purgatory. However, we didn’t know exactly how much would be lost and it ended up being too much to fit into one single article, something that hasn’t happened since 2017 when we said goodbye to many iconic attractions at Disney and Universal including The Great Movie Ride, Terminator 3-D, Wishes, the Universe of Energy, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure and DisneyQuest.

So this week’s In Memoriam is going to be PART ONE and we will be back next week with PART TWO (which will include a tribute to PizzeRizzo by none other than the Permit Princess herself, Alicia Stella.)  Let’s start off part one with a look at an area inside a Disney park which needed a 45 minute history lesson by Imagineer Joe Rohde to explain why it was supposed to look cheap…

# 6 – Fossil Fun Games

I’ve always said there are two things that never go out of style: dragons and dinosaurs. Kids have always loved them, kids love them now, and kids will continue to be fascinated by them for generations to come.

This year Walt Disney World decided to get rid of all its dinosaurs and the cuts started in January with the loss of Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama in Animal Kingdom. The backstory of this area was based around a tacky roadside attraction being built around the nearby Dino Institute to become a tourist trap. In the theme park world, it costs a lot of money to look “cheap,” and Disney went the extra mile when designing the area.

One of the attractions in Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama was the Fossil Fun Games. These were “pay to play” skill games that are a controversial subject in the theme park world.

There were several types of Fossil Fun Games in Dino-Rama, all featuring the types of skill games we see in state fairs, carnivals, and parks like Six Flags.

The goal of many skill games is to get a whole bunch of guests to play the game at the same time, with only one of them actually winning a prize.

I have made the case in our Theme Park Hills To Die On series that skill games have a place in theme parks. However, they must have two qualities to justify their existence:

1) They have to be completely themed to the area. Both the skill games in Springfield USA at Universal Studios Florida and Pixar Pier at DCA fall into this category. The skill games at Islands of Adventure do not.

2) The prizes offered must be unique and – even better – themed to the land they exist in.

For many years the Fossil Fun Games in Dino-Rama did achieve one of those requirements, with all the games being clever dinosaur-themed takes on the classics we’ve seen everywhere else.

However, where they fell short was in the prizes they offered.

Even the dinosaur related prizes were completely generic stuff you could win at games on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Prizes worthy of being featured in one of the greatest theme parks in the world? NAY NAY.

That all changed in 2020. Coming off the Covid-19 shutdown in which the entire resort was closed for months, when the Fossil Fun Games reopened they came with entirely new prizes, all themed to attractions in the area!

This included Mickey and Minnie plush, both wearing Dino Institute shirts (home of the nearby Dinosaur attraction.)

There was a plush featuring the iconic Cementosaurus dinosaur, complete with Dino-Rama logo!

A cute Triceratops plush that references the ride vehicles in TriceraTops Spin.

We even got a cute plush featuring Aladar from the Disney film Dinosaur (who can also be seen outside the Dinosaur attraction.)

Not only were these some of the best prizes in Disney Skill Game history, they are at the tippy top of all merchandise you could get in Dinoland USA. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Kids are attracted to skill games like flies to a bug zapper, and another kid friendly play area nearby was also removed when we lost The Boneyard in September.

With an open-air “dig site” as its centerpiece, The Boneyard was an elaborately themed playground that appealed to kids age 10 and younger but was visually appealing to all ages. Decorated with dinosaur skeletons, the “dig site” was a sandpit where kids could scrounge for bones and fossils. There was also a ropes course, as well as slides, swings, climbing areas, and caves to play in.

# 5 – TriceraTop Spin

TriceraTop Spin was just another Dumbo-like ride where guests spin around a central hub until a dinosaur pops out of the top of the hub. You’d think with the collective imagination of the Walt Disney Company, they could have come up with something just a little more creative.

THAT SAID, there’s a reason Dumbo-like rides are popular, especially when you’re in a theme park with younger kiddos who just may not have the height for attractions such as Expedition Everest or Flight of Passage (and its not like Animal Kingdom is loaded with other rides.)

Being able to control your own Triceratop ride vehicle was a fun element that our kiddos loved.

On theme park social media, TriceraTop Spin became associated with blogger Josh easyWDW and helped popularize his phrase “what a life.”

Circling around Dino-Rama while on TriceraTop Spin gave you a fun look at the entire area. While we can (and certainly will) debate the merits of designing something to look “cheap,” there’s something to be said about the charm and fun details that were throughout the area.

# 4 – Mama Melrose

What can you say about Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano at Disney Hollywood Studios? Unfortunately, not too many good things, but it also wasn’t awful. At best it was just “fine” and Mama Melrose just didn’t offer the memorable experience you could get at other DHS table service restaurants including Sci-Fi Dine-In or ’50s Prime Time Café.

For me personally, one of Mama Melrose’s biggest faults is that it was located directly next to the Muppet Courtyard but had absolutely nothing to do with The Muppets. In fact, Rumors and Innuendo suggest that originally this venue was going to be the home of The Great Gonzo’s Pandemonium Pizza Parlor and be filled with Muppet references and possibly even some audio-animatronics. Instead we got a below average Italian restaurant in an area of Walt Disney World that is loaded with great Italian restaurants (including Il Mulino, Via Napoli, and Topolinos.)

The restaurant’s décor is a poor man’s version of the insanity you’ll find at the Planet Hollywood Observatory. Multiple themes mixing together in a “meh” manner.

Mama Melrose was a mixed bag of styles to say the least.

The food at Mama Melrose was perfectly acceptable. Far better than what you’d find at Tony’s Town Square, but again nowhere near the experience you would get at similar Italian places just a stone’s throw away.

What I will always identify with Mama Melrose was the bonkers version of the Mona Lisa that was seen outside the restaurant. The restaurant was billed as “Italy meets California in the heart of the Backlot.” I’m not sure the restaurant actually fulfilled that promise, but there you go. Mama Melrose closed as part of the Monsters Inc transformation.

# 3 – Schmoofy

Back in September we did an entire article dedicated to the life of Bret Taggart (AKA Schmoofy.) In this year’s Theme Park Turkey of the Year Awards we recounted the time Schmoofy performed an ingenious long con to try and slip his “boneless waffle” gag into Turkey Lore. Even with everything said, I’m not sure I have got across to everyone who reads my articles how big of a role Schmoofy played in them over the years.

Schmoofy and I had a shared fondness for the “worst” of Walt Disney World and theme parks in general. Any time there was signage issues, or a crazy piece of merchandise, he was quick to let me know about it.

In our David and Derek series of articles looking at the Do’s and Don’ts of the theme park world, the character of Derek is always wearing the dumbest theme park related shirts we can find. Schmoofy is the person who alerted me to almost all the shirts you would see over the years.

For me, the word “shenanigans” is something that defines the essence of Schmoofy. Someone that enjoyed having fun and – more importantly – sharing that fun with others. Schmoofy put himself out there in a way very few people do, and in turn created fond memories and moments that will outlast us all. Every year when Mardi Gras season comes around, I – and many others – will be saying “Laissez les bons temps rouler” and thinking of him.

I’m not sure I can think of a higher honor for Schmoofy than having a drink named after him at Home State Brewing.

# 2 – Drew Struzan

While many reading this may not know his name, I promise every single one of you have seen artist Drew Struzan’s work. An icon of movie poster design, Struzan was the artist behind many of the most well known movie posters in modern history including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, The Goonies, and Muppet’s Christmas Carol just to name a few.

Struzan’s work has been used inside the theme parks at both Disney and Universal along with many theme park ads over the years. The picture below was originally created for a charity, but Universal loved it so much they began to use it for marketing the theme park.

Struzan’s E.T. is synonymous with “old school” Universal Studios Florida.

 

Love Struzan’s drawings of the Universal Classic Monsters.

Can you imagine the Disney of today hiring one of the world’s best artists to do spot work for an attraction like Ellen’s Energy Adventure? “Inconceivable!” – Vizzini, The Princess Bride

Out in California, Struzan was contracted to do artwork for the Indiana Jones Adventure ride. This was a no-brainer because Struzan’s work was so closely associated with Indy, as he did the iconic movie posters for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade. Let’s check out Struzan’s first pass at the attraction poster. As you can see it has Indy’s face in shadow because Disney didn’t get the rights to Harrison Ford’s likeness, which is why he isn’t seen in the attraction.

In the book Poster Art of The Disney Parks, Struzan tells the story of what happened next…

This ultimately led us to the attraction poster we finally got, featuring the Indiana Jones that everyone knows and loves.

For Disney’s television animation department, Drew Struzan provided the poster artwork for it’s first ever theatrical release: Ducktales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.

Readers of a certain age will certainly remember Struzan’s art for the Beauty & the Beast soundtrack CD.

Disney Legend Floyd Norman had this portrait done by Struzan as a surprise for Norman’s 80th birthday.

 

Not too many people in this world have left their indelible mark in multiple areas of entertainment, but Struzan is one of them.

# 1 – Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

To many theme park fans, Rip Ride Rockit could single handedly describe what they consider to be the difference between Disney and Universal. Rockit was an unthemed, exposed track coaster that you saw immediately entering Universal Studios Florida.

While I can’t deny any of that, Rip Ride Rockit also defined what I love about going to theme parks…it was fun… it was exhilarating …and it offered things I couldn’t get on any other coaster.

Being able to listen to music while on a coaster can really amp up the experience, and is one of the reasons I enjoy riding Rock ‘n Roller Coaster and the Hulk Coaster. However, Rockit took it to the next level and allowed  you to choose your own music. A total game changer.

 

The 90 degree lift hill to start off Rip Ride Rockit is one of my all time favorite parts of ANY theme park attraction.

I’ve been on coasters across the country and literally none of them had anything like this lift to start the ride. I love the VelociCoaster as much as anyone, but I could describe it to friends as “a much better version of Busch Garden’s Cheetah Hunt.” The iconic Space Mountain is “similar to a wild mouse coaster except you’re inside and in the dark.” There’s nothing to compare Rip Ride Rockit to because it contained so many elements that no other coaster has, including the amazing vertical lift hill.

In theme park lingo, the word “weenie” refers to a visual element that draws guests towards an attraction or area. Examples include the Tree of Life, Tower of Terror Hotel, or Hogwarts Castle. Rip Ride Rockit’s vertical lift was a weenie that drew the eyes of guests from around the Universal Orlando Resort.

Guests were then launched straight into Double Take, a loop inversion in which you begin on the inside of the loop, twist to the outside at the top (so you’re upright), and then twist back inside the loop for the descent. This non-inverting loop was another roller coaster first.

The next section of Rockit is next level, because riders were hurled into a stretch of track shaped like a musical treble clef, tying into the overall theme of the ride. As on Double Take, the track configuration on the Treble Clef was an industry first.

The next part of Rockit was a personal favorite. The ride started out in the Production Central area of Universal Studios Florida; but then weaved into the New York area of the park near Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon, popping out over the heads of guests in the square below.

This was a coaster that went through multiple lands in one park. When it comes to Universal, Rip Ride Rockit walked so that the Hogwarts Express could run.

Rockit then went in the complete opposite direction and all the way back to the edge of Universal Citywalk with its Plot Twist curving track. Rumors and Innuendo suggest that one of the early plans of Rockit was it being a dedicated attraction for Citywalk itself, with guests paying to ride the attraction like they do for the train ride or carousel at Disney Springs.

I understand all the criticisms that Rockit received, but for me it will always be one of my favorite Universal coasters because of all the things it did that no other coaster in the world did.

Honorable Mention – Abbey

There’s a saying along the lines of “all dogs go to Heaven” and that is certainly true because they are so much better than us. No matter what kind of day we’re having, dogs are always there to console us, to cheer us up, and give us the type of unconditional love that we spend our entire lives trying to get from fellow humans. Abbey, a member of the TouringPlans family, passed away earlier this month.

The phrase, “lap dog” was invented for a dog like Abbey. If anyone was sitting down in the same room as her, that lap is where she wanted to be. Her favorite lap in the world was, of course, her beloved human mom, Jen. Abbey demanded a lot of love, and in return she was the most loyal and loving dog one could ever dream of. It was impressive how even in a house full of people, Abbey was always the center of attention. Everyone who met Abbey instantly fell in love with her, and she gladly accepted all pets, rubs and kisses that people could give. Watching TV at night, afternoon naps, and waking up in the morning will never be the same without her warmth, cuddles and kisses. – Guy Selga

We’ll be back next week with PART TWO of this year’s In Memoriam looking at the Rivers of America, Muppet*Vision 3D, Imagineer Eddie Sotto and more.

Theme Park In Memoriam Plot

• • • 2024 (Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade, FastPass+)
    • 2023 (Harmonious, Splash Mountain, Starcruiser)
    • 2022 (KiteTails, Shrek 4D, Josh easyWDW)
    • 2021 (NBA Experience, SotMK, Must Do Disney)
    • 2020 (Rivers of Light, Primeval Whirl, The Void)
    • 2019 (Burudika, Mizner’s Lounge, IllumiNations)
    • 2018 (Emeril’s at CityWalk, Eighth Voyage of Sindbad, Richard Gerth)
    • 2017 (Part 1 Great Movie Ride, Wishes)
    • 2017 (Part 2 Dragon Challenge, Great Movie Ride, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure)
    • 2016 (Osborne Lights, Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue, Lights, Motors, Action!)
    • 2015 (Twister…Ride It Out! Mulch, Sweat, and Shears, Disaster!)
    • 2014 (Camp Minnie-Mickey, The Giggle Gang, Push the Trashcan