Disney Is Done With Bill Nye, Plans To Cut Remaining Theme Park Ties

Disney is apparently done with Bill Nye.

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At Disney’s Destination D23 event in September, Disney once again confirmed that while the official plans may still be up in the air, DinoLand U.S.A. will most likely be going extinct in the near future. This land has been criticized for decades, with many claiming it doesn’t fit or belong in Disney’s Animal Kingdom at all. Others, including some here at Inside the Magic, absolutely love it, viewing it as a fun and colorful land to explore if you want to avoid the crowds present at Pandora – The World of Avatar or Expedition Everest.

The biggest loss of these proposed plans would be the actual DINOSAUR attraction at the back of DinoLand. This ride has a long and rich history at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and was actually an opening day attraction.

DINOSAUR originally opened as Countdown to Extinction in 1998, along with the rest of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s scary, dark, and incredibly loud, offering an experience that can only be described as terrifying. This is a word that does not apply to the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort, with most of the thrill coming from the rides themselves. However, DINOSAUR is different, going out of its way to convince guests that they will indeed be eaten by frightening dinosaurs.

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The closure of DINOSAUR at Animal Kingdom would also mark the end of Bill Nye at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Bill Nye is someone who most likely needs no introduction, especially if you grew up in the late 90s and early 2000’s. One part mechanical engineer, one part scientist, and all parts endearing, Bill Nye rose to prominence thanks to his show Bill Nye The Science Guy, a popular education show geared toward kids that ran from 1994 through 1999. Bill Nye tackled tons of topics, ranging from historical science experiments to lessons on how the “modern” world worked.

Bill Nye can be found within this attraction, though not in the way you might expect. Because of the scientific nature of this attraction and the Walt Disney World Resort in general, it made a lot of sense to have someone like Bill Nye conduct a presentation on the age of the dinosaurs.

As soon as guests step into the Dino Institute, they are greeted by the voice of Bill Nye, who explains the different periods of time that dinosaurs roamed the earth, all leading up to the asteroid impact that resulted in the extinction of all dinosaurs as we know them.

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It may surprise you to learn that DINOSAUR is not the only attraction that Bill Nye starred in, with the acclaimed scientist and entertainer also having a part in Ellen’s Energy Adventure, a now-defunct attraction at EPCOT. This incredibly long and slow-moving attraction taught guests about energy and the consumption of energy, highlighting issues regarding global warming. This was, of course, replaced by the much more exciting Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which became the first-ever roller coaster to open at EPCOT back in 2022.

With the closure of DINOSAUR and DinoLand U.S.A. on the horizon, the time of hearing or seeing Bill Nye at the Walt Disney World Resort is also coming to a close. The current plan for the DinoLand section of Animal Kingdom would involve retheming it into a South American area. Concept art showed an Encanto (2021) inspired attraction where Primevil Whirl used to reside. As for the actual DINOSAUR ride, Disney teased an Indiana Jones makeover.

This would make sense, considering DINOSAUR was a direct copy of the Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland, featuring the exact same track layout and ride vehicle.

Will you miss DinoLand and DINOSAUR if they close? What do you hope to see replace them?