Credit: Amber Hansford, FlickrDINOSAUR and the rest of DinoLand U.S.A. may have closed permanently at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, but one prehistoric friend at Disney’s Hollywood Studios just got a much-needed makeover. Let’s take a look!
Disney World Repairs Gertie the Dinosaur
Over the weekend, news broke that the iconic Gertie the dinosaur statue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was showing signs of severe damage. The prehistoric statue sits in Echo Lake and is home to Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream, a Quick-Service snack stand. Gertie has become such an icon that Walt Disney World Resort designed an exclusive green dinosaur Christmas cookie for the Disney Jollywood Nights after-hours event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
On Facebook, WDWNT shared a photo of the damage to the snow-capped dinosaur, including a deep crack in her tail near the Echo Lake waterline. Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream continued serving guests, unaffected by the issues with the exterior structure.
Fortunately, Walt Disney World Resort noticed Gertie’s injury and mobilized quickly to repair the iconic Echo Lake dinosaur. On February 16, WDWNT reported that maintenance cast members had repaired the crack in the structure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The crack has been patched, but Disney Park guests report a visible color difference in the newly repaired area of Gertie’s tail. It’s unclear whether Walt Disney World Resort plans to correct the color difference or wait for the Florida sun to fade the new paint, making it blend better with nearby areas.
It’s impossible to say how long the green brontosaurus had been damaged, because the crack only became visible to Disney Park guests when horticulture crews removed dead and damaged vegetation around Echo Lake following recent freezing temperatures in Central Florida.
Have you noticed any other damage at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments!