Primeval Whirl

Primeval Whirl is a mad mouse-type roller coaster, and is actually two roller coasters with separate tracks that mirror each other. The unique element of this roller coaster is that the cars spin freely as they move along the track. The story of the ride is that your time travel vehicle is in the past at the moment when a giant asteroid is about to hit Earth. Scientist are trying to get you back to the present before the asteroid hits, leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Theming is mild, mostly consisting of two-dimensional cutouts.

Walt Disney World > Disney's Animal Kingdom > DinoLand, U.S.A.

General Information

Location: To the back left of DinoLand.

Date Opened: 4/18/2002

# of Ride Units: 13 vehicles

Ride Capacity: 4 passengers per vehicle

Restraint Method: Lapbar

Ticket Rating: C Ticket

Ride Photo: No

Time Commitment

Open/Close: Opens and closes with the park. This attraction is open during evening Extra Magic Hours but not the morning version.

Wait Times: The line is relatively slow moving, but generally rarely longer than 30 minutes and frequently shorter. FastPass is available.

Length of Ride: 2 minutes

FastPass: Yes

Single Rider: No

Queue Description: No real theming, line winds through exposed structure of ride.

Access Information

Health Restriction: Riders should be in good health, free of heart, neck, or back problems. The motion can be abrupt, so pregnant women and those prone to motion sickness should consider not riding.

Ride Access: The queue is wheelchair and ECV accessible.

Wheelchair Transfer: It is necessary to transfer from wheelchairs and ECVs into the ride vehicles.

Service Animals: No

Audio: None

Weight and Size Issues: Passengers are seated up to four wide (two per lapbar). Sitting alone in a section should relieve any crowding issues.

Parenting Information

Height Restriction: 48" (122 cm.)

Child Swap: No

Other Issues: While Primeval Whirl is a mild roller coaster, the track does not bank into curves resulting in a "jerky" ride with lots getting tossed side to side. Smaller kids next to a larger companion will have more room under the lapbar and may slide around more.

History and Trivia

At this location: This area of the park remained unused for the first several years after the park opened in 1998. But when DinoLand expanded in 2001-2002, this ride was the last of the new additions to open
The Attraction's History: The ride remains essentially unchanged since opening in 2002. On November 24, 2007, attraction cast member Karen Price unintentionally stepped into an area off-limits during ride operation and was struck by a ride vehicle. She fell, hitting her head and cuasing what at first appeared to be a minor injury. Her condition worsened over the next several days, however, and on November 29 she pass away from her injuries. As a result, in early 2008 new indicators were added to the operating areas of the attraction to more clearly designate unsafe areas and pressure sensors to automatically stop the ride if anybody is in one of those areas.
Other Trivia:
- Off the shelf: Though the theming for the ride was designed by Disney Imagineers the track design and layout is an off-the-shelf product from amusement park ride manufacturer Reverchon.