A frustrating staple of Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is going away for good, and the demolition of the ride is just about complete. Disney announced back in 2019 that Primeval Whirl, located in the heart of DinoLand USA at Animal Kingdom, would be scaled back and turned into a season ride, but it was shut down entirely in 2020 with the onset of COVID-19. When Disney World reopened, Primeval Whirl remained close, and the park revealed plans to tear it down.
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Getting rid of Primeval Whirl has been a process for Disney over the last several months, but it looks as though the demolition is almost complete. New photos posted by Walt Disney World News Today shows that there is barely anything left at the Primeval Whirl location.
Primeval was a small roller coaster that utilized short drops and quick turns. As you can see in the photos from WDWNT, there are no tracks remaining at all. You can see the railing and stairs from the platform where guests got on the ride, as well as some of the signage, but that’s about it. Just about everything is now gone.
The ride opened in 2002 as one of the main attractions of DinoLand USA, a strange area of Animal Kingdom. While most of the park is designed to replicate parts of Asia and Africa (as well as the Avatar-themed Pandora), DinoLand USA is a carnival-like area designed around dinosaurs. You could consider Primeval Whirl an “important” part of the DinoLand USA lore, as the ride itself was supposed to send riders back in time to the era of the dinos.
Despite being in the park for nearly 20 years, Primeval Whirl was never that popular of a ride. It wasn’t even the most popular attraction in DinoLand USA. DINOSAUR, the indoor ride based of the Disney movie of the same name, is located just around the corner from Primeval Whirl. That ride has consistently delivered more traffic and longer wait times than Primeval over the years.
Primeval Whirl also had issues with safety during its time at Animal Kingdom. Two cast members died after sustaining injuries on the ride, which likely helped influence the decision to shut it down.
Disney World hasn’t yet announced what will be taking Primeval Whirl’s place after demolition is finished. If a new attraction is added there, don’t be surprised if it’s themed after one of Disney’s major franchises.
