NEW Dinosaur Boat Ride at the Columbus Zoo

[FOFirehawkFAN]

Hey everyone I have heard rumors that The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will be adding a new Dinosaur attraction to open May 2013. This attraction as I hear will be similar to Dinosaurs Alive at KI and CP but will be incorporated into a boat ride instead of a walk through attraction.

[Voicetek]

Here is a link to the announcement. It sounds like it's pretty much just like Dinosaurs Alive and will be a walk through. There is no mention of it being a boat ride, but it did mention that it's just a temporary attraction. It will be there from Memorial Day til Labor Day I think. So I don't see a temporary attraction getting it's own boat ride. It's a shame though, I've always thought a boat ride through an area with animatronic dinosaurs would be pretty cool!

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/02/14/dinos-at-zoo.html

[Creed Bratton]

The boat ride mentioned looks to be the one already in place. Sounds like they'll just place the Dino's along the course.

[Voicetek]

^ Ah ok! I was unaware that they already had a boat ride. That makes sense! That will definitely be pretty cool to ride.

[FOFirehawkFAN]

Thanks for finding that article and posting it

I did notice there is mention of a boat ride

"Although some of the dinosaurs will be visible to all zoo visitors, the exhibit, within the Australia and Islands portion of the zoo, will cost an additional $3 to enter.

Inside, visitors will be able to get close to the dinosaurs, dig in an archaeological pit, take a BOAT RIDE and visit a gift shop. Photos with dinosaurs also will be available."

I know there is currently a boat ride that just goes through the Australia exhibit, they are probably modifying that ride and raising the price on the ride from $1 to $3

[Voicetek]

Thanks for finding that article and posting it

I did notice there is mention of a boat ride

"Although some of the dinosaurs will be visible to all zoo visitors, the exhibit, within the Australia and Islands portion of the zoo, will cost an additional $3 to enter.

Inside, visitors will be able to get close to the dinosaurs, dig in an archaeological pit, take a BOAT RIDE and visit a gift shop. Photos with dinosaurs also will be available."

I know there is currently a boat ride that just goes through the Australia exhibit, they are probably modifying that ride and raising the price on the ride from $1 to $3

Wow how in the world did I miss the part about the boat ride? LOL! I guess that's what I get for trying to read an article while at work. Thanks for catching that part! This definitely sounds like it could be pretty fun, especially if they put the animatronic dinosaurs around the area of the boat ride.

[FOFirehawkFAN]

The ironic part is it's in the Australia area of the park which is actually known worldwide as one of the least likely places to find dinosaur bones.

[Hendrick]

Although some of the dinosaurs will be visible to all zoo visitors, the exhibit, within the Australia and Islands portion of the zoo, will cost an additional $3 to enter.

So, are they closing off Australia and the Islands and making it a $3.00 upcharge with Dinosaurs? That's what it sounds like to me... I sure hope I'm wrong.

[FOFirehawkFAN]

Although some of the dinosaurs will be visible to all zoo visitors, the exhibit, within the Australia and Islands portion of the zoo, will cost an additional $3 to enter.

So, are they closing off Australia and the Islands and making it a $3.00 upcharge with Dinosaurs? That's what it sounds like to me... I sure hope I'm wrong.

The way it seems to me is that just the boat ride will be an up-charge, and there will probably be an area open to everyone with a gift shop and dig site. I can't imagine them closing off the whole Australia and the Islands... sure hope i'm not wrong because I love doing the Kangaroo walkabout and wouldn't want to pay extra to do it

[jzarley]

Speaking of zoos and costs...I visited the San Diego Zoo for the first time last week, and while I really liked it (the Panda exhibits were great...much more close up than the National Zoo), I really have to say that I think overall the Columbus Zoo is better. (I guess that's why the Columbus Zoo is ranked #1 now and the SD Zoo is #2...) But, what really surprised me was the the one day admission cost--$44 per adult. Granted, that includes the sky ride and tour busses, but it was still a little bit of sticker shock when comparing to the Ohio zoos.

[FOFirehawkFAN]

Yeah the San Diego Zoo is awesome no doubt, but you go with a family of 5, after parking admission, snacks/food and drinks and you are well over a few hundred dollars. Im pretty sure its around $10 to $15 admission and only $7 for parking at the columbus zoo, also they have their own waterpark Zoombezi Bay which is quickly becoming one of the most popular waterparks in the country (#19 nationally by attendance)

[Jr for Birdy]

I bet its 3 dollars to enter and still an extra buck to ride the boat,great! Im sick of up-charges there.I take the kids twice a year.

[FOFirehawkFAN]

I bet its 3 dollars to enter and still an extra buck to ride the boat,great! Im sick of up-charges there.I take the kids twice a year.

No it's just going to be $3 for the boat ride instead of $1 as I understand it

[BB1]

Now is this the same company as the one who made the dinosaur exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo or is this a different brand? This seems like a great idea, but the trend seems to phase through the years.

[violakat03]

The boat ride is actually pretty far off the beaten path from the rest of Australia. When I worked in rides there, they tended to just put you at the boat ride for multiple rotations because it was such a far walk from everything else. I didn't mind that, it was a fun ride to work. But the ride itself was pretty .... well, boring. There are many animal exhibits that aren't used anymore, and a lot of the theming was just run down and old because it hadn't been updated in probably a decade or more. I think it'll be pretty cool as a dino exhibit, and it's isolated location will make it easy to "close off" into a seperate section. The area between the komodo dragon exhibit and the boat ride is empty, and the only animal back there is the black swan, which can also be viewed from the other side of it's lake.

[Hendrick]

It's been awhile since I went to the boat ride, so maybe someone can verify this. Doesn't the boat ride line sorta come to a T right at the river? (Going left is the boat ride). Maybe there is enough room when you turn right for the dinosaurs? (Along the river). Looking at Google Maps, it looks like it connects to the pavilion area by the carousel.

While that area would seem "out of place", at least it wouldn't take anything away from the zoo. And again, maybe this path between the two areas is something I'm making up in my head.

[violakat03]

It's been awhile since I went to the boat ride, so maybe someone can verify this. Doesn't the boat ride line sorta come to a T right at the river? (Going left is the boat ride). Maybe there is enough room when you turn right for the dinosaurs? (Along the river). Looking at Google Maps, it looks like it connects to the pavilion area by the carousel.

While that area would seem "out of place", at least it wouldn't take anything away from the zoo. And again, maybe this path between the two areas is something I'm making up in my head.

Yes, the boat ride line is at a T by the river. However there is no path along the river to the carousel. There is a boardwalk but it only goes to the rental pavilions which I believe are behind Asia Quest.The only way to get to the boat ride through public areas is via Australia and the Islands exhibits (past the gibbons and the komodo dragon). On the map posted above it shows empty space by the boardwalk, behind the carousel, but I'm pretty sure that's all admin buildings.

[FOFirehawkFAN]

It's been awhile since I went to the boat ride, so maybe someone can verify this. Doesn't the boat ride line sorta come to a T right at the river? (Going left is the boat ride). Maybe there is enough room when you turn right for the dinosaurs? (Along the river). Looking at Google Maps, it looks like it connects to the pavilion area by the carousel.

While that area would seem "out of place", at least it wouldn't take anything away from the zoo. And again, maybe this path between the two areas is something I'm making up in my head.

Yes, the boat ride line is at a T by the river. However there is no path along the river to the carousel. There is a boardwalk but it only goes to the rental pavilions which I believe are behind Asia Quest.The only way to get to the boat ride through public areas is via Australia and the Islands exhibits (past the gibbons and the komodo dragon). On the map posted above it shows empty space by the boardwalk, behind the carousel, but I'm pretty sure that's all admin buildings.

Inncorrect there are no admin buildings there, it is a pretty open space, but if this exhibit is for just one year I cant see the Zoo really transforming the area too much, probably just the boat ride. Also when did you work thisride? you said the themeing was over a decade old, but this ride isnt even a decade old

[Creed Bratton]

Australia and the Islands opened in 2003 (Decade ago) is what I believe Kat is talking about.

[FOFirehawkFAN]

Thank you I guess i didnt realize it had been that long

[TheCrypt]

I bet its 3 dollars to enter and still an extra buck to ride the boat,great! Im sick of up-charges there.I take the kids twice a year.

No one's forcing you to pay $3 every time you visit.

[Jr for Birdy]

I bet its 3 dollars to enter and still an extra buck to ride the boat,great! Im sick of up-charges there.I take the kids twice a year.

No one's forcing you to pay $3 every time you visit.

You must be a kid,and somebody pays your way. I know this sherlock! I dont like the fact they keep adding,and I keep paying! Im already paying taxes for my second home in Columbus that supports the Zoo! Thanks for your input though.

[violakat03]

It's been awhile since I went to the boat ride, so maybe someone can verify this. Doesn't the boat ride line sorta come to a T right at the river? (Going left is the boat ride). Maybe there is enough room when you turn right for the dinosaurs? (Along the river). Looking at Google Maps, it looks like it connects to the pavilion area by the carousel.

While that area would seem "out of place", at least it wouldn't take anything away from the zoo. And again, maybe this path between the two areas is something I'm making up in my head.

Yes, the boat ride line is at a T by the river. However there is no path along the river to the carousel. There is a boardwalk but it only goes to the rental pavilions which I believe are behind Asia Quest.The only way to get to the boat ride through public areas is via Australia and the Islands exhibits (past the gibbons and the komodo dragon). On the map posted above it shows empty space by the boardwalk, behind the carousel, but I'm pretty sure that's all admin buildings.

Inncorrect there are no admin buildings there, it is a pretty open space, but if this exhibit is for just one year I cant see the Zoo really transforming the area too much, probably just the boat ride. Also when did you work thisride? you said the themeing was over a decade old, but this ride isnt even a decade old

I'm pretty sure the boat ride has been there since before it was Australia and the Islands. I'm fairly certain it was there in my first visit in 2001.

I worked there last year from early March to late June. I worked the boat ride most of the weekends in April and May as there were only a few of us trained on it, so even though it wasn't in my area I somehow ended up there all the time. I also worked on the train and carousel, though my home was Sea Dragon. I left the Zoo after I fell and broke my foot working the coaster.

[Jr for Birdy]

My like doesnt include your foot! Sorry,ouch!

[PREMiERdrum]

It's been awhile since I went to the boat ride, so maybe someone can verify this. Doesn't the boat ride line sorta come to a T right at the river? (Going left is the boat ride). Maybe there is enough room when you turn right for the dinosaurs? (Along the river). Looking at Google Maps, it looks like it connects to the pavilion area by the carousel.

While that area would seem "out of place", at least it wouldn't take anything away from the zoo. And again, maybe this path between the two areas is something I'm making up in my head.

Yes, the boat ride line is at a T by the river. However there is no path along the river to the carousel. There is a boardwalk but it only goes to the rental pavilions which I believe are behind Asia Quest.The only way to get to the boat ride through public areas is via Australia and the Islands exhibits (past the gibbons and the komodo dragon). On the map posted above it shows empty space by the boardwalk, behind the carousel, but I'm pretty sure that's all admin buildings.

Inncorrect there are no admin buildings there, it is a pretty open space, but if this exhibit is for just one year I cant see the Zoo really transforming the area too much, probably just the boat ride. Also when did you work thisride? you said the themeing was over a decade old, but this ride isnt even a decade old

I'm pretty sure the boat ride has been there since before it was Australia and the Islands. I'm fairly certain it was there in my first visit in 2001.

I worked there last year from early March to late June. I worked the boat ride most of the weekends in April and May as there were only a few of us trained on it, so even though it wasn't in my area I somehow ended up there all the time. I also worked on the train and carousel, though my home was Sea Dragon. I left the Zoo after I fell and broke my foot working the coaster.

Nope- the boat ride was built with Phase 1 of Journey / Islands.

This area used to home to the old petting zoo, cheetah habitat, and bear grottos. The current boardwalk originates right by the old petting barn, and in '92 was used as the path to see the Pandas on loan from China for the summer. The building that housed the pandas that summer is now the Bonobo's indoor enclosure.

[Hendrick]

Nope- the boat ride was built with Phase 1 of Journey / Islands.

This area used to home to the old petting zoo, cheetah habitat, and bear grottos. The current boardwalk originates right by the old petting barn, and in '92 was used as the path to see the Pandas on loan from China for the summer. The building that housed the pandas that summer is now the Bonobo's indoor enclosure.

That would have been a really long line!

Speaking of Panda's, here is a really old video of them at Columbus Zoo. Not my video, so thanks go to the uploader!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-OinKFYtNM

[PREMiERdrum]

Nope- the boat ride was built with Phase 1 of Journey / Islands.

This area used to home to the old petting zoo, cheetah habitat, and bear grottos. The current boardwalk originates right by the old petting barn, and in '92 was used as the path to see the Pandas on loan from China for the summer. The building that housed the pandas that summer is now the Bonobo's indoor enclosure.

That would have been a really long line!

The line was routinely 3+ hours. You started next to the old petting zoo barn and up onto the boardwalk all the way back to the building. There were pagoda-like posts with information banners along the way, but they were hardly enough to pass the time. As an 8 year old, I remember waiting for 3 hours in the July heat only to get up the windows to see 2 sleeping lumps of fur. Talk about disappointment!

This topic is a good chance to discuss just how much the western half of the zoo has changed in the last 15 years. The outdoor gorilla enclosure and reptile house are the only on-stage facilities that have remained. The original ape building from the 1950s still remains, with new additions on almost all sides, but the old part is invisible to guests. The old bear grottos, demolished after the near-escape of a polar bear in the early '90s, would be close to, but a bit inland, where the boat ride station is currently. Further east and bordering the river was the large Cheetah yard, with a sky bridge you could go on over the exhibit. The current playground was once the site of the "childrens zoo" building, with outdoor enclosures for small primates (spider monkeys) bridged by a sterile looking, 1950's style, tiled indoor exhibit with windows. The old Rainforest building was northwest of that, with the Wendy's nearby.

The grassy yard in front of Manatee Coast and Discovery Reef used to be home to the Johnson Aquatic Center, razed in the last several years, and at its western end was a typical 1930's style "Monkey Island".