Mouseketeer Alison's
Walt Dated World
Please show your support for this site by donating via the PayPal box . Thank you!
Walt Dated World: Vintage Disney World | home
Camp Minnie-Mickey at Disney's Animal Kingdom | Countdown to Extinction at Disney's Animal Kingdom | Discovery River Boats/Radio Disney River Cruise | March of the ARTimals Parade at Disney's Animal Kingdom | McDonald's Sponsorship in DinoLand U.S.A. and Other Early Attractions | Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade | Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends show at Disney's Animal Kingdom | Safari Village at Disney's Animal Kingdom | Tarzan Rocks! show at Disney's Animal Kingdom
McDonald's Sponsorship in DinoLand U.S.A. and Other Early Attractions
McDonald's Sponsorship in DinoLand U.S.A. and Other Early Attractions
Please Help Walt Dated World
You can help support the Walt Dated World website in several different ways. Subscribe to and continue to watch the Walt Dated World YouTube channel, contribute via any PayPal button on the site or shop through any ad links. Proceeds fund the continued operation of the site. Thank you!
In 1996, McDonald's entered into a ten year sponsorship with the Walt Disney Company. In addition to promoting Disney films, video releases, television shows and theme parks in the fast food giant's Happy Meals, McDonald's also sponsored the entire DinoLand U.S.A. area in Animal Kingdom (as well as other fast food areas in Walt Disney World and Disneyland). While fast food and fossils don't seem to have much in common, the DinoLand sponsorship did make some sense.
In October of 1997, McDonald's and the Ronald McDonald House Children's Charities teamed up with the Walt Disney Company, The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and the California State University system to purchase "Sue", the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil ever discovered. Once the skeleton was shipped to the Field Museum, McDonald's sponsored the fossil preparation lab where guests could watch Sue's bones being prepared for exhibit.
When Animal Kingdom opened in April of 1998, there was a second McDonald's Fossil Preparation Lab located in the park between the Boneyard and Theater in the Wild. At least four casts of Sue's skeleton were made and one was assembled and placed near the entrance to Countdown to Extinction. Two other casts were featured in a traveling show sponsored by McDonalds. There was also a tented pavilion until 2000 called Dinosaur Jubilee that featured casts of skeletons, fossils and some animatronics. It was located in the area that later became Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama.
The McDonald's name and logo could be spotted all over DinoLand U.S.A., starting with the entrance to the land. The sign even echoed the McDonald's "billions served" served sign by saying "over 3 billion unearthed". Both the Boneyard and the Dino Institute were funded by a "grant" from McDonald's. The Theater in the Wild sign featured the familiar Golden Arches logo as well. Several posters near the exit of Countdown to Extinction/Dinosaur featured a prehistoric spin on McDonald's slogans such as "Have you had your break today?", "Did somebody say McDonald's?" and "Food, folks and fun". There was also a movie billboard by Chester and Hester's that had many McDonald's references.
All of the parks at this time had at least one restaurant that served McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, french fries and Happy Meals. DinoLand dining options included Restaurantosaurus, which featured the Donald's Breakfastosaurus character breakfast in the morning and counter service featuring McDonald's food starting at lunch. The outside of the restaurant had at least one area on the roof where a McDonald's bag and thermos were featured (near a lawn chair, table and some rubber dinosaur figures). There were special Happy Meal toys (dinosaur squirt guns) that were semi-exclusive to this restaurant. The reason the toys weren't fully exclusive is that they were based on an international Happy Meal set but the toys given out in the park had "Animal Kingdom" stamped on the bottom. McDonald's also produced an Animal Kingdom Happy Meal set for restaurants nationwide that featured 12 different animal toys, plus an exclusive tortoise toy only available at McDonald's locations located in Wal-Mart. DinoLand also had a location called Petrifries, featuring "potatoes from the McDon of time".
When the Disney/McDonald's partnership ended in 2008, DinoLand's sponsorship became extinct. Petrifies later became Trilo-Bites. Restaurantosaurus still serves fast food but it's not branded to McDonald's and the character breakfast is no longer held at that location. The posters near the Dinosaur exit are still there but no longer feature references to McDonald's. One reminder of the sponsorship can be found in the loading area for Dinosaur. The overhead pipes contain the chemical formulas for popular hamburger condiments ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise!
This is an unofficial fan site that is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or Disney theme parks. All copyrights acknowledged. Please respect the work I put into compiling both existing and my own information on this site by not linking to any text or pictures without crediting that they were located on this site.
See ya real soon!