Attraction Review- Primeval Whirl

This week I have chosen to write about an attraction which is by no means Walt Disney World's most popular. Primeval Whirl, which can be found in Dinoland USA in the beautiful Disney's Animal Kingdom, has more than its fair share of critics, who argue that it's ugly, and say that it really doesn't fit into the theme of the park. Whilst I can see the justification behind these views, I think that Primeval Whirl is a pretty good attraction when taken on its own terms.

One of the Animal Kingdom's two rollercoasters, Primeval Whirl, you may be surprised to learn, actually shares many elements with the Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain. Both are 'Wild Mouse' coasters, which are rollercoasters which don't feature big drops and inversions, but rather small, swift drops, and sharp turns. The other similarity between the two attractions is the fact that both have two 'sides', both featuring a duplicate of the same attraction, a mirror image if you will. Both sides share the same line, but one side, as with Space Mountain, is often devoted exclusively to Fastpass holders. The only real difference between the two sides, due to their being a mirror image of one another, is that they set out in opposite ways. For example, at the top of the lift hill on the left hand side, your car turns right, whereas on the right hand side, it turns left. The thing that makes Primeval Whirl unique within Walt Disney World is that the cars spin whilst going round the track, turning a pretty dull, uneventful coaster into a considerably more exciting one.

The two sides give the attraction a fairly reasonable capacity, but, due to it being very slow at loading, it is not at all unusual for Primeval Whirl to experience long waits. It's not a particularly long ride, so I wouldn't recommend waiting more than 20 minutes for it, as it's really not worth it. If you're desperate to ride Primeval Whirl, I would advise doing so early in the day, when all the crowds are riding Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris and Dinosaur, the Animal Kingdom's 'Big Three' attractions, or riding it at a time when the nearby Finding Nemo The Musical is showing, which can hold huge crowds. If these times aren't feasible, grab a Fastpass, they work pretty well for Primeval Whirl.

Here's how I would rate Primeval Whirl in these areas, and why:

Thrill~ 8/10
This lighthearted attraction will always thrill you, just not as much as some of its fellow Animal Kingdom attractions. Whilst it doesn't particularly stimulate your every sense, its extravagant decorations really make the charm of this attraction. The ride itself is pretty thrilling too, and is definitely worth checking out at least once!

Scariness~ 8/10
Like the Tower of Terror, which I reviewed last week, perhaps the scariest element of Primeval Whirl is the uncertainty as to what will happen. Whilst the cars all travel along the exact same track, they spin randomly, depending on how much motion and weight they have, really adding another dimension of thrill and scariness to the ride. The scariest part by far is the several sharp corners which the car travels around after ascending the lift hill, which really make it feel like your car is going to fall off the track. Primeval Whirl does feature some small drops, but none of them are particularly scary, unless your car happens to be travelling backwards at that point! The Dinosaurs featured are merely cartoons, not full sized animatronics like the ones in the neighbouring Dinosaur attraction, and are not scary in any way.

Theming~ 6/10
The theme for this attraction is unfortunately neither strong, nor well executed, and is one of the main reasons that Primeval Whirl has proven to be unpopular within the Disney Community. The backstory, however, is pretty cool, with guests seeing cartoon Dinos fleeing in a comical fashion from the meteorite which caused their extinction. Unfortunately, the maintenance stairs, and other parts of the ride's infrastructure are visible for all to see, and, whilst I appreciate that the attraction is supposed to represent a ride one might discover at a fairground, that really isn't made apparent, and ruins immersion in the story anyway!

Educational~ 1/10
The only way imaginable that Primeval Whirl can be classed as 'educational' is the fact that it features a reference to the meteorite which supposedly caused the Dinosaurs to go extinct. Even this isn't a set in stone theory, but merely the most commonly accepted one.

Fun~ 9/10
What Primeval Whirl loses in theming and education, it makes up for in fun. The lighthearted feel, and the clever humour incorporated into parts of the ride make this attraction a must see for anyone who likes to have a good time whilst experiencing Disney attractions.

Repeatability~ 3/10
Primeval Whirl is very much a ''once you've seen it, you've seen it'' attraction, but there are a couple of reasons why you may wish to revisit it. Firstly, the random spinning makes every ride different, but you may only notice a distinct difference if you and your party sit in different places in the ride vehicle the second time you ride. There is also the possibility that you may wish to try both sides of the attraction.

And finally, my overall rating of Primeval Whirl~ 7/10
Whilst Primeval Whirl is in no way Walt Disney World's best attraction, there is no doubting the fact that it is still great fun! I love to ride it whenever I can, and, for me, it is as much a part of the Animal Kingdom as all the other attractions are. I do think that it deserves some much needed TLC, but, with rumours ubiquitous that the Imagineers are readying a replacement, the future is uncertain for Primeval Whirl.

What are your thoughts on Primeval Whirl? Do you always try to ride it, or have you never ridden it before? Do you think it should be replaced with something better, and if so, what? Please share your opinions in the comments below, or on the Blog's Facebook Page!

Thanks for reading, and have a magical weekend!