KINGS ISLAND, Ohio, 2013-04-10 — /travelprnews.com/ — One of the largest creatures to ever lumber the earth is set to storm Kings Island this spring, in all its roaring glory with the arrival of a life-size Sauroposeidon, the world’s largest animatronic dinosaur.
Even the tallest guests at Dinosaurs Alive! may feel a little small standing next to Sauroposeidon. The length of three school buses and the height of a six-story building, this dinosaur showcases just how gigantic some sauropods really were. Known as the Earth Quake Lizard, this North American dinosaur was unearthed in the United States and rivals South American sauropods for the title of largest in the world. Estimated to be between 112 to 118 feet long and 56 feet tall,Sauroposeidon is said to have weighed 50 to 60 tons, eight times the size of an African elephant.
The extraordinary size of the Sauroposeidon has made crafting, transporting and building the animatronic dinosaur a creative challenge. Designed and handcrafted exclusively for Kings Island by an expert team of exhibition designers and builders, the dinosaur arrived at Kings Island Monday in four shipping containers and will take a crew of 12 people two weeks to set up.
Also new this season is an area within Dinosaurs Alive! where guests will find a pack of Albertosaurus, a scene that explores the idea that carnivorous theropods may have been social creatures. Based on evidence gathered at the Albertosaurus Dry Island bonebed in Alberta, Canada, paleontologists believe these dinosaurs may have hunted in packs of all ages.
Entering its third season at Kings Island, Dinosaurs Alive! features more than 65 life-size, moving, roaring dinosaurs and allows guests to literally step back in time to the beginning of the “Age of the Dinosaurs” and encounter the beasts that dominated the planet for over 180 million years in the world’s largest animatronic dinosaur park.
Dinosaurs Alive! is not included with park admission to Kings Island. A separate $5 ticket is required to experience this awe-inspiring attraction.
Kings Island and Dinosaurs Alive! open for the 2013 season April 27.
Kings Island is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FUN.” In addition to Kings Island, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, four water parks, one indoor water park, and five hotels. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, Calif. under a management contract.