The Dino World show opened at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday promoting their life size ’19 breathing, blinking, tail-swaying and roaring animatronic dinosaurs’ but show goers have come away unimpressed.
Source: Dinoworldadelaide.com Facebook
COVID-19 restrictions forced the show to cancel many of its activities including the dino rides, dino colouring, fossil display, jumping castle and the reptile show.
Organisers told The Advertiser: “The cancellation is on account of our failure to secure approval for some of the activities due to fears that they are susceptible to spreading COVID-19. The fossil display involves touching of the bones and this increases the possibility of spreading the COVID-19 virus.
“Similarly, the jumping castle and the reptile show involve serious crowding in small spaces, thereby increasing possibility of spreading the virus.”
Source: Dinoworldadelaide.com Facebook
Visitors are leaving sorely disappointed with with the lack of a realistic display of dinosaurs, too. Some commenting “It was a dino with a fence and an indoor plant around it.”
“We were out in 12 minutes. For 12 minutes, it’s really expensive. It was shocking. It was a disaster. There were no tour guides or anything.”
With tickets costing up to $25, visitors are calling for refunds expecting the cancelled activities to be included within the ticket price and expecting a little more than an indoor plant and blinking statue.
Dino World received backlash on their Facebook Page – with many of the negative comments now deleted – with show goers stating “Activities 2-6 were simply not there nor were all the dinosaurs. They say it takes an hour to go through. I got into the room at 8:05am and was back in my car by 8:30am.”
“You pay for six activities when you purchase your tickets and you get nothing except dinosaur(s) put it a dark room with a few plants around them.”
The organisers told 7news “We have, however, started giving full refunds to the few customers who were not satisfied with the show as a result of the cancellation of some of the event elements due to Covid-19 regulations.
“Once again we apologise for the inconvenience caused.”
Source: Dinoworldadelaide.com Facebook
Though it’s not all negative. Recent Facebook comments are big fans of the exhibition saying, “We went yesterday. My boys 6 and 3 loved it! had such a great time”
“We went today and my boys had such a great time they LOVED it! I thought the set up was really good. I went with no expectations after reading reviews but now I’m unsure what everyone is complaining about…My boys went back through to see the dinosaurs multiple times not just once.”
“My 3 year old went for his birthday yesterday! & he absolutely loved it & enjoyed every minute of it, it was hard to get him out at the end! ”
For those who were disappointed with their experience, they are being urged to email event organisers at refunds@dinoworldadelaide.com.
