Complete Guide to The Boneyard at Animal Kingdom

Get ready for some dyno-mite fun at The Boneyard!

Kids 10 and under can experience a dinosaur Dig Site firsthand as they help to excavate fossils, explore caves and even cross the “Oldengate Bridge.”

Parents of explorers can relax and enjoy a shaded seating area beneath large fans at the dig site making it the perfect place to take a break.

Get digging with our complete guide to The Boneyard.

The Boneyard Quick Facts

Location

The Boneyard is located in DinoLand, U.S.A. near TriceraTop Spin.

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How to Experience The Boneyard

The Boneyard has no queue. You simply just show up and explore!

Do I need to use Genie+ at The Boneyard?

Genie+ is not available at The Boneyard. This is a play area, meaning guests traveling with little ones can come and go as they please.

Rider Switch/Child Swap

The Boneyard does not offer Rider Switch. This is actually a great spot to let little ones run wild while other family members enjoy big rides like the nearby DINOSAUR.

Rider Switch allows guests with small children to take turns riding bigger rides, while another person/people wait with the little one.

You can learn more about Rider Switch via our handy guide.

What to Expect when you Experience

Queue

The Boneyard does not have a queue — you can come and go as you like!

Accessibility Information

Those in wheelchairs and ECVs may remain in them to experience parts of The Boneyard, however there are places to climb and rough terrain so they should be avoided.

At the Play Area

The Boneyard is the primary dig site of the Dino Institute. The story behind this themed playground is that in 1947, amateur fossil hunters uncovered the remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and work on the site has been ongoing ever since.

For little ones who love to dig, they will find the original Tyrannosaurus skeleton that started The Boneyard, a track site of prints that plays dinosaur sounds when you stomp on them, a Pachycephalosaurus, a Parasaurolophus, the entangled skulls of two Triceratops, and a Columbian Mammoth which serves as a fossil dig sandbox.

There is also a mounted Brachiosaurus cast crowning the “Oldengate Bridge” that connects the two sides of the Boneyard and serves as an entry gate for DinoLand in general.

The Dig Site is on the second level of The Boneyard and you must cross over the dinosaur bridge to reach it.

As the kids dig about, you’ll hear the sounds of a pirate radio station, K-DINO, operated by Digger and the Bonehead, two of the Dino Institute’s interns. It plays science and dinosaur-themed music throughout the Boneyard.

Kids can climb, slide and crawl around the many dino bones and fossils in The Boneyard. Be sure to try out the Xylobone, a musical dino fossil!

Is The Boneyard Kid-Friendly?

The Boneyard is a great place for young children to burn off some energy and explore, especially as the rest of the family experiences more intense rides.

Strollers

Strollers are not allowed in most attractions at Disney World, including The Boneyard. Instead, you’ll need to leave your stroller in the designated stroller parking area at the entrance.

History

The Boneyard was one of the opening day attractions when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998. 

On March 12, 2020, following Walt Disney World’s temporary COVID-19 closure, it was announced that The Boneyard would also close. An updated version of the attraction reopened on August 15, 2021, in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration.

On May 1, 2023, it was closed for further refurbishments, but has since reopened.

Other Fun Details

• There is a Hidden Mickey in the bouncy, soft ground that covers the area under the drinking fountain on the main level of the playground. Also near the mammoth dig, inside a fenced area, you’ll see a fan with two hardhats that create a Hidden Mickey.
• The bouncy, cushiony material that covers a lot of the play area and helps to keep it safer for the children playing on it is called “safety deck.” It was also used in the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” play set at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• The sign for the attraction is actually a replica of the shoulder blade of a Stegosaurus. It was made using casts that were formed from real dinosaur bones.

• Keep your eyes peeled for the personal possessions and notes of the students and professors working in this area. You’ll also see evidence of them on the bulletin board at the entrance to DinoLand, U.S.A., and in Restaurantosaurus. 
• The dinosaur bones in the playground were made from casts that were formed by real dinosaur bones. Disney was able to access bones from various dinosaur parks like Utah’s Dinosaur National Monument to make casts and then fill the casts with plastic cement. This molded the bones for the attraction.
• The sand in the sandbox area isn’t actually sand. It is called “Texas Grit”. While the texture doesn’t allow for building shapes that well, it’s great for pouring and digging around in. It also doesn’t stick to skin or clothes and brushes off easily.