Many people have no idea that baby dinosaurs hatch every day at Universal Orlando Resort. Most people also don’t know that lucky guests are selected to name these hatchlings. Here are all the details for how you can get in on the magic of life finding a way!
Little Universal Secrets
Sure Universal Orlando Resort is filled with high-speed thrills and amazing adventure. Most people know it is home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and its state-of-the-art attractions and various types of Butterbeer. People also go to Universal expecting to experience thrill rides.
But what many people don’t realize is that Universal is filled with little details that you might just miss if you don’t know where to look. There are quite a few interactive secrets hidden in plain sight.
One of my (Kate’s) personal favorites just happens to be at Jurassic Park Discovery Center in Universal Islands of Adventure. Here is everything you need to know to get in on the fun!
Welcome to Jurassic Park
If you head over to Jurassic Park at Universal Islands of Adventure, you will come across a number of prehistoric attractions. These include Jurassic River Adventure, VelociCoaster, and Pteranodon Flyers (if it ever opens again).
You will also be able to come face to face with full-grown Velociraptors like Blue and Bravo. Just head over to Raptor Encounter if you dare!
But, if you time it right, you will also meet baby Tango! Just ask the Team Members who will be in the encounter area.
And, don’t miss out on the play areas. There is an outdoor play area called Camp Jurassic that your kids might just want to spend hours visiting (while you relax and recharge at the seating area).
Jurassic Park Discovery Center
However, there is also another interactive space called Jurassic Park Discovery Center. Here, you can shop and dine, but more importantly, you can work with the DNA sequences that make up the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, play trivia, investigate dinosaur eggs, interact with scientists, and, best of all, witness a dino egg hatch!
If you enter the space from the ground level, near VelociCoaster, you will walk directly into the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. There is a shop toward the middle of the center, and there are activities all around the ground floor.
You will also see an impressive T-rex that will remind you of the first film! There are other full skeletons as well.
If you enter from the upper floor, you will see a shop as well as Dino Digs, which is a mediocre counter-service restaurant. The view from up here feels even more like you are on the set of the film.
But, the lower part of the Discover Center is where you want to go for all the fun. Here is where you will fund a variety of activities.
There are plenty of interactive kid-friendly activities to enjoy. You can work on DNA sequences if you wish. You can also play dinosaur trivia.
Dino Eggs
Of course, the big draw is the nursery, which is filled with dinosaur eggs. You will see a large glass wall, and behind it is a lab space. There is a rotating incubator with a camera pointed at it. You can watch the eggs rotate on monitors or through the glass.
If you see scientists walking around behind the glass, it means it is almost showtime! They might grab a microphone and speak to guests visiting the lab area.
If there is no hustle and bustle and evidence of a hatching just yet, it is also fun to examine the eggs for yourself. You can select an egg and perform a series of tests to see what sort of dinosaur is waiting to hatch from its shell! These tests include scans and X-rays.
It can take 2-3 minutes to perform enough tests to determine what is inside of the egg. So, be prepared for it to be a bit of a process if your kids want to partake.
Hatching a Baby Dinosaur
If there are attendants or scientists in the nursery, and the time is right, you will get to witness life finding a way as an egg hatches! The scientists will typically make an announcement once it is time to watch a baby emerge from an egg.
If you see scientists, feel free to strike up a conversation with them. They love talking to guests! And, they might just keep an eye on you for a special opportunity later.
Most people don’t really understand what is going on, but savvy guests know to head toward the incubator for a closer look at the hatching. Presently, one of the eggs inside will begin to start cracking! You can check it out in the embedded video.
A Special Opportunity
Once a baby dinosaur appears, the attending scientist will select one guest (usually a child) for a special opportunity. This special guest gets to choose a name for the hatchling! Once the baby has a name, a second scientist creates a birth certificate for the hatchling to present to the special guest.
One special visitor will get to name the baby dinosaur!
There are also opportunities for the special guest to pose for photos with the baby dinosaur. Note, the baby will have to stay behind the glass during the photo op for guest safety as they are unpredictable little beasts.
But the fun does not end there! If you are the guest of honor, make note of your dinosaur’s name and birthdate. From that point forward, any time you visit the nursery, a scientist will happily print you a report with updates on your baby dinosaur! It really makes a special souvenir.
My own littlest traveler got to name her very own velociraptor during one of our visits. She dubbed her little raptor Tiger because of her striped pattern. The birth certificate made a perfect memento of the day she got to name a dinosaur!
We returned to Jurassic Park Discovery Center the very next day to get an update. Sure enough, the nursery staff printed us a report of her first day that included a baby picture. The whole process took no more than 5 minutes, including a nice conversation with the scientist on duty.
We have also received on additional update. It might be helpful to know that other people can ask for an update on your behalf. You just need the birthdate and name of your dinosaur.
My little one was over the moon to receive her latest report. She has it tucked away with her birth certificate and day-1 report.
This is turning into a fun tradition for our family. When we return to Universal for our Epic Universe trip, you better believe we will be making time to head to IOA to check in on Tiger.
When to Go if You Want a Chance to Name a Dino
Jurassic Park Discovery Center is typically open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm depending on the day. You will want to check the park hours to be sure. However, the nursery staff are typically only around from about 10:00 am-4:00 pm though there is no posted schedule most of the time.
If you see a scientist behind the glass in the nursery, you can ask them if they know when a hatching might occur. They can give you their best estimate.
Typically hatching only happens once an hour during nursery hours. The last time I visited, the scientists were suggesting that guests be on the lookout for activity around the half-hour mark. However, that is not always the case, so be sure to ask if you don’t see anything happening.
With any luck, you will be able to witness a hatchling emerge from an egg. And with extra luck, you might just be selected to name the baby dinosaur!
We love that Universal provides this delightful opportunity for a little movie magic! It makes for very special memories, especially for the kids.
Have you ever seen the eggs hatch at Jurassic Park Discovery Center? Do you have a dino of your own in the paddock? Let us know, and be sure to pass this fun story along to your friends and family who are planning a trip, especially if they love dinosaurs!
Discover more from KennythePirate.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
What do you think?