Finding Chester & Hester
Animal Kingdom is my favorite park. Animal Kingdom is an
immersive environment with something to behold around every corner. You can
enjoy incredible encounters with 1,689 amazing animals everywhere you look and
it’s all wrapped in a lush, beautiful, and
exquisitely detailed landscapes.
Animal Kingdom is meant for taking your time, exploring and
immersing yourself in its natural environments. STOP: LOOK: LISTEN! Wait for the animals to poke their heads out
of hiding and enjoy the views. Search for the details. Watch the park come
alive, in front of your eyes.
One of the most detailed lands is Dinoland,
USA. The engaging, and detailed
back-story is often overlooked. The back-story
is a detailed history that gives the Imagineer a platform upon which to design
the props, signs and details.
Let’s look at one location that will help fill in some of
the details and help you appreciate this part of the Animal Kingdom more. I am
going to focus on one of my favorite shops in the Animal Kingdom:
Chester and
Hester's Dinosaur Treasures
And so the back-story goes……
As I traveled down U.S Route
498 (named 498 because the Animal Kingdom
Park opened in April 1998), I
noticed my gas gauge was nearing empty and saw an old gas station ahead.
A married couple in their 60’s owned this rundown gas
station and a few acres of land in Diggs
County.
They sold Sinclair gasoline and this allowed
them to sell gas, oil, service autos and make a sustainable living.
In 1947, some amateur fossil hunters found some dinosaur
bones in the area.
Within six months the Dino Institute set up their
headquarters in Diggs County
and began buying up all the land around Chester
and Hester's gas station.
The Dino Institute wanted to purchase and demolish the gas
station, but Chester and Hester refused
to sell. Chester and Hester wanted
to turn the gas station into the biggest, best, supreme and quintessential dinosaur
destination. They wanted to sell cheap
dinosaur souvenirs out of their gas station to cash in on the visitors
that were visiting to dig for fossils.
They received 17 offers to sell the gas station but refused
to sell.
During the first twelve months they were open, their cheap
merchandise was bringing in the big bucks, so much more than the gas they
sold. They converted the entire service
station into a large store called "Chester
and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures”.
Up in the air above are all sorts of cheap toys.
Over the years they have stocked the shop with dinosaur
toys, figures, images trinkets, special items and more. Since 1947, Chester
and Hester designed, re-designed and improved the store and made a small
fortune selling the souvenirs.
As you walk around the outside of the location:
Notice the use of truck tires as planters at the entrance
and the remnants of the old gas station and service center.
If you search around you can find the old Sinclair gas pump
out front and the oil cans that have been turned into a hat rack.
Walk out the back door and pose for a selfie with the colorful
dinosaur statue that is made out of plaster, rocks, bottles, broken glass and
mirrors.
Tacky signs are strategically placed all over the building advertising
"going out of existence deals" or "Prehistoric Prices."
This is a fantastic store to browse in, if for nothing else
the very different decor. Check out the photo in one corner of Chester
and Hester themselves as well as their framed dollar bill, which is the first
dollar the old couple ever made at the site.
Leave a message on the wall of
the old coin pay phone
Look for the comic books. The
store has all kinds like Batman, Spider Man and other hidden treasures.
Keep a look out for the tacky
stuff.
Can you find the Carnotaurus latex figures or RC Time Rover
ride vehicles?
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Dr. Howie DiBlasi is a retired educator, business owner, author and an Ed Tech consultant. He is a life long Disney fan that began in 1959. He has been blogging about Disney, travel and technology for the past 8 years.
He can be found on twitter HERE @hdiblasi https://twitter.com/hdiblasi
and @mydisneyclass https://twitter.com/mydisneyclass
His website HERE www.mydisneyclass.com
He is also the host of the My Disney Class Podcast, found HERE
http://mydisneyclass.libsyn.com/
Dr. Howie DiBlasi is a retired educator, business owner, author and an Ed Tech consultant. He is a life long Disney fan that began in 1959. He has been blogging about Disney, travel and technology for the past 8 years.
He can be found on twitter HERE @hdiblasi https://twitter.com/hdiblasi
and @mydisneyclass https://twitter.com/mydisneyclass
His website HERE www.mydisneyclass.com
He is also the host of the My Disney Class Podcast, found HERE
http://mydisneyclass.libsyn.com/
