in the crowds and made great photo opportunities .
While Gertie as a dinosaur could have sold just about anything , why ice cream ? Again , Imagineers are always thinking . During the Golden Age of Hollywood , it was widely believed that the Ice Age was responsible for the dinosaurs ’ extinction . If you look closely at Gertie , she is covered in snow and appears to be so cold that steam comes out of her nostrils . It really does ! And so it came to be named “ Dinosaur Gertie ’ s Ice Cream of Extinction ,” a play on the word “ distinction ” and so very clever .
Gertie even gets into the Holiday spirit . PHOTO BY BRETT SVENSON
film , she ’ s standing near a lake and at one point even drinks it dry .
BUT ALSO , WHY ICE CREAM ? Gertie is actually a double homage . While Gertie ’ s presence pays tribute to Windsor McCay , her function as an ice cream stand is a nod to the California Crazy style of architecture that took the state by storm in the 1920s and ’ 30s .
The California Crazy genre was designed to attract passersby and turn businesses into popular roadside landmarks by constructing buildings in the likeness of an object . Tea kettles , donuts , hot dogs , steamer ships ( much like the Dockside Diner also in Disney ’ s Hollywood Studios ), sombreros , dogs — you name it . They drew
THERE ’ S EVEN MORE TO GERTIE THAN MEETS THE EYE As if it weren ’ t enough to have a gigantic dinosaur-shaped ice cream stand with an incredible backstory full of animation history , there is more to Gertie for guests to enjoy . As you walk around Echo Lake , passing Gertie toward the back , look down on the pathway .
You ’ ll see the prints and cracks her feet left in the concrete as she made her way into position on Echo Lake all those years ago . Now there she stands , ready to sell her “ Ice Cream of Extinction ” and smile for countless photographs . Sometimes she even wears a festive Santa hat for the holidays !
Guests who pay Gertie a visit during operating hours can purchase dinomite snacks like waffle cones , ice cream cups , Mickey ice cream bars , ice cream sandwiches , and bottled water . Be sure to stop by and grab a selfie with Gertie , the dino-star , the next time you ’ re in Hollywood Studios . She ’ s kind of a big deal !