Giants roam Woodland Hills for holiday toy drive event

From Nov. 18 – Dec. 18, gentle giants will roam the grounds of Pierce College in Woodland Hills. “Dinosaurs in the Valley” premiered with over 100 life-like and life-size Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaurs ranging in size from tiny babies to adults standing 40 feet tall and spanning 70 feet long. 

This outdoor, immersive event is a self-paced walkthrough, as visitors hike steps away from moving, “breathing” dinos. The terrain through the hoard follows the progression of the dinosaur species over thousands of years. This ranges from the pelycosaur species, like the Dimetrodon, a large mammal reptile hybrid with a prominent sail on its back, to the triple-horned Triceratops with its cub. 

Before walking through the Mesozoic era, visitors are invited to donate to a child in need via Motors4Toys. Motors4Toys is a local charitable foundation dedicated to providing a holiday season to children throughout the community. The foundation donates 100% of all funds and toys collected. All gifts donated should be unwrapped and new toys for children between the ages of infant-18 years old. All toys can be brought to the main entrance during event hours and placed in the collection bins. 

The realistic animatronics were brought to SoCal by Dino Don, Inc. The company namesake, Don “Dino” Lessem, is an excavator of the largest dinosaurs in the world, a consultant to Disney and Universal theme parks and an advisor for Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park.” The author of over 50 books, Lessem works to keep the experience scientifically accurate so that children can truly grasp the importance of these extinct creatures. 

To conceptualize dinosaurs better, Lessem uses the human body as a measure of time. If the Earth began at your feet, then, “(Mankind) is the length of a split end of hair on top of your head. Dinosaurs are from your nose to your forehead. That’s 63 million years…These are the biggest successes that walked the earth,” Lessem said. 

While its clear he loves all the dinos in his collection, the Argentine dinosaur, Lessemsaurus sauropoides, or “Lessem’s Lizard,” was named in honor of his contributions to dinosaur research and holds a special place in his collection. The creatures could grow to over 30 feet tall and weigh up to 8,000 pounds. Today in Woodland Hills, it can be spotted among the pack climbing the trunk of a tall palm to reach its dinner. According to Lessem, its a dino’s size that dictates its diet. 

“These guys are really big guys and could only eat plants. And they can only have a tiny head. It sounds counterintuitive, but the only way to get really enormous is to have a small head. A T Rex is big but these guys are 10 times bigger than a T Rex,” he explained. “As you get bigger in size, if you’re chewing then your head gets so big with the muscles. The volume gets so enormous that you can’t support yourself anymore. So there’s a limit. Well, it turns out to be 40 to 50 feet. If you have a weenie head and a walnut-sized brain, you could swallow the food and just shovel it down.”

For visitors, food and drink cannot be brought into the venue; so, whether you’re big or small, to make the most of this experience be sure to have a meal beforehand. 

Activities include a dig for fossils, giant dinosaur eggs to climb into, dinosaur story-time and dinosaur dance parties. Premium activities are an additional fee and include face-painting, bounce-house inflatables, slides, dinosaur scooters, T. rex ATV and Jeep rides and interactive photo opportunities that put you deep into the Land of the Lost Giants. 

For those who need it, specific sessions with sound and light adjustments designed to be less overwhelming for sensory sensitivities are available. For thrillseekers, “Dinosaurs in the Valley – After Dark” starts at sundown. The space will be lit up with additional lasers and lights. 

Timed entry tickets available with entry every half hour. Tickets start at $24.99 per person, and children under two, along with military members and veterans, enter free. The cost includes event parking. Event hours range from 8 a.m. -8 p.m. and vary per day, so check the website for available dates/time slots. The sensory-friendly session are on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Nov. 19 and 26, and Dec. 3, 10, and 17. 

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