The iconic Gertie the dinosaur statue at Walt Disney World Resort’s Hollywood Studios theme park underwent emergency repairs after a deep crack appeared in her tail near the Echo Lake waterline.
Walt Disney World Resort maintenance crews quickly patched the damage by February 16, though guests now report visible color differences between the repaired section and the rest of Gertie’s tail.
Damage Discovered After Vegetation Removal
The crack became visible over the weekend when horticulture teams cleared dead and damaged plants around Echo Lake following Central Florida’s recent freezing temperatures. WDWNT shared a photo on Facebook showing the severity of the structural damage.
How long the crack existed before discovery remains unknown. The damage only appeared after vegetation removal exposed the base of Gertie’s tail, where it meets the water.
Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction, the Quick-Service stand housed inside the structure, continued operating throughout the repair process.
Color Mismatch Remains
While the structural crack has been sealed, the repair left a noticeable color difference on Gertie’s tail. Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t indicated whether crews will repaint the area to match or allow Florida’s sun to naturally fade the new paint over time.
Echo Lake Landmark Since 1989
Gertie has stood in Echo Lake since Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989. The green brontosaurus is a tribute to Gertie the Dinosaur, a 1914 animated film by Winsor McCay—one of the earliest examples of animation.
The statue has become such an icon at Hollywood Studios that Disney created an exclusive green dinosaur Christmas cookie for Disney Jollywood Nights, the park’s after-hours holiday event.
The repair follows Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s February 1 closure of DinoLand U.S.A., including the DINOSAUR attraction. Gertie now stands as one of the few remaining dinosaur-themed elements at Walt Disney World Resort as Pueblo Esperanza replaces the extinct land.
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