As its name suggests, Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs - The 4-D Experience is based on the third installment in the Ice Age series, which has been converted into the 4-D format by specialist SimEx-Iwerks. It consists of re-purposed footage from the movie itself. This tells the story of Sid the sloth, Manny the Mammoth and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger, who discover a "lost world" populated by dinosaurs hidden away underneath their own freezing-cold habitat. A series of close-scrapes with prehistoric beasts follows, with a sub-plot centring on Sid's attempts to "adopt" several baby T-Rexes.

A number of special effects accompany the movie, including foam “snow”, water sprays, air blowers and “leg ticklers”. These are timed to complement the on-screen action.