This reminds me that I one of my next "Worldbuilding 101" posts definitely needs to be about breaking from tradition. I did the very same thing with one of my worlds: started with magic because my instinct said "fantasy? must have magic", but ultimately ditched it because the world worked far better without it. I semi-decline, semi-accept it, on the basis that my "first world" was something created when I was about seven or eight, and the only vague memories I have being that it was a dinosaur theme park island map. However, I think I could certainly start with the same initial seed and try to make it a more unique concept that isn't a ripoff of Jurassic Park or DinoPark Tycoon (was a real game and as absolutely awesome as it sounds). Maybe put the dinosaurs...IN...SPAAAACE!!... or change it from a dino theme park to a park where legendary creatures like Bigfoot are the main attraction--I think I like that one. I've had many a concept dealing with legendary creatures, so that might be an interesting combination of the two. Hmm... now you've got me thinking...I decided to get rid of magic of the world, because, even though the concept of fantasy seemingly mandated it, the world wasn't better for it.
Craig, I have a challenge for you; feel free to decline it. I challenge you to flesh out your first world the way you'd do it now. Declare the core idea for the world, and do whatever you want with it as long as it's visibly the same idea. Dare you?