Islands of Adventure’s Very Unusual Abandoned Dr. Seuss Ride

Islands of Adventure Opens

But Not the Unusual Driving Machines

The all-new Islands of Adventure soft opened in March 1999. Most of its rides were up and running for guests to preview, but other attractions needed some finishing touches. Specifically, Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s Very Unusual Driving Machines was a work in progress and not available for technical rehearsals.

As a placeholder, the team designed and fabricated two decorative ride vehicles that would cycle the tracks. These cars were added very late into production to give the unfinished attraction some purpose in the meantime; they were even used in the park’s dedication ceremony.

The two decorative cars, which were likely modified ride vehicles, had some interesting technical details. Aside from the car bodies, their other features may have been similar to the Very Unusual ride vehicles.

The front and rear bumpers had impact plates that seemed to be designed for collisions; the rear had cylindrical rubber bumpers, potentially to reduce collision noise. These cars also had headlights and taillights—another glimpse of what the ride vehicles would have looked like.

Thematically, one of the decorative vehicles featured two Sneetches on their way to the beach—with a trunk full of gear and a picnic basket on the front bumper. Their license plate, reading “THARS,” was a reference to the famous “stars upon thars” line from the book. Sylvester McMonkey McBean himself was driving the other car—with a trunk full of gizmos and stars as well as a bass drum with the words, “My friends, I’m the Fix-it-Up Chappie.”
But the incomplete ride was probably a job too complicated for even the “Fix-it-Up Chappie” to finish.

Even though the park preview period was extended by a few weeks, Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s Very Unusual Driving Machines was not ready for Islands of Adventure’s official opening on May 28, 1999.

Closed in Plain Sight

The unfinished track was standing in plain sight over the pathways of Seuss Landing. The ride’s scenic elements were fabricated, never installed, and put in storage. Historical aerial images reveal the rooftop show scene was not decorated at that time.

In a way, this was the Horton-sized elephant in the room as Universal couldn’t hide the unopened ride. Theme parks delay or cancel attractions all the time, but the average guest would never know about an unbuilt project. However, the partially finished Very Unusual Driving Machines was much more obvious.

Guests noticed the ride and were often searching for the entrance. One Universal team member told The Orlando Sentinel, “If I had $5 for every person that asked me about it, I’d retire tomorrow.” Those unused tracks gave guests every reason to be curious.

Observant fans were glancing around for any peeks into the ride, and the public was wondering what the holdup was.