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

A Very Unusual Seuss Trolley Train Machine Ride

The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!, although enjoyable and nice for sightseeing, had a messy and prolonged development; its creative vision shifted before opening.

The ride’s props, as seen in old drawings and photos, were built back in the ’90s for the unfinished Very Unusual Driving Machines ride. The original concept can be easy to imagine by visualizing bumper car vehicles with the current scenic design and ride layout.

That may give you a sense of how the Very Unusual Driving Machines attraction would have been, but it also explains why the Seuss Trolley may seem strange. What exists today is similar to the Very Unusual Driving Machines, but not different enough to make the Seuss Trolley its own distinct ride.

The result is a piecemeal ride that doesn’t fully commit to any one theme. The mix of Sneetch scenery and mismatched Dr. Seuss audio is disjointed.

The Trolley on Top of Seuss Landing

But at the same time, The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! brings a lot of value to Seuss Landing.

The trains in motion add a lot of kinetic energy to the land. Guests now have a reason to look up and admire the sights from top to bottom. Considering Seuss Landing was designed with a lot of low-to-the-ground elements with little ones in mind, the high-in-the-sky movement makes the land more alive and complete.

Also, riders can now appreciate the views from above, just as Seuss Landing was designed to be seen. For example, the Green Eggs & Ham restaurant from a bird’s eye view looks like it’s on a plate. For many more reasons like that, The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! highlights the details of Seuss Landing.

“The land itself was always intended to be seen from above. A lot of the props and sets and set-ups for Seuss Landing were directed to the view from above there. And it’s nice to see those realized.”
Chris Lauren, of Universal Creative, ThemeParkInsider.com, 2006

A Very Unusual, Very Interesting Impact of the Canceled Ride

Next time you visit, notice how much the canceled Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s Very Unusual Driving Machines ride shaped Seuss Landing’s overall design. Look up—or down, if you’re on the ride—to enjoy the land in a new way. Take a moment to appreciate the Zax who have been bickering under the track support since day one as well as the traces of Sneetch references around the land.

The ride’s makeshift past is a reminder that mistakes happen but, with the right perspective, can become something memorable. The attraction went from being an eyesore in Islands of Adventure to having some of the most spectacular views around the entire park.

Seuss Landing is a place where Theodor Geisel’s imagination lives on, and The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! is an inspiration to never give up—you might just create something special.