The 25-Year History of Universal Islands of Adventure

Seuss Landing

The lap around Islands of Adventure makes its way to Seuss Landing: an area based on the works and writings of Dr. Seuss. Audrey Geisel thought the land meant a lot to the legacy of her late husband’s stories, leaving them for future generations to discover.

Seuss Landing was designed from a child’s perspective with sights and sounds only a few feet off the ground for kids to fully enjoy. This includes sights as colorful as sherbet and sounds from speakers playing a wubbulous soundtrack from makeshift instruments.

Famously, Seuss Landing has no straight lines, including the swoopy trees that were warped from Hurricane Andrew in South Florida and relocated to Universal. The wonky land took some special attention to engineer, and the scenery was carved from polystyrene foam to create the impossible world of Dr. Seuss.

“…You realize that a lot of what [Dr. Seuss] drew defies gravity, and it’s not supposed to exist in this world.”

– Lisa Girolami, show producer of Seuss Landing

Seuss Landing has two interactive flat rides: Caro-Seuss-el and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. The If I Ran the Zoo walkthrough experience, Seuss Street Show, and a wacky organist in Circus McGirkus liven up the Seussian world.

Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s Very Unusual Driving Machines

However, the cheerful Seuss Landing did have one empty detail. Unfortunately, the Sylvester McMonkey McBean’s Very Unusual Driving Machines attraction did not open with the park as planned. The track for the elevated bumper car ride was installed, even engineered with Seuss’ bendy architecture, but it was closed to guests. Decorative ride vehicles cycled around the track to give it some motion and purpose.

Even without the Driving Machines, Seuss Landing has more twists and turns to offer.

The Cat in the Hat

The Cat in the Hat is a vibrant dark ride that retells Dr. Seuss’ classic story. Riders board little couches and spin their way through the chaos of the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, and Thing 2. The ride is full of animatronics and Dr. Seuss’ signature style.

The Original Islands of Adventure

The early days of Islands of Adventure had a nighttime fireworks show as seen from the waterfront viewing areas of each island.

Islands of Adventure’s original lineup of attractions was electric. The park had a number of attractions that hadn’t been attempted before, all in one location. The immersive theming was a massive step forward for Universal, being completely different than the studio park.

Islands of Adventure’s debut was only the beginning as the park had opportunities and expansion plots for the future.