I love that Universal used bent palm trees that were damaged in Hurricane Andrew when they were building Seuss Landing. Probably one of the most ingenious decisions ever made in theme park construction (modern Disney could never lmao)
Disney would just dump millions into genetically modifing trees than naturally grow bent, then after figuring it out, just decide not to use it because watering the trees would cost too much money.
"It's disappointing that much of Islands isn't maintained as it should be." And THAT is the main issue that Universal continues to face. They keep up the shiny popular areas but are inconsistent elsewhere. Disney's upkeep has certainly slipped over the past 10 or so years, which was once unthinkable. But Universal needs to take that old Disney level of attention to every corner of the parks. Imagine a Seuss Landing that was given as much love as Diagon Alley.
Yeah, Seuss Landing hasn't been updated since opening. II think they've only really kept up with painting but nothing else. The palm trees have sure grown in nicely. Those were all taken from Hurricane Andrew locations and is why they're so twisted. They really should add a new ride or two, as well. I guess they did manage to finally open the opening day attraction that didn't open until like 2010. The trolleys above the land. It's a good ride. Cat in the Hat was my favorite ride as even a teenager, so it's always been my favorite area of the park.
I've been trying to figure out why USF feels so neglected. you hit the nail on the head. The favorites get rewarded while less attended attractions continue to fall further behind.
It's not just about popularity. In the HP contract that leaked a few years ago, there's a clause to the effect of (can't remember exact words) "investment must be made to keep Hogsmeade a world class theme park land on penalty of losing the license". I suspect the Marvel contract has similar wording, given that it's the only other land at IOA they keep in good condition. Basically, I think Universal maintains what their contracts say they have to and let everything else go to shit.
I came here to say the same thing. Universal's maintenance is sorely lacking. Suess Landing was rundown for years. Jurassic Park as well, although JP did finally get a little love when the new movies were released. Marvel Super Hero Island and Toon Lagoon both look faded, dated and sad. Although I have always enjoyed the Lost Continent land, without Poseidon's Fury, there is nothing much there. Fans brag about Universal's new Epic Universe, but another theme park just diverts more funds from maintaining Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Universal has a sad habit of waiting until an area looks nearly dilapidated before performing maintenance & repairs.
Parks fans scoff at play areas but they really underestimate how wonderful these areas are for kids. My fondest childhood memories of the parks arent of the rides, but the hours I spent running around and playing pretend with other kids in the immersive play areas. I would happily spend half the day there, compared to having to wait in a long boring line just to experience 2 minutes of fun and thrills... you can see the immense entertainment value these places have for kids, and how important they are.
one of my favourite places in disneyland paris as a child was the pizza planet restaurant. it was just a pizza restaurant with big plastic toy story characters in the play area but i never wanted to leave.
Honey I shrunk the kids at MGM 😢 I loved playing there. And now that I have kids, Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom and the Boneyard at Animal Kingdom are the favorites. So sad to lose both.
The old Dragon Land at Busch Gardens Tampa was my favorite place as a kid. Every time I went back as I was older I always skipped that land and went to the coasters. But I recently went back with my 1 year old daughter (now with it rethemed as Sesame Street) and all the play areas were as I remembered 20 years ago. It reminded me just how much fun I had
Planet coaster 2 coming out this fall. It would be great to see him collab with one of the super great builders in the planet games like @rudirenkamel to design it.
Crazy how with like four effects not working the If I Ran The Zoo walk through still has more interesting and satisfying environmental interactions than all of Galaxy's Edge.
I had a super memorable experience at Seuss a couple years ago. It was right around sunset and all the major outdoor rides had been shut down for weather. I wandered into Seuss at first as a way to get from Jurassic to Marvel, but I ended up being really stricken by how the light was hitting the Seuss buildings. It was truly a "golden hour" photography moment. Instead of just rushing to the nearest major indoor attraction, I ended up spending most of the last hour the park was open exploring every square inch of the land. I discovered stuff like the Lorax set piece or Horton's corner that I just straight up didn't know existed and must have walked right past countless times. I just chilled on Sneech Beach listening to the entire radio broadcast. It was absolutely one of the most "zen" hours I've ever spent at a theme park.
That's awesome! My favorite detail on the beach is that one of the Sneeches has a copy of "If I Ran the Zoo." I wish more guests took the time to see everything like you did.
As a ride and show tech at trolley, caro and fish, videos like these make me appreciate my rides just that much more to see that people still like them.
I was part of the original Ride & Show crew for Cat in the Hat back in '99. Hearing that Seuss Landing is starting to fall apart really has me feeling my age.
My one and only visit to the park was as a 6 year old with my family in 1999, I was obsessed with the Cat in the Hat ride and probably drove my parents crazy with my insistence on repeat rides. Have very strong memories of the whole land, and especially being sad/mad that the trolley ride was closed!
@@kandinski_ Oh you were far from the only person disappointed about that and we working the other Suess Landing rides heard about it every day!! The ride was originally going to be called Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines and it was a nightmare for Universal. They put up the tracks, but during the testing phase of the ride they realized that in several spots, if it broke down, people would be stuck 15 feet above Seuss Landing with no safe way to get down. So they delayed the opening...and delayed it...and delayed it...and every day we would have to explain, dozens of times, that it wasn't open yet, but it was coming soon, without actually telling anyone why it was taking so long. SEVEN YEARS LATER, long after I had moved on in my career, they redesigned and updated the ride system and it finally opened.
@@deeconstruction8163 I didn't realize that the ride opened so late. I know it didn't open with the park, but I thought it had only been delayed by a year or so. That's interesting to learn though
Seuss Landing is absolutely underrated. The first time I visited Islands of Adventure was as an adult with kids. I adore that land. The details and overall aesthetic are fantastic. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train is amazing and even breathtaking when you go by the water. Not that this is an inherent feature of the land but my kids loved meeting the Whos. And by some magical miracle, when we walked through the land later during the day the Whos were still there and remembered my kid's names. It made them beam for the rest of the day and my wife and I were beyond impressed. I don't want to give the impression that this will happen in every case. But it meant a lot to us and really added to the magic.
Finally someone said it! I've been thinking about this part of the park since I saw it for the first time in 2022, and I thought it was so thoroughly cool and well thought out. Everyone talks about how the Harry Potter sections are novel fully immersive exhibits, while this Seuss land set the bar years before. They didn't just take the properties and show them to you again, (looking at you, Disney) they ripped the Seuss worlds right out of the books and put you in them.
Seuss Landing is definitely one of the most charming themed lands I've visited in a theme park, maybe the _most_ charming. On my visit to the Islands earlier this year, I took more time than before to explore and experience the attractions I've never done in the past, namely If I Ran the Zoo, One Fish, Two Fish, and the Caro-Seuss-El, and naturally The Cat in the Hat and the Seuss Trolley Train Ride are still one of my favorite dark rides and one of my favorite transport rides respectively. Not to mention, the infectious music I've listened to off the park's soundtrack winds up sounding even better when you're surrounded by all those colors, shapes, creatures, and buildings in person. The fact Audrey Geisel was so happy, literally joyful with what Universal Creative did with Seuss Landing even before the park opened just says it all about this island. It's a truly wholesome place. And would you believe me If I were to tell My first roundabout Was the Caro-Seuss-El?
i love the cat and the hat queue description of "the coldest air conditioning you'll find in the state of florida" lmao. Although, i would argue that the single rider line specifically for men in black is the coldest on the planet.
the seuss landing dark ride is unironically great and almost NEVER has a wait time. And since it's right at the front of the park its usually one of the first places I go. Never thought to appreciate the theming of seuss landing, almost because guests seem to overlook it... its almost always dead. This vid is great in highlighting just how good it is. Nice work.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I was part of the opening cast of the Seuss show when the park first opened. Since they provided no shade for the audience, very few people got to experience the delight of seeing the Grinch's heart grow when a small child volunteer learned to share with him. Sadly, that show closed and we moved inside Circus McGurkus with a song-along show. Lots of great memories!
One thing I’ve always wanted was a kinetic interactive play area with older kids and even adults in mind. The Boston science museum is essentially what I’m describing lol but imagine true family play area? Why isn’t there a Tri-Wizard tournament show/experience with audience participation? Or a Jurassic park walkthrough/jungle maze with Dino jump scares? Why not have interactive stage shows themed to different classes in Harry Potter? Maybe there’s an interactive potions class you take and the potions students/the audience makes are essentially sodas or non-alcoholic cocktails with magically labeled ingredients. There’s a lot of cool interactive ideas that would be fun without having to be massive budget thrill rides. Just seems like a lot of missed opportunities.
One of my favorite memories of Universal is sitting in the bookshop of this land and just reading the books. Really got me to feel the playful mood and I did start exploring the land afterwards.
22:40 I remember the Ice slide! I was a younger teen then, and it was one of our first visits when we moved back to Orlando from Tampa. We had been doing BUsch Gardens for those 4 years, so I still remember that first trip back. I miss the old Islands of Adventure honestly. I think they need to add a few more flat rides. Some S&S Swings, a Huss Giant Frisbee or something like that.
I truly hope they refresh this land, it is magical. Maybe one of the best mini parks with potential for more. My little Whovians absolutely loved it when they were small(this was back when everything worked). It was a place they felt was especially for them. Suess is truly classic and always will be.
Agreed with everything in this video. Islands is my favorite theme park I’ve ever been to, and I always love the feeling of walking into Seuss Landing. The Cat in The Hat and Sky Trolly ride are underrated imo, as are all the details across the land, like the no straight lines. The Cat ride needs a refurb tho 😭 hopefully soon
This video actually did help me appreciate this land more. I'm also surprised other theme park enthusiasts don't talk about the theming in this park more. Thank you for this video!
I've only been to Universal once and it was in 2015. Thsi land is memorable to me because my mom really liked it. She is a huge disney fan and a fan of the more laid back and not as intense lands to this really appealed to her. I enjoyed it a lot too.
Something interesting about the Cat In The Hat ride that I never knew about until I actually went on it: In the scene where the Things are watching TV, there's a popcorn scent!
Couldn't agree more, I hope with the insane success of the Grinch meet and greet they see the demand for Seuss characters is still as strong as ever. I also think we don't praise The Cat In The Hat enough for how it transitions between scenes, I'd put it up there with any other dark ride with how naturally you flow between sets.
The only weird transition is between the Things throwing down the piano and the "CRASH" scene. I think it probably made more sense when the spinning profile was more intense, but otherwise, yeah I agree that the ride transitions extremely well.
Seuss Landing was so incredible and magical to me as a kid, I loved it so much more than anything at Disney! Love how you mentioned all those little details from the books throughout the land, there’s such a great sense of discovery. It definitely encouraged me to read more, among other things it contributed to a lifelong love of reading and art. Devastated to see it’s not well maintained and kids today won’t get to experience in its prime like I did. It’s really such a well crafted and unique place.
It’s incredible! So many Easter eggs scattered throughout. The wavy lines and strange shapes. Cat in the hat is one of my top five favorite rides at universal. I LOVE it and the trolley too.
Yes, I loooooove this area! Admittedly, I haven't spent as much time here as I need to -- mainly rushing through this area on my way to marathon Velocicoaster -- but even with a quick passthrough, I have always loved taking in the charmingly quirky visual aesthetic and music. The whole area is just so lovingly crafted, and the beach area is a nice, relaxing place to take a break.
In a similar vein, I also really enjoyed Toon Lagoon when I first visited IoA. Despite not growing up its characters (besides Popeye), it was so well themed and full of visual gags that my family and I loved it. We took tons of pictures posing under the speech bubbles and stuff.
The sky trolley is so much fun when the Christmas decorations are up. All the lights and decorations look magical at night. I always loved the land even tough as a European I know nothing about these books.
I love when Seuss landing gets some good rep. It’s been my favorite land ever since I was a child and I’m constantly made fun of for it to this day lol. I’m 21 now and I’ll never stop getting giddy about Seuss landing
Wonderful video, all of it true. This remains my strongest Universal opinion. There's no nostalgia I have for the works of Seuss, just for this area of the park- and it works all the same. Also your upload rate is something I could only dream of. Keep up the great work and thank you for putting Universal's money where its mouth is with this past glory.
I remember the first time our family went here right after the park opened. My youngest brother absolutely did not want to leave this land, they rode Cat in the Hat a dozen times with our mom while we explored the rest of the park with our dad. They didnt even have the sky trolley working (for several years, if I recall) When we came back, he had a green apple slushie. I already ordered a Sprite elsewhere, so I was very jealous of that slushie, I thought it tasted pretty good.
I took my 15 and 11 year old to IOA and Seuss landing had the best pictures of us having fun as a family. The best pictures are in the If I Ran the circus attraction. This area is great. @Poseidon I wish you highlighted the area at night. It has some of the best night time lighting in Orlando.
Love Seuss! Will admit we first went there because we needed something my 3 year old would like and go on the rides. But now I absolutely love the rides and theming. Can’t go to Universal without some solid time there, especially with the new food options (love the pizza pasta).
Great video! Seuss Landing looks like such a whimsical place from the video; I thoroughly enjoyed the colors, designs. Universal really puts a lot of effort into making this land as detailed as possible; you feel fully immersed within the world of Dr. Seuss. Sad to think what will happen when Epic Universe opens.
I think of the old lands in Islands, it's probably the safest, other than Port of Entry. I can see Jurassic Park eventually getting a Jurassic World retheme, I'm sure that Lost Continent will go next and between Seuss Landing and Toon Lagoon, I think Toon is the more likely to be rethemed. If anything, Epic has shown that by converting into a true multi-day resort, Universal has pivoted a bit back towards younger kids with How To Train Your Dragon, Villain-Con and DreamWorks Land, so it only makes sense to preserve Seuss Landing or even add something to it.
This was my biggest surprise coming in to visit Islands for the first time, having heard most about the Harry Potter area, Velocicoaster, and Spiderman. I just wish this area and the comics area were kept up with the same love and care as the more popular lands.
I enjoy discovering all the cool little details of the decor from your video. I have to admit, we just walked through this land both times because being raised in French, I'm not really familiar with Dr. Seuss' body of work - I learned more about it in later life through the movies, so a lot of the references go over my head. We did have lunch at the circus-themed restaurant in 2020 as we were looking to escape the crowds and it was very quiet. (Probably it cost close to $20 for a glass of soda and a piece of pizza that was well-below average.) I did think the decor was really cool and wished that we had time to ride the little train going above the restaurant. We're going back to Florida this fall, hopefully, we have a bit of free time to explore and ride the Cat in the Hat dark ride
I feel like one of the things that makes Islands of Adventure special is all the smaller almost hidden areas. On my most recent visit, I was amazed by the detailed caves in Camp Jurassic and how much fun it is to soak riders on Popeyes on Me Ship, The Olive. I’ll definitely have to explore Seuss landing more the next time I visit!
I agree, the park is full of things to discover and has a lot more depth than most people realize. Even as someone who has been going my entire life, I've only just discovered many specific details within just the last few years.
The sky Seuss trolly was a missed opportunity to tell the Sneech story. Especially in this day and age where we have a Sylvester McMonkey McBean type running for President.
This land is underrated. It has a nice charm and make you feel you jump right into the world of Dr. Seuss. I remember when this opened, the cat in the hat attraction use to spin a lot and was so much fun! I hope they get that attraction a refurbishment. Bring back the spinning part of the ride where it was a bit of a thrill.
I definitely think it qualifies as an immersive land, because it evokes that sense of place. Seuss' stories all felt like they took place in sort of the same setting but also no setting, and even if it's just a lack of coherence that liminality does work with the park. I went as a kid and was blown away, and when I went back on a trip to see the Harry Potter land I was surprised that Seuss was just as immersive as I remembered and stood well next to it.
This was always my favorite land in IoA when I was little, and even as an adult it’s still my favorite! 😆 It’s just overflowing with super fun detail and aesthetics, and seeing how it faithfully recreates Seuss’ art style in every way imaginable is amazing! (Plus the High in the Sky Seuss Trolly Train Ride is genuinely so much fun and I will die on this hill)
Camp jurassic is epic even for adults. Me and my brother were there for the GCX afterparty. Camp jurassic at night is surprisingly cool. Me and my brother agreeing that the designers didn't need to go so hard with waterfalls, geysers, fire torches, water cannons and more. Zoo and olive are just as crazy.
I would really like to see more attractions like Camp Jurassic at other parks too. I think the issue is that many explorable areas are built to the scale of kids, but as an adult, I still really enjoy Camp Jurassic and Tom Sawyer Island. I think these kinds of places are appealing to everybody, but they're rarely built.
Wow it’s sad to see the Zoo in such a sorry state. I worked there for a few years in the mid to late teens. We were always kind of the bottom of list when it came to maintenance because the zoo was such a low importance attraction, but it looks like a mess right now if everything is broken like you’re showing. Tickle toes was just called tickle toes by everyone I worked with btw, so I think that’s his name. It’s nice to see someone enjoy the theming in the zoo though. As for the lot next to the cat in the hat I’ve heard a dozen different rumors for an attraction to go there. Grinch coaster, grinch dark ride, a The Lorax dark ride, and ‘something to do with Horton’ were always what seemed most popular, not that anyone I talked to had any reason for the rumor other than hearing it from someone else.
I’m so glad they’ve done some repairs - last time I was there (2018?) it was looking rough and I was worried it would be gone if I visited again. It’s such a fun area to wander around!
I have a video idea: comparing Universal and Disney lands. You could do avengers campus vs. Marvel superhero land, the upcoming villains lands from each park, and star wars vs. Harry potter.
No matter how old i get, 27 currently, a visit to Seuss Landing never gets missed, especially with the overhead trolly. It's such a nice area to unwind and touch the kid inside me (not like that). Never tried the food but if it's got your stamp of approval to try then so i must.
There used to be a few group's on Facebook all about making little crafts and hiding them through out the universal property that kinda made your day a scavenger hunt me and my girlfriend loved looking for and hiding these little gifts it really got you looking around and at all of the different details of the parks and exploring the lesser gone areas
I remember watching a documentary about the construction of Islands of Adventure and have always remembered the feeling of awe whilst learning how much attention to detail they put into Seuss Landing. No straight lines… 😅
I spent a LOT of time in theme parks growing up and IOA always felt the most immersive and special to my little kid brain. I really hope they can find a way to maintain it and bring it back to it's glory days.
Attraction Ideas did a whole overview of One Fish, Two fish, just shows how underrated this land is. Also, this says if Suess Trolley is a roller coaster, then its actually 2 credits
Seussl landing is genuinly my fave theme park land next to Pandora. instumbled upon it by accident with two of my friends on a school track trip because we were too scared to go on a hulk ride with our friend and we ended up having alot of fun
I remember the last time I was there, I needed a smoke break while my dad was in that ungodly Starbucks line, and the closest one happened to border Dr. Seuss Land. It was the first time I'd ever had a reason to walk around the land (which I feel says a lot) and I was bummed I'd never spent any time there before. I'm a sucker for unique architecture and cool water features, and the smoking zone I finally found had some of the best views of the lagoon and Hulk coaster. Would recommend if you can deal with the tobacco smell and weird glances smokers tend to give, great photo op without any crowds.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yeah, kinda on that little peninsula. Got some of my best photos there as well. Next time I go I want to try and see if I can get a photo of me on the cobra roll lol
I just want the Cat In The Hat back to the way it used to be before a kid got flung out. I used to ride it all the time but not anymore, it took all the fun out not spinning as fast.
I worked on the ride when it opened. The kid getting thrown out is an urban legend. The entire track is covered by cameras and two people are on watch in the control room at all times. If we saw someone in distress we had a emergency shutdown button that would instantly stop the ride. They calmed the spinning because people were getting motion sickness and constantly puking all over the place. I'd say a good 70% of the times the ride was down in those early days was because we were cleaning up vomit.
@@deeconstruction8163 , thanks for the info. I had heard that years ago. I understand that posting a motion sickness sign on a children’s attraction doesn’t sound to appealing to the masses but I loved it.
I happen to agree with your One of Best Lands. When being in a themed land becomes an attraction in and of itself - not just the rides - then it adds a ton to the experience. And Seuss Landing fits that def. for us.
The Grinchmas show isn't just held in "one of the soundstages", it's in one of the Nickelodeon Studios soundstages. Being able to be inside Nick Studios again makes me happy, and that's on top of seeing one of the best theatrical productions in any theme park.
I swear The cat in the hat ride used to spin more aggressively. It was actually quite fun in that one section of the ride. Now I feel like it barely spins.
As a kid, this was my favorite area in the park and I would spend HOURS in the play area. The eyes saying 'pssst over here' terrified me, but I mostly spent my time in the water area. Now that I'm much older (I was born the same year this park opened), this area of the park is my favorite to walk through and sit around in when I need to take a break and relax.
I’d love to see you do an analysis of Toon Lagoon as well! I feel like a ton of the details go over people’s heads in that area. While it’s not really relevant now source material wise, I think it’s a rare theme park land that can now almost be seen as slightly catering towards the elderly. I love going through with my grandfather and letting him spot all the little references. The water rides are also just in general some of the best in Orlando and both are really fun theming wise too. Toon Lagoon is sooooo overlooked in my opinon.
I moved from the Midwest to Orlando in July of 1998, to both go to college and start my professional career. When I did, I was already a big theme park fan. So one of the first things that I did was to get a Universal annual pass. CityWalk and IOA were both being built and nearing completion, and within just a few months I was given the option to upgrade my pass to both parks at very minimal cost. During that late fall and into December, before the official opening in January, my friend and I went to that park a LOT during the soft open months. And man was it fun. It wasn’t well known, so the park was pretty much near empty and you could go on rides over and over with no lines. For months we did this, and even after officially opening, the park was still lightly trafficked. It was such an exciting and fun time. The park was shiny new, Universal was even only 8-9 years old, CityWalk was built and open, and Universal finally had its own nicer hotels with Portofino and Hard Rock, with Royal Pacific on its way. Seuss Landing honestly was always an area I had less interest in as a (then) 20-21 year old, but I still appreciated its design and charm. There just wasn’t as much to do there I felt. I can remember for I think 10 full years, the High in the Sky Trolley track was there, but there were not vehicles, queue, or ride. It was this weird point of fascination you’d look at thinking “What’s that? Where do you get on? Why don’t I see any vehicles.” When it finally opened it was kind of satisfying, but I couldn’t believe how long it was just the empty track. Another Seuss memory I have is that originally the Green Eggs & Ham place actually served green eggs and ham. The eggs just had green food coloring or something in them. Always thought that was cool, but within I forget many years they stopped serving it. Because?? Who knows? Health code violation? Grossing people out? I have no clue. I had my pass for a good 16 years in a row or more, but eventually started to lose interest and see some quality issues, as well as living right next to Disney and it being smarter to have a pass there. But man do I miss those earliest years of IOA, CityWalk, and Universal.
I love that Universal used bent palm trees that were damaged in Hurricane Andrew when they were building Seuss Landing. Probably one of the most ingenious decisions ever made in theme park construction (modern Disney could never lmao)
Disney would just dump millions into genetically modifing trees than naturally grow bent, then after figuring it out, just decide not to use it because watering the trees would cost too much money.
"It's disappointing that much of Islands isn't maintained as it should be."
And THAT is the main issue that Universal continues to face. They keep up the shiny popular areas but are inconsistent elsewhere. Disney's upkeep has certainly slipped over the past 10 or so years, which was once unthinkable. But Universal needs to take that old Disney level of attention to every corner of the parks. Imagine a Seuss Landing that was given as much love as Diagon Alley.
Yeah, Seuss Landing hasn't been updated since opening. II think they've only really kept up with painting but nothing else. The palm trees have sure grown in nicely. Those were all taken from Hurricane Andrew locations and is why they're so twisted. They really should add a new ride or two, as well. I guess they did manage to finally open the opening day attraction that didn't open until like 2010. The trolleys above the land. It's a good ride. Cat in the Hat was my favorite ride as even a teenager, so it's always been my favorite area of the park.
Or toon lagoon, there was pigeons living in ripsaw falls when I rode it recently
I've been trying to figure out why USF feels so neglected. you hit the nail on the head. The favorites get rewarded while less attended attractions continue to fall further behind.
It's not just about popularity. In the HP contract that leaked a few years ago, there's a clause to the effect of (can't remember exact words) "investment must be made to keep Hogsmeade a world class theme park land on penalty of losing the license". I suspect the Marvel contract has similar wording, given that it's the only other land at IOA they keep in good condition. Basically, I think Universal maintains what their contracts say they have to and let everything else go to shit.
I came here to say the same thing. Universal's maintenance is sorely lacking. Suess Landing was rundown for years. Jurassic Park as well, although JP did finally get a little love when the new movies were released. Marvel Super Hero Island and Toon Lagoon both look faded, dated and sad. Although I have always enjoyed the Lost Continent land, without Poseidon's Fury, there is nothing much there.
Fans brag about Universal's new Epic Universe, but another theme park just diverts more funds from maintaining Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Universal has a sad habit of waiting until an area looks nearly dilapidated before performing maintenance & repairs.
Parks fans scoff at play areas but they really underestimate how wonderful these areas are for kids. My fondest childhood memories of the parks arent of the rides, but the hours I spent running around and playing pretend with other kids in the immersive play areas. I would happily spend half the day there, compared to having to wait in a long boring line just to experience 2 minutes of fun and thrills... you can see the immense entertainment value these places have for kids, and how important they are.
Has me nostalgic for The Boneyard in Dinoland. Sad It'll be gone very soon.
one of my favourite places in disneyland paris as a child was the pizza planet restaurant. it was just a pizza restaurant with big plastic toy story characters in the play area but i never wanted to leave.
@@techedout1459 The boneyard in dinoland and the dragon-themed play area in busch gardens... my childhood😢
Honey I shrunk the kids at MGM 😢 I loved playing there. And now that I have kids, Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom and the Boneyard at Animal Kingdom are the favorites. So sad to lose both.
The old Dragon Land at Busch Gardens Tampa was my favorite place as a kid. Every time I went back as I was older I always skipped that land and went to the coasters. But I recently went back with my 1 year old daughter (now with it rethemed as Sesame Street) and all the play areas were as I remembered 20 years ago. It reminded me just how much fun I had
Never have I been this early for a Poseidon video. Still recommending Poseidon doing a video series designing his own theme park from scratch
Love to see it in planet coaster
Planet coaster 2 coming out this fall. It would be great to see him collab with one of the super great builders in the planet games like @rudirenkamel to design it.
poseidon and bright sun together would be dream team
Maybe Paramountain?
I’d pay money to watch it.
Crazy how with like four effects not working the If I Ran The Zoo walk through still has more interesting and satisfying environmental interactions than all of Galaxy's Edge.
I had a super memorable experience at Seuss a couple years ago. It was right around sunset and all the major outdoor rides had been shut down for weather. I wandered into Seuss at first as a way to get from Jurassic to Marvel, but I ended up being really stricken by how the light was hitting the Seuss buildings. It was truly a "golden hour" photography moment. Instead of just rushing to the nearest major indoor attraction, I ended up spending most of the last hour the park was open exploring every square inch of the land. I discovered stuff like the Lorax set piece or Horton's corner that I just straight up didn't know existed and must have walked right past countless times. I just chilled on Sneech Beach listening to the entire radio broadcast. It was absolutely one of the most "zen" hours I've ever spent at a theme park.
I somehow did not catch that there was a radio broadcast down there.
That's awesome! My favorite detail on the beach is that one of the Sneeches has a copy of "If I Ran the Zoo." I wish more guests took the time to see everything like you did.
As a ride and show tech at trolley, caro and fish, videos like these make me appreciate my rides just that much more to see that people still like them.
I was part of the original Ride & Show crew for Cat in the Hat back in '99. Hearing that Seuss Landing is starting to fall apart really has me feeling my age.
My one and only visit to the park was as a 6 year old with my family in 1999, I was obsessed with the Cat in the Hat ride and probably drove my parents crazy with my insistence on repeat rides. Have very strong memories of the whole land, and especially being sad/mad that the trolley ride was closed!
@@kandinski_ Oh you were far from the only person disappointed about that and we working the other Suess Landing rides heard about it every day!! The ride was originally going to be called Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines and it was a nightmare for Universal. They put up the tracks, but during the testing phase of the ride they realized that in several spots, if it broke down, people would be stuck 15 feet above Seuss Landing with no safe way to get down. So they delayed the opening...and delayed it...and delayed it...and every day we would have to explain, dozens of times, that it wasn't open yet, but it was coming soon, without actually telling anyone why it was taking so long. SEVEN YEARS LATER, long after I had moved on in my career, they redesigned and updated the ride system and it finally opened.
@@deeconstruction8163 I didn't realize that the ride opened so late. I know it didn't open with the park, but I thought it had only been delayed by a year or so. That's interesting to learn though
@@PoseidonEntertainment Sky trolley opened in 2006 believe it or not
Seuss Landing is absolutely underrated. The first time I visited Islands of Adventure was as an adult with kids. I adore that land. The details and overall aesthetic are fantastic. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train is amazing and even breathtaking when you go by the water.
Not that this is an inherent feature of the land but my kids loved meeting the Whos. And by some magical miracle, when we walked through the land later during the day the Whos were still there and remembered my kid's names. It made them beam for the rest of the day and my wife and I were beyond impressed. I don't want to give the impression that this will happen in every case. But it meant a lot to us and really added to the magic.
The Holiday season is definitely a highlight of the land too. I didn't have much footage to really elaborate on it, but the Who's are great
Finally someone said it! I've been thinking about this part of the park since I saw it for the first time in 2022, and I thought it was so thoroughly cool and well thought out.
Everyone talks about how the Harry Potter sections are novel fully immersive exhibits, while this Seuss land set the bar years before. They didn't just take the properties and show them to you again, (looking at you, Disney) they ripped the Seuss worlds right out of the books and put you in them.
Seuss Landing is definitely one of the most charming themed lands I've visited in a theme park, maybe the _most_ charming. On my visit to the Islands earlier this year, I took more time than before to explore and experience the attractions I've never done in the past, namely If I Ran the Zoo, One Fish, Two Fish, and the Caro-Seuss-El, and naturally The Cat in the Hat and the Seuss Trolley Train Ride are still one of my favorite dark rides and one of my favorite transport rides respectively. Not to mention, the infectious music I've listened to off the park's soundtrack winds up sounding even better when you're surrounded by all those colors, shapes, creatures, and buildings in person. The fact Audrey Geisel was so happy, literally joyful with what Universal Creative did with Seuss Landing even before the park opened just says it all about this island. It's a truly wholesome place.
And would you believe me
If I were to tell
My first roundabout
Was the Caro-Seuss-El?
Let's not forget the music in the Cat in the Hat parking garage. I've had the Green Eggs and Ham song stuck in my head all day!
i love the cat and the hat queue description of "the coldest air conditioning you'll find in the state of florida" lmao. Although, i would argue that the single rider line specifically for men in black is the coldest on the planet.
The truth is somewhere between the two lol
the seuss landing dark ride is unironically great and almost NEVER has a wait time. And since it's right at the front of the park its usually one of the first places I go. Never thought to appreciate the theming of seuss landing, almost because guests seem to overlook it... its almost always dead. This vid is great in highlighting just how good it is. Nice work.
I like how you gave Seuss landing a chance. Will definitely be experiencing it's attractions next time I go.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I was part of the opening cast of the Seuss show when the park first opened. Since they provided no shade for the audience, very few people got to experience the delight of seeing the Grinch's heart grow when a small child volunteer learned to share with him. Sadly, that show closed and we moved inside Circus McGurkus with a song-along show. Lots of great memories!
One thing I’ve always wanted was a kinetic interactive play area with older kids and even adults in mind.
The Boston science museum is essentially what I’m describing lol but imagine true family play area? Why isn’t there a Tri-Wizard tournament show/experience with audience participation? Or a Jurassic park walkthrough/jungle maze with Dino jump scares? Why not have interactive stage shows themed to different classes in Harry Potter? Maybe there’s an interactive potions class you take and the potions students/the audience makes are essentially sodas or non-alcoholic cocktails with magically labeled ingredients.
There’s a lot of cool interactive ideas that would be fun without having to be massive budget thrill rides. Just seems like a lot of missed opportunities.
One of my favorite memories of Universal is sitting in the bookshop of this land and just reading the books. Really got me to feel the playful mood and I did start exploring the land afterwards.
The sky trolly in Seuss Landing is truly a must for me and my friends. If you go at sunset you get such pretty views as well
22:40 I remember the Ice slide! I was a younger teen then, and it was one of our first visits when we moved back to Orlando from Tampa. We had been doing BUsch Gardens for those 4 years, so I still remember that first trip back. I miss the old Islands of Adventure honestly. I think they need to add a few more flat rides. Some S&S Swings, a Huss Giant Frisbee or something like that.
I am really looking forward to seeing all the new themed lands at Epic Universe. I hope Universal’s products just keep on getting better.
I truly hope they refresh this land, it is magical. Maybe one of the best mini parks with potential for more. My little Whovians absolutely loved it when they were small(this was back when everything worked). It was a place they felt was especially for them. Suess is truly classic and always will be.
Agreed with everything in this video. Islands is my favorite theme park I’ve ever been to, and I always love the feeling of walking into Seuss Landing. The Cat in The Hat and Sky Trolly ride are underrated imo, as are all the details across the land, like the no straight lines. The Cat ride needs a refurb tho 😭 hopefully soon
This video actually did help me appreciate this land more. I'm also surprised other theme park enthusiasts don't talk about the theming in this park more. Thank you for this video!
Ah, the perfect coffee accompaniment
Finally someone else who appreciates the Cat in the Hat dark ride.
First and only time I went to Universal (at 18), I was floored by how amazing and on theme Seuss Landing was!
Took my kids to Islands of Adventure last year and this was a highlight for them. They loved it
I've only been to Universal once and it was in 2015. Thsi land is memorable to me because my mom really liked it. She is a huge disney fan and a fan of the more laid back and not as intense lands to this really appealed to her. I enjoyed it a lot too.
Just from the title alone you can easily tell this is going to be an extremely based video!
Something interesting about the Cat In The Hat ride that I never knew about until I actually went on it: In the scene where the Things are watching TV, there's a popcorn scent!
Yeah, it's inconsistent, but a fun effect. I always like scent in rides and I wish it was more common.
Couldn't agree more, I hope with the insane success of the Grinch meet and greet they see the demand for Seuss characters is still as strong as ever. I also think we don't praise The Cat In The Hat enough for how it transitions between scenes, I'd put it up there with any other dark ride with how naturally you flow between sets.
The only weird transition is between the Things throwing down the piano and the "CRASH" scene. I think it probably made more sense when the spinning profile was more intense, but otherwise, yeah I agree that the ride transitions extremely well.
Totally agree Seuss Landing is underrated. I've been to Islands of Adventure once and the experience of this land really stuck with me.
Seuss Landing was so incredible and magical to me as a kid, I loved it so much more than anything at Disney! Love how you mentioned all those little details from the books throughout the land, there’s such a great sense of discovery. It definitely encouraged me to read more, among other things it contributed to a lifelong love of reading and art.
Devastated to see it’s not well maintained and kids today won’t get to experience in its prime like I did. It’s really such a well crafted and unique place.
It’s incredible! So many Easter eggs scattered throughout. The wavy lines and strange shapes.
Cat in the hat is one of my top five favorite rides at universal. I LOVE it and the trolley too.
Yes, I loooooove this area! Admittedly, I haven't spent as much time here as I need to -- mainly rushing through this area on my way to marathon Velocicoaster -- but even with a quick passthrough, I have always loved taking in the charmingly quirky visual aesthetic and music. The whole area is just so lovingly crafted, and the beach area is a nice, relaxing place to take a break.
In a similar vein, I also really enjoyed Toon Lagoon when I first visited IoA. Despite not growing up its characters (besides Popeye), it was so well themed and full of visual gags that my family and I loved it. We took tons of pictures posing under the speech bubbles and stuff.
I think this is the earliest I've ever been here
Me too
fr
The sky trolley is so much fun when the Christmas decorations are up. All the lights and decorations look magical at night. I always loved the land even tough as a European I know nothing about these books.
I swear I was going to mention in a post on last weeks video that Disney should take inspiration for Seuss land at Universal. Great video!
I love when Seuss landing gets some good rep. It’s been my favorite land ever since I was a child and I’m constantly made fun of for it to this day lol. I’m 21 now and I’ll never stop getting giddy about Seuss landing
Wonderful video, all of it true. This remains my strongest Universal opinion. There's no nostalgia I have for the works of Seuss, just for this area of the park- and it works all the same.
Also your upload rate is something I could only dream of. Keep up the great work and thank you for putting Universal's money where its mouth is with this past glory.
I remember the first time our family went here right after the park opened. My youngest brother absolutely did not want to leave this land, they rode Cat in the Hat a dozen times with our mom while we explored the rest of the park with our dad. They didnt even have the sky trolley working (for several years, if I recall) When we came back, he had a green apple slushie. I already ordered a Sprite elsewhere, so I was very jealous of that slushie, I thought it tasted pretty good.
This has always been one of my faves lands ever 🙌🙌 glad you did this video
I took my 15 and 11 year old to IOA and Seuss landing had the best pictures of us having fun as a family. The best pictures are in the If I Ran the circus attraction. This area is great.
@Poseidon I wish you highlighted the area at night. It has some of the best night time lighting in Orlando.
Seuss landing was pure magic when I took my kids a yr ago. Me and my wife loved it too, but it helps when our kids are enjoying.
Thanks for putting this lovely place into the spotlight ! I never heard about before, but it seems so unique.
Suess Landing is severely underrated and it’s one of my favorites in the park!
Great video!!
I have so many fond memories of If I Ran the Zoo from my childhood. I couldn't wait to go to Islands of Adventure to spend hours in Seus' Landing.
As a lifelong fan of Seuss Landing, it would be the first place I'd go to and explore thoroughly when I go to Universal someday.
When I came to Seuss landing in 2006 for the first time, it changed my life as a kid
Love Seuss! Will admit we first went there because we needed something my 3 year old would like and go on the rides. But now I absolutely love the rides and theming. Can’t go to Universal without some solid time there, especially with the new food options (love the pizza pasta).
I must say I’m always impressed with your writing structure, you clearly put a lot of effort into what you do :))
Great video! Seuss Landing looks like such a whimsical place from the video; I thoroughly enjoyed the colors, designs. Universal really puts a lot of effort into making this land as detailed as possible; you feel fully immersed within the world of Dr. Seuss. Sad to think what will happen when Epic Universe opens.
I think of the old lands in Islands, it's probably the safest, other than Port of Entry. I can see Jurassic Park eventually getting a Jurassic World retheme, I'm sure that Lost Continent will go next and between Seuss Landing and Toon Lagoon, I think Toon is the more likely to be rethemed. If anything, Epic has shown that by converting into a true multi-day resort, Universal has pivoted a bit back towards younger kids with How To Train Your Dragon, Villain-Con and DreamWorks Land, so it only makes sense to preserve Seuss Landing or even add something to it.
This was my biggest surprise coming in to visit Islands for the first time, having heard most about the Harry Potter area, Velocicoaster, and Spiderman. I just wish this area and the comics area were kept up with the same love and care as the more popular lands.
I enjoy discovering all the cool little details of the decor from your video. I have to admit, we just walked through this land both times because being raised in French, I'm not really familiar with Dr. Seuss' body of work - I learned more about it in later life through the movies, so a lot of the references go over my head. We did have lunch at the circus-themed restaurant in 2020 as we were looking to escape the crowds and it was very quiet. (Probably it cost close to $20 for a glass of soda and a piece of pizza that was well-below average.) I did think the decor was really cool and wished that we had time to ride the little train going above the restaurant. We're going back to Florida this fall, hopefully, we have a bit of free time to explore and ride the Cat in the Hat dark ride
I feel like one of the things that makes Islands of Adventure special is all the smaller almost hidden areas. On my most recent visit, I was amazed by the detailed caves in Camp Jurassic and how much fun it is to soak riders on Popeyes on Me Ship, The Olive. I’ll definitely have to explore Seuss landing more the next time I visit!
I agree, the park is full of things to discover and has a lot more depth than most people realize. Even as someone who has been going my entire life, I've only just discovered many specific details within just the last few years.
@@PoseidonEntertainmentI just moved here to Orlando so I cannot wait to explore it even more!
I didn't even know this place existed but from a theming point of view this is absolutely amazing!
The sky Seuss trolly was a missed opportunity to tell the Sneech story. Especially in this day and age where we have a Sylvester McMonkey McBean type running for President.
Really refreshing seeing a more positive topic. Well done work once again.
Closed out the park in Seuss Landing a few years ago. Enjoyed every inch of it too
Your voice is the best to fall asleep to all your videos I watch twice going to bed
This land is underrated. It has a nice charm and make you feel you jump right into the world of Dr. Seuss. I remember when this opened, the cat in the hat attraction use to spin a lot and was so much fun! I hope they get that attraction a refurbishment. Bring back the spinning part of the ride where it was a bit of a thrill.
I definitely think it qualifies as an immersive land, because it evokes that sense of place. Seuss' stories all felt like they took place in sort of the same setting but also no setting, and even if it's just a lack of coherence that liminality does work with the park. I went as a kid and was blown away, and when I went back on a trip to see the Harry Potter land I was surprised that Seuss was just as immersive as I remembered and stood well next to it.
Wow, one hour after posting I’m watching. You’re amazing! I have been watching your channel for years.
This was always my favorite land in IoA when I was little, and even as an adult it’s still my favorite! 😆 It’s just overflowing with super fun detail and aesthetics, and seeing how it faithfully recreates Seuss’ art style in every way imaginable is amazing! (Plus the High in the Sky Seuss Trolly Train Ride is genuinely so much fun and I will die on this hill)
Camp jurassic is epic even for adults. Me and my brother were there for the GCX afterparty.
Camp jurassic at night is surprisingly cool. Me and my brother agreeing that the designers didn't need to go so hard with waterfalls, geysers, fire torches, water cannons and more.
Zoo and olive are just as crazy.
I would really like to see more attractions like Camp Jurassic at other parks too. I think the issue is that many explorable areas are built to the scale of kids, but as an adult, I still really enjoy Camp Jurassic and Tom Sawyer Island. I think these kinds of places are appealing to everybody, but they're rarely built.
I always thought this land looked cool (and have never been to Florida). Thank you so much for the tour!!
I grew up going to IOA and I remember this land in it’s full glory with everything functioning and it was my favorite land for a long time
Suess landing is a great area to relax away from the crowds and a place to hop on a ride very quickly when you can't figure out what to do next.
Thank you! I always thought I was the only one who loved Dr Seuss that much.
The land during Christmas is SOOO MAGICAL 🙌
Wow it’s sad to see the Zoo in such a sorry state. I worked there for a few years in the mid to late teens. We were always kind of the bottom of list when it came to maintenance because the zoo was such a low importance attraction, but it looks like a mess right now if everything is broken like you’re showing. Tickle toes was just called tickle toes by everyone I worked with btw, so I think that’s his name. It’s nice to see someone enjoy the theming in the zoo though.
As for the lot next to the cat in the hat I’ve heard a dozen different rumors for an attraction to go there. Grinch coaster, grinch dark ride, a The Lorax dark ride, and ‘something to do with Horton’ were always what seemed most popular, not that anyone I talked to had any reason for the rumor other than hearing it from someone else.
I have not grown up with Dr Seuss tales but this land looks very cute and visually interesting 🤗
I wish you did one of these videos for each land in Universal Studios/IOA. I live for the little details. Great video as always
I'm kind of considering it. It would be fun to do over time
I always liked Seuss Landing. Especially the tiny quiet nooks and the hurricane palm trees
I’m so glad they’ve done some repairs - last time I was there (2018?) it was looking rough and I was worried it would be gone if I visited again. It’s such a fun area to wander around!
I have a video idea: comparing Universal and Disney lands. You could do avengers campus vs. Marvel superhero land, the upcoming villains lands from each park, and star wars vs. Harry potter.
No matter how old i get, 27 currently, a visit to Seuss Landing never gets missed, especially with the overhead trolly. It's such a nice area to unwind and touch the kid inside me (not like that). Never tried the food but if it's got your stamp of approval to try then so i must.
There used to be a few group's on Facebook all about making little crafts and hiding them through out the universal property that kinda made your day a scavenger hunt me and my girlfriend loved looking for and hiding these little gifts it really got you looking around and at all of the different details of the parks and exploring the lesser gone areas
I think more people need to stop and just explore this park. It's awesome how many cool things are hidden everywhere.
@PoseidonEntertainment most definitely i love looking around the jurassic park section of ioa for parts of the old lore they made up for the land
Seuss land is great! So much fun everywhere!
Great land, great details, great content. Thanks
I remember watching a documentary about the construction of Islands of Adventure and have always remembered the feeling of awe whilst learning how much attention to detail they put into Seuss Landing. No straight lines… 😅
The Hop on Pop Sundae on a Stick is a fantastic desert! They also sell root beer floats there.
I've never actually tried any of the sweet food, so I'll have to go out of my way to do so
Still hoping to get down to universal Florida next year to go to Seuss landing. My daughter loves Dr Seuss and an addition to it would be awesome.
I spent a LOT of time in theme parks growing up and IOA always felt the most immersive and special to my little kid brain. I really hope they can find a way to maintain it and bring it back to it's glory days.
Attraction Ideas did a whole overview of One Fish, Two fish, just shows how underrated this land is. Also, this says if Suess Trolley is a roller coaster, then its actually 2 credits
I didn't catch that video, but it's good to see the land getting love from other people too
So much I missed here! Already loved it before this video but now I’m ready to go back
Seussl landing is genuinly my fave theme park land next to Pandora. instumbled upon it by accident with two of my friends on a school track trip because we were too scared to go on a hulk ride with our friend and we ended up having alot of fun
I remember the last time I was there, I needed a smoke break while my dad was in that ungodly Starbucks line, and the closest one happened to border Dr. Seuss Land. It was the first time I'd ever had a reason to walk around the land (which I feel says a lot) and I was bummed I'd never spent any time there before. I'm a sucker for unique architecture and cool water features, and the smoking zone I finally found had some of the best views of the lagoon and Hulk coaster. Would recommend if you can deal with the tobacco smell and weird glances smokers tend to give, great photo op without any crowds.
Down by the water in Port of Entry? I've gone down there just for the footage
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yeah, kinda on that little peninsula. Got some of my best photos there as well. Next time I go I want to try and see if I can get a photo of me on the cobra roll lol
Definitely a fan of this land, and especially the tots, one fish two fish, and the high in the sky trolley.
I just want the Cat In The Hat back to the way it used to be before a kid got flung out. I used to ride it all the time but not anymore, it took all the fun out not spinning as fast.
I worked on the ride when it opened. The kid getting thrown out is an urban legend. The entire track is covered by cameras and two people are on watch in the control room at all times. If we saw someone in distress we had a emergency shutdown button that would instantly stop the ride. They calmed the spinning because people were getting motion sickness and constantly puking all over the place. I'd say a good 70% of the times the ride was down in those early days was because we were cleaning up vomit.
@@deeconstruction8163 , thanks for the info. I had heard that years ago. I understand that posting a motion sickness sign on a children’s attraction doesn’t sound to appealing to the masses but I loved it.
Nostalgia hits me really hard when I’m in this land. I’ve always enjoyed it
I happen to agree with your One of Best Lands. When being in a themed land becomes an attraction in and of itself - not just the rides - then it adds a ton to the experience. And Seuss Landing fits that def. for us.
The Grinchmas show isn't just held in "one of the soundstages", it's in one of the Nickelodeon Studios soundstages. Being able to be inside Nick Studios again makes me happy, and that's on top of seeing one of the best theatrical productions in any theme park.
12:02 I remember that tunnel, I remember the ground being SUPER hot and it was hard to crawl.
This is still my favorite land in Islands of Adventure, simply because there’s so much to discover and observe even outside of the rides
I swear The cat in the hat ride used to spin more aggressively. It was actually quite fun in that one section of the ride. Now I feel like it barely spins.
As a kid, this was my favorite area in the park and I would spend HOURS in the play area. The eyes saying 'pssst over here' terrified me, but I mostly spent my time in the water area. Now that I'm much older (I was born the same year this park opened), this area of the park is my favorite to walk through and sit around in when I need to take a break and relax.
I didn't really think about it, but yeah, I can see how young kids can spend a lot of time just playing in the water
I’d love to see you do an analysis of Toon Lagoon as well! I feel like a ton of the details go over people’s heads in that area. While it’s not really relevant now source material wise, I think it’s a rare theme park land that can now almost be seen as slightly catering towards the elderly. I love going through with my grandfather and letting him spot all the little references. The water rides are also just in general some of the best in Orlando and both are really fun theming wise too. Toon Lagoon is sooooo overlooked in my opinon.
I agree that it's overlooked and I'll probably do a video on it eventually
I moved from the Midwest to Orlando in July of 1998, to both go to college and start my professional career. When I did, I was already a big theme park fan. So one of the first things that I did was to get a Universal annual pass. CityWalk and IOA were both being built and nearing completion, and within just a few months I was given the option to upgrade my pass to both parks at very minimal cost. During that late fall and into December, before the official opening in January, my friend and I went to that park a LOT during the soft open months. And man was it fun. It wasn’t well known, so the park was pretty much near empty and you could go on rides over and over with no lines. For months we did this, and even after officially opening, the park was still lightly trafficked. It was such an exciting and fun time. The park was shiny new, Universal was even only 8-9 years old, CityWalk was built and open, and Universal finally had its own nicer hotels with Portofino and Hard Rock, with Royal Pacific on its way. Seuss Landing honestly was always an area I had less interest in as a (then) 20-21 year old, but I still appreciated its design and charm. There just wasn’t as much to do there I felt. I can remember for I think 10 full years, the High in the Sky Trolley track was there, but there were not vehicles, queue, or ride. It was this weird point of fascination you’d look at thinking “What’s that? Where do you get on? Why don’t I see any vehicles.” When it finally opened it was kind of satisfying, but I couldn’t believe how long it was just the empty track. Another Seuss memory I have is that originally the Green Eggs & Ham place actually served green eggs and ham. The eggs just had green food coloring or something in them. Always thought that was cool, but within I forget many years they stopped serving it. Because?? Who knows? Health code violation? Grossing people out? I have no clue. I had my pass for a good 16 years in a row or more, but eventually started to lose interest and see some quality issues, as well as living right next to Disney and it being smarter to have a pass there. But man do I miss those earliest years of IOA, CityWalk, and Universal.