Australia Islands of Adventure: Seuss Landing
Open a Book, Open Up Your Imagination
Dr. Seuss often mentions that the greatest things about children where their imaginations, and here in land of some of his greatest stories, children and their families can mother their imaginations instead of smothering it. Unlike other versions of Dr. Seuss lands, Universal Australia has decided to focus more on the naturalistic environments and characters. With this approach, we hope to strike a balance between nature and urban like Seuss struck a balance between humor and teaching values in his stories. Opening Summer of 2020:
Truffula Tree Forest
Before even passing by the Seuss Landing sign, guests will notice the towering forests of the colorful Truffula Tree. Gone are the static representations of one of the most recognizable trees in all of Seuss’s stories. These trees are closer to their book counterparts with fluffy, silky leaves that move and shake about in the breeze. For the first time, guests can wander through a true forest of these famous trees, sit on benches and enjoy the songs of the Swomee-Swans that are piped in.There are many alcoves where simple pop up of Humming-Fish appear from nearby ponds and guests can see Bar-ba-loots dancing and playing as well.
However, guest may notice a street sign which is very peculiar seeing as it is the only one around. The name on the sign is The Street of the Lifted Lorax, and it is pointing down to a run down, old factory.
Universal Australia Creative Proudly Presents: Dr. Seuss's The Lorax: Flight of the Thneeds
Seuss Landing in Australia Islands of Adventure aims to be a very naturalistic area. With that in mind, the folks at Universal Creative decided to adapt perhaps the most personally beloved of any Dr. Seuss books, and the one that ties in closest to the themes of nature. That story is of course, The Lorax. As you make the transition from the Forbidden Forest into the Truffula Forest at the start of Seuss Landing, look to the left and you'll see a sign adorned with Thneeds, the infamous trendy product made out of Truffula leaves that has turned the side of the forest the queue for the attraction takes place in into a barren wasteland. At the top of the structure with the multi-colored Thneeds is a sign that spell's out the attraction's name. The sign is graffiti style across the actual sign of the location were entering...Oncler Industries.
Art by
@Jtuck
Guests wrap their way around the abandoned Thneed Factory were we see the last remaining Truffula trees. We also pass a polluted pond where the heads of sick Swammy Swans poke out every now and then to get a bit of sunshine that signs through the ruinous building. Passing through the factory we find ourselves in a field of Grickle Grass. The only creatures remaining are a few old crows on dead trees. Up on a hill is the infamous sight of the Oncler. Every once and a while a tin pot will come down asking for change to tell his story of how the Lorax was lifted away. He'll tell you, perhaps...if you're willing to pay.
Any proceeds from the pail are donated to charity to improve libraries in elementary schools and spread the message of Seuss to a new generation. This pail represents an interactive nature. You're sure to see guests either tossing change into the pail, or the well below it as you pass through the queue. This entices you forward to hear what the Oncler has to say. Of course, sharp eyed guests will notice the infamous beady eyes and green gloves of the Oncler himself poking out from the shuttered windows of his shack.
Art by
@Jtuck
We round a corner around the house on the hill and enter through the back side of the factory ruins towards our loading area. The ride vehicles will be Kuka arms designed to look like a multi-purpose Thneed wrapped around a wooden pole in a kite-like manner. The ride will load conveyor style which will lead to a capacity of upwards of 3,000 guests per hour. The loading area is a large series of gears and cogs of factory machines that have long since stopped working. Truffula moss colorfully grows into the metal creating a beautiful "nature overtaking machine" effect in the most Seussian of styles.
After boarding, your Thneed rounds a corner and were right at the core of the story...the moment where the Lorax lifts himself away from the forest home he once so proudly protected. You can see the oncler's gloves hidden behind an elaborate throne chair as the Lorax lectures him about how the Thneed factory has taken everything. And with that we get our first highlight...lifting up into the sky with the Lorax. This effect is achieved through the Kuka arms quickly spinning backwards and accelerating up a mild incline. Screens on both sides along with a Lorax AA that follows us upward help visualize the illusion of flight. The Lorax pleads that his tale is done. If anyone is left to to save the forest...were the ones!
And with that the Thneeds ascend downwards and into a polluted river. Screens appear all around us similar to Shanghai's Pirates ride as we see the river completely polluted and dying truffulas and discarded Thneeds pollute the water. The few remaining Humming Fish are scattered around desperately searching for fresh water. The Kuka arm raises out of the water and into the next show scene...the remains of the Trufula forest. We see a line of AA Brown Babaloots marching away from the forest. In the distance, we see the last Trufula tree fall to the ground. Wind picks up and were carried off to the Oncler Annex...
This is the highlight of the ride and contains literally HUNDREDS of Oncler gloves and beady eyes poking out from each and every corner of the giant Seussian apartment complex where the entire extended Oncler family is holed up after moving to the Trufula Forest to work in the Thneed Factory. This scene is both eerie and forboding as well as eye-catching and funny with all kinds of variations on hiding the faces of the different Oncler family members as our Thneeds fly through the windows of the apartments.
Our Thneed crashes into the side of the factory (a replica of the one we pass through in the queue) and we find ourselves in the heart of the Thneed assembly line. MASSIVE amounts of wasted Trufula material is piled all around the machines in all kinds of different colors. There's also a giant video screen showing commercials done in Disney World War II Propoganda style insisting that every good American needs a Thneed in their household. A thneed is a thneed for so many different things!
As we pass into another room of machinery, we see the Oncler himself come on the screens and start to taunt us. Machinery begins whirling on and we are caught in the middle as Thneed material starts to hopelessly get twisted up into the gears causing a serious malfunction. Alarms start blaring announcing a self destruct sequence. We can see the panic in the Oncler's beady eyes as he quickly flees from the room where he's filming his video feed.
We get launched into a finale where were flying through all kinds of shades of Truffula material that guests can reach out and touch. Emerging from the mess we see the factory completely overgrown by masses of Truffula material. The Lorax greets us at the edge of the river. The Thneeds have created a dam dividing the polluted water of the factory, and the water on the forest side is clear again. The Lorax thanks us and ponders that maybe indeed there is a Thneed for every need.
Exiting the ride we pass through a small Oncler shack that sells Thneeds, copies of The Lorax book, and most importantly Trufula Tree seeds calling back to the end of the book. Outside the attraction is a small Truffula tree that has started to grow as a promise of things to come. Speaking of promises of things to come, there is a noticably puff of white on the tree. Passing by, guests might be able to hear a faint voice...They might be hearing, a Who...perhaps. Stay tuned for more details in Phase Two.
Mt. Zorn
As guests make their way out of the Truffula Forest, they find themselves at the base of Mt. Zorn and the entrance to the boat ride Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
This will be a slow moving boat ride through some famous iconography of Dr. Seuss. Mostly inspired by imagery in the namesake book, guests will float peacefully past a sprawling extension of the naturalistic elements seen in other parts of the land.
Are your feet back on solid ground? Good, because the thought of where to go next looms, before guests notice a street sign pointing several different directions: Anville, Katroo, and Whoville. Since Anville looks to be too far away, and Katroo seems to be pointed straight to the top of Mt. Zorn, the only other place to go seems to be Whoville. So guests now head down the path through a hole suspiciously shaped like a snowflake through Mt. Zorn. Just on the other side, guests turn back to the mountain only to see they are now at the base of Mt. Crumpet.
Mt. Crumpet
Universal Australia Creative Presents
The Great Grinch Coaster
Tying in with the naturalistic theme of Seuss Landing, Islands of Adventure is proud to introduce a new family thrill ride through Mount Crumpit from Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
The experience begins when guests first enter Whoville. At the end of main street, beyond Mulbery Street and Doc's house, sits Mount Crumpit- a jagged, earthy peak contrasting the motifs of Whoville. A wooden, nailed together entryway serves to welcome guests to MT. CRUMPIT, or it would have, if it were not overtaken by the Grinch himself, as made evident by a white banner with sloppy painting spelling out THE GREAT GRINCH COASTER. The coaster track carries a sled full of riders above the entrance to the ride, and wilted, overgrown flower patches line the base of the snow-capped mountain.
Choosing either the Express Pass line or the Stand-By line, guests pass through a chilly tunnel lit by misshapen lamps. On the other side of the tunnel sits an old base camp, with tents and furniture resembling that of Whoville. The sleds of riders, sent by the Grinch, are seen rumbling over the edges and peaks of Mount Crumpit. Through use of forced perspective, the 100 foot mountain appears infinitely larger, shooting up to an ice-covered peak that seems miles away. The guests often just now notice the green glow coming from a small hole in the side of the mountain, flickering as the Grinch prepares for the sled ride.
Riders then enter the closed in station. The architecture changes from the wayward style of the rest of Whoville to a cold, metallic room where trains of sleds appear every 30 seconds, but without riders. When boarding the flimsy seeming sleds, the lap bars lower individually, giving each row of two riders two lap bars to hold tight during the journey. Observant guests may notice various Christmas decorations scattered throughout the room, albeit old and in terrible condition.
The sled dispatches, and heads into a cave with the same bent lanterns as the beginning of the queue. A doghouse labeled "MAX" can be seen to the right of the sleds, with whimpering coming from it. In front of the sleds is the mouth of a cave, surrounded by icicles, and with a small sign on the left reading "GRINCH'S CAVE". Riders are powerless to stop the sled as it enters the cave and turns to the right.
The next scene shows the back of the Grinch's chair in front of a turned off fireplace. The chair is positioned so that riders do not actually see the Grinch, but only a tuft of green hair popping out and his hands tapping the armrests. A food bowl labeled Max is half abandoned, as well as images of the Grinch's family lining the walls, all in drab garments and scowling, their eyes seeming to follow the riders. Christmas socks hang above the fireplace, and an observant rider may notice that they read Red Fish and Blue Fish. Before leaving the room, a wardrobe with a Santa Claus outfit is to the left of the sled.
The ride goes through another turn and hits the first lift hill. The sides of the lift are wind tunnels generating a blizzard effect with a dark blue background. The sled crests this lift and turns to the left to show a scene of Max, wearing reindeer horns and a rope wrapped around him, pulling a sled full of spilling presents up to the top of the mountain. Riders can hear the Grinch yelling from below as the bag of gifts wobbles precariously over the sled. The ride enters a dark tunnel where the final lift is held.
At the end of this lift, riders slow down and pass a fully functional Grinch, wearing his Santa Claus suit around Christmas time of year. He berates the riders for entering his cave unannounced, and because they are so cheerful, sentences them to a trip down the side of the mountain.
The ride dips down and exits the show building. A short flat section is followed by an upwards hop facing all of Whoville. Riders spiral to their left, over the ride entrance, and race behind the base camp before curving back into a tunnel. The ride makes a series of S-Bends, hopping up and down, seeming to almost fly off the sled track with each curve, ending in a helix through a small cave of icicles before hitting the brake run.
The ride turns to the right one last time, and while waiting for the blocks in front of the sled to clear, allows riders to observe an outdoor feast by the residents of Whoville, celebrating the safe return of the riders. The sled then proceeds into another cave, decorated with banners reading "Welcome Home!" and Dr. Seuss related phrases. Riders exit on the same side they entered the sled, going exiting the cave and walking a short path in the middle of the ride layout, exiting under one of the elevated S-Bends.
Those getting off the ride have a chance to meet with the Grinch himself in a nearby cave, while the rest journey back to Whoville through the "Mt. Crumpit Expedition Shop," selling photos of the ride experience, along with Dr. Seuss and Grinch memorabilia.
Here's the layout:
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After exiting the ride, guests who feel brave enough can venture into the Grinch’s Lair to meet with green meanie himself. While the guests await their turn, they may notice the Grinch’s santa costume in the corner, a picture of the Cat in the Hat with several suction cups sticking out, and Max’s Doghouse.
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