A serious question about the appearance of things at UO/IOA

[ducky_love]

It seems like they would almost have to paint monthly in the summer to keep up with the sun damage. I was there last week and didn't think anything looked too awful. I think it is just so hard to keep those brilliant colors looking new in the Florida sun.

 

[Planogirl]

So we have someone (who knows!) saying that Seuss Landing was painted in June and someone else saying that they were there a few weeks ago and Seuss Landing looked bad. My head hurts...

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

I sometimes see the comment that Seuss Landing needs painting but then I ask when that person was last there and I get no answer. Maybe the OP will change that. I can only comment that the area looked great last August.

Sorry I didn't come back sooner

We went again this past weekend, and have been going every weekend (sometimes week nights as well) for three months straight now.

Disney has had it's own issues with trash and what not, for sure. It definitely needs help in a LOT of areas as well.

We personally think that Suess Landing hasn't been painted in some time. But...maybe it's because the sun here just beats down on the paint that it fades very quickly. The Cat in the Hat hat looks almost pink right now. When the park first opened it was a brilliant red:

We did notice this past weekend that the Shrek sign was FINALLY cleaned up. Interesting since the weekend prior to that (and about three months before that) poor Donkey looked beat.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

Several of the buildings were painted in June. There was also painting being done in February. They did some new additions to the play area If I Ran the Zoo as well.

We were there both those months and thought things looked great too.

Oh, that poor Zoo. Whatever that animal thing is near the exit...has a bunch of rope for hair or something of the like?...it is beat up My son grabbed one of the ropes and it pulled out completely - we saw that duct tape was holding it in place to begin with. We took it to a cast member He just stuck it back into the place it came out of.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

Pictures of both from early march in this blog (start halfway down):
http://suki-pooki.blogspot.com/2011/03/universal-studios.html
(nice collection of photos that have me itching for another trip)

I was there in June and Seuss looked fine to me.

I do see the difference in donkey's teeth in the picture. (Can't tell anything about fading or cracking.) BUT, it's nothing that detracts from the sign or certainly not the park itself. I just assumed that's the way it was supposed to be. Not that I spent time looking at signs and analyzing things, anyway. I was way too busy having fun! I don't think the Florida parks will ever deteriorate to the point where I would notice obvious flaws.

Maybe someone with a more critical eye can bring back some pictures to post

You truly didn't see the brown stains on his nose/teeth in the 2nd picture (the link to Flickr since it won't let me post as a picture)>?

 

[nytimez]

I thought the Shrek sign looked like it needed some paint based on the photo. The Cat and the Hat hat, however, still looks pretty bright red to me -- even in that picture.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Yeah, you have to remember that the Florida sun can be brutal over the summer. Universal loves to keep everything in pristine shape but they usually wait until before and after the peak summer and holiday seasons.

 

[ducky_love]

Yeah, you have to remember that the Florida sun can be brutal over the summer. Universal loves to keep everything in pristine shape but they usually wait until before and after the peak summer and holiday seasons.

Yeah - even in just a couple months that hat can go from bright red to pinkish. I'm sure they will paint it again in September.

 

[dsmom]

interesting story taken from the Dis....................................................The Bright and Colorful Side

Leave it to the Universal creative team to think ahead. One of the most important elements to Seuss Landing was color. The color and paint would be the determining factor if Seuss Landing would be successful. After all, the paint and color would be completely exposed to guests. It’s would be the first thing they would see when entering the land and the final impression when they left. Several tests were conducted prior to construction to determine what materials and paint could be used to best bring the Dr. Seuss books to life. If you’ve ever looked through a Dr. Seuss book you know the colors are very specific. These colors carry over to each book in the Dr. Seuss series. Without the proper color palette Seuss Landing would become somewhat lifeless.

During the concept phase of the Seuss Landing project the Universal creative team conducted several tests. One of the tests conducted was to examine what material would work well with the Seuss color palette. As previously mentioned, it was determined a styrofoam based material would project the colors necessary to bring the Dr. Seuss books and characters to life. However, one big test remained. If the polystyrene foam was to be used with the paint needed to project the colors the combination would have to tolerate the typically brutal Orlando weather conditions. The best place to test these conditions was in Orlando where Seuss Landing would eventually be built. Universal and its contractors molded pieces similar to what would be used inside Seuss landing and left them out in the Orlando weather elements for over 6 months while they worked on attraction concepts. They also did the same with some other materials to see what would perform best. A big question was how would the color look after months of extreme rain, wind, the hot sun, and humidity? Would it fade quickly or keep its bright and whimsical shades?

It was determined the paint and colors chosen worked very well with the polystyrene foam in the rough Orlando weather conditions. What made the paint work well with the polystyrene material was how the paint absorbed into the foam. The paint, once applied and mixed with the foam, went layers deep into the material. If the structures in Seuss Landing lost some of their layers because of the weather conditions the paint would still show through brightly over time since it ran deep through the material. This was important on many levels. Universal would not need to continually apply paint throughout the land over shorter periods of time. Paint would eventually need to be applied, but only every so often versus every couple of months. If Universal had to continually apply paint ever few months it would be a huge budget consideration. In addition, the land would begin to look aged with too many layers of paint on the various attractions and structures. Stripping away the paint wasn’t an option since the structures would lose their shape. The shape of the structures was just as important as the paint itself.

Like most newly created theme park attractions and structures there is a meticulous science involved. In some cases there are more failures than successes when it comes to testing new attraction and structural concepts. The concept and construction of Seuss Landing was no exception. It took time, patience, and a persistent commitment to bring the Dr. Seuss stories and characters to life for our personal enjoyment.

Fast Facts

Here are a few more additional fast facts about Seuss Landing:

Palm trees that survived hurricane Andrew were used inside Seuss Landing because they were bent and curved from the strong winds providing the land with a more whimsical effect.

There are over 120 ride effects inside the Cat in the Hat attraction.

The Caro-Seuss-el was the first carousel to provide guests with interactive mounts to control their ride vehicle.

Most of Seuss Landing is constructed from recycled materials.

Audrey ‘Seuss’ Geisel was reluctant to let Universal build Seuss Landing because she didn’t think they would do the books justice. After she saw the concepts and drawings she became interested and excited about the project.

Seuss Landing creators say that styrofoam was blowing all over the area during the construction of Seuss Landing in 1997.

Seuss Landing cannot participate in any of Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights activities. No haunted houses, creatures, or scare zones will ever be located in this land.

Conclusion

Definitely one of the most immersive experiences in any of the Orlando theme parks is Seuss Landing inside Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. It’s a place where reality meets the front cover of a storybook. The moment you walk under the land’s archways to the moment you leave you are part of the Dr. Seuss storybooks. The effects and visuals give you the illusion of living inside page 16 of the ‘Cat in the Hat’, or page 22 of ‘If I Ran the Zoo’ storybooks. Not only did the Universal creative team do a great job with the Dr. Seuss theme, but add in some amazing structural and scientific concepts and you’ve got a place that combines all of the elements necessary for a phenomenally themed land.

If it wasn’t amazing enough to experience this land, just knowing how it was constructed, designed, and conceived is pretty amazing in itself. To realize a good portion of this land was constructed by using styrofoam and other recycled materials is pretty incredible. After I learned of these facts it gave me a whole new appreciation of walking through and experiencing the attractions inside Seuss Landing with my family.

I’ve always felt Islands of Adventure was one of the best theme parks anywhere. I’ve also felt this park is not given enough credit for the work, creativity, and detail that was put into it years ago. Seuss Landing was a great addition to the 6 themed lands when the park opened in 1999. Just like the other 5 lands Seuss Landing has a story of its own. The way it was built and came to life is completely unique and separate from the rest of the lands inside Islands of Adventure. The next time you are at Universal Orlando be sure to head into Islands of Adventure and make a right at the end of the Port of Entry. As soon as you make the turn be ready to see colors and shapes from the Dr. Seuss books. Just remember, seeing is believing and you won’t believe what you see inside Seuss Landing…Or will you?

 

[nytimez]

interesting story taken from the Dis....................................................The Bright and Colorful Side
(SNIP)

Great detail, thanks.

 

[Planogirl]

Palm trees that survived hurricane Andrew were used inside Seuss Landing because they were bent and curved from the strong winds providing the land with a more whimsical effect.

Wow!

Thanks for the info, dsmom.

 

[carmiedog]

You truly didn't see the brown stains on his nose/teeth in the 2nd picture (the link to Flickr since it won't let me post as a picture)>?

I clearly posted I *do* see a difference in donkey's teeth. Not sure where you got that I didn't. (I didn't compare noses between pictures. )

eta: ok, I took another look. I can see the brown on the nose, but it looks like it belongs there if you didn't know otherwise. Your average park visitor (versus locals and regulars) isn't going to notice.

 

[Metro West]

eta: ok, I took another look. I can see the brown on the nose, but it looks like it belongs there if you didn't know otherwise. Your average park visitor (versus locals and regulars) isn't going to notice.

I live here and never would have noticed.

 

[damo]

Here's a picture from July 24, 2011 of the Hat. Doesn't look that bad!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfoskett/5970810089/