Seuss Landing

OWNER

Universal Studios

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Architect: HKS

Delivery Method: Design Build

Seuss Landing

Orlando
Florida

The fantastic structures of Seuss Landing, one of the six Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios in Orlando, are based on the fanciful illustrations in the much-loved Dr. Suess books. As structural engineer, Walter P Moore was challenged to create curving and leaning structures with few straight elements, abstract shapes, and generally slender cross-sections – all which must survive hurricane winds.  

Two prominent rides required particularly complex structural engineering. Guests enter the Cat-in-the-Hat ride beneath a 48 ft. tall hat supported on one side by a building and on the other side by the index finger of the Cat’s right hand. Structural steel members were manipulated to create the wrist, index finger and hat brim to support a braced tower hidden inside the hat. The High in the Sky Seuss Train Ride is an elevated monorail ride meandering through Seuss Landing. The ride track is supported by Seussian arches on Sneetch Beach and by segmented, curved columns between the buildings. In addition to hurricane winds, the curvy structure was designed to withstand fatigue loading under two million cycles.