Universal Orlando ‘evaluating’ in-park attractions in Seuss Landing

Earlier Tuesday, the publishing company Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which oversees the licensing and publishing of Dr. Suess books, announced they will no longer be distributing six of the author's classic books because they supposedly "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong," according to a statement from the publishing company.

"We are committed to action. To that end, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, working with a panel of experts, including educators, reviewed our catalog of titles and made the decision last year to cease publication and licensing of the following titles: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra, Scrambled Eggs Super, and The Cat’s Quizzer," the statement reads. "These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong."

"Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families," the statement continued. Certain play areas in Universal's Seuss Landing area are named after and reference some of the now banned books. One of the areas, is themed after the now blacklisted book "If I Ran the Zoo," which supposedly portrays Asian people negatively, according to Spectrum News.

Universal said it will be evaluating the in-park experiences in relation to these 'areas of concern.' A spokesperson for Universal said in a statement to Spectrum News, "Seuss Landing continues to be very popular with our guests and we value our relationship with Seuss Enterprises." The statement added, "We’ve removed the books from our shelves as they have asked and we’ll be evaluating our in-park experience too. But our guests can plan on continuing to be able to enjoy their favorite experiences at Seuss Landing."

In January it was announced that one of Disney’s original rides, the Jungle Cruise, will be renovated to "reflect and value the diversity of the world around us." The ride, which takes visitors on a "scenic and comedic boat tour of exotic rivers across Asia, Africa and South America," was criticized for its depictions of Indigenous people. The Jungle Cruise project followed an announcement by Disney in June that Splash Mountain would be reimagined as a new attraction based on The Princess and the Frog. A fan petition asked that the ride be changed because "it’s history and storyline are steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes from the 1946 film Song of the South."