About a month out from opening day, Universal Orlando shared exciting new details about DreamWorks Land in a behind-the-scenes video and at an invite-only media event.
DreamWorks Land replaces Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, a play area that closed in January 2023 after nearly 25 years.
In an interview with USA Today, Universal Creative creative director Dean Orion and executive VP of marketing at DreamWorks Animation Michael Vollman explained how the idea for DreamWorks Land came about and the importance of family-friendly play areas.
When speaking about the DreamWorks presence in Universal parks and the move to revamp Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, Orion said: “Parks, you know, they take a lot of wear and tear. They age. The IP (intellectual property) gets a little long in the tooth, and sometimes it’s time to refresh.”
The Trolls and Kung Fu Panda franchises both saw new movies released in 2023 and 2024, respectively, but Shrek is nearly 25 years old, with the latest film released in 2010. Vollman said Shrek is “(still) massively popular” and “perfect” to include alongside the others.
As for keeping the former KidZone kid-friendly, Orion said it was “a huge motivation here to create a really fun environment where kids can play freely.” He also said there’s much emphasis on interactivity in DreamWorks Land — with screens, physical aspects, water and characters.
All this to say, the new DreamWorks Land was very much created with kids in mind, but offers plenty for adults to enjoy as well.
Shrek
Shrek’s Swamp for Little Ogres: A playground built for the littlest swamp monsters with slides, a wet play zone and Shrek’s Outhouse slide — experience what it’s like to be flushed! Don’t forget to visit Pinocchio and press the “fact check” button to learn some fun facts that may or may not be true.
Mama Luna Feline Fiesta: The shaded play area is inspired by Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish and features interactive screens and levers to play along with Mama Luna’s cats.
King Harold’s Swamp Symphony: Join a choir of 10 frogs to create different melodies as you touch and step on interactive lily pads.
Shrek’s Swamp Meet: Head over to Shrek’s cottage to meet Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona.
Swamp Snacks: The place to go for Shrekzels with green cheese, Swamp Dogs wrapped in pizza tree bark, Far Far A Waffles, Mud Puddle Pudding, Chonkey Donkey chocolate ice pops and Frozen Ogre sour apple ice pops. Swamp Snacks also drafts and canned beer.
Trolls
Trollercoaster: Board the Caterbus for an adventure through the Trolls’ forest in this family-friendly roller coaster.
Poppy’s Playground: Another area for the little kids, Poppy’s Playground shrinks you down to Troll size to play under a 20-foot mushroom alongside brightly colored flowers and insects.
Trolls Treats: The giant boom box-shaped ice cream shop has flavors like Poppy-licious Pink lemonade and huckleberry-flavored BroZone Berry.
Kung Fu Panda
Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp: The characters and setting from Kung Fu Panda come to life to help teach you how to do kung fu in this play area. The Panda Village also has water cannons, dump buckets, Mr. Ping’s Noodle Kaboodle and a giant gong to ring.
Po Live!: Meet and interact with Po the panda as he teaches kung fu moves and how to make the best stir-fry.
DreamWorks Character Zone: Meet and greet iconic characters from DreamWorks projects, including Shrek, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots and Gabby’s Dollhouse.
Imagination Celebration: Head into the former Barney theater to see all the fan-favorite DreamWorks characters party and dance together in the interactive live show with 360 LED screens and impressive puppetry.
High Five Hideaway: The small gift shop is big on new character merch, including Shrek ears headbands, Po plushies and hats, and Trolls tees that say “vibes” in fluorescent colors.
DreamWorks Land opens on June 14 at Universal Studios Florida.
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