Universal Studios created a land just for fans of DreamWorks! You’ll find Shrek, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda, and so much more in this special space. Here is everything you need to know about the characters, attractions, and shows featured here.
DreamWorks Land
DreamWorks Land is a colorful, imaginative play area made especially for younger children. This area replaces Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone and brings newer movies and characters to life. This is exactly what Universal needed!
DreamWorks Land has all kinds of things for kids to enjoy: attractions, meet and greets, play areas, live shows, and fun treats.
This land is somewhat divided into movies, so I’ll highlight what is in each area to give you a good idea of what is available.
Shrek
Shrek’s area is at the entrance of the land on the right side. The big attraction in the Shrek area is the meet and greet. You can meet Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey outside his cottage. Their schedule is listed in the Universal app, but please note that you may not see all of them out together.
When I tried to meet them, their line was consistently long for several of the showtimes. Unfortunately, the area is mostly unshaded as well. I recommend lining up before their first set in the morning.
The play area is a “swamp”, meaning you can get wet! This is great on a hot day, but you will definitely need a change of clothes for DreamWorks Land. Also, be sure to catch Pinocchio telling one his little white lies!
King Harold’s Swamp Symphony is another play area where you may get wet. There are musical lily pads that you jump on to create different sounds. You’ll also find a snack station that sells the Shrektzel, a Shrek-shaped pretzel with green cheese. Other items available for purchase include popsicles and pepperoni hot dogs.
Trolls
Moving along is the Trolls area. This takes up the entire middle section of DreamWorks Land. There is a play area with mushroom swings and flowers to jump/play on. Poppy and Branch also make appearances throughout the day.
The only roller coaster in the land is the Rollercoaster. Hop on the Caterbus to escape the spooky spiders.
You must be at least 36″ tall to ride, so this is the perfect ride for the entire family. A large portion of the outdoor queue is unshaded, but there are some fans to help cool you off if it’s really hot.
Head over to Trolls Treats, which is a stereo-shaped snack stand that sells two different flavors of soft-serve ice cream. High Five Hideaway sells all the DreamWorks Land merchandise, so if you’re looking for Shrek, Trolls, or Kung Fu Panda items, that’s the place to go.
I do wish this area offered more food options. There are just a few snack stands, and I think it would have been really cool to have an actual restaurant here. Keep that in mind if you are hoping to grab a meal!
Kung Fu Panda
Po Live! gives you the chance to meet and talk with Po as he trains you in the ways of kung fu. Note that this is an animated screen, so if you want to see him in “real life” you will need to catch the live show (more on that in a minute).
This is in the very back of the land, and it is pretty cool! You will pass under the massive archway and enter Panda Village. Here you can play under the water, hit the gongs, and explore another play area. I love that DreamWorks land features so many free-play spaces.
Pirate tip: avoid this land in the middle of the day. It is most crowded at this time, which can make it really hard to keep an eye on your children in all of these play spaces.
The Live Show: DreamWorks Imagination Celebration
I highly recommend watching the live stage show during your visit to DreamWorks Land! DreamWorks Imagination Celebration follows two friends, one of whom has lost his imagination. It features live characters from Shrek, Trolls, and Kung Fu Panda. There is music, singing, and dancing.
The space is pretty small so you can see the characters up close. They will wave to you, and you can even get up and dance with them during the final part of the show!
It runs throughout the day and lasts about 20 minutes. It’s a great way to get out of the heat/weather for 30 minutes or so, and little kids will love seeing all their favorite characters.
Extras
Mama Luna welcomes you to her house of cats where you can play with hundreds of cats on a digital screen. Puss in Boots also makes appearances in this area.
Up at the entrance to the land you will find a few more character meet and greets. Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse is a consistent character, and others will appear next to her. When I was there, King Julien was the other meet and greet.
You can find their schedules on the Universal app as well. These two characters did not have the long wait like Shrek. In fact, none of the other characters had a long line from what I could tell.
Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey is the only meet and greet with long lines.
Check out this reel I made below, which offers another viewpoint for this area. Pictures just don’t do it justice!
Final Tips
As I mentioned throughout the post, you’ll want to avoid this area during the middle of the day. It can become really crowded, and there is not a lot of shade. By visiting first thing in the morning or later in the evening, it will be easier to keep an eye on your kids and you can avoid the heat.
I absolutely recommend lining up for the Shrek meet and greet before their first set (typically around 9:30 each day). The line gets so long it can take quite a while to meet them (and it’s mostly unshaded).
DreamWorks Land is close to the back of the park, near the SpongeBob meet and greet and the ET attraction. This is a great area for kids in general, but it feels pretty secluded from the rest of the park. You may want to consider filling up on an actual meal before heading back there. The ice cream treats in DreamWorks Land are good in theory, but they will melt quickly in the hot Florida sun.
Because there is only the one attraction, this area is dedicated mostly to free play and character meet and greets. It’s a great opportunity for kids to get out of the strollers and get some energy out! Plus, it means very young children who don’t meet height requirements can enjoy an area of the park just for themselves!
Just keep in mind it is kind of hard to structure/plan out your time there. I suggest looking at the character schedules and working around that.
Have you visited DreamWorks Land yet? Share your experience with us in the comments below, and share this post with your friends who are traveling to Universal soon!
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