Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - 00:04
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Dreamworks land, Universal

UPDATE April 10 - In a new construction video posted to YouTube by Magic of World Travel, we get to see all the latest updates and new announcements from Universal for Dreamworks Land which is set to open later this year at Universal Studios Florida.

Further testing is being done on the Trollercoaster, Poppy's boom box can be seen as well as the interactive gong at Po's Kung Fu training camp.

Universal has now announced further details of what we can expect when the new Dreamworks Land opens. The Shrek swamp meet will be located outside Shrek's Cottage where guests can see and take photographs with Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey. We can see more trees have been added to Shrek's swamp and the new kiosk, Swamp Snacks will serve Shrek inspired offerings including Far Far Away waffle and Frozen Ogre.

At timestamp 1:25 we can see that the frogs have now been revealed for the King Harold Swamp Symphony where lily pads will be interactive and when stepped on will trigger a choir of frogs.

Mama Luna's retirement home for cats can be seen where guests will be able to enjoy interactive elements including buttons, bells and levers. The play area, Shrek's Swamp for Little Ogres is progressing very well and will include four slides, climbing nets and water cannons with water features.

In the Trolls area, a water fountain featuring Branch and Poppy is now in place as well as a large mural. The play area which is located under the large mushroom includes bouncing and climbing structures and has new flowers recently added.

Trolls Treats kiosk is in the form of Poppy's boom box which can be seen at time stamp 3:26. Here guests will be able to purchase a range of ice creams including pink lemonade and pink Huckleberry flavored.

Spiders have been added to the top of the tracks on the Trollercoaster which continues to be tested. Paving is being done throughout Dreamworks Land. The High Five Hideaway is a new retail location which will sell merchandise from Shrek, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda and Gabby's Dollhouse.

At time stamp 4:26 we get to see current progress on Po's Kung Fu Training Camp including the recently installed inteactive gong. This section is also expected to have giggling baby pandas and large noodle bowls from Mr Ping's noodle shop will act as a merry-go-round. There will also be a wet area with large water cannons.

An interactive meet and greet will be available in this area where guests can meet with Po to learn some Kung Fu moves and also get to see him cook stir fry. Another water area nearby has had leaves and vines recently installed.

Universal has also been announced that there will be a Dreamworks Imagination Celebration in the Dreamworks theater which will be a multi-sensory adventure including hit songs, dancing and advanced technology.

We look forward to Universal announcing the opening date for the new Dreamworks Land which is set to open later this year.

March 28 - In a new photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we can see that further landscaping is happening in the land with new large trees being placed outside of Shrek's House which acts as a real focal point for this new area.

March 18 - Work is continuing on the new Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida which is set to open later this year. In a new photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we can see that the Trollercoaster is currently testing. 

The testing can also be seen in this video which was posted to YouTube.

February 19 - In a recent photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we get to see what looks like a new kiddie ride having been added to Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida.

It appears to be a kiddie sized family swing ride located near to the Dreamworks Land Theater. What do you think this new development is? Let us know by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.

February 15 - Work appears to be taking place at lightning speed on Shrek's House which is set to be a real focal point of the new Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida when it debuts this year.

In a new photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we get to see how Shrek's House currently looks and we now have an explanation for the curious addition of ropes which were recently attached. As you can see more greenery has been added to the truck with some ropes now obscured using the ropes. It certainly looks very effective.

It will be very exciting over the coming weeks to see how Shrek's House and the rest of Dreamworks Land develops ahead of its opening. We will update you on when the official opening will be as soon as Universal announces it.

Which area are you most excited about in the upcoming Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page. 

February 7 - We have just come across a recent video posted to YouTube by Theme Park Wizard using aerial photos by Bioreconstruct which nicely summarises all of the latest developments on the upcoming Dreamworks Land which is set to debut at Universal Studios Florida later this year.

As can be seen in the video which is embedded below we get to see that the central play area now has bridges being installed and the jungle gym, a lily pad area for toddlers has been added, Shrek's House continues to be painted and there are close up photos of new shrubbery. Finally, the Trollercoaster can be seen and looks complete with testing expected to begin soon.  

February 6 - In a new photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we can see that grasses have now been added to Shrek's House which is set to be a feature of Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida. The addition of these grasses certainly bring the house to life and we look forward to continuning to track the construction progress over the coming weeks.

January 30 - Here is a photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct where we get to see how Shrek's House currently looks as painting begins.

It is exciting to see this new land coming to life and we look forward to hearing an official opening date from Universal soon. We will keep you updated here at Theme Park Tourist.

January 19 - We have seen a lot of progress on Shrek's house in recent weeks for the upcoming Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida. We now get to see a photo posted to Twitter by the Peaceful Thrill Seeker of the possible site for Gabby's Dollhouse.

January 14 - We have seen a lot of progress recently on Shrek's House in Dreamworks Land and now thanks to a photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we get to see an aerial image of the current view of Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida.

As a reminder, Shrek's swamp is replacing the former Fievel's Playland. From concept art released back in August 2023, in addition to Shrek, DreamWorks Land will also include characters and attractions based on other DreamWorks IP, including "Gabby's Dollhouse," "Trolls," and "Kung-Fu Panda."

It appears that there will be a Trolls-themed kiddie roller coaster, replacing the former Woody Woodpecker Nuthouse Coaster.

We expect a playground and there will be a character meet and greet area in this land where guests can meet a rotating cast of familiar faces from DreamWorks films including Shrek and Donkey.

Image: Universal

January 11 - In a photo update posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we get to see further sculpting on Shrek's house which really looks to be taking shape at Universal Studios Florida.

The question surely on all Universal fans lips is likely to be, when will Dreamworks Land open? Well, we have done further research and although we are still waiting for Universal to announce an official opening date we found an article from Park Stop in 2023 which throws a little more light on this.

In the article, it explains that the permit has construction lasting from January 16, 2023 to March 29, 2024. So, this means we could see an opening for Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida anytime from April onwards. We will be sure to keep you posted on the confirmed opening date as soon as it is announced here at Theme Park Tourist.

January 5, 2024 - As we begin 2024, work is continuing on the the new Dreamworks Land which is set to open at Universal Studios Florida sometime this year.

In a new photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct, we get to see further progress having been made on Shrek's house with more sculpting taking place. It is brilliant to see the development and we hope to hear news on when we will see Dreamworks Land opening from Universal very soon.

November 30, 2023 - We are closely following the construction progress for Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida and in a new photo posted to twitter this week by Bioreconstruct we get to see a sculpture emerging at Shrek's House of a hollow tree trunk.

Shrek's House is set to be a highlight and focal point for the new Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida. The new Dreamworks Land will include a Shrek mini-land within it and will include Shrek's swamp where Shrek's House will be located. It is also expected to include a themed playground and will house the popular Shrek and Donkey meet-and-greet. 

November 23 -In a new photo posted to twitter by Bioreconstruct we get to see the new signage which is now in place at the park.

In the background of the photo you can see how Shrek's House currently looks. This is certainly going to be a highlight and focal point of this new Dreamworks Land which is set to open in 2024.

November 18 - In a recent photo posted to twitter by Bioreconstruct which is embedded below, we get to see that the scrims are down on Shrek's House.

September 25 - All eyes have been on Universal Studios Florida and the progress being made on the upcoming Dreamworks Land coming in 2024. According to Screamscape, there are two new entries into the official government trademark database from Universal. The first is "Dreamworks Land" and the second is "Trollercoaster". 

"Trollercoaster" had been rumored in recent weeks as the name for the former Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster and with this new entry into the trademark database, I think we can now safely say that this roller coaster will be getting a new trolls theme. We await further details about "Trollercoaster" and will update you when they are announced.

Trollercoaster, Bioreconstruct
Image: Bioreconstruct

September 13 - The new Dreamworks Land opening at Universal Studios Florida in 2024 is set to to a great addition to the park. In a recent photo update posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct we can begin to see what will be Shrek's House emerging. 

As you can see from the photos below, mesh is being placed for Shrek's House and the former Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster has received a white coat of paint. It is believed that this small roller coaster will be themed to Trolls and after a trademark application back at the end of August, is expected to be called "Trollercoaster". Although this seems very likely, currently is has not been officially confirmed by Universal.

August 7 - We are keeping a close eye on the progress with the recently confirmed Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida. In a photo posted by Bioreconstruct we get to see an aerial view of how the area currently looks. Further progress has been made on the exciting structure which is believed to be Shrek's house.

We understood that the Nuthouse coaster would remain and be rethemed in the new Dreamworks Land but it may have come as a surprise to many that the large building that housed the former Curious George themed ball factory play area also remains. We await news of exactly what theme this will have when the Dreamworks Land opens in 2024.

July 27 -  In a recent video posted to YouTube by Theme Park Stop you can see at timestamp 14:06 a new structure which has recently appeared in what will be the new Dreamworks Land at Universal Studios Florida. This new structure is thought to be Shrek's House located in the swamp.

The aerial photos from Bioreconstruct used in this video update also shows that in the former Curious George area that the Ball Factory and The Bucket Dump are still in tact which could mean that they may be retheming these to a potential Kung Fu Panda area after all. We will continue to update you on the construction progress with the new Dreamworks Land which is slated to open at Universal Studios Florida in 2024.

July 20 - Universal has just announced that a new Dreamworks land will be opening at Universal Studios Florida in 2024 to replace the former KidZone area. So far, limited information has been confirmed but we do know from the official press release this:

 "As guests step into this new land, their imaginations will run wild as they take in the vibrant colors, sights and sounds that surround them," "They will share special moments with their favorite characters like Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse and explore themed, interactive play spaces and attractions that bring popular franchises like Shrek, Trolls and Kung Fu Panda to life in the most imaginatively fun ways."

Dreamworks land, Universal
Image: Universal

We will continue to update you with further information regarding this reimagining at Universal Studios Florida as further details are released and work ramps up on this new land.

June 2 - A number of attractions in the KidZone area of Universal Studios Florida closed back in January and we have been following the construction progress on what is believed to be a new Dreamworks land. Back in April we reported that The E.T. Adventure Gets Temporary Entrance And No Pre-Show At Universal Studios Florida due to construction walls being erected around the entrance for work to commence in the area.

Now, a new photo has been posted to twitter by Bioreconstruct showing how the area currently looks which is embedded below. We will continue to bring you updates on the developments in this newly reimagined area over the coming weeks and months.

There was initial speculation that the original attractions would remain but each would get a make over as part of Universal's DreamWorks Animation Land which is slated to open in 2024. Sources reported that Fievel's Playland would be rethemed to Shrek, Woody's Woodpecker coaster could see a Trolls overhaul with a Trolls themed kids show planned for the theater building with Kung Fu Panda taking over the Curious George play areas.

It looks like the Trolls overhaul of Woody's Woodpecker coaster could still come to fruition and we may see Kung Fu Panda and Shrek elsewhere in the area but so far nothing has still been confirmed by Universal.

Universal made an official announcement back in November 2022 that a number of attractions in the KidZone area of Universal Studios Florida would close on January 15, 2023 in order to bring exciting new family entertainment to immerse guests in beloved animated characters.

The attractions that closed in the KidZone area are Fievel's Playland, the Woody Woodpecker family coaster, Curious George wet and dry play areas, DreamWorks Destination and Meet Shrek & Donkey.

Fievel's Playland, Universal
Image: Universal

The following attractions have remained open, The E.T. Adventure, Animal Actors on Location!, SpongeBob StorePants - including meet and greets with SpongeBob SquarePants and friends and the KidZone Pizza Company.

Here is a tweet posted by Bioreconstruct from back in March we can see how the area currently looked back then and compare to the most recent photo above. It appears that the whole area has pretty much been levelled apart from the Dreamworks Woody Woodpecker Nuthouse Coaster, the theater building which was being used for the Dreamworks characters and the Ball Factory play area which may be re-used in some way.

If you are interested to know our ideas as to what may become of the reimagined KidZone area, check out our featured article, The KidZone Mystery: What Could Be Heading to Universal Studios Florida's Outdated Family Area?!

This extensive overhaul of the current KidZone area of Universal Studios Florida certainly seems much needed and should modernise this dated section of the park. Universal promises further details very soon and we will keep you up to date with announcements on our news and Facebook page. Are you excited to see this reimagining of KidZone? What would you like to see in this reimagined area?

 
Natalie SimView Profile

Co-founder of the site alongside her amazing Husband Nick who had the vision and inspiration to create Theme Park Tourist from scratch. Natalie has always been amazed by theme parks and thinks nothing beats walking around a Disney Park soaking up the sights, sounds and magical atmosphere hand in hand with the ones she loves.

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