Shrek 4-D

Location: Universal Studios Florida - Production Central

Height Restriction: None; Small children are permitted to lap sit

Age Appropriateness: Any

Seat Type: Moving theater seats (non-moving seats are available)

Ride Description: Shrek 4-D is an action-packed 3-D movie with some additional special effects to bring the excitement right out of the screen. The entertainment begins before you enter the theater with a brief pre-show led by your friendly neighborhood dungeon master. The talking mirror, three pigs, Pinocchio and the Gingerbread Man catch you up on the storyline so even guests who aren’t familiar with the Shrek movies will know what’s going on.

The film takes place between the first and second Shrek movies. Shrek and ogre-Fiona are about to set off on their honeymoon when the late Farquaad’s henchman, Felonius, is sent to kidnap Fiona. Donkey and Shrek pursue the kidnapper to Farquaad’s grave where his ghost emerges and brings a stone dragon to life to dispatch of Fiona’s rescuers.

Donkey summons his own lady love, Dragon, to battle the stone beast. After dispatching with the first threat, the party proceeds to find Fiona tied to a raft which is about to be thrown over a waterfall. Farquaad’s goal is to turn Fiona into his ghostly queen so the two can be together forever in the afterlife. His plot is foiled when Dragon saves the day once again by rescuing Shrek, Fiona and Donkey from the falls. She proceeds to deliver the newlyweds to their honeymoon hotel where a host of film characters make brief guest appearances.

Shrek opens a bottle of champagne to celebrate their victory at the end of the show, and the flying cork knocks a suspiciously Tinkerbell-esque fairy off the screen and into a speaker on theater left. You can spot her flailing legs sticking out of the speaker box as you exit the show.

The show’s special effects include moving seats, puffs of air along the feet to simulate scurrying spiders and splashes of water on the face during the waterfall scene. If you prefer non-moving seats, ask a dungeon master to point you in the right direction. If you’re wearing open shoes and the thought of feeling spiders on your feet is too much to handle, lift your feet off the floor after you see Shrek holding the spider at the beginning of the movie.

Getting Ready: If you’re looking for a quiet evening activity at your hotel room the night before your visit, Shrek is a family-friendly movie that will refresh your memory of all the key players. Though you don’t need to be familiar with the movie to enjoy the ride, it can be a fun way to relax before your theme park visit.

If you want to screen the ride movie before you get there, the Shrek 3D DVD is a replica of the ride film, complete with 3D glasses. All you’ll be missing are the 4D effects.

Worth the Wait: 30 minutes