| Shrek 4-D | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Universal Studios Hollywood | |
| Area | Upper Lot[1] |
| Status | Removed |
| Cost | US$35 million |
| Opening date | May 23, 2003; 22 years ago (2003-05-23)[1] |
| Closing date | August 14, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-08-14)[2] |
| Replaced | Rugrats Magic Adventure! |
| Replaced by | DreamWorks Theatre[3] |
| Universal Studios Florida | |
| Area | Production Central[4] |
| Coordinates | 28°28′32.90″N81°28′4.62″W / 28.4758056°N 81.4679500°W /28.4758056; -81.4679500 |
| Status | Removed |
| Cost | US$35 million |
| Soft opening date | May 31, 2003; 22 years ago (2003-05-31) |
| Opening date | June 12, 2003; 22 years ago (2003-06-12) |
| Closing date | January 10, 2022; 3 years ago (2022-01-10) |
| Replaced | Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies |
| Replaced by | Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast (Minion Land on Illumination Ave) |
| Universal Studios Japan | |
| Name | Shrek’s 4-D Adventure (シュレック 4-D アドベンチャー)[5][6] |
| Area | Hollywood |
| Status | Operating |
| Cost | US$35 million |
| Opening date | June 20, 2003; 22 years ago (2003-06-20) |
| Replaced | Motion Picture Magic |
| Warner Bros. Movie World | |
| Area | Roxy Theatre, Main Street[7] |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | September 17, 2005; 20 years ago (2005-09-17)[7] |
| Closing date | August 29, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-08-29)[8][9] |
| Replaced | Marvin the Martian in 3D |
| Replaced by | Journey to the Center of the Earth 4-D Adventure[10] |
| Movie Park Germany | |
| Area | Hollywood Street Set[11] |
| Status | Removed |
| Cost | US$20 million |
| Opening date | May 27, 2008; 17 years ago (2008-05-27) |
| Closing date | July 4, 2011; 14 years ago (2011-07-04) |
| Replaced | SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D |
| Replaced by | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - The 4-D Experience |
| Universal Studios Singapore | |
| Name | Shrek 4-D Adventure |
| Area | Far Far Away[12] |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | March 18, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-03-18)[12] |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | 3-D film |
| Manufacturer | PDI/DreamWorks |
| Designer | Simon J. Smith |
| Theme | Shrek |
| Duration | 16:00 |
| Pre-Show Host | Magic Mirror on the Wall |
 Wheelchair accessible | |
 Assistive listening available | |
 Closed captioning available | |
| Shrek 4-D | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Simon J. Smith |
| Written by | David Lipman |
| Based on | Shrek! byWilliam Steig |
| Produced by | Jeffrey Katzenberg David Lipman |
| Starring | Mike Myers Eddie Murphy Cameron Diaz John Lithgow |
| Edited by | Michelle Belforte |
| Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | DreamWorks Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Shrek 4-D (also known asShrek 3-D for the DVD release andThe Ghost of Lord Farquaad for theShrek's Thrilling Tales DVD release andDreamWorks Spooky Stories Blu-ray release,Netflix, and other streaming releases) is an animated4D film based ontheShrek franchise created byDreamWorks Animation, itself based onthe book byWilliam Steig. It also is a 4Dsimulator ride attraction with motion-based effects[14] and water sprayers located at various theme parks around the world. It is currently shown atUniversal Destinations & Experiences inJapan, andSingapore,[15] and previously in Universal StudiosHollywood, andFlorida.[16][17] The Hollywood location closed on August 14, 2017, to make way for theDreamWorks Theatre attraction, the Orlando location closed on January 10, 2022, to make way forIllumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast.[18] Outside the Universal parks, the movie was shown atMovie Park Germany[11] inGermany from May 2008 until July 2011, andWarner Bros. Movie World inAustralia from September 2005 until August 2010.[8][9][19] Aspin-off attraction titledDonkey's Photo Finish is located at the Florida venue whileMeet Shrek and Donkey is located at the Hollywood venue. In Universal Studios Japan (where it is known asShrek's 4-D Adventure), the attraction is shown in the same theater asSesame Street 4-D Movie Magic, with theShrek 4-D film shown for the first 12 hours of the day, and the Sesame Street film shown for the next 12 hours of the day.
The film, set after the events of thefirst film, followsShrek andDonkey as they attempt to savePrincess Fiona fromLord Farquaad's ghost, who plots to capture her. The ride takes guests on a journey alongside Shrek and Donkey during their rescue mission.
WhileShrek andPrincess Fiona, assisted byDonkey, try to find the Honeymoon Hotel, where they plan to stay for theirhoneymoon, Thelonious appears and captures Fiona, with Shrek and Donkey giving chase. Upon Shrek and Donkey searching around the local graveyard,Lord Farquaad's ghost reanimates the stone statue ofDragon from his tomb to go after them and kill them. The real Dragon arrives to the rescue, leading to a chase ending with the stone dragon losing its wings against the walls of a hole and falling into the water below. Farquaad sends Fiona on a raft to fall over the waterfall (with Thelonious still on it, not realizing he was supposed to get off), intending to kill her so that they can rule theunderworld together. Fiona manages to break the restraints and knees Thelonious in the groin, causing him to fall off the raft. Shrek and Donkey arrive shortly after to rescue her before the raft plunges over the waterfall, but in the end, all four of them fall over the waterfall. They are saved by Dragon, who then breathes fire at Farquaad, destroying him again. Dragon gives Shrek and Fiona a ride to the Honeymoon Hotel, and she and Donkey ride off to have a honeymoon of their own by making waffles. Shrek and Fiona's honeymoon is interrupted by the Fairy Tale creatures, but they go along with it. Everyone celebrates after Shrek says "Let The Honeymoon Begin!". He then pops the cork off champagne, sending one of the fairies flying with the cork.
In May 2002, it was announced thatUniversal Studios Florida andUniversal Studios Hollywood would be getting Shrek 4-D. That same month, the Florida location announced the closure ofThe Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera andAlfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies. Shrek 4-D would be taking over Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies, while The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera would be taken over byJimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast. Both attractions were set to open in 2003.[20]
Universal Parks & Resorts have implemented the movie into four of theiramusement parks with plans to integrate it into a fifth. The first park to show the film was Universal Studios Hollywood on May 23, 2003.[1] This was followed by Universal Studios Florida and Japan in June.[4] In 2010, the attraction opened with Universal Studios Singapore in theShrek-themedFar Far Away themed area. Outside the Universal Parks, the film has only been shown at two theme parks. Movie Park Germany began showing the film on May 27, 2008 (which was shown in German), with Warner Bros. Movie World starting on September 17, 2005.[7]
The Florida location hosted a 10th anniversary party on June 12, 2013, with a giant birthday cake, along with appearances from Shrek and Princess Fiona.[21]
Universal Studios Hollywood's Shrek 4-D queue has been used for many years to make mazes for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights event. In 2006,The Asylum operated in the queue.[22] This was followed byA Nightmare on Elm Street themed mazes for 2007, 2008, and 2010.[23][24] In 2009My Bloody Valentine: Be Mine 4 Ever operated in the queue.[25] The final mazes used in this venue were both themed to La Llorona in 2011 and 2012.
Warner Bros. Movie World closed its Shrek 4-D Adventure on August 29, 2010.[8][9] Movie Park Germany closed their Shrek 4-D attraction the following year on July 4, 2011, andIce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - The 4-D Experience opened in its place in 2012. A third installation of Shrek 4-D closed at Universal Studios Hollywood on August 14, 2017, to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre attraction. Universal Studios Florida announced in 2021 that its Shrek 4-D was closing with its last day of operation being on January 10, 2022.[26][27] The Florida attraction was replaced by Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast which became part ofMinion Land on Illumination Ave, which opened on August 11, 2023, Leaving the Japan and Singapore versions to be the only ones operating.
On May 11, 2004, the attraction was released onDVD with the originalShrek film asShrek 3-D[28] with both 3-D and 2-D versions included. The release included pairs oftwo-color 3-D glasses. The DVD included ananaglyph 3-D version along with a conventional version without 3-D effects. The DVD release also included a preview ofShrek 2.
On May 13, 2007, the film was shown onNickelodeon asShrek's Never Before Seen Adventure,[28] with the 3-D effects removed.
In October 2011, the film was released onNetflix under the titleThe Ghost of Lord Farquaad as a part ofDreamWorks Spooky Stories with aFourth wall break removed and music added to the end credits.[29][30]
A comic adaptation of the film was featured as issue #1 of theShrek comic book mini-series published byDark Horse Comics.
Also the 3-D re-release short film was shown before the 3-D family films in 2011–2012 such asKung Fu Panda 2,Puss in Boots, andMadagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in the UK.
It was also released on August 28, 2012, as part ofShrek's Thrilling Tales DVD andDreamWorks Spooky Stories Blu-ray.[31]
In the Universal Studios parks, guests wait outside the building (housed in asoundstage) where they watch various clips from the firstShrek film running on a loop. The queue also includes multiple posters for fake advertisements for attractions in the Kingdom of Duloc. Guests then enter a dungeon in Duloc where the storyline for the attraction will be revealed.[32]
At Warner Bros. Movie World, the queue began outside theRoxy Theatre and wrapped around the left-hand side of the building into the alleyway. Guests were ushered into the pre-show room where they were given a pair of 3D glasses.[33] A similar set-up occurred at Movie Park Germany.
Participants are given their "OgreVision" 3-D Goggles as they enter adungeon-like room with two giant television screens on either side. While loading the pre-showroom attraction presenters commonly tell jokes to encourage people to move closer to each other in order to fit the capacity audience in the room. The pre-show begins with theThree Little Pigs,Gingy, andPinocchio revealing thatLord Farquaad has kidnapped them and is holding them in Castle Duloc's dungeon. Gingy flees in the middle of the explanation. The Magic Mirror begins to summarizethe story of what happened before (i.e. the first Shrek film) by stating "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." as a spoof onStar Wars. When he is chastised, he quickly responds, "Sorry...I've been feeling really spaced out lately...". After the Mirror finishes, Farquaad appears and states that he intends to torture the fairytale creatures as well as the audience in order to find Shrek and Fiona. The monitor screen later shows atest card with Lord Farquaad in the center. The Mirror then warns the audience about safety. In the Hollywood version, the 2015 refurbishment added Donkey appeared in audio animatronic form and interacted with the guests. With the addition of Donkey, the pre show was shorter in which it did not feature the recap of the story. Everything else was the same. In the Japan version, the Mirror tells the audience to put on their goggles. The cinema doors are then opened and guests take their seats in the theatre.[34]
The main ride has the riders watch theshort film with their OgreVision 3-D Googles in the theatre, while special effects simulate interaction with the events of the film. Although the animation is3-D, the ride is a4-D film, which incorporates physical effects including motion seats which tilt forward, backward, vibrate, and raise up and drop down during the show. Water sprayers are attached to the back of each seat, to spray the face of the rider sitting behind it. Water sprayers on the ceiling spray riders seated on the front row. Multiple lighting effects are used, such as projected images of a moving waterfall on the walls, or "magical" sparkles of flickering light. Air blasters on the front of every seat blow air against riders neck and head. Leg ticklers are also used to simulate spiders crawling across the theater.[35][36][37] Stationary seats, which do not move during the film, are marked and available for those who want to watch the film without the motion or vibration. Every other effect is available for the stationary seats.
When the film ends, the fairy shot off with the champagne cork lands up in a speaker attached to the wall of the theater. In the Japan version, the screen splits open for guests to step through the post-show area leading to the gift shop.
A number of spin-off attractions operate alongside Shrek 4-D in various amusement parks.
In Universal Studios Florida,Donkey's Photo Finish was ameet and greet attraction that opened in 2003 alongside the film, replacingStage 54. The attraction consisted of guests walking up to an animatronicDonkey who mingled with and made fun of them. The guests had their picture taken with Donkey, and then moved onto meetingShrek andPrincess Fiona, the latter of whom talked to them. Guests then had their picture taken for purchase with Shrek and Fiona. The attraction temporarily closed in June 2012 to make way forTransformers: The Ride – 3D,[38] before reopening in a new location next to Monsters Cafe (now known as Minion Cafe) before that area closed alongside the attraction on January 10, 2022. It was relocated to the Woody WoodPecker's KidZone area on July 14, 2022, replacing The Barney Shop, a gift shop located near the formerA Day in the Park with Barney live show. Five months after, on November 1, 2022, Universal Studios Florida announced that the meet and greet area, alongsideFievel's Playland, DreamWorks Destination,Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, andCurious George Goes to Town, would close permanently on January 16, 2023, with its last day of operation the day before on January 15, 2023.[39] A new meet and greet hosted at a recreation of Shrek's swamp home, featuring a refreshed Donkey puppet, opened with DreamWorks Land on June 14, 2024, asShrek's Swamp Meet.[40][41] A similar attraction is located at Universal Studios Hollywood namedMeet Shrek and Donkey.
In Universal Studios Singapore,Shrek 4-D exists within the larger Far Far Away themed area. Other attractions in the area includeDonkey Live (an interactive live show usingdigital puppetry technology, which features Donkey entertaining and engaging guests in conversation in an intimate theater setting),[42]Enchanted Airways (ajunior roller coaster that features trains modeled afterDragon),[43]Puss in Boots' Giant Journey (a roller coaster with suspended ride vehicles, featuring Puss in Boots as he runs from a giant goose) andMagic Potion Spin (aminiature ferris wheel for children which is themed to be a part of a potion assembly line).[44]
During the attraction's time at Warner Bros. Movie World, a short-lived live show namedShrek Live was shown in the park's Show Stage.[45]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[dead YouTube link]{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[dead YouTube link]| Production Central | |
|---|---|
| New York | |
| San Francisco | |
| Amity | |
| World Expo | |
| Woody Woodpecker's KidZone | |
| Hollywood | |
| Lagoon | |
| Events | |
| Upper Lot |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Lot |
| ||||||
| Hollywood | |
|---|---|
| Jurassic Park | |
| WaterWorld | |
| Amity Village | |
| The Wizarding World ofHarry Potter | |
| Minion Park |
|
| Super Nintendo World | |
| Events | |
| New York | |
|---|---|
| Sci-Fi City | |
| Ancient Egypt | |
| The Lost World | |
| Far Far Away | |
| Minion Land | |
| Events | |
| |||||
| Characters | |||||
| Films |
| ||||
| Specials and shorts |
| ||||
| TV series |
| ||||
| Attractions | |||||
| Video games | |||||
| Music | |||||
| Related | |||||
