I Got To Tour The New Experiences At Universal Orlando, And Here Are My Honest Thoughts

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Hi, I'm Chelsea, the weekend editor here at BuzzFeed. Recently, I got to go to Universal Orlando to tour their new experiences, and let me just say, I had the BEST time!

The park opened a few new attractions this summer: DreamWorks Land, CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, and Hogwarts Always in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Each offers their own unique and immersive experience, making for a truly enjoyable and unforgettable time!

Here's what I thought of each attraction.

1. DreamWorks Land

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DreamWorks Land invites guests into the magical worlds of Shrek, the trolls, and Po the Panda.

The first stop inside is Shrek's Swamp Meet. There, you can meet him, Donkey, and Fiona. You can also play around their cottage.

The playground includes slides, a splash park, and a snack station with yummy-themed treats including Shrekzel pretzels and a gummy worm chocolate pudding.

I personally loved all the tiny details of this exhibit, like these imprints of Shrek's feet littered on the park floor.

That's not all it has to offer, either. There's also a swamp symphony where you can make the frogs sing by jumping on their lily pads, a recreation of Mama Luna's house with space to play with her cats digitally, and a hilarious interaction with Pinocchio, who can't stop telling white lies. You see him hanging out of Shrek's swamp house in the photo here.

Next up is Trolls World, where your little ones can meet the gang IRL and play in Poppy's playhouse. The playhouse features climbing structures, bounce designs, and a sprawling 20-foot mushroom to lounge under when you need a quick rest.

If you're looking for something more thrilling, there's also the Trollercoaster. It's the only ride of all the new experiences, but it has some entertaining twists and turns — and some creepy spiders you have to escape! As someone who hates rollercoasters, I could appreciate that this one wasn't so intense.

So, after dramatically screaming out my lungs on the ride anyway, I decided to stop by Trolls Treats and refresh myself with a Poppy-licious Pink soft serve. You guys, it was SO good!! It tasted like pink lemonade and was decorated with adorable little flower sprinkles.

Like, YUM!!

The next and final stop after that was Po's Village. Here, guests get to meet, talk, and learn kung fu from the master himself via a digital screen.

The exhibit also includes a jungle gym-like playground where kids can swing on the noodles from Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop and a splash pad to cool down from the sweltering summer heat. See the pail at the top of the laundry? It's full of water — that's what the pandas dunk on you!

After you're finished playing, you can hop in one of the handy-dandy dryers scattered throughout the park before moving on to your next adventure at the DreamWorks Imagination Celebration. There, Universal plays an interactive live show about using your imagination, with appearances and performances by various animated characters, including Shrek, Poppy, and King Julien.

2. Next up: CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular

Universal describes CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular as a "cinematic journey for your senses with stirring film scores and dancing fountains." But honestly, there are no words to describe this magical experience! (And obviously, no photos that really capture it either.)

It was absolutely mesmerizing!!! Taking place over Universal's lagoon on select nights through August, this live experience celebrates the soundtracks of your favorite movies using music, fireworks, lights, and drone technology. Scenes from movies like Jaws, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and The Mummy are projected onto the water as the water dances to the tune of the film's most iconic tracks, and the lights change colors to meet the dramatic tone of each film. I was truly captivated, and this honestly wound up being my favorite attraction of all — which says a lot coming from a Harry Potter fan and proud Hufflepuff member!

Which brings me to the final attraction...

3. Hogwarts Always in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Hogwarts Always is an incredible projection show depicting a school year at Hogwarts. It's set against the beloved school of magic and features all the great music from the movies, along with spot-on narrations by Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore, and more.

Overall, I would give the new experiences a B rating. Even though most of them are geared toward children, there's honestly something here that everyone would love. From the nostalgia of Shrek's Swamp Meet and the hilarious banter and jokes between him and Donkey to the dazzling light show and the magic of Hogwarts Always, there's truly something here for everyone.

Are you planning on touring the new experiences at Universal Orlando? LMK in the comments!

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