Shrek’s Adventure! London is a Merlin Entertainments attraction in County Hall on the South Bank, next to the London Aquarium, London Dungeon and the London Eye.
What’s It Like?
Rather like the London Dungeon, you are taken around the attraction in a group and meet different characters in each room. (It’s called a ‘walk and ride attraction’.) Some of the group will interact with the characters (take something from one to the next room, etc). It takes just over an hour to complete the route and you then have free time in the ‘DreamWorks Tours Arrivals Hall’ for photo opportunities with characters and to interact with scenes in films such as Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.
The Journey
You’ll need a timed ticket (and definitely book in advance as this place is popular) and you then enter the ‘DreamWorks Tours Departure Gates’. Parents of toddlers need to check-in their buggies before you meet a super-happy Flight Attendant who explains the rules (no photos) and then leads you through to meet the first character in the first of the ten live shows.
Princess Fiona gets you singing and dancing before you go on the fantastic 4D bus ride with Donkey as the bus driver. I have to say I love this. It’s a shame this is the only part of the attraction that’s not full-accessible as it is so well done. You wear 3D glasses on your journey to ‘Far Far Away’. The bus soars above the London skyline before a crash landing in Shrek’s Swamp. Don’t worry, you won’t get too wet.
From here on the storyline has been set and you’ve got to reach Shrek to save the day. Cinderella is house-sitting and someone has to go into Shrek’s outside toilet. Esmeralda the fortune teller sees something in her crystal ball, and then you head to the Poison Apple pub.
Try and save everyone’s favourite dishonest wooden boy as Pinocchio is spun on the wheel of torture in a game show where the whole group votes for the right answer.
Get lost in the Magic Mirror Maze (we actually did get lost and had to be rescued by Sleeping Beauty!) before reaching the Muffin Man (yes, the one who lives on Drury Lane) and making a potion with all the things the group had collected from characters along the way.
Then it’s into the ‘Magic Portal’ before the finale showdown between Rumpelstilskin and Shrek.
But don’t think it’s all over then as when you leave you find yourself back in County Hall but then get to meet Shrek for photo opportunities.
And keep the camera out and get snap happy as it’s the ‘DreamWorks Tours Arrivals Hall’ to end your visit and you can stay as long as you like posing with Kung Fu Panda and Toothless and Hiccup in the How To Train Your Dragon area.
Your journey is now over but have a look at your official photos and consider buying before taking the elevator to the gift shop and exit.
Anything to Change?
Sometimes the sections between the character sets look really good and it’s a shame we don’t have long to look at them as we dash to the next room.
And I hope there will be a way in the future to make the 4D bus ride accessible to wheelchair users.
Tickets
As well as single attraction tickets there are lots of combination attraction tickets available for the London Aquarium, London Eye, London Dungeon or Madame Tussauds London. You can save up to 30% by booking online in advance.
Official Website: www.shreksadventure.com