Wednesday 1st July 2015
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS PLC
DRAGONS AND BUSES ‘FLY’ AS OGRE SIZED WORLD FIRST
NEW MERLIN ATTRACTION, SHREK’S ADVENTURE! OPENS
IN LONDON…. TODAY
Wednesday 1 July 2015. Over 400 people have worked for more than two years to create a new
World first visitor experience from Merlin Entertainments - SHREK’S ADVENTURE! - the first of
which opens today on London’s South Bank.
The result of a unique partnership between Merlin and DreamWorks Animation, the attraction
features a cast of favourite DreamWorks characters as they have never been seen before, with
original scripts, sets and animation all created just for the attraction. As final adjustments were
feverishly being made last night following a series of very successful media preview events, a
team of technicians, animators, model makers, artists and set designers applied the finishing
touches to the fantastical story telling experience, bringing to life the world of Shrek and his
DreamWorks friends ready for today’s first visitors.
“There really is nothing like this anywhere else in the world and we cannot wait for people to
come through the doors,” said Paul Moreton, Group Creative Director at Merlin Entertainments
whose team at Merlin Magic Making has developed the experience in close collaboration with
DreamWorks. “We’re telling a totally new story, in a totally new way and guests can really play
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their part by stepping into the action and taking a starring part. The ‘tour’ kicks off with a flight
across London in a magical flying bus – a simulator ‘ride’ with some seriously amazing new
DreamWorks animation.
There’s plenty more ground breaking special effects throughout the
attraction as the story unfolds and guests embark on a quest taking them through the Land of Far
Far Away. Even when they’ve successfully completed their quest and have found their way back
to London there is plenty more fun to be had. DreamWorks characters, including SHREK himself
of course, are there to meet you including Toothless the Dragon and Hiccup, the Penguins of
Madagascar and the larger than life Kung Fu Panda himself, Po.”
The 75 minute ‘DreamWorks Tour’ combines live action and iconic sets from the Shrek films, an
amazing 4D flying bus simulator “ride”, jaw-dropping cutting edge special effects, live action and
actors, new and hysterically funny animation….all complementing completely new DreamWorks
scripts written just for the attraction. But visitors have to wait until the end to see one of the
biggest installation jobs in the project, the gargantuan eight metre wide model of How to Train
Your Dragon’s famous Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, Toothless, who soars above visitors’
heads complete with his Viking Dragon rider, Hiccup. The huge flying dragon took a team of six,
a full three days to complete…but as Paul Moreton says, it was worth every, at times terrifying,
second!
But the proof of the pudding is in the eating – or in this case the guest reaction – and those lucky
enough to have attended one of the preview events this week have been glowing in their praise.
Tom Parry from the Daily Mirror wrote for example “It might be Far Far Away but the mysterious
Kingdom in which everyone’s favourite loveable green ogre lives is now bang in the heart of
central London……Guided through SHREK’s domain by some of the craziest characters in the hit
films; we stated on a 4D magic bus rides with SHREK’s travelling companion Donkey as our
driver….had a disastrous run-in with one of Rumpelstiltskin’s witches…met Cinderella, Sleeping
Beauty and the Muffin Man doing their utmost to encourage audience participation…A truly
immersive experience, and seems to be ideal for younger children…”
The new attraction is situated in County Hall on London’s South Bank, alongside three other
iconic Merlin attractions – SEA LIFE London Aquarium, the London Dungeon and the Coca Cola
London Eye. It is also not only Merlin 110th global attraction to open but the first new midway
attraction concept the company has launched since it opened the first LEGOLAND Discovery
Centre in Berlin in 2007. SHREK Adventure! London is also the first in an international roll out
which will see Merlin open DreamWorks Tours experiences in at least five other locations around
the world over the next nine years.
-Ends-
Notes to editors
About Merlin Entertainments plc
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment.
Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now
operates 109 attractions, 12 hotels/4 holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The
company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 63 million visitors
worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its
managers and c26,000 employees (peak season).
Among Merlin’s attractions are - SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The London Eye,
Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle,
THORPE PARK Resort, Blackpool Tower, Heide Park Resort, Sydney Tower Eye and
SKYWALK. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great
potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
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For further information please contact:
Merlin Entertainments:
Sally Ann Wilkinson
+ 44 (0) 208 899 6110
[email protected]
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