NBC Universal Plans Dreamworks-Themed Land at Orlando Park

ByKaren Akos

NBCUniversal Plans Dreamworks-Themed Land at Orlando Park

‘Shrek,’ ‘Trolls,’ and ‘Kung Fu Panda’ are among the Dreamworks Animation projects that will be part of the themed land.

Universal DreamWorks Animation-Themed Land Publicity
Universal DreamWorks Animation-Themed Land Publicity Courtesy of Universal Orlando

Dreamworks Animation is getting its own themed land at Universal Studios Orlando.

The NBCUniversal theme park — part of the Universal Destinations & Experiences division — says that it will open a themed land based on the NBCU-owned animation studio’s intellectual property in 2024.

Dreamworks Animation is behind projects like the Shrek and Trolls franchises, Kung-Fu Panda, and Gabby’s Dollhouse. Characters from all of those franchises will be featured in the four acre land.

NBCUniversal has been leaning into its IP as it develops its theme parks in Orlando and elsewhere, with a particular focus on family-friendly IP. Last month it opened a Minion-themed land in Orlando, and earlier this year the company announced plans to build a family-friendly theme park on 100 acres in Frisco, Texas.

Dreamworks Animation, with its small but significant stable of IP, makes sense as a destination land for the Universal park.

But Universal has also been aggressive with its acquired theme park IP. It remains the only theme park in Orlando with the rights to most Marvel comic book characters (much to Disney’s chagrin), and it has multiple Harry Potter-themed lands that are among Orlando’s most popular destinations. There is also a Simpsons-themed land, and a Nintendo-themed land in Hollywood, with another one set to open in Orlando when the Epic Universe theme park project opens, likely in 2025.

Theme parks have become a valuable place to exploit IP for media companies, with NBCU and Disney understandably leaning into their own parks, and Warner Bros. Discovery licensing its characters out (Six Flags has the rights to the DC Comics characters). Paramount Global also partnered on a Nickelodeon-themed indoor theme park at the American Dream mall in New Jersey.

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