Shrek 4-D

• Mike Myers as Shrek
• Eddie Murphy as Donkey
• Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
• John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad
• Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man
• Cody Cameron as Pinocchio / The Three Little Pigs
• Christopher Knights as Thelonious / Three Blind Mice
• Chris Miller as Magic Mirror

In May 2002, it was announced that Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood would be getting Shrek 4-D. That same month, the Florida location announced the closure of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera and Alfred 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 by Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast. Both attractions were set to open in 2003.[19]

Universal Parks & Resorts have implemented the movie into four of their amusement 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 the Shrek-themed Far 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.[20]

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.[21] This was followed by A Nightmare on Elm Street themed mazes for 2007, 2008, and 2010.[22][23] In 2009 My Bloody Valentine: Be Mine 4 Ever operated in the queue.[24] The final mazes used in this venue were both themed to La Llorona in 2011 and 2012.

Warner Bros. Movie World retired 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, and Ice 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.[25][26] The Florida attraction was replaced by Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast which became part of Minion Land on Illumination Ave, which opened on August 11, 2023.

On May 11, 2004, the attraction was released on DVD with the original Shrek film as Shrek 3-D[27] with both 3-D and 2-D versions included. The release included pairs of two-color 3-D glasses. The DVD included an anaglyph 3-D version along with a conventional version without 3-D effects. The DVD release also included a preview of Shrek 2.

On May 13, 2007, the film was shown on Nickelodeon as Shrek's Never Before Seen Adventure,[27] with the 3-D effects removed.

In October 2011, the film was released on Netflix under the title The Ghost of Lord Farquaad as a part of DreamWorks Spooky Stories with a Fourth wall break removed and music added to the end credits.[28][29]

A comic adaptation of the film was featured as issue #1 of the Shrek comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics.

Also the 3-D re-release short film was shown before the 3-D family films in 2011–2012 such as Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in the UK.

It was also released on August 28, 2012, as part of Shrek's Thrilling Tales DVD and DreamWorks Spooky Stories Blu-ray.[30]

In the Universal Studios parks, guests wait outside the building (housed in a soundstage) where they watch various clips from the first Shrek 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.[31]

At Warner Bros. Movie World, the queue began outside the Roxy 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.[32] A similar set-up occurred at Movie Park Germany.

Participants are given their "OgreVision" 3-D Goggles as they enter a dungeon-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 the Three Little Pigs, Gingy, and Pinocchio revealing that Lord 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 summarize the 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 on Star 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 a test card with Lord Farquaad in the center. The Mirror then warns the audience about safety. In the Hollywood version, 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.[33]

The main ride has the riders watch the short film with their OgreVision 3-D Googles in the theatre, while special effects simulate interaction with the events of the film. Although the animation is 3-D, the ride is a 4-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.[34][35][36] 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.