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Beginning where the first Shrek movie left off (and providing a handy transition into Shrek 2) this exciting "4D" movie is beautifully themed.

The preshow sequence sets up the show, introduces the characters for those who've not seen the film (is there anyone left who hasn't?) and sets the location deep inside Farquad's castle.

The Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio are trapped in boxes. We can see the pigs' eyes and as they wriggle and speak, we can see their boxes move! Then the Magic Mirror updates us on what's been happening since the first movie.

The attraction was constructed in 2003 in the former Panasonic Theater which used to house the Star Trek Adventure and many other shows over the years.

How does our 3D vision work?

We see in three dimensions because we have two eyes. The brain is able to process the two slightly different images from our left and right eyes, and extracts "3D" information necessary to enable us to move around the world without bumping into things.

How does the 3D movie work?

To reproduce the effect of seeing in 3D, the show designers had to be able to control what our left eye sees, and keep it separate from what our right eye sees. Two projectors are used to project the "left eye" image which is projected through a special filter called a polarising lens. The special "3D glasses" we wear when we see the film has a similar filter, so only our left eye sees the image that's meant for it. Another pair of projectors project the "right eye image" so that it overlays the left eye image. Pairs of projectors are used In order to make the image bright enough. The projectors used are latest-technology digital "DLP" projectors which are extremely high quality. Unlike Terminator 2:3D, there is no film involved in the Shrek movie. The movie is stored digitally, and replayed direct from hard disk. It's the first fully digital theme park attraction - picture quality remains as good as the day the attraction opened. The projectors are much more expensive than the 70mm film projectors on Terminator 2:3D, but there is NO film replacement cost. When the Terminator movie print wears out or is scratched, it must be replaced at a massive reprinting cost.

Where can I see the movie again?

The Shrek 3D movie (without any preshow or "4D" elements) can be seen on a special bonus DVD available with some copies of Shrek 2. It comes with coloured lens 3D glasses which reproduce the 3D effect on your home TV set. The effect is much better, of course, at the park.

Shrek 4D exterior (the Panasonic Theater). The block at the left of the building is the stage. The queue line goes around the back of the stage, with the preshow happening beside the auditorium on the far side of the theatre.