Universal Orlando chefs turn DreamWorks Land food into wow moments, interview
For many guests, a theme park visit comes with an appetite for more than just thrills. The food and beverage offerings add to experience and make the guest hungry for more. With the DreamWorks Land food, Universal Orlando chefs celebrate that opportunity to make wow moments with both the flavor and the visual.
With each new opening or seasonal event, the Universal Orlando culinary team seeks to impress guests, create more conversation, and make that special experience that has people talking long after they have enjoyed the final bite. From sharing that photo to craving that flavor, those wow moments are vital to the guest experience.
Looking at the Universal Orlando food offerings, each area has iconic food and beverages that epitomize the character of the land. The Wizarding World would not be complete without a Butterbeer. Springfield is better with its Duff Beer and Flamin’ Moe. Seussland is more complete with Green Eggs and Ham.
With the opening of DreamWorks Land, the culinary team had an opportunity to flex their visual and storytelling creativity. Given that the space is meant to be family inclusive, the concepts needed to appeal to the younger crowd yet never get the side-eye from the adults. When a chef-driven team can find that sweet spot, it will have guests lining up to order everything on the menu.
Speaking to the Universal Orlando culinary team’s approach to the DreamWorks Land food, Chef Christopher Colon, Executive Sous Chef, Research & Development at Universal Orlando Resort said, “When we create new items, we find inspiration in the movies and immerse ourselves into the world that our guests will ultimately be in. So, in this world, you may come across some strange looking things such as an oozing tree bark, a muddy puddle with who knows what lies beneath, or maybe even a hot stack of delicious WAFFLES! The best part about DreamWorks Land is that all these things just so happen to be delicious treats!”
Looking at these food items, the idea is not only to enjoy them in the moment but also to be able to look back at those photos and remember the flavor and experience. And, more importantly, crave that food enough to come back again.
The specialty shaped food offerings are popping up all over the Universal Orlando menus. It is more than just a single pretzel or a ice cream bar. Many of the characters lend themselves to tasty transformations.
Colon explained, “With the addition of Illumination’s Minion Cafe last year, we had the opportunity to create something new and fun with our Minion Tots and we were able to do that again in DreamWorks Land with the Shrekzel and a few other items. During the creation process, if it makes sense for us organically and we believe it can be a WOW moment for our guests, then the possibilities are endless.”
Looking ahead to the highly anticipated opening of Epic Universe in 2025, the possible spookiness brewing in a monstrous world or soaring with dragons to snag a special treat have people excited to eat their way through the theme park. After all, for some people, the food and beverages are just as important as the twists and turns of a ride.
DreamWorks Land at Universal Orlando Resort’s Universal Studios is open now. Check with the theme park’s website for operating hours. The area features several food and beverage options including Swamp Snacks and Trolls Treats.