Is The Viral Shrekzel From DreamWorks Land Worth The $$$?
It’s double the price of a Mickey pretzel at Disney.
It seems that Far Far Away isn’t actually that far away, after all. Now that Universal Studios Florida’s DreamWorks Land is open, you can visit Shrek’s swamp IRL. And if you’re a foodie, the first stop you should make is the Swamp Snacks stand, which features the viral Shrekzel (aka Shrek pretzel).
TikTok can’t seem to get enough of the Insta-worthy soft pretzel, with its Shrek-faced shape and ogre-esque green cheese. According to Universal’s Director of Culinary Robert Martinez Jr., the concoction’s swampy color — which one TikToker described as “so early 2000s coded” — comes from a spinach powder.
While the nostalgic green cheese may be a turnoff for some, it’s the price of the Shrek pretzel — a whopping $12.29! — that has left people with a huge question mark. Yes, theme park food is known for being expensive, but you could buy a plate of beef pasties with a garden salad at the Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for less than $2 more. So, as Insta-worthy as it is, that makes you wonder whether the price of the new snack is OTT.
Never one to *not* sample everything on a menu (for review purposes, obviously), I taste-tested everything at the Swamp Snacks stand at Universal Studios Florida’s new DreamWorks Land ahead of its opening on June 14. Here’s what the Shrekzel tastes like and where it lands in comparison to its fellow menu items:
The Shrekzel Is Tasty, But...
To give you a point of reference, the Shrekzel is twice the price of a Mickey Mouse-shaped pretzel ($6) at Disneyland. If you want to add on cheese, the Mickey pretzel goes up to $8. Green cheese definitely sounds more interesting than the traditional yellow, but I found the Shrek-themed dip to be less flavorful than the Disney option, even with the spinach powder.
As a self-proclaimed soft pretzel connoisseur, I can safely say the Shrekzel is one of the best pretzels I’ve ever had. It’s not overly cooked, and it’s so perfectly salted, you don’t even need a dipping sauce. It has a nice crunch on the outside, and is pillowy soft on the inside.
It’s also huge; I ate as much as I could right away while it was warm and saved the rest for snacking on later. In a way, it was like two snacks in one, but I still don’t think it’s worth $12. I would pay up to $8 just for the adorable Shrek face pretzel, but I wouldn’t go above $10, dipping sauce included. The Shrekzel was the most expensive thing on the menu, and it wasn’t even the best.
Other Swamp Snacks Are Superior
If you’re looking for something savory, the Swamp Dog is the way to go. The $9.49 hot dog wrapped in a seasoned pizza crust-like dough with green cheese was delightful and unique. It was a bit too hot to eat right away in the blazing Florida summer heat, but once it cooled down a bit, I devoured it.
I also really loved the $11.49 Far Far A Waffle, a waffle stuffed with marinara, mozzarella, and pepperoni. It was a bit floppy and hard to eat on the go, but really tasty when dipped in the extra marinara sauce. My biggest suggestion for Universal would be to add more pepperoni and cheese, but I would totally get this again.
The best snacks on the menu: the two character ice pops. There is a Shrek Frozen Ogre Sour Apple popsicle and a Chonkey Donkey Chocolate ice pop that looks like Donkey.
Both were much-needed cold desserts for the warm theme park day that were refreshing, delicious, picture-perfect, and just $7 each. Pro tip: Snap your foodie pics fast. These treats, especially the Shrek one, melt right away in direct sunlight.
I thought I would like the chocolate Donkey one better because I’m a fudgesicle fan, but the sour apple Shrek was the winner. It wasn’t artificial tasting, and it really cooled me down. Even though I think soft pretzel fans and theme park foodies should get the Shrekzel at least once for the vibes, it’s the Shrek popsicles that are a must at Swamp Snacks.
