For our Sunday family activity, we decided to visit Dreamplay by Dream Works, located at City of Dreams in Manila. The amusement center mainly features well loved characters from Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and Dinotrux. Unlike most theme parks, Dreamplay does not have exciting rides or thrilling booths. But rather, they have different activities to awaken the mind and body of the kids and the kids-at-heart.
Below are some tidbits about our family experience, and some tips on how to make the most of your visit to Dreamplay.
Dreamplay tickets can be purchased online or at the ticket booth. Ticket prices varies depending on: (1) whether you are an adult or child, (2) number of hours inside, and (3) if adults will participate in the activities. Prior to our visit, I already checked out their website and read some blogs. Buying the tickets online to is the most viable thing to do to avoid the long lines (which I also suggest that you do too!).
We were all excited because from the entrance, it was Shrek and the Madagascar characters that greeted us. If you like these characters, then have your picture taken before entering the main activity area because you might not have a chance thereafter as lines tend to get too long. Mind you, for me this is the most lighted area of Dreamplay (except of course for the gift shop) so after this photo, most our pictures are on “night mode”.
What I like most about Dreamplay is that it is an educational amusement center. It has a lot of physical activities for the kids and some, even for adults. Wall of Destiny, Thread of Enlightenment and Kung Fu Fighting has the most number of activities available for both older kids and adults.
For younger children, there are several kiddie areas that encourages a lot of running, and jumping. Just make sure that you have an adult looking after the kids since some of these play areas are elevated.
I like the ginger bread making class because although the class is relatively short, kids will get to experience making a cookie from scratch (from a dough, to shaping it and designing it themselves). The kids (and even participating parents) liked it a lot.
Plus, the cookie is yummy too! Just make sure to secure a schedule right away upon entering Dreamplay as slots are easily filled. We came in at 1pm but ended up getting a 3:30pm schedule.
The Kung Fu class with Panda is nice too because it teaches children the importance of following instructions and intently listening and playing.
Kids who love dinosaurs will surely find Dinotrux interesting because they will experience maneuvering their own reptools.
Kids will also get to experience being a kiddie animator as they visit Dreamstudio.
Kids will surely appreciate the beauty of animation when they visit Dream Theater where they can watch a 4-d animated film, and can even talk to the Magic Mirror!
There is also a puppet show at Dream Tales. Just be sure to check the time of the show and try to be there at least 10-15 minutes before it starts as the line can get pretty long and they venue can only accommodate a number of people.
Excited already? Well, here are some things that you need to expect too. Upon entering Dreamplay, my initial reaction was I got surprised with how small the whole area is compared to what i expected it, based on the map uploaded from its website. Good thing the place was maximized by having a lot of hanging bridges and elevated playgrounds for the kids.
One thing that I was not prepared is how dim the place is. It is ideal to come here with a camera than rely on mobile phones or tablets for photos (like what we did). That is the main reason why most of my photos are quite dark. So be sure to be ready with your flash cameras.
There are several Dreamworks characters that will be going around Dreamplay, however, they will only stop to take pictures at a designated area. Guests will have to line up to take photos with them so be sure to be quick if you chance upon them.
Overall, we find our experience at Dreamplay quite satisfactory.Heinel got to experience a lot of what it has to offer although I wish that there are still more considering the entrance fee. I will still recommend it for families who have bigger kids as it is still a good and educational experience.
Still planning to go? Dreamplay is quite pricey. Thus to maximize your experience, here are some tips that you might want to consider:
1.A word of caution for the young at heart who are thinking of going here, ONLY ADULTS with KIDS will be allowed to enter. So if you are thinking of coming here with your friends or officemates, you might want to rethink the idea or maybe consider taking with you your nephews and nieces.
2. Dreamplay will be best enjoyed by kids ages 5 and up because a number of activities have minimum height requirements. Thus, most small kids will not be able to participate in most of the activities. Heinel was not able to try most of the Kung Fu Panda activities because he is not tall enough.
3. Plan ahead. Check out their website and know about the activities that awaits inside the park and the height requirements. Knowing what to expect will allow you to manage your time, and from it you can decide if: (1) you will get your kids a whole day pass, a 4 hour one or just for 2 hours; and (2) adults can also decide on the type of ticket that you will purchase
3. Although there are a lot of play areas wherein you can join with your younger kids, this is not exclusive to small kids and toddlers, and thus, there is a risk of your child being bumped by bigger kids.
4. Wear comfortable clothing. A t-shirt and jeans if you must, or walking shorts. Also it is advisable to wear sneakers or rubber shoes with socks because some of the good attracions require that you at least wear socks. Bring a sweater because it can be extremely cold inside. Im so glad we brought one for our Hendrix.
5. Come in early. We made the right decision of coming in early (around 1 pm), because in the afternoon, we noticed that there are a lot of guests already and the lines are much longer on each attraction.
6. There are not much choices when it comes to restaurant in City of Dreams,and most are quite pricey too so better eat before going there.You can also eat at the restaurant inside it but there won’t be much of food choices inside. Also, if you will be buying a 2hr or 4hr ticket, then you will risk losing valuable time inside by eating.
Family time is always a great way to spend your weekends. I hope my post will help you one way or another. Should you decided to go to Dreamplay, I would love to hear your experience too!
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