By now, I’m sure you’ve seen some of the epic and well-deserved local media buzz about Dreamscape, the new immersive, free-roaming virtual reality experience at Easton Town Center.
Dreamscape is located within Easton’s AMC movie theatre, but it’s far more than a movie and much more interactive, mind-blowing and awe-inspiring than I ever expected. We got to do several fun VR experiences on board the Norwegian Joy in December, but Dreamscape blows them all away.
If you think I’m hyping this up too much, consider that Dreamscape is backed by Steven Spielberg, several Hollywood studios and former top DreamWorks and Disney Imagineering executives. Or that this immersive VR experience is literally only available in four cities in the world: Los Angeles, Dallas, Dubai and now Columbus, Ohio.
Excited yet? You will be! There are three wildly different, immersive experiences available at Dreamscape Easton so far, with talk of a fourth one being added soon.
Zoe and I got to experience all three Dreamscape adventures and we are hard-pressed to pick a favorite. Each one is unique and amazing in its own way. It’s important to note that the Dreamscape VR experience is for ages 10 and up; younger kids might be very freaked out and/or terrified – same for even older kids who are very sensitive. You know your kiddo best.
Each experience starts the same way: participants buy tickets and check in, then wait to be called for your boarding time. When you are called to board, you will first enter a small room where you will gear up in the VR equipment. This includes gear on both feet, both hands, a heavy backpack on your back and of course the VR helmet and goggles on your head. Gearing up takes a few minutes, and it’s tricky at first but by our third time, Z and I were pros.
Once you are all kitted out for your adventure, you are led in a specific order into the actual VR chamber. It’s quite dark and you can’t see much, but you are guided to footprints on the floor and then told to place your goggles on, align the speaker pads over your ears, and stand with your arms at your sides.
That’s when our ordinary world disappears and you enter the VR world. It’s not unlike going into the Matrix, Avatar or any other incredible universe we’ve seen on screen – but this is different because you can stand, walk, move and truly interact and engage in ways you’ve never been able to before.
I don’t want to give away too much or spoil any surprises, but Z and I agreed on our five favorite things about the Dreamscape VR experience, so here they are below. Trust me when I say that even if you read this, you still must experience it for yourself!
- Saving the whales in theBlu. I can’t say more about this – but theBlu was our overall favorite if we absolutely have to pick one. We love the other two, too, but as ocean lovers and avid snorkelers… this one is the bomb!
- Riding aqua scooters in theBlu. You’ll just have to experience this yourself to understand why it’s so fun and amazing! Think: underwater, flying motorcycles.
- Petting the dinosaurs and interacting with other unique life forms in Alien Zoo – this one was a close second favorite for me. There are so many interactive elements throughout all the Dreamscape encounters that will have your eyes popping and jaw dropping, but petting the dinosaur was the absolute best!
- The VERY wild “roller coaster” ride in Curse of the Lost Pearl. This one was Zoe’s second favorite because she loves thrills, chills and adventures. At times this one was almost a little too intense for me, but I still loved it.
- All the booby traps, obstacles and “challenges” in Curse of the Lost Pearl. If you’ve always wanted to jump into the world of Jumanji or Raiders of the Lost Ark – this is your VR.
I went into our Dreamscape experience wondering if $20 per person, per adventure, was a little too high a price. Z and I both left feeling like we would pay far more for the incredible experiences we had. I know it’s not cheap, but it’s not like anything else you’ve ever experienced, either here or at Disney or Universal. We think it’s well worth the cost!
Have you experienced Dreamscape at Easton, and which was your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or over on Facebook.
