Escape rooms stress me out. Here's why Universal’s new movie-themed escape rooms were a game changer for me.

I'm not a fan of escape rooms. The idea of them is great, and every time I've planned to visit one with friends or family, I've envisioned making memories together while solving puzzles and racing against the clock. But I'm competitive and anxious, and find that in small business-owned escape rooms where I'm racing to find the code to a rickety padlock so I can find a key that may-or-may-not unlock a door, all while a guide tries typing in hints on a TV monitor, I'm easily driven to full panic. In fact, after a particularly stressful experience at a Miami escape room a few years ago, my family swore they'd never darken the doors of one with me again. Ever.

When I heard the newest entertainment offering at Universal Orlando Resort's CityWalk was a movie-themed escape room, I could feel the panic rising in my chest. At Universal's Great Movie Escape, guests can enter two escape rooms themed around the Back to the Future and Jurassic World film franchises, moving through eight puzzle rooms designed to make participants feel like they're helping Doc Brown thwart Biff Tannen's timeline-jumping antics or pitching in on Isla Nublar to corral some escaped dinosaurs. But how would the experience, which Universal has touted as state-of-the art and completely different than its escape room cousins, compare to the escape rooms I've attempted in the past?

"We worked with the filmmakers to expand the wonderful stories of these films and create unique stories that we we can throw our guests into today," TJ Mannarino, vice president of art and design for Universal Orlando's entertainment division, tells Yahoo Life of the project, which has taken more than two years to complete. "These inventions are very authentic: They actually put you into the worlds of Jurassic and Back to the Future."

In the days before we visited, my friends and I discussed in a group text whether our friendship could survive a Universal-quality escape room. Would it be hard? Would dino jump-scares make us pee our pants? Would four strong-willed women turn on each other in the heat of competition?

But, the occasional dino jump-scare pants-peeing aside, Universal's Great Movie Escape was everything I wanted it to be … and nothing I expected. The escape rooms were fun and interactive, but took away every element of frustration and ensured that the experience was nothing but pure fun.

Walking into Universal's Great Movie Escape, I was immediately transported to an art-deco theater where costumes from the films were on display and creative drinks were flowing from not one, but two full bars. My favorite drink was the Hoverboard Highball, a perfect nod to Back to the Future, but the Jurassic-themed Raptor Bite packed some spice and added to the immersive experience as well.

After checking in and placing our belongings in a locker, we headed to Back to the Future: OUTATIME, where we learned that pesky antagonist Biff was up to his old tricks and Doc Brown needed our help. Through a series of eight rooms, we were transported through iconic parts of the film, right down to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. We came, we time-traveled and we ultimately closed out the experience by getting up close and personal with Doc during the iconic clock tower scene from Back to the Future.

As we lunched between rooms, my friends and I agreed, this wasn't quite an escape room — it was something better. When it was time for Jurassic World: Escape, we found the perfect way to describe the experiences. Our host, who explained the rules for the room prior to our entering it, called the experience "an immersive puzzle walk-through experience," and that was exactly it.

At the Jurassic room, we started our first work day as geneticists working on Isla Nublar. But what would anything Jurassic be without those crazy dinosaurs causing some shenanigans? Our days were derailed and we ended up completing a series of high-tech puzzles to help recapture the dinos, my favorite of which involved entering codes into a computer system to save dinosaur embryos from dethawing.

The real magic at Universal's Great Movie Escape was the way each room moves guests along … stress free. Each escape experience has eight rooms, with guests continuously moving through from one room to the next, meaning once you leave the Doc Brown museum and time-travel back to 1892, another group starts their experience right behind you. To keep things moving, the video guide jumps in to help, making sure no group spends more than 15 minutes in a room. At times when we were flustered, stuck and unsure what to do next, our guide seamlessly popped onto the screen to say she'd found a way to "override the system," moving us on to the next puzzle while still making it feel like part of the storyline.

The magic? We never felt like we had messed up or were doing something incorrectly. The experience was all about exploring each room, working together and having fun. Once we realized we wouldn't colossally fail or leave our mission incomplete if we didn't figure out, it was easier to relax, take in the amazingly-themed spaces and enjoy the experience. Is it the "participation trophy" of escape rooms? Maybe. But in a world where things are always going awry, being able to enjoy (and complete) an escape room with help from the technology inside the room itself felt good.

These high-tech escape rooms have the ability to randomize the puzzles and solutions that take place along the way, meaning your experience the first time through could be different the next time you visit. The rooms can be customized for a party's size, too, so the tasks which must be completed adapt to rooms with four players as opposed to a full game with six. The game is also adjustable depending on skill-level, so at check-in, it's OK to let the staff know your level of escape room expertise ... if you're up for the challenge.

"What sets us apart is the level of storytelling and detail," adds Mannarino of the experience, which lasts close to an hour per escape room. "This is something you've never seen any place else … it doesn't matter what your level of experience is with the brands or the films, everybody will walk away having had a lot of fun."

Another perk of this escape room experience? It's on the growing list of things to do at Universal Orlando that do not require a theme park ticket. Admission starts at $49.99 per person, per escape room, and parties of less than six may be grouped with other guests. A full room private room (for up to six) can be reserved starting at $300 per private party.

And those two bars within Universal's Great Movie Escape? They're worth hitting any time you're visiting CityWalk, as admission to an escape room is not required to enjoy the craft cocktails, beautiful spaces or upstairs outdoor balcony, which boasts a beautiful view of CityWalk and Universal's theme parks.

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life’s newsletter. Sign up here.