Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Get a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Line it with parchment paper for easy cleanup, or just grease it lightly. This size pan is important because it distributes the layers evenly.

In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups of finely crushed pretzels, 3/4 cup of melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Stir everything together until the mixture is well combined and looks like wet sand. Every pretzel piece should be coated with butter.

Press the pretzel mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared 13×9 pan. Use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press it down evenly. You want a compact, even layer that will hold together when the next layer is added.

Bake the pretzel crust at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. You're looking for the crust to be set, not brown or crispy. Just set enough that it holds together. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, or refrigerate to speed up the cooling process. The crust must be completely cool before adding the cream cheese layer.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, which takes about 2-3 minutes with a mixer or 5-7 minutes by hand. The mixture should be significantly lighter in color and airy when beaten properly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure everything is combined.

Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of orange or lemon extract to the cream cheese mixture. Beat or stir until well combined. The extracts add flavor complexity that makes this more interesting than plain cream cheese.

Gently fold the thawed Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture. Folding means using a rubber spatula to gently combine ingredients, not stirring vigorously. Be gentle so you don't deflate the whipped cream and lose the fluffiness. The final mixture should be light, fluffy, and airy, almost like a mousse.

Once the pretzel crust is completely cool, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over it. Spread it all the way to the edges of the pan. Make sure it's an even layer so the gelatin layer will sit flat on top. Don't refrigerate this layer yet. Leave it at room temperature while you prepare the gelatin.

In a separate bowl, combine the 2 packages of strawberry gelatin with the 2 cups of boiling water. Stir for about 2 minutes until the gelatin is completely dissolved. There should be no gelatin crystals visible.

Stir in the 2 packages of partially thawed, sliced frozen strawberries into the gelatin mixture. The cold strawberries will begin to cool the gelatin mixture.

Let the gelatin mixture sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it reaches an "egg white consistency." This means it's partially set but still pourable. It should be thicker than plain liquid but thinner than fully set gelatin. With frozen strawberries, this usually takes 15-30 minutes. With fresh strawberries, this could take 45 minutes to an hour or more because the fresh berries don't cool the mixture as quickly. This consistency is crucial because if you pour fully liquid gelatin over the cream cheese layer, it will sink through and make the crust soggy. If you wait until it's fully set, you won't be able to pour it and spread it. The egg white consistency is the perfect middle ground.

Once the gelatin reaches the right consistency, pour it over the cream cheese layer. Spread it evenly to the edges of the pan using a spatula. Make sure the strawberries are distributed evenly throughout.

Place the entire dessert in the refrigerator until the gelatin layer is completely set. This usually takes 3-4 hours, but overnight is ideal to ensure everything is fully set. Don't attempt to cut or serve until it's completely set.