KIDDING AROUND … DREAMWORLD
If you are heading to the Gold Coast with your family, then visiting one of the theme parks will definitely be on your list of things to do! On our recent trip to Queensland, we had one free day so we had to choose wisely! We decided that Dreamworld was the best fit for a family with kids aged 6 and under but in all honesty, two days at Dreamworld would have been so much better! We just didn’t get to do everything and we really wanted to spend some time at WhiteWater World (which is now part of Dreamworld and included in the entry price)!
Dreamworld is Australia’s largest theme park with over 40 rides and attractions that are categorised into different themed lands – each land has unique rides, food outlets, merchandise shops and some even have animal exhibits as part of the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation (DWF).
6 TOP ATTRACTIONS FOR KIDS AGED 6 AND UNDER
MAIN STREET AND THE LEGO® STORE AT DREAMWORLD
The Main Street is home to the imposing Dreamworld globe (complete with massive Dreamworld logo, countries and mountain ranges) which is perfect for your latest holiday momento! Staff are on hand to take a professional photo, but are more than happy to take one on your camera as well! The Main Street also features the Dreamworld Ice Cream Palour, Dreamworld Cinema, a central station for the Dreamworld Express (train) as well as food, beverage and retail outlets.
The LEGO® Store at Dreamworld is located near the top of Main Street and open daily from 9am – 6pm (you can also access it without paying Dreamworld entrance fees from outside the park) and employs 20 ‘Brick Specialists’, has 10 life-size LEGO®models including Stormtroopers, a seven-foot-tall Incredible Hulk and several ‘Dreamworld-inspired’ models including a tiger, koala and didgeridoo. It features everything you have come to expect from a LEGO® Store such as the World-famous LEGO® ‘Pick a Brick’ wall, 2×3 metre LEGO® mosaic, LEGO® brick engraving and Make-Your-Own MinifigureTM stations.
CORROBOREE
Corroboree is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, culture, wildlife and stories. We caught the Dreamworld Express and the kids absolutely loved visiting some of the 800 native and barnyard animals that are located in Corroboree (and also within the Dreamworld grounds). A top tip is to go here last as the kids just didn’t want to leave! The area is also home to a set of Ford Model T vintage cars which can be driven around a small circuit.
WIGGLES WORLD
Wiggles World is home to the Wiggle House and other Wiggles inspired rides. It is aimed at toddlers and young children and features gentle rides and attractions such as the Big Red Car Ride, Dorothy’s Rosy Tea Cup Ride and the Big Red Boat Ride. If you have a Wiggles Fan then go to the Big Red Car Ride first thing in the morning – the line can be excruciating and whilst there is Wiggles videos and songs playing on a loop and little games to distract the kids anything with wait times over an hour tends to test everyone’s patience.
ABC KIDS WORLD
ABC Kids World is a children’s area that features children’s Australian TV series’ such as Giggle and Hoot, Play School, and Bananas in Pyjamas. The kids loved the Hop and Hoot ride where they went cloud bouncing up in the sky, giving the Banana’s a high 5 and getting lost in the Fun Maze. There is also a special soft play area for little, little kids where they can get out of the pram and crawl around for a while.
TIGER ISLAND
Tiger Island opened in 1995 as one of only two interactive tiger exhibits in the world. As part of Dreamworld’s conservation work with DWF, their tigers are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild and we loved seeing them up close and learning all about Dreamworld’s work towards protecting the species!
DREAMWORKS EXPERIENCE
DreamWorks Experience is a section of the park designed specifically for primary-aged children and tweens. The area is split up into three areas (Madagascar Madness, Shrek’s Faire Faire Away and Kung Fu Panda: Land Of Awesomeness) and includes the Escape from Madagascar suspended family roller coaster (Isaac was too short at 4 years old – many of the rides in this section require kids to be 110cm tall) and Mad Jungle Jam where there are hundreds of squidgy balls, air cannons, foam fountains, rope bridges and lookout towers to play on. The kids loved this area!
HONOURARY MENTION – WHITEWATER WORLD
I can’t talk about Dreamworld without mentioning WhiteWater World which is now part of Dreamworld and included in your entry (so make sure you pack a towel and some bathers). WhiteWater World offers something fun for every age group and the kids could easily spend all day in the Cave of Waves, slipping and sliding at Wiggle Bay or running amok at the Pipeline Plunge. If you can sneak away, adults can chill out in one of the luxury private cabanas, available to rent by booking online. With an iPod dock, fridge, deck chairs and couches, it’s heaven for anyone wanting to sit back and relax with all their creature comforts.
So that’s our 6 TOP ATTRACTIONS FOR KIDS AGED 6 AND UNDER at Dreamworld!
Of course, if you have older children there are the Dreamworld Big 9 Thrill Rides on offer – Tim enjoyed the the Mick Doohan Motocoaster which is the only motocoaster in the world!
We had so much fun at Dreamworld and will definitely return when we are next in Queensland. The kids still talk about all of their adventures and have asked to go to WhiteWater World for the day – so I guess that means we have to start planning!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to thank Dreamworld for hosting our visit and making it possible for us to have such an amazing day.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about Dreamworld or to book your tickets, please visit: www.dreamworld.com.au
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
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