Gold Coast Theme Parks - The Ultimate Guide
Important note:
There are two different theme park groups on the Gold Coast. This will impact the way you purchase your tickets. They are:
* Village Roadshow - includes Movie World, Sea World and Wet'n'Wild.
* Dreamworld - includes Dreamworld, White Water World and Skypoint Observation Deck.
For all Gold Coast theme parks:
* Pre-purchase your tickets in advance. You will get a better deal and it will save you time on the day of your visit.
* Arrive 15 minutes before opening time.
* If possible, avoid the Queensland and New South Wales school holidays. The parks will be busier at these times.
A day at Movie World
Tips for a great day at Movie World:
* Download the Village Roadshow app and explore it before your visit.
* Choose a starting point for your day. If you love thrill rides, I'd recommend starting with The Joker Hypercoaster or Superman.
* Check the app for show times and plan your day around these. Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 and Star Parade are both must-see shows.
* Check the 4D Cinema times when you are walking down Main Street. These are not in the app, so take a photo so that you can refer back to it during the day.
* If you want character photos, ask to see the scheulde in the photo shop. You'll be able to get to the meeting point on time and not need to line up.
A day at Sea World
Tips for a great day at Sea World:
* Download the Village Roadshow app and explore it before your visit.
* Check the show times and plan your day around those.
* The app will also show the times for keeper talks, so check those out so you can learn more about your favourite animals.
* If you enjoy thrill rides, there are not a lot of options at Sea World. I would recommend starting with Leviathan as this is the newest attraction and will have the longest lines throughout the day.
* If you are looking for something special, consider an animal encounter or a helicopter ride.
A day at Wet'n'Wild
Tips for a great day at Wet'n'Wild
* If you are travelling in peak season, try to avoid the warmest days of your trip as these will be busier.
* Hire a locker - its great to have a place to store your things without worrying about them going missing.
* Have a good look at the park map in the app prior to your visit. You are unlikely to carry your phone around as you can't take it on the slides.
* Choose the area of the park that you would like to start your day.
* Arrive early as wait times are generally shorter in the morning. They also tend to get shorter later in the afternoon.
* If you are travelling during January, check the schedule for Dive'n'Movies - you can watch a movie in the wave pool later in the afternoon. It's a great place to spend a warm summer evening.
A day at Dreamworld
Tips for a great day at Dreamworld;
* Check the signs when you enter for the Tiger Island talk time. It's usually 12pm, but double-check because there is usually only one presentation each day.
* Choose where you will start your day. For thrill seekers, Steel Taipan is your best starting point as you'll avoid the longer lines later in the day.
* Plan to spend some time in the Native Wildlife Walkthrough area.
* If you are visiting Australia, or you just love koalas as much as I do, this is a great place to get a photo cuddling a koala.
A day at WhiteWater World
Tips for a great day at WhiteWater World:
* Choose your starting point if you are a fan of the thrill slides. The longer lines later in the day are usually at The Green Room, The Rip and SuperTubes Hydrocoaster.
* Temple of Huey and Little Rippers are a great place to be later in the day when the lines are longer in the other parts of the park. This area is usually a bit quieter as it's a bit separate from the other slides.
* If you are travelling in peak season, avoid the warmest day as the lines will be longer on these days.
* WhiteWater World has a limited opening season. They open from September to April, so keep this in mind if you are visiting outside of these months.
Bonus suggestion
I have included SkyPoint Observation Deck in this guide as you can choose a Dreamworld ticket that includes a visit here.
Check out these great ticket options
Coming soon
Accommodation options
If visiting the theme parks is a major part of your holiday, it makes sense to stay between Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise. This ensures you are close to the coast, but it's not too far to get to the parks each day.
Transport suggestions
Hire a car
The quickest and easiest way to travel to each of the theme parks is to hire a car. There are many options for car hire on the Gold Coast. You can also opt for a hire service like Kinto or Flexi-car that allows you to just pay for and use the car when you need it.
Public Transport
If you don't want the expense of hiring a car, or you are not confident driving in Australia, there are public transport connections to each of the parks.
Sea World
Catch the 705 bus. This bus starts at the Pacific Fair shopping centre in Broadbeach and goes north along the coast, all the way to Sea World.
All other theme parks
Catch the G:link Light Rail to Helensvale Station. From there, jump on the TX7 theme park bus. This bus services all of the theme parks except SeaWorld.
Special events
If you are on the Gold Coast during these special events, you might like to check them out. Be aware that these events are ticketed separately from the usual theme park entry.
Movie World White Christmas
When: December
This is my favourite Christmas event on the Gold Coast! Check out this video from last year:
Sea World Carnivale
When: February
This event is full of roving entertainment, bright colours and a very cool light show!
Sea World Spooky Nights
When: October
Spooky Nights is a fun night of Halloween dress-ups and a fun trick-or-treating trail.
Happy Halloween at Dreamworld
When: October
Another opportunity to bring out the costumes! Dreamworld creates some fun attractions and shows to celebrate the season.
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