It doesn’t have to be all hair raising screams, G-force pressure, and giant plunge thrills at the Theme Park Capital of Australia.
There are options for relaxation and entertainment in each of the Gold Coast theme parks.
All the adrenalin rushing can be a little too exhausting, so when the need for a little downtime arrives, be sure to head to the following.
Movie World
Movie World is definitely the place to come for entertainment.
Every day, the Star Parade brings magic to life with Looney Tunes characters, Scooby Doo and superheroes putting on a show down Main Street. Your kids will love it and Dads are sure to love cat woman!
The Hollywood Stunt Driver show is full of bangs, screeches, and high adrenalin fun. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.
This summer, Movie World is transforming itself into a magical winter wonderland. Your child will love having a White Christmas experience with Christmas carollers, a snowy sky lit up by fairy lights and a Christmas parade with Santa and all his helpers.
Dreamworld
One of my favourite things about Dreamworld are the wildlife shows.
I like to have my lunch at the cafe in front of Tiger Island just before the show starts. Then you have the perfect spot to watch these beautiful Bengal and Sumatran tigers play, wrestle and swim.
This December Dreamworld’s youngest tigers Baru & Ravi go to Cub College in their very own tiger show.
After the Tiger Show, move to Australian Wildlife Experience where you can feed kangaroos and pat koalas.
Your kids will love spending time in the DreamWorks Experience precinct, where they can go on rides and watch shows based on their favourite animated characters such as Shrek and the animals from Madagascar.
Skip the line with a prepaid ticket. Can cancel up to 24 hours in advance. Purchase your tickets via this link
Sea World
It’s all about the animal shows at Sea World.
This year Sea World has a baby polar bear, called Henry, waiting for you to say hi at ‘Polar Pre-School’, the new $1.5 million extension to Polar Bear Shores.
Imagine is the best dolphin show I’ve ever seen. I was blown away by the dancing and the tricks they performed. And they wear the biggest smiles on their faces while doing it. They are such beautiful animals.
Get in early for a good possie up front and bring your giggles to the Fish Detectives seal lion show. Sea lions, Buddy and Clawde, solve an environmental crime to save all the fish in the harbor. It is such a cute show!
Sea World is the one theme park you can stay at. Check out the resort here.
Wet’n’Wild
Wet’n’Wild has some shady beach retreats for you with soft sand and sunshine in Calypso Beach.
When you feel like moving, don’t go far, just jump in a soft tube and float around the lazy river, through the gardens.
Some people might not think it’s relaxing, but I reckon sailing over the park in a zip line goes into the category. You don’t have to do much but sit back, zoom on down, and take in the sites.
For the kids, there is Buccaneer Bay, a pirate themed playground. Sit back and watch them enjoy their fun water adventure.
WhiteWater World
One of the best ways to relax amongst the plunging waterslides at WhiteWater World, is to rent a cabana.
The cabanas comfortably fit up to 4 people and are fitted with deck chairs, couches, a coffee table, ipod dock, mini refrigerator and cabana service staff member.
You can bring your own picnic lunch to WhiteWater World, which is great for the cabanas, but will also work well if you can pull up a patch of grass under some shade. Put your feet up with a good book and allow yourself some space to rest.
If you have kids, escape to Wiggle Bay, an area designed for the under 5’s with mini slides and interactive water sprays. During the summer holidays, Dorothy, Wags and Henry come to visit.
Australian Outback Spectacular
Very high up on my Gold Coast theme park list, is the Australian Outback Spectacular show, the place to immerse yourself in the spirit and grandeur of the Australian Outback.
Start with a beer before the show, and then sit back and relax while you eat a three course Aussie dinner and watch Australian stock men and women perform stunts on horses and retell Australian legendary stories.
Sounds like my kinda night.
Craig’s sister and her family recently went and said it was a fantastic show, especially great for the kids.
Paradise Country
I saw Paradise Country on the TV the other morning and it looks like a great place for families to go for a relaxing and entertaining day out.
Paradise Country is the place to see Aussie farm life at its best. Not only are there the typical farm animals, but you can cuddle a koala and feed kangaroos. The ticket price includes a delicious Aussie BBQ lunch.
You can even relax around the campfire with a billy tea and damper while you watch the stock horse as he works around farming obstacles to get his job done in the Australian Stockhorse Show.
For more information about each park and how to plan for your relaxation and entertainment at the Gold Coast theme parks visit themeparkcapital.com.au
How do you relax at the Gold Coast theme parks?
What’s your favourite show?
At Seaworld, I like to find a quiet dolphin pond and watch them. For Wet N Wild, the lazy river wins in my book!
I would surely go to the seaworld first…. and nothing else! Ha! I just love the sea, and by that I mean the sea creatures and the fact that they have a baby polar bear just makes it that much more awesome. A must visit!
I hadn’t heard of Paradise Country before, good to know about. I know I need to take time out from the theme parks to recharge – my kids don’t though! I did enjoy eating breakfast out at cafes and looking at the ocean in between the trips to the theme parks. I’d also say that we always try to get to the theme parks when they are not so busy… you get double the fun when there are no or smaller queues and my head rings a lot less.