Movie World Gold Coast … best. day. ever

This is the BEST. DAY. EVER.

We were only about one hour into our visit to Movie World and those words had already come out of Kalyra’s mouth about five times.

Bugs Bunny and the gang had come out on Main Street and Kalyra had danced Gangnam style with Sylvester and Tweety Bird, got a hug from Sylvester, and was beaming from ear to ear.

As far as she was concerned, this WAS already the Best. Day. Ever.

Her enthusiasm was infectious and gave us the boost we needed for the day ahead.

You see, theme parks are different now we have kids. The day seems to get LONGER and previously it was all about us scaring ourselves silly on the most thrilling, adrenaline-fueled rides.

But with a 6 and 2-year-old to entertain, often you find yourself posing for photos with characters and squashed into a little train with your knees up around your ears.

We managed to drag Kalyra and Savannah away from the festivities on Main Street and headed for a quick dose of adrenalin on the GREEN LANTERN Coaster.

The Green Lantern is relatively new to Movie World and boasts the steepest inverted drop in the Southern Hemisphere!

We’d been on many roller coasters before but never one with an inverted drop. Turns out it looked scarier than it was and not as fast as expected. But it was the perfect start to get our blood pumping and ready for more action.

But our fun in the “big kids” section was short lived as we found ourselves for the next two hours in the Kids WB! FUN ZONE.

Kids FUN ZONE

That’s usually how it works these days, one ride for mummy and daddy, five rides for the kids.

They started by getting their thrills on the Sylvester & Tweety ride.

Then the Speedy Taxis

The old favourite carousel.

the Sam Train.

and Kalyra braved it on the Road Runner Rollercoaster.

FUN ZONE is also where the characters hang out for a photo opp with the kids. Savannah is still at that age where she’s a little weary and her reactions are always so funny!

After rotating between the rides several times we caught the 4D show Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

We donned our funky glasses and enjoyed the simulating special effects as we twisted and bounced and got sprayed with water. Check it out.

The Hollywood Stunt Driver Show

Next up, it was time to sit back and enjoy the action on wheels.

We’d heard good things about the stunt show and the tip was to go to the first showing if possible as the last show of the day can get get really packed.

Luckily we were there on a Wednesday out of peak-season and found a seat easy enough and sat back with expectations.

BOY, did they put on a SHOW!

From ramp jumping daredevils on motorbikes doing backflips and twists in the air to the car drivers doing donuts and tearing up the arena, it was fast, action packed and NOISY.

Savannah sat mesmerized by all the action. It can get a little noisy on the ears if you have young ones and the fireball at the end can throw off some heat.

But the skills of the performers blew me away and was highly entertaining – don’t miss this show!

What to eat at Movie World?

If there’s one annoying thing about theme parks it’s the lack of healthy eating options, and not being able to bring-your-own.

You’re not permitted to bring in food and drink into Movie World (besides fruit and bottled water) unless you have dietary requirements, allergies or babies.

We grabbed a nachos at the Dirty Harry Bar and sat down in Main Street and watched the Batman show.

After lunch had settled we split up for a while.

I went and rode the Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster which twists and turns in the dark with some mystery around every corner. Whilst Caz took the kids back to FUN ZONE!

Then we re-grouped for the big show.

The All Star Parade

The All Star Parade heads down Main Street and features all the main characters of Movie World.

Grab a good viewing spot on the side of the street for your kids and watch their faces light up as their favourite characters dance and high-5 their way up and down Main Street.

We met funny man Austin Powers.

And it was nice of Cat Woman to show up for the dads in the crowd. (So glad I got Austin Powers – Caz)

Thrill Rides

The day was coming to a close and the kids were slowing down, so it was time for mummy and daddy to get some last minute thrills. And to take advantage of ‘Parent Swap’.

‘Parent Swap’ is a service offered to parents with children who are too young or scared to go on a ride. One parent rides while the second waits with the kids. When their ride has finished the second parent can go to the front of the queue minimising delays and time spent apart – cool huh!

We rocketed 60 metres into the air on the awesome new BATWING Spaceshot with 4.5Gs of power!

But my favourite ride at Movie World is Arkham Asylum. I love how you hang underneath the tracks and it’s a long ride with heaps of turns and speed, pulling 4G’s.

Unfortunately, when you visit theme parks in the off-season some rides can be closed for maintenance, as was the case with the SUPERMAN Escape Roller Coaster.

From zero to 100km an hour in only two seconds – I’ll be back to take on this beast.

Our day at Movie World came to a close, and although a little tired Kalyra was still enthusiastically announcing it as the

Best. Day. Ever.

But it was one of my favourite childhood cartoon characters, Porky Pig, who left us with these final words…

Tips for Movie World

• Get there at gates opening time of 9.30am. You only have until 5pm and that time goes QUICK!
• Head to the popular rides first to beat the long lines.
• Avoid weekends and the crowds by going mid-week!
• Grab a park map and plan your show times (some can clash)
• Take your own bottled water and fruit.
• Take advantage of parent swap (each ride operates differently so see attendant).

The Details

You can buy your Movie World tickets online and learn about the best deals for your family. Want to visit more theme parks? There’s a Super Pass that takes in Movie World, Sea World and Wet n Wild. Visit the official website.

You can also buy tickets at the front gate. Movie World is open every day except Christmas and ANZAC Day.

We visited Movie World in partnership with Visit Gold Coast

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