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Now, I’m not saying the other parks aren’t worth a visit, but if you only have the time and budget for one theme park in Goldie, make it Dreamworld & Whitewater World, one of our favourite theme parks in the world!With over 40 rides, roller coasters, and attractions, it’s Australia’s largest theme park in the Gold Coas,t and it’s the one park we never miss out on when we return to QLD.
Whether we visit as a couple, as a family of four, or like this visit with nanny and poppy, everyone in the family can find a ride or an attraction to enjoy.
The thing with theme parks is that visiting with kids is vastly different than going as an adult.
For one thing, the thrill rides are too scary, and so you end up spending a lot of the time looking for kid-friendly coasters or figuring out what to do with the kids while mum and dad get their adrenaline pumping.
It can either be the best day as a family, or the worst, so to make sure you have the best experience possible, we’ve written this guide on how to visit Dreamworld with kids with our tips and favourite attractions!
The Gold Coast at a glance 🔍
- Accommodation options: The Gold Coast mostly has beachside resorts and condos, as well as a few boutique hotels. Accommodation costs on average $100-$200 USD per night, but the higher-end hotels can cost up to $350 per night.
- Getting around: The Gold Coast has a G:link light rail tram that connects Helensvale to central hubs like Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. Most neighborhoods are very walkable, but you can also drive and find parking easily.
- Unmissable sights: See the theme parks Movie World and Dreamworld, for nature lovers head out to Springbrook National Park, and don’t miss beach days on the iconic beaches such as Surfers Paradise and Broad Beach.
- Money saving tip: You can save money by timing your visit for the shoulder season and by utilizing the free attractions, such as the beaches.
Looking to reserve an apartment in The Gold Coast? Click here to browse.
Kid-Friendly Attractions at Dreamworld
Dreamworld is made up 13 themed lands, called worlds, and each world has a collection of rides, animal exhibits, and shows.
Sky Voyager
Sky Voyager is a motion-program movie theater that’s the perfect first ride for your Dreamworld adventure. It’s the first flying theater experience in the Southern Hemisphere!
The experience takes you through a special “flight” over the 12 regions of Australia, and features 4D special effects such as sound, light, wind, and mist while you sit suspended in front of a giant screen.
Fantasy Worlds for the Little Kids
Both our girls loved being transported into ABC Kids World, formerly Wiggles World. Like most Aussie kids they grew up on the tunes of the Wiggles, so this was their favourite world in the park!
For a much slower pace, we jumped in with them and rode the Big Red Boat Coaster, the Big Red Planes, Dreamworld Flyer, and posed for a photo with the one-and-only Henry the octopus.
Kenny’s Forest Flyer
Without a doubt Kalyra’s favourite ride at Dreamworld was the Kenny’s Forest Flyer, formerly Escape from Madagascar Roller Coaster.
I think she rode it about eight times, with Caz and I sharing the fun. It’s a good intermediate coaster that most family members can enjoy.
Bananas in Pyjamas Carousel
The other ride Kalyra couldn’t get enough of was the Bananas in Pyjamas Carousel.
This one left mummy a little dizzy going round-and-round but your younger one’s will love it.
Dreamworld Express
Go on a scenic ride through the park on the Dreamworld Express. This is a great ride to do on your first visit as it allows you to see the whole park, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best thing to do in Dreamworld.
It’s a nice gentle activity, and particularly friendly for those with strollers or wheelchairs and cannot walk too much.
Deep Sea Dodgems
All kids love dodgems! The Deep Sea Dodgems allow kids to sit in neon sea creatures while driving in the deep ocean.
Rides for Mum and Dad at Dreamworld
Take advantage of parent swap. This is a way for mum and dad to enjoy thrill rides and be adrenaline junkies, without having to queue twice!
Essentially, one parent gets to ride the ride, while the other looks after the kids, and then the second parent gets to take over the seat without queuing again.
The Giant Drop
Sharing the same tower, but going higher into the sky, is The Giant Drop.
Caz freaked herself out on this, bit it’s the one ride I’ve yet to conquer. You all know I’m not a fan of heights, and I especially hate being suspended up high.
Climbing the SkyPoint Tower in Surfers Paradise was bad enough, but getting slowly winched 120 metres into the sky (39 storeys) and dangling up there for a minute before free-falling at the speed of gravity is not my thing.
They say it’s the closest thing to Skydiving, and I shat myself doing that in New Zealand. If you’re anything like me but find the courage to ride the Giant Drop, bring a change of underwear!
Me, I’ll stick to playing photographer.
The Claw
Do not eat before you go on The Claw. Your stomach will churn up and the patrons below, and your fellow riders, won’t be happy if you lose your lunch.
The Claw swings up and down 9 stories high like a pendulum, spinning 360 degrees at the same time. It is sickening, spine tingling fun.
Have you experienced the feeling of being thrashed around in a powerful wave at the beach? Or, imagine what it’s like to be tossed into a washing machine?
You’ll find most of the thrill-seeking attractions in the Gold Rush world of Dreamworld. This was were we had our family affair of fun!
In the Gold Rush world, one of the thrill-seekers rides to check out is the Steel Taipan, Australia’s only triple launch coaster.
Just the sight of Steel Taipan freaked me out. It reaches a speed of top speed105km/h and a G-force of 3.8! Next time. Maybe!
Some other cool thrill rides are Shockwave (Ocean Parade), and to a lesser extent, the Motocoaster (on the main street).
Attractions for the Whole Family
Some of our favourite rides and attractions that the whole family enjoyed, from kids to grandparents, were…
Australian Animal Presentation
Sea World might have the marine life, but it’s hard for your kids not to get excited about meeting native Australian wildlife like loveable koalas and kangaroos.
At Dreamworld you can cuddle a koala and feed the kangaroos. What a great added bonus for the kids, and for any international travellers.
This is the first time Savannah has patted a koala and Kalyra always loves feeding the roos, except getting the sloppy tongue treatment on her hand.
There are other animals to see such as Tasmanian devils, wombats, cassowaries and in the warmer months croc feeding shows.
Tiger Island
Another great animal experience is Tiger Island. This is where you get to witness Bengal and Sumatran tigers play, wrestle and swim with their handler’s.
Tiger Island presentations are held twice daily where you can see them scale 20 foot trees, jump between massive logs, launch ten feet into the air and demonstrate their remarkable instincts. Kalyra loved it, it was such unique entertainment!
If you are really brave, and have some extra money to spend then you can go on a tiger walk and have your photos taken with them.
Dreamworld Corroboree
An exciting addition to Dreamworld is The Corroboree, a place to experience the Legends of Dreamtime.
Dreamworld Corroboree is an interactive walk-through experience celebrating Aboriginal culture, wildlife and stories.
This was especially great for our kids. Being on the road full-time they don’t often get a “classroom type” learning environment and having the opportunity to try hands-on activities including fire making, weapon throwing and music making was fantastic.
They always love getting their faces painted, but in the traditional aboriginal dot art way was extra special.
White Water World
Next door to Dreamworld is their very own Whitewater World, the only place in the world boasting all four of the hottest waterslides on the planet.
We didn’t get time to play here, but you can spend part of your day getting wet on the thrilling slides or swimming at the wave pool for an extra cost.
Consider getting a Holiday World Pass so you can hop between Dreamworld and WhiteWater World as often as you like over 21 consecutive days.
Food Outlets
One of the most annoying things about theme parks is there are limited healthy food options, and you can’t bring food in with you.
Fortunately all the food is located around “Food Central” where there’s an undercover area to eat and lots of food facilities nearby. It’s mostly fast food like burgers and hot dogs, but if you’re visiting on your summer holidays you can have one cheat day at least!
Otherwise you’ll find a cafe, a sandwich shop, ice cream parlour and churro bar.
Tips for Dreamworld
Whether you’re visiting as a family, as a couple or with a group of friends, with more than 40 rides and attractions at Dreamworld and WhiteWater World it’s almost impossible to get through them all in one day.
The key is what day and time of year you visit, and then prioritizing the experiences you’re after – all your must-do rides, shows and activities.
- To avoid the biggest crowds, visit on a weekday and outside of school holidays and public holdays.
- Get there early. For a big park Dreamworld has pretty short opening hours 10am-5pm on weekends, and 10am-4pm on weekdays, and is one of my only criticisms.
- Pre-purchase your Dreamworld tickets online which could save you up to half an hour at the gate.
- Consider the Q4U fast ride pass. If you get to Dreamworld on a busy day you could be lining up for rides for hours. For an extra $15 you can buy the Q4U pass and save up to an hour waiting on some rides. Only available on weekends and holidays.
- Go straight to the Giant Drop. The Giant Drop is not on the Q4U fast pass system and is really popular. It has few seats per ride and has a slow turnover. Go there first before the queues really start growing.
- Check out the show and activity schedule on arrival and plan your day. Hit the busy rides first before the crowds start growing and prioritize the shows. To plan your day before arriving download the app.
- Pack a picnic. The food here is theme park food, expensive and not very healthy. If you’re a large family save some money and pack your esky full of picnic food, leave it in your car and head out there at lunch time. You can get a pass out.
- Buy a Holiday World Pass – I think it would be impossible to enjoy Dreamworld AND Whitewater world on the same day. Why not hop between the two as often as you like over 21 consecutive days.
- Don’t forget sunscreen, hat and keep hydrated!
- Dreamworld is open every day of the year, except Christmas Day and Anzac Day from 10:00am – 5:00pm. Get all the details including ticket prices at the official website.
If you’re planning on visiting Dreamworld, Whitewater world or the SkyPoint Observation deck grab a three day combi ticket via this link.
More Gold Coast Travel Tips
Planning on visiting other parts of the Gold Coast? These helpful guides may help plan your trip!
- The Ultimate 2 Day Gold Coast Itinerary
- Best BBQ Spots on the Gold Coast
- Best Gold Coast Playgrounds
- How to Visit Movie World Gold Coast with Kids
- The Best Gold Coast Theme Parks
- Springbrook National Park – the Green behind the Gold Coast
- Things to Do in the Gold Coast for Families
- Free & Cheap Things to Do on the Gold Coast for Families
- Family-Friendly Gold Coast Restaurants We Fell In Love With
- The Best Family Accommodation on the Gold Coast
- Beautiful Walks on the Gold Coast not to miss
- Awesome Things to do in Burleigh Heads + Places To Eat
Have you visited Dreamworld? Tell us what you thought in the comments.