During one exciting week we visited all Gold Coast theme and water parks to find the best rides and attractions for thrill seekers like ourselves. Read our overview post to discover what our favourite parks are and where to find the best tickets deals.
The first theme park we tried: Dreamworld. This is the park with the most rides, but did they live up to our expectations? Here’s our guide to Dreamworld Gold Coast.
Getting the most out of your Dreamworld visit
Advice that works for every theme park in the world: get there early and enjoy the minimal queues during those first 1-2 hours. On our day of visit the park would open at 10:00. We got there a little after 9:30 and the gates actually opened at about 9:50. The rides themselves didn’t open for another 10 minutes, but it gave us some time to walk to our first attraction of the day and be the first in line.
We started with The Giant Drop. A fun ride, but we never saw a long line throughout the day, so you’re probably better off going for the Tower of Terror II or the BuzzSaw first. When we visited Dreamworld a second morning (before crossing over to WhiteWater World) we did the Tower of Terror twice with no waiting at all. Perfect!
Outside food is not allowed at Dreamworld so we went for one of the cheap options: a panini at The Sandwich Shop. It was actually quite good, although we would have liked a larger portion for $13 each.
Our Favourite Dreamworld attractions
Tower of Terror II
Our #1 attraction in Dreamworld. Fast and fun. It’s a very short ride, unfortunately, so the fun doesn’t last that long.
Buzzsaw
Interesting rollercoaster-like attraction. Pretty unusual ride and quite a good thrill. Another short one, though, and the lines were quite long throughout the day.
The Giant Drop
A classic free fall. Love the excitement when you’re at top, overlooking the park, waiting for the ride to drop. It is the tallest one in the world, so there’s that.
Fun Dreamworld attractions
Hot Wheels SideWinder
The only classic rollercoaster in Dreamworld. A fun ride, but nothing really special about it.
Mick Doohan’s MotoCoaster
Not that much of a thrill, but sitting like you’re on a motorcycle was quite fun and something different.
Tailspin
We liked this flat ride the most. You get to control your own airplane while flying around, allowing you to make as many barrel rolls as you want (or until you get dizzy). Interesting concept!
Other things to do at Dreamworld
Even though we mentioned only 6 rides, there are plenty more of them. It’s just that those other attractions aren’t really special or just not our thing. There are lots of flat rides to be found, which we’re generally not a fan of. The park could really do with a great rollercoaster or two, especially for thrill-seekers like ourselves.
We also found the scenery a bit lacking. The Wild West and Madagascar themed sections were quite nice, but when waiting in line there was usually not a lot around to keep you entertained. It’s all in the details!
Apart from the rides the park also doubles as a zoo. You can find kangaroos, tigers, crocodiles, koalas and others at Dreamworld. Interesting, but in our opinion you’re better off visiting a wildlife park if that’s what you’re looking for.
Got enough of the rides and wildlife? With the right ticket you can easily cross over to WhiteWater World without having to leave the park. Perfect for some splashing around on the water slides.
Do we recommend going to Dreamworld Gold Coast?
If you’re a rollercoaster fan like us, you’ll probably be a bit disappointed. Still, there are so many rides to try that you can easily spend the day in Dreamworld without getting bored. We recommend checking out some of the other Gold Coast Theme Parks though!
Great!
The Dreamworld Gold Coast is really fun theme park to visit! 🙂
The Dreamworld attraction there is really thrilling and interesting! And it attracts many kids to go there!
I love the roller coaster there!
We agree, Dawn! Dreamworld Gold Coast is a lot of fun!
I love this Dreamworld Gold Coast park.
Thanks for your great share!
I have a plan to have a visit to some interesting parks with my friends but I have no idea where to go. After reading your post, I make a decision to go there!
Thanks for your share, Brecht! 🙂
Glad to hear. Have a great day at Dreamworld Gold Coast!