The stunt car show. Movie World on the Gold Coast

There are multiple reasons families travel to the Gold Coast on holiday but the regions theme parks are a major drawcard.  Families that, like us have small kids will question whether a visit to the theme parks is worth their while.  Last week I wrote in glowing terms about Sea World as a theme park destination for families with young children.  Today I am reporting on our experience of Movie World that frankly, I was less impressed with.

Let me be explicit from the outset – my kids had a great time at Movie World particularly at the Warner Brother’s Kids Fun Zone. The Fun Zone does have a number of cute as a button rides for little ones – kid size dodgem cars, and a kid sized roller coaster.    Movie World was however short of unifying family experiences.  I know that many people rave about Movie World, particularly those that love roller coasters.  With small kids though, thrill rides are not an option.  What I am looking for in a theme park are rides, shows and interactive experiences that we can enjoy together as a family.   While we did enjoy the stunt car show as a family together after that it was a day spent watching my kids in Warner Bros. themed rides for small kids.

The premise of Movie World is that it is “Hollywood on the Gold Coast”.   Really though, it is an opportunity to engage with the Warner Bros. brand.  If you have a child that have a fondness for a particular Warner Bros. character, such as Bugs Bunny, or Batman then Movie World may be just the place for a fantastic day out.  My own kids love character meet and greets, and so embraced the opportunity for happy snaps with Bugs and Co. however they are not characters that have loomed large in their imagination.

A few other issues arose that bothered me, and really conveyed poor judgement on behalf of Movie World management.  As it was not peak season the food outlets had been closed near the rides meaning we had to purchase our lunch in Main Street.  The problem – at lunch-time in Main street there was a Batman show.  This Batman show featured a villain that was, frankly terrifying for young kids, accompanied by a scary voice transmitted over loud speakers.  The only way for us to feed the kids, and escape this scariness was to hide in a restaurant.  Another show – the Scooby Doo show, while not as scary, had another villain that also scared my four year old.   Without meaning to be overly precious, there was also stylised violence in the Movie World shows – gunfights, ninjas, whipping etc.  I know it is an almost inevitable part of childhood for boys to engage in gun play.  Exposing young kids to shows such as these at Movie World just is bound to make gun play and other fighting games part of family life sooner.  Not something I want for my own family, I can assure you.

In summary folks – I’d suggest giving Movie World a miss if you have very young kids.  Spend you precious vacation time and money at Sea World instead.

Riding the carousel. Movie World on the Gold Coast

Dodgem cars especially for little kids. Movie World on the Gold Coast

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