As any warm-blooded Queenslander probably has, my memories of visiting Dreamworld as a kid are some of my best. Hanging on for dear life as we spun and splashed our way down the ‘rapids’ in the Gold Mine town are moments that I’ll never forget. I remember vividly staring at the water fountain near the main entrance, having just arrived in this strange, exciting new world and just wanting to do everything and see everything all at once. And the notion that you didn’t have to pay for each individual ride, that you just line up and have a go? Was almost just too much for my wee brain to compute.
It was with this fondness in mind that I explained our upcoming visit to Dreamworld to my kids recently, and I’m not sure who was more excited. The kids because all the rides were free, or me, because all the rides are free and that means no having to answer NO a billion times, you can’t go on that $8 ride that goes for 3 minutes because that is just outrageous and we're broke.
We were really, really looking forward to saying yes and watching the kids have some good old fashioned go-till-you-puke fun. In fact, it was mandatory, the kids were instructed en-route to Dreamworld that anybody found NOT having fun, would be reprimanded immediately.
Thanks to Tourism and Events Queensland we were able to take all of our kiddies to Dreamworld and wow, the weather was absolutely glorious. Actually, it was hot. I wore jeans and kinda wished that I hadn’t. When did summer arrive and what happened to Spring?
Our tickets to a good time
We chose to visit on a day outside of the QLD school holidays to avoid the crowds and I’m glad we did. The wait times for each ride were only 5-10 minutes max and some rides the kids could hop right on.
Joseph is always the first to consult the map, Aunty K would be proud!
Deciding where to go and what to see first was a bit tricky, but I found a helpful suggested itinerary on the Dreamworld website that made it much easier. Taking small children along means that you have to pace yourself and you probably won’t get to see everything in one day. I found it better to just go with what the kids wanted to see and do and try not to cram too much in to one visit. As it turned out they surprised me with their boundless enthusiasm at having a go on the scary-twisty-turny-ride-of-fear roller coasters. I was expecting them to need a gentle push towards the fast rides. I’m not much of a rides person, I like staying on the ground. Where it’s solid and stable and doesn’t move.
Checking out the Madagascar exhibit
The kids enjoying the King Julien game
Looove Jessica's expression! She was tickled pink!
Mamma cutting laps on the Kung Fu Panda dodgem cars.
Jessica, intent on catching up to me. DREAM ON GIRL.
Inappropriate behviour on the Merry-Go-Round
'Ride may contain unanticipated thrills' . Sounds like the description of my life.
Samuel was not too sure about this ride. He fake giggled a lot.
Rachael on the Gingerbread ride, which I think she liked the most because she could lie down?
The Madagascar roller coaster. The kids LOVED it.
Me? I watched from the ground and held my breath until they were off.
When 2pm came around, I sent Matt off to find coffee. The coffee here was gooood.
Here are my top 10 tips from our day out…
- Pack drinks. Having fun is hot work and you need to stay well hydrated. We all know that water is best as sugary drinks and soft drinks are only going to make your kiddies more hyper-excited to be there.
- Pack snacks. Now this can be a bit of a grey area as the Dreamworld website states that “Dreamworld does not allow guests to bring their own food & drinks into the park unless there are genuine medical reasons.” I’m gonna go ahead and assume that snacks for toddlers and small children are exempt from this rule because let’s face it, there is nothing fun about a full-on tantrum from your young’un because HE IS HANGRY AND NEEDS FOOD NOW. There is no reasoning with them and there is no-way-in-the-hello that lining up at a food vendor and waiting is an option. I brought in water bottles, small packets of home-made cacao protein balls and crackers, a couple of apples and of course, Isaac’s baby food. I did see a lot of other visitors to the park with a lot more food with them, so I’ll leave it up to your own discretion what you feel comfortable with doing. I understand the policy that is in place and that the food providers within the park need to be supported, but as a mum of small children I also know what’s practical and necessary.
- On that note, let’s talk about lunch. If you are like us and on a tight budget, don’t despair. I read on the Dreamworld website that there are 2 options when it comes to bringing a pre-packed lunch from home: a) If you purchased a World Pass, then skip over to WhiteWater World and enjoy your lunch in their designated picnic areas. WhiteWater World is right next door to Dreamworld and is an easy stroll. b) Take advantage of an ‘exit pass’ and eat your pre-packed lunch on the tables and chairs just outside the main Exit. There are even some toilets available so it makes a lovely little pit-stop for everyone. We left our picnic cooler bag in the car and when it came time for lunch it was easy-peasy to find a seat, go get the lunch and tuck-in! Plus we weren’t alone, there were other families doing the same thing. Go the big families on small incomes!
- Remember your hat and sunscreen. There is a lot of walking involved and not all of the park is undercover. There is nothing worse than tired kids who are hot and drained from being in the sun too much.
- If you have a pram, TAKE IT. Even if your little one is able to walk, you will need something to put drinks/hats/snacks/shopping on unless you want to be a pack-horse all day. A lot of the rides, toddler play areas and outdoor theatres have designated stroller/pram parking bays to make it easier and safer.
- If you don’t have a pram, enquire at the General Information booth about hiring a ‘Wagon’ for the day. These are fantastic if your little people start to get tired and need a break from walking. They seat 2 kids comfortably inside with space on the roof to store bags, drinks bottles etc. They seriously looked like fun!
- Pace yourself. It’s not a race and nobody will have any fun if the entire day is spent rushing from one ride to the next. Our kids had multiple goes on certain rides because they were having so much fun. The lovely staff at Dreamworld would simply just buckle/secure them back into the ride and off they’d go again!
- Take an extra set of clothes for the kids. There are a few areas where the life-size movie figurines will randomly squirt out water on unsuspecting passer-bys. So.much.fun but also annoying if you’re not prepared. Or wear quick-dry board shorts and enjoy the coolness as your duds dry off!
- Be flexible. After consulting the suggested itinerary I had a loose plan in mind about what shows the kids might like to see – in particular the Madagascar one – but when the time came to pack up camp and head for the theatre, the kids were enjoying a ride and it just didn’t seem fair to cut it short. Let the kids take the lead a bit and if they’re enthralled in something, leave them be. Far better to spend the day watching them have fun than sticking to a plan.
- Don’t forget your camera. There are just way too many cute photo opportunities that you won’t want to miss. I had my phone camera and Matt had his professional work camera and they didn’t leave our side! On a lot of the rides there are booths near the ride exit where you can purchase a picture of you/your kids on the ride; however I found these to be way over-priced.
The kids had multiple turns on this ride. And when they hopped off and then changed their sweet mind and wanted back on, that lovely girl was patient and buckled them up. Again. Bless.
These are the few things I noticed that I loved….
- Helpful staff. Everybody we talked to was lovely and the ride operators were patient and gentle with the kids. We’ve encountered our fair share of rough, foul-mouthed show ride operators who have scared the kids before they’ve even made it onto the ride; but you won’t find any of those at Dreamworld. If the kids needed help climbing on board the rides, the staff were right there to assist them. On a couple of occasions I watched the ride operators be friendly and jovial with the kids and for people who must see a lot of kids day in and day out, I can’t imagine it would be easy to smile and let the 15,000 child on board. Good on you Dreamworld staff! This mamma noticed and appreciated your gentleness.
- All the seats! I'm not sure why I noticed but there are benches EVERYWHERE to rest your tired legs on. Actually it’s probably because I’m breastfeeding Isaac and need to sit down frequently to feed him. Either way, I think it’s ace and most of them are under shade (umbrellas or trees) which is even better. Having lots of little areas off to the side, away from the crowds, where you can rest and recoup is one key ingredient to a big day out, and Dreamworld have excelled at making sure they’re available. Feeling cramped and caught up in the rush of a big crowd is no fun for anyone.
- The cleanliness. I don’t think I saw one bit of rubbish on the ground the entire day. Which when you think about it, is a bit freaky. It really struck me how clean the park was; there were no piles of cigarette butts swept into a drain, no leaves blowing all over the grounds and no empty soft-drink cans rolling around the footpaths. Even the bench seats were clean and chewing gum free. The cleaners are doing a very, very good job!
- The safety notices that are displayed at each ride. These outline the speed of the ride and what to expect, along with age recommendations and restrictions. This makes it easy to determine whether or not your little one will enjoy the ride. Not sure if you can read the sign below, it says 'Low speeds with expected movements and anticipated thrills'. Which pretty much means that nothing is going to come out from nowhere and scare the boots off the kids.
They call this a 'Mild Thrill Attraction', and yeah, it was very slow!
Gett'n cozy with the big green man and Isaac and I enjoying one of the seats.
Shady Benches, seats and those cute little wagons.
Our lunch pit-stop outside the main Exit, choosing ice-creams and climbing on the kids train.
And here are a few things which I wish had been available…
- A roaming espresso coffee van. Okay so maybe only necessary for people like myself who need their coffee, but what a great idea hey? No needing to drag the kids away from their fun because mum and dad need some caffeine, the caffeine can come to you!
- More parents rooms. I didn’t actually get a chance to use any of the parents rooms, mainly because Isaac is my fifth child and so HALLO I’ve mastered the art of the ninja-nappy-changes while he lies in the pram. But if I had needed a parents room, then I would have had a choice of three. Only three? Yup. For the entire park there are three parents rooms and they are all in close proximity to each other. If you are visiting one of the exhibits on the outskirts of the park it is a fair hike to the nearest parents rooms. When I did try and find one, searching for the teeny-tiny little bottle icon on the park map just about did my head in. To give you a comparison, there are nine sets of toilets.
Tiger tricks. They give them sips of milk out of a carton to get them to stand up.
Everyone say 'ROAAR'!
The highlight of our visit was visiting the Tiger Island. The kids were mesmerised (in between whinging about the heat) by the tigers and the tricks they performed. They are truly beautiful creatures and the way the handlers care for and interact with them is great to watch. Just a tip though, get there early before the show begins, otherwise the only standing space is in the full sun. Be sure to check out the shop after the show to see the fun range of cute tiger toys!
Of course the true testament of a good day has to come from the kids themselves, so I interviewed my kiddies with the question ‘What did you like best about Dreamworld?’
Samuel: “Going swimming.” (Mum: "But we didn’t go swimming.")
Samuel: “Whyyy?” (Face.Palm)
Joseph: “Going on the rides”
Jessica: “I liked Tiger Island, the Madagascar roller coaster and practically everything.”
Rachael: “Everything”
Gee, thanks for the specifics girls.
Heading back to the car, happy and tired.
Thanks so much Tourism and Events Queensland for giving us the opportunity to experience a great day out with lots of laughs and thrills. The kids have begun a list of the rides they want to try out on our next visit.
*Sigh*, the tradition lives on. I wonder if Dreamworld will still be around when my kids have their own kids? I sure hope so!