A Family Guide to the Best Theme Parks on the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is so main character: not content with having some of Australia's best sun, sand and surf, it's also home to Australia's best and biggest theme parks.

Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World - all the worlds collide with heart-stopping rollercoasters, splash parks, and gentler rides for the littlest thrill seekers.

Mind you, it's not all just about the thrill, most of the theme parks also have a strong animal conservation component, from the life-saving hospital at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to the dolphin interaction at SeaWorld, Paradise Country's adopt-a-koala program and DreamWorld's tiger conservation work. 

And when the Queensland summer really kicks in, check out the best parks for a splash or slide, including Wet'N'Wild and WhiteWater World. 

Whether you're a couple, a family with teens, got babes in prams, or travelling solo, you'll find your style. From tigers to rollercoasters, there's a theme park with your name on it. Read on to explore seven of the best theme parks on the Gold Coast.

Break out the old razzle-dazzle, it’s Hollywood on the Gold Coast! At Warner Bros. Movie World you can ride the thrills like a super hero, rub shoulders with the stars, or follow the yellow brick road into The Wizard of Oz precinct to take the Flight of the Wicked Witch family coaster.

Bring your A-game to the Superman Escape coaster, which accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in two seconds, and the Green Lantern coaster, the steepest inverted drop in the Southern Hemisphere, while tots can ride the Roadrunner kids’ coaster and the Wild Wild West log ride.

Spot heroes and villains strutting down Main Street in the daily parade, or start the day with the special Breakfast with the Stars. Warner Bros. Movie World is filled with cafés, restaurants, ice cream parlours, and even the Charlie & the Chocolate Factory candy store.

Tip: You can bring in fruit and water, but other food and eskies aren’t allowed.

• Address: Entertainment Rd, Oxenford.
• Opening hours: Open every day except ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
• By car: 20 minutes’ drive from Surfers Paradise via the M1. Parking costs $15 per car.
• By public transport: Catch a tram, bus or train to Helensvale station and transfer to bus route TX7.

If you delight in dolphins and swoon over seals, Sea World is your ultimate theme park. Marine animals are the stars here: meet and greet seals and King penguins, join a polar bear presentation or ray feeding time. Its signature move is its long-running dolphin presentations.   

But what’s a theme park without rides? Ranging from mild to max, you can brave the Storm Coaster or take on the stomach-dropping Leviathan rollercoaster, while the little ones should make for Nickelodeon Land's rides and hang with Dora the Explorer, PAW Patrol and friends. 

Tip: When the temperatures spike, make for Castaway Bay splash zone for a cool down.

• Address: Seaworld Drive, Main Beach.
• Opening hours: Open every day except ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
• By car: 13 minutes’ drive from Surfers Paradise via Main Beach Parade. Parking is free.
• By public transport: Bus 705 runs directly from Broadbeach to Surfers Paradise and Sea World, or catch the light rail (G:link) to Southport Station and join the 705 bus.

What’s a summer holiday on the Goldie without a visit to Australia's biggest water park? Hands down, Wet 'N' Wild is the best way to cool down, with slides and pools galore.

Junior splashers will love the pirate-themed Buccaneer Bay, with a pool with playground, and they can jump into the giant wave pool if they're looking after a scared adult. 

For the big kids, twisting and turning slides such as the Constrictor and Blackhole (yes, you are going down the slide in complete darkness) will test the nerves.

Tip: Like most theme parks, Wet'N'Wild is cashless, so plan ahead to pay via card or digital wallets. 

• Address: Entertainment Rd, Oxenford.
• Opening hours: Open every day except ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
• By car: 25 minutes’ drive from Surfers Paradise via the M1. Parking is free.
• By public transport: Catch the train to Helensvale or Coomera stations and transfer to bus TX7.

You wanna ride? Dreamworld is Australia’s biggest theme park and it's got more than 40 rides and attractions that’ll ramp up the adrenaline. If you’ve got the stomach for it, the headliners include The Giant Drop, the Gold Coaster roller-coaster and the infamous Steel Taipan, and its new jungle precinct, Rivertown and its triple-switch rollercoaster turntable, Jungle Rush.

Not everyone wants to scream - its family rides include baby bumper cars and carousels, for a calm moment with little ones. Bananas in Pyjamas drop in twice daily, along with koala duo Kenny and Belinda.

Dreamworld’s also a wildlife conservation park, with a focus on tiger conservation, and its animal encounters include crocodiles, dingoes and even a tiger feed.  

Choose from a single day ticket up to an annual pass, with or without WhiteWater World, which opens next door in the summer months; buy a combined pass for the two.

Tip: Don’t queue, won’t queue? Add a Ride Express that lets you jump the queue with priority access - available for a single ride up to an unlimited day.

• Address: Dreamworld Parkway, Coomera.
• Opening hours: Open every day except ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
• By car: 25 minutes’ drive from Surfers Paradise via the Pacific Motorway. Parking is free.
• By public transport: Catch the train to Helensvale station and transfer to bus TX7.

The watery sibling of Dreamworld, WhiteWater World is packed with giant pools, hydrocoasters, and waterslides. Paddlers will love the Pipeline Plunge - a water playground and fort all rolled into one, and lifeguards watch over all.

Race your mates on the speed slides or rip through whirlpools, or spend your day simply relaxing poolside. 

Tip: Upgrade the day and book a luxury cabana, with deck chairs, a locker and a mini-fridge, which sorts sun-smarts, storage, and a meeting place instantly.

• Address: Dreamworld Parkway, Coomera.
• Opening dates: Opens in summer: closed late April until September.
• By car: 25 minutes’ drive from Surfers Paradise via the Pacific Motorway. Parking is free.
• By public transport: Catch the train to Helensvale station and transfer to bus TX7.

Have brekky with a koala or dance with a Tassie devil at Paradise Country, which brings the charm of the farm and Australian animals to younger kids. Take a wildlife walkabout to spot kangaroos, emus and wombats and even Tassie devils.

Still not tired? Extra experiences include pony rides, sheep-shearing demos, a stock horse show, and gold panning (sorry kids, parents get the wins!) Refuel with lunch at the Farmhouse restaurant or Burrow café, or pack a picnic - homemade food and snacks are allowed (no fast food).

Tip: Chill out and listen to local musicians performing every Sunday during the Sunday Sessions from 11.30am -2.30pm.

• Address: Production Drive, Oxenford.
• Opening dates: Opens in summer: closed late April until September.
• By car: 25 minutes’ drive from Surfers Paradise via the M1. Parking is free.
• By public transport: Catch the train to Coomera station and transfer to bus TX7 to Movie World to collect the free shuttle that runs between the theme parks. 

The thrill at this wildlife park is found in meeting some pretty special animals, knowing that they and their environments are being protected by this sanctuary and hospital.

Ideal for families with kids, say g'ay to bilbies and binturongs, lemurs and llamas, of course kangaroos and koalas. Follow the Extinction Trail back to the time of dinosaurs, or the Lost Valley, home to red pandas, parrots and even a capybara couple!

There’s more to get the heart racing, with treetop ziplines and a splash zone for kids up to 12, as well as an art trail and the Yagaleh Dreaming Stories mural.

Tip: Members of the National Trust of Australia (Queensland) get unlimited entry to the sanctuary, as well as discounts on food.

• Address: 28 Tomewin St, Currumbin.
• Opening dates: Open every day except ANZAC Day and Christmas Day.
• By car: 35 minutes’ drive south of Surfers Paradise via the M1. All-day parking costs $10 and proceeds go to its wildlife hospital.
• By public transport: Take the bus 700 from Broadbeach directly to the sanctuary.

Hat. Check. Sunscreen. Check. Fully charged phone. Check. Fully charged kids. Double check. Hit the checklist of essentials before you head out for the best day at the Gold Coast’s awesome theme parks!

• Shop smart: Look for multi-park tickets and family tickets. Some parks will offer discounted rates for families visiting together. Additionally, Movie World, Sea World, and Wet ‘n’ Wild offer discounted multi-day passes to all three parks. 
• Make a date: There’s no getting around it - theme parks mean queues. If you can, visit outside school holidays, especially the winter hols when pale southerners come north for a dose of Queensland sun. Schoolies, on the last two weeks of November, is when final-year students celebrate the end of school; it’s a ginormous teen party that you might not want to get caught up in.
• Plan ahead: The Gold Coast’s theme parks are packed with shows, from seal shows to parades or character meet-and-greets. Some occur only once a day, so before you visit, check the location on the park maps and the show times, and get there early to snag a great seat (and have a little snack while you’re resting your legs).
• App-tastic: Does your theme park have an app? Movie World, Sea World, Paradise Country, and Wet’n’Wild are all on the Village Roadshow App, where you can check wait times for popular rides, maps and show schedules; maybe even score a food deal. They also offer fast-track passes. 
• Fuel up: Before you head off, grab a big breakfast at your Gold Coast hotel so you're fully charged for the day ahead, and make sure you pack the snacks. Fruit, muesli bars, chips, and crackers - they’re all great snacks for a day in the sun, and you won’t get hangry queuing for food, or quibbling with staff about dietary requirements. Cool tip: bring an esky or cooler bags so your snacks don’t melt.
• Getting there: Take a photo of your parking spot. No one loves wandering around a gigantic car park at the end of the day, especially with frazzled tots and the promise of a quiet drink and a pool lounger back at the hotel. Snap a photo of your parked car’s location before entering the park to save your sanity at the end of the day.
• Set a meet-up: Set an emergency meeting spot. Chances are your group is going to get separated, especially if you’ve got big kids who don’t need embarrassing parents hanging around. Phones don’t always work, so set a designated meeting spot at a set time - say lunchtime in one of the picnic areas; and where you’ll meet at the end of the day. Make sure everyone has a map and knows where to find toilets and water. Some parks, such as Wet'n'Wild, have cabanas for hire, great for creating a base for groups to come and go all day, and provide sun shelter and nap sites for the littlest theme park goers. Otherwise, hiring a locker gives not only somewhere to dump your gear, but also is a natural meeting place at day's end.
• Get rolling: If you’ve got younger kids and can’t get your pram on the plane, many theme parks have strollers for day hire, which takes a load off carrying kids.

• Comfortable shoes: You’ll hit your step-count targets at theme parks, so make sure you're all wearing comfortable shoes. Don’t forget your swimmers and a change of clothes and a towel, especially if you’re hitting the water rides and aquatic play areas.
• Sunscreen: Sunscreen is essential; you know the rules - apply, reapply, and apply again, especially after swimming and while queuing for rides. Get a sports or waterproof sun lotion, add your hat, sunnies and a shirt or rashie that protects your shoulders. Because lobster red is so last season.
• Water bottles: And make sure everyone has their own refillable water bottle, and chugs water all day.
• Hot tip: bring a lip balm with SPF 50+ and touch up during the day.

The Gold Coast's great theme parks are matched by its great hotels: read on for a list of top choices within easy reach of Queensland's best playgrounds, not to mention its fantastic beaches, nightlife, shopping, and restaurant strips.

It's the OG of the GC - Surfers Paradise sets the tone with its local shops, cool cafes, and drop-dead gorgeous beaches. 

Staying in a Surfers Paradise hotel means easy access to the theme park shuttles, while being at the heart of the Gold Coast's nightlife.

Set right on the Esplanade, Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise is popular, and for good reason. Panoramic views over the Pacific Ocean, indoor and outdoor pools, gym, and oceanfacing restaurants all add up to a smart stay. 

Broadbeach isn't Surfers Paradise's little sister anymore, Broadie's all grown up, and has the chops to prove it.

Weekend markets, great restaurants, parks, and stylish shopping at the mall, Broadbeach has got it all - just throw in Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and a pretty fantastic beach that's great for little paddlers, and you're all set for your adventure on the Gold Coast.

Peppers Broadbeach and Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach are both close to the shops and restaurants, and a three-minute walk to Pratten Park and Kurrawa Beach. 

Sugared out and in an adrenaline nosedive? You need a soft landing. Wind down at the calm and welcoming Mercure Gold Coast Resort; check into the spa for the ultimate reboot, or even notch up a low-key round of golf.  

If that sounds too energetic, just hit the pool loungers and tap into the hotel’s delicious food. If you’re driving, the hotel takes care of parking with an on-site car park; and when you’re ready to do it all again, the Mercure Gold Coast is only 20 minutes’ drive to DreamWorld, SeaWorld, and even Wet 'N' Wild, thanks to its convenient location close to all the key motorways in Carrara. Otherwise, most theme parks are reached by public transport, or book a shuttle such as Con-X-ion.

Now, with your Gold Coast hotel sorted and your theme parks hacked, you’re ready to go! 

The biggest theme park on the Gold Coast is Dreamworld, which combines adventure rides, wildlife and water slides, all in the one park. Others Gold coast theme parks include Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, and Wet'n'Wild. 

Paradise Country is a farm-themed park suited for younger children, while Wet'n'Wild, Dreamworld, and Warner Bros. Movie World's water parks all have gentler rides and water play zones for little ones.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Sea World, Paradise Country, and Dreamworld all have animal sanctuaries or a focus on animal conservation, including koalas, dolphins and tigers. Most Gold Coast theme parks offer approved animal interaction experiences. 

The free-falling Giant Drop at Dreamworld is one of the scariest rides in all the Gold Coast's theme parks, rivalled by the super-fast DC Rivals HyperCoaster at Movie World and Sea World's Leviathan, which reaches 80 kilometres an hour.