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What to anticipate from the Dubai theme parks when visiting with youngsters
The variety of world-class theme parks you’ll find in Dubai and the UAE might take you without warning!
At the moment, three are in line for “finest in school” for households dwelling in and visiting Dubai, and one other three are simply over the border in Abu Dhabi. You would simply take a “theme park solely” brief break in Dubai and never go away upset (however take the time to cease and see the superb seashores and the desert as properly!)
Understandably, in case you are totally new to the Dubai theme park scene, there’s quite a bit to be taught! Not all theme parks have immediately recognisable names (i.e., there’s no Disney or Common!), and they don’t seem to be within the easiest-to-access places, however they’re packed filled with the youngsters’ favorite characters, reveals and thrilling rides.
Serving to you kind out the place your Dubai theme park money and time is finest spent, this submit offers an in depth evaluate of the biggest ones:
The place Can You Discover Dubai’s Finest Theme Parks?
Two of the parks talked about above, Legoland Dubai and Motiongate Dubai, are positioned within the Dubai Parks & Resorts complicated (DPR), located in Jebel Ali, 50 km southwest of Dubai Downtown (and just one hour’s drive from Abu Dhabi).
The positioning presently homes three theme parks (4 when you rely Legoland’s waterpark as a separate park), two resort resorts (considered one of which is Lego-themed) and an leisure district referred to as Riverland. There’s additionally Neon Galaxy, a space-themed indoor play space that includes a wide range of actions (together with ninja programs and parkour) for all ages.
The opposite theme park on the Dubai Parks and Resorts web site is Actual Madrid World (previously the positioning of Bollywood Dubai). While this can be well-liked with soccer followers, it’s not fairly as huge a participant as the opposite two parks, and admittedly nonetheless feels a bit misplaced in the entire arrange; we’re specializing in the opposite two huge parks for this evaluate
Subsequent, we’ll study IMG Worlds of Journey, a wholly indoor theme park, intimately earlier than deciding which park it is best to spend your treasured vacation time at!
Our evaluate is NOT on Dubai water parks – you possibly can pop over to this submit when you’d wish to be taught extra about water parks in Dubai
Legoland® Dubai
A park made particularly for the junior viewers! The goal market right here is your Lego-loving 2- to 12-year-olds prepared for average thrills.
Becoming a member of the Legoland® household of worldwide theme parks, the indoor Miniland is the centrepiece and most original a part of Legoland Dubai. Housed in an unlimited dome, it homes a full-size reproduction of Dubai metropolis and lots of well-known Center East landmarks, from Petra to Abraj al-Bait Towers in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque.
The park is then break up into 4 ‘lands’—Metropolis, Kingdoms, Creativeness, and Journey. Every has rides starting from sedate to considerably thrilling, in addition to character meet-and-greet alternatives and a 4-D Cinema with ranking reveals all through the day.
The park has loads of alternatives to construct, dine, and store. Nonetheless, it’s essential to notice that many of the rides are outdoor, whereas the reveals and constructing areas are all indoors and air-conditioned.
Is Legoland Dubai appropriate for toddlers?
Whereas the park is geared toward 2-12-year-olds, kids beneath 1.05 meters will discover their alternative of rides very restricted. Duplo Valley is nice for youthful youngsters, however older kids might discover it too babyish, which, in our expertise, makes it a difficult park to go to when you’ve got kids in numerous age teams/heights.
There are simply two rides with an 80cm restriction, which inserts most toddlers – Duplo Valley Categorical (pictured) and Submarine Journey. At 90cm they’ll take part Misplaced Kingdom Journey (a taking pictures sport).
95cm is an enormous breakthrough level, although, opening up the next choices:
- Junior Driving Faculty (Metropolis)
- Metropolis Airport (Metropolis)
- Rescue Academy (Metropolis)
The subsequent huge soar up is 1.05m, the place they’ll begin to take pleasure in:
- Lego Technic Tornado (Creativeness)
- Dragon’s Apprentice (Kingdoms)
- Merlin’s Problem (Kingdoms)
- Merlin’s Flying Machines (Kingdoms)
- Wave Racers (Journey)
- Beetle Bounce (Journey)
One factor Legoland does very well is household loos. These are massive sufficient to suit a stroller and have good altering services. In addition they have a devoted moms’ lounge the place you possibly can privately feed your child. The room features a full kitchenette for warming bottles and child meals and a play space to maintain your little ones entertained whilst you feed the infant. This function alone is an actual winner for younger households, particularly within the Dubai warmth.
Will older youngsters nonetheless take pleasure in Legoland Dubai?
Now, this can be a difficult one! Younger and younger at coronary heart, proper? Nobody likes to confess when they’re ‘over’ one thing, however we all know loads of adults who simply adore Legoland Dubai.
Certain, your tweens and teenagers may assume it’s simply not fairly cool sufficient, and there are certainly extra thrilling rides elsewhere in Dubai, however Legoland is a good place to spend a nostalgic household right this moment. With peer strain, although, you’ll have a tough time getting your 10 to 15-year-olds to confess they really actually like it!
Are you able to go to Legoland Dubai & Legoland Waterpark on the identical day?
A 2-park go for DPR is a good concept within the warmth. Throughout the cooler months, when you solely have someday, you possibly can simply spend 6-8 hours alone at Legoland when you strive all of the experiences.
Nonetheless, you’d profit vastly from combining the 2 in summer season and the hotter months. Word that Legoland Water Park has a barely altered opening schedule in off-peak months; when you plan to mix each, do examine their opening schedule.
Word that the Waterpark will shut for a few weeks each January/February for annual upkeep throughout the coldest a part of the 12 months.
What are the queues like at Legoland Dubai?
In the event you go to early within the day (the traditional opening time is 10 a.m.), you shouldn’t have to queue for something. On weekdays, there are not any crowds in any respect until it’s a native faculty vacation.
On weekends ( keep in mind that faculties and lots of workplaces end early on Fridays) and public holidays, the favored rides could be crowded by early afternoon. Solely go to on today within the winter when you’ve got no different alternative!
What does Legoland Dubai price?
Legoland Dubai 1-Day Ticket
A day go to Legoland Dubai OR Legoland Dubai Water Park prices AED 295 per particular person if bought on-line upfront or AED 330 if bought on the gate on the day of your go to. Sure reductions apply to residents with the Fazaa card.
In the event you’d like to go to BOTH Legoland Dubai and Legoland Dubai Water Park on the identical day, tickets price AED 355 per particular person if bought on-line upfront or AED 395 per particular person if bought on the gate on the day of your go to.
Youngsters beneath three years of age enter at no cost. Youngsters over 3 pay the usual grownup fee.
Take a look at some third-party offers that will work out cheaper:
Annual Passes to Legoland Dubai
For each Legoland and the Legoland Water Park, you should purchase annual passes that permit limitless visits for 12 months. The passes are categorised as silver, gold, and bronze and include various advantages, which can embrace reductions on meals, drinks, and merchandise.
- Annual passes for Legoland (solely) begin at 495 AED per particular person for the silver package deal and rise to 795 AED per particular person for the VIP Platinum package deal.
- Annual passes combining Legoland Water Park begin at 695 AED per particular person and rise to 995 AED for the VIP Platinum package deal.
You’ll find out extra about annual passes for Legoland and the Legoland Water Park right here.
Particular Provides & Reductions
All the time examine the Legoland Web site for particular gives and reductions. These are sometimes obtainable throughout the Summer season months in addition to throughout public holidays. You’ll find out extra right here.
Motiongate Dubai
So what precisely is it? This UAE idea park is predicated on a pattern of favorite Hollywood motion pictures and characters. However don’t be mistaken; that is pretty much as good as any US movie-based theme park!
There are 4 most important sections to Motiongate:
- Columbia Photos – an actual combined bag of film favourites, together with Ghostbusters, the Inexperienced Hornet, Cloudy with a Probability of Meatballs, and Lodge Transylvania.
- The Smurfs Village – as you’d anticipate, all issues Smurfie
- Lionsgate – extra thrilling rides and simulator primarily based on Starvation Video games and different motion thriller motion pictures
- Dreamworks – indoor theme park set round favorite characters from Shrek, Dragons, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.
The rides right here actually differ from sluggish and simple, film journey tales (Shrek, Lodge Transylvania, Smurfs Studio Tour) to rollercoasters, fast rivers and 4D simulators. There’s fairly a little bit of selection, relying in your desired thrill stage! There are additionally plenty of reveals and character meet-and-greet alternatives.
Is Motiongate appropriate for toddlers?
Youthful kids can take pleasure in a surprisingly good mixture of rides right here. Youngsters beneath 1.00m can take pleasure in:
- Lodge Transylvania – trip via the resort set (90cm)
- Ghost Busters Battle for New York – taking pictures sport (92cm)
- Mr Pings Noodle Fling – spinning cups (90cm)
- Melman go-round – merry-go-round (95cm)
- Shrek’s Merry Fairy Story – interactive story trip (92cm)
- Smurfs Studio Tour – behind-the-scenes trip (90cm)
There are a number of play and climbing areas for youths, the biggest being the Woodland Play Park. Indoors, Flint’s Creativeness Lab and the Smurfberry Manufacturing unit present nice play alternatives. Within the Dreamwork’s Dragon zone, you’ll additionally discover Camp Viking, the place little ones can discover splashy water options on Viking lengthy boats.
In fact, there can be some ready round for them if they’ve older siblings, however there appears to be stability of rides for various age teams in every part besides Lionsgate, which is de facto geared to tweens+.
Are there lengthy trip queues at Motiongate?
You have to to queue for the favored rides on weekends and holidays. On the busiest days, the queues could be over one hour lengthy -but that is the exception, not the overall rule. Similar to Legoland, when you go to midweek within the hottest months you possibly can get across the parks virtually queue-free.
Is it value getting a Q-Quick?
You probably have no alternative however to go to throughout the busy winter holidays or weekends, sure, you’ll profit from a Q-Quick, however nonetheless, anticipate to queue! Some individuals mistake these for which means no queue, which suggests you skip to the shorter queue.
You’ll be able to improve to a Q-Quick at customer support on the day to check how busy issues are. They’re an expensive addition, although, so we’d solely advocate this when you’re actually brief on time and need to pack quite a bit in.
Are there single-rider choices at Motiongate?
Sadly, no. For the unfamiliar, the single-rider idea is that when you don’t need to trip in a gaggle, the spare seats in a row/trip are stuffed by individuals from the single-rider queue. This normally leads to a a lot faster queue and stops the frustration of rides being despatched round half-empty.
Is Motiongate open in the summertime?
Sure, it’s open 12 months a 12 months. Getting between the 4 completely different elements could be laborious within the warmth, however many—in actual fact, most—of the rides themselves are indoors, so your queue is, no less than, in air-con.
The entire of Dreamworks is indoors and airconditioned and may help you occupy a number of hours out of the warmth.
The nice factor is that Motiongate is open till late within the night. If visiting in the summertime, we might recommend ready for the solar to go right down to miss the worst of the warmth.
What does Motiongate Dubai Value?
Motiongate Dubai 1-day ticket
Like Legoland, a day go to Motiongate will set you again 295 AED when you guide on-line no less than someday upfront. Alternatively, you pay 330 AED per particular person when you purchase your ticket on the gate.
Higher but, purchase a mixed 2-Parks Move and luxuriate in both Legoland, Legoland Water Park, or Actual Madrid World on the identical day. Motiongate opens at 11 a.m. and stays open till 8 p.m. throughout the week and 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so it’s an incredible combo for the Lego parks that shut early (6 p.m.).
The parks take about 10 minutes to stroll between however benefit from the stroll via Riverland, there’s all the time road leisure and particular occasions occurring.
Motiongate Dubai Annual Move
Annual passes begin at 495 AED for the silver go, rising to 795 AED for the platinum go. Here’s a breakdown of the advantages included with every:
- Silver – limitless entry to the park (besides on blackout days the place a 50 AED cost is relevant), 10% low cost on meals and drinks inside the park and 20% off in-park pictures – 495 AED per particular person.
- Gold – limitless entry to the park, free popcorn (as much as 6 visits). 15% low cost on meals and drinks and retail, 20% low cost on in-park pictures, nanny go for an extra 50 AED – 595 AED.
- Platinum – limitless entry to the park, as much as 6 free meals, six free drinks and 6 free popcorns, free Q-fast, 20% low cost on meals and drinks and retail and 30% low cost on further admission tickets.
You’ll find out extra about ticket pricing, annual passes and particular gives right here.
IMG Worlds of Journey
Our remaining contender for Dubai’s finest theme park is an actual combined bag. Once more, it’s troublesome to promote to abroad guests because it doesn’t have an immediately recognisable worldwide title. After we begin saying Marvel Comics, Cartoon Community, and Dinosaurs, you get the gist of what to anticipate!
At 1.5 million sq. toes, there’s quite a bit occurring right here. It’s the perfect park to go to in case you are a little bit of a thrill seeker – and tall! The 4 most important zones to discover are:
- Marvel – rides primarily based on the Hulk, Avengers, Spiderman and Thor
- Misplaced Valley – Dinosaur-based rides and adventures
- Cartoon Community – a stay present plus Ben 10 and Powder Puff woman rides
- IMG Boulevard – retail and eating zone, additionally contains the very fashionable “Haunted Home” (for 15 years+ solely!)
There are 17 rides in complete, in addition to reveals and children’ play areas.
The park is predicated in an outer space of Dubai on the E311, close to to International Village and Arabian Ranches. There’s a resort shuttle service, however be warned it makes a variety of stops. You could be finest paying for a taxi to take you door to door.
Is IMG Worlds of Journey appropriate for toddlers?
Some elements are appropriate, however total, this isn’t the perfect theme park for youthful kids. Entry is just charged as soon as kids are 1.05m, although even then, they’ll take pleasure in only a few rides.
There are play areas in LazyTown Robbie’s Liar, the Dinosaur Journey Zone, and the Journey Fortress. A brand new youngsters’ zone has additionally been developed with youthful company in thoughts. The zone contains an inflatable playground, climbing partitions, a soccer pitch, slides, and a sweeper sport. Entry is topic to an extra charge of fifty AED for an hour or 100 AED for all day.
While IMG Youngsters Zone is a good addition to the theme park, it does imply that you just want any person who’s glad to oversee the little ones while older group members benefit from the extra thrilling rides within the different areas of the park.
All in all, youngsters will take pleasure in IMG Worlds of Journey quite a bit extra as soon as they’re over 1.2 m, and virtually unrestricted above 1.3 m.
Are there lengthy queues at IMG Worlds of Journey?
You have to to be affected person at weekends and public holidays. Arrive early and go straight to the rides that you just actually need to expertise to keep away from any queuing. Weekdays are normally no downside besides throughout faculty holidays. If visiting on a weekend, we’d advocate you improve to incorporate an Final Quick Move to get probably the most out of your day.
Are you able to do a “household rider swap” at IMG Worlds of Journey?
Sure! We’re happy to report that when you’ve got a bit one with you who’s too brief for the trip, your group can line up collectively, and oldsters can swap riders after their flip with no need to line up once more.
Are you able to go to IMG Worlds of Journey in the summertime?
Completely. That is a wholly indoor theme park, so it’s your finest guess for beating the summer season warmth.
What does IMG stand for?
Good query! It’s named after its house owners and operators within the UAE, Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari (IMG).
What does IMG Worlds of Journey Value?
A day go is 365 AED – you possibly can advance guide a reduced ticket via Get Your Information. Annual passes could be bought for 765 AED. Youngsters beneath 1.05m don’t have to pay.
Lodging close to Dubai’s Theme Parks
Dubai Parks and Resorts contains Lapita, Dubai Parks & Resort, conveniently positioned subsequent to Riverland and inside straightforward strolling distance of all of the parks. When reserving straight, you may get an inclusive ticket and resort package deal.
For Lego followers, there’s additionally the 4-star Legoland Dubai Lodge. Every part right here is splendidly themed across the Lego idea, and you may select from Kingdom, Ninjago, Pirates, Journey, and Associates rooms. Oh, and also you get a complimentary theme park ticket for each evening you keep! Study extra right here.
On a price range, we’d additionally recommend taking a look at Rove at The Park. Positioned close to the Dubai Outlet Mall in Jebel Ali, this worth resort chain gives a shuttle service to take you to and from the parks, and normally, an evening right here is considerably cheaper than the 2 resort lodges on web site.
IMG Worlds of Journey is in fairly an remoted a part of Dubai so far as lodging goes. You might be simply as properly off staying in well-liked areas comparable to Downtown or Jumeirah Seashore and getting a taxi or the shuttle bus. You’ll be able to find close by lodging choices right here:
Need to keep at one other Dubai Resort? Take a look at our information to the perfect household lodges and resorts in Dubai, plus we share all the perfect lodges that throw in extras like water parks and slides!
Different UAE Theme Parks
As we talked about on the outset, we’ve got solely included the most important new theme parks in Dubai and excluded the water parks.
We now have additionally excluded the theme parks on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Right here, you’ll find Ferrari World, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, and the brand new Seaworld Abu Dhabi. All of those are positioned only a 45-minute drive additional west of Dubai Parks and Resorts (or about 1 hour 10 minutes with out site visitors from Downtown Dubai).
We focus on every of those theme parks in a lot better depth on our companion web site, Abu Dhabi Journey Planner.
They’re very straightforward to entry from Dubai. You’ll find out extra about easy methods to get between Dubai and the Yas Island theme parks right here.
Are there higher locations to take your toddler in Dubai?
Frankly, sure! Certain, there are parts toddlers can take part in at every theme park, however they don’t seem to be ideally designed for this age group. In case you are visiting Dubai with an under-four solely (i.e., no older siblings to maintain glad too!), there are better-themed leisure choices than the large theme parks.
OliOli experiential play museum and Woohoo! are two significantly better hands-on choices for toddlers in Dubai. There are additionally dozens of decisions of sentimental play centres throughout town! Among the larger Edutainment chains embrace Caboodle, Fabyland, KidsHQ.
Our Verdict: Is There a “Finest” Theme Park in Dubai for Households?
Clearly, that is too subjective to name, however from our expertise, households with youthful kids are likely to take pleasure in Legoland and the Legoland Water Park probably the most. Anybody with older kids might get extra from Motiongate. It has a surprisingly good mixture of indoor airconditioned rides and thrilling rides.
For the true thrill seekers, nevertheless, and people desirous to beat the height warmth of the UAE, it must be IMG.
We’re glad to assist along with your Dubai theme park-related questions! With a few years of expertise taking our personal youngsters to all of those parks we may help you slender down which park may fit your wants finest.
Earlier than you go… Extra essential issues it is best to know when planning a visit to Dubai
Take Me Again to The Finest Dubai Sights
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