The Gold Coast is without question, Australia’s theme park capital featuring four major world-class theme parks packed with attractions, rides, shows, exhibits, and much more.
If you could only visit one, then Dreamworld is perhaps the standout (IMHO). That said, they all offer unique experiences and you may certainly have a good reason to favor visiting one over the other, for example, there’s the star power of Movie World or the marine life offered by Sea World.
As you’d expect, all of them are family-friendly offering attractions for kids and adults alike. Sadly, they are all on par when it comes to lunchtime, offering hideously expensive stalls for comfort foods.
They are all somewhat similar in ticket pricing at around the $90-100 mark for a single entry with the only difference being the multi-park and multi-day passes. The Super Pass or Mega Pass from Village Roadshow, giving access to its four parks over multiple days, is one of the most attractive offers.
A brief intro to each of the major parks (prices collected Feb 2024)
| Dreamworld & WhiteWater World are packed with rides for the adrenaline seeker including the Giant Drop, the Claw, Steel Taipan, and many more. Not only for thrill seekers, but the park also caters to all with enjoyable fun family rides and kids rides. The park also features wildlife experiences where you can get up close with koalas, wombats, kangaroos, and even crocodiles. Right beside Dreamworld is White Water World which is packed with water-based rides including the popular Flowrider. | |
| DreamWorld entry from | $95 |
| Whitewater World entry from | $95 |
| Combo Ticket: DreamWorld and WhiteWater World from | $139 |
| Travel Costs (from Surfers per person) via tram & bus with gocard from | $4.35 |
| Food Costs (based on a Hamburger & Pepsi) | $23 |
| Wet ‘n’ Wild is a popular water-based theme park with slides and rides for everyone. Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World features 7-storey high water slides and a wide array of aquatic-based thrill rides including the new Surf Rider attraction. Kids are catered for with their own water playground at Buccaneer Bay and for those not keen on the action rides Calypso Bay is the place to relax. | |
| Wet ‘n’ Wild entry from | $105 |
| Combo Ticket: Wet n Wild, Movie World, Sea World, Paradise Country from | $199 |
| Travel Costs (from Surfers per person) via tram & bus with gocard from | $4.35 |
| Food Costs (based on a Snack n Sip deal inc. chips, nuggets and soda) | $20 |
| Warner Bros. Movie World offers the glamour of Hollywood with behind-the-scenes action rides and stunt shows. MovieWorld is based on blockbuster movies such as Superman, Batman, Lethal Weapon, and many more. Featuring action rides and working studios along with stage shows and parades through the movie set-like streets. | |
| Warner Bros. Movie World entry from | $105 |
| Combo Ticket: Wet n Wild, Movie World, Sea World, Paradise Country from | $199 |
| Travel Costs (from Surfers per person) via tram & bus with gocard from | $4.35 |
| Food Costs (based on a Snack n Sip deal inc. chips, nuggets and soda) | $20 |
| Sea World is a popular marine theme park offering a place to experience marine life exhibitions and shows. Possibly even more popular than the variety of rides, performing dolphin shows, aquariums, and shark feeding shows is the Polar Bears in their Arctic summer environment via a state-of-the-art display. | |
| Sea World entry from | $105 |
| Combo Ticket: Wet n Wild, Movie World, Sea World, Paradise Country from | $199 |
| Travel Costs (from Surfers per person) via tram & bus with gocard from | $4.35 |
| Food Costs (based on a Snack n Sip deal inc. chips, nuggets and soda) | $20 |
| Paradise Country is one of the smallest parks but offers a unique insight into Australian bush culture and the farm life experience. Whilst it lacks the big rides of the other four, which may be exactly what some are looking for, it features authentic Australian experiences that are popular with everyone. | |
| Paradise Country entry from | $49 |
| Combo Ticket: Wet n Wild, Movie World, Sea World, Paradise Country from | $199 |
| Travel Costs (from Surfers per person) via tram & bus with gocard from | $4.35 |
| Food Costs (based on a Hamburger) | $24 |
Also, see Animal Theme Parks (inc Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and David Fleay Wildlife Park).
While SeaWorld is located centrally in Main Beach and easy to reach via bus, the rest of the parks are located in the northern Gold Coast suburbs of Oxenford and Coomera.
For Movie World, Dreamworld, Whitewaterworld, Paradise County, and Wet’n”Wild, you can take the G:Link tram to Helensvale and then the TX7 bus to either park. The journey time is just over one hour and around $7 per person or cheaper with a gocard.
A taxi or limousine service will take around 30 minutes and rates start from around $75 for 4 passengers. Con X ion offers shuttle bus services from $28.
Follow the links below for specific transport details for each park.
Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild Water World, and Paradise Country are all managed by Village Roadshow and you can buy a discounted ticket giving access to all four or buy tickets individually.
Dreamworld and Whitewater World are co-located and you can buy individual tickets or a discount ticket giving entry to both.
You can buy tickets directly via
Follow the links below for full details for each theme park including
[It is now reported that the project will be abandoned and replaced by another venture.] Australian Legend World was a proposed theme park that will feature historical and educational performances, animal exhibits, an indoor ski field, a 3,500-seat theatre, and an adventure park. Alongside the park, there were plans for a 25 storey high-rise development. The proposed park was to… Read more →
Paradise Country, located at Oxenford near to Movie World, is an Australian farm experience offering many attractions and even accommodation experiences. This includes many native animals such as Koalas, Kangaroos, Emus, and there is also Pigs, Alpacas, Peacocks and more. For food there is the onsite Farmhouse Restaurant and a deli. Shows include Stock Horse Arena & Billy Tea, Sheep Shearing &… Read more →
Sea World Gold Coast sits on a major advantage over the other big Gold Coast theme parks. While Dreamworld, Movie World, and Wet’n’Wild are tucked inland at Coomera and Oxenford (a 30-40 minute drive from Surfers Paradise), Sea World is right here on The Spit at Main Beach. That means you can be in the park 15 minutes from the… Read more →
Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast is Australia’s largest and most-visited water park, located just 20 minutes from Surfers Paradise and 40 minutes from Brisbane. Operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks, this iconic destination has thrilled visitors for over 40 years, celebrating its 40th birthday in 2024. Whether you’re chasing adrenaline-fuelled thrills or family-friendly splashes, Wet’n’Wild delivers world-class water attractions year-round. The park… Read more →
Warner Bros. Movie World is the Gold Coast’s original world-class theme park, a place where the magic of Hollywood comes to life. If you’re planning a theme park day and want brilliant rides, blockbuster shows, and a genuine dose of stunt-powered entertainment, this is your destination. The park has evolved significantly since 2025, with a brand new Wizard of Oz… Read more →
Dreamworld is Australia’s largest theme park, sprawling across acres in Coomera in the northern Gold Coast. Since 1986, it’s been the place families, thrill-seekers, and tourists come for over 40 rides and attractions, genuine wildlife encounters, and a full day of entertainment. It’s less slick than Movie World down the road, but that’s part of its appeal: it’s honest, unpretentious,… Read more →
WhiteWater World is located beside Dreamworld Theme Park at Coomera. It’s a purely water-based attraction theme park featuring a range of rides with something suitable for all ages. Rides include Cave of Waves – WhiteWater World’s Cave of Waves pushes the boundaries of wave pool technology with a surging swell traveling over 50 metres to shore. Pipeline Plunge – kids water… Read more →