Here I share all my top tips for visiting Movie World Gold Coast to help you make the most out of your visit, avoid the crowds and have the best day out.
Warner Bros Movie World is one of the top family attractions in the Gold Coast, but it can get busy – especially during school holidays.
So I have put together this MovieWorld guide filled with top tips and suggestions on how to tackle the park to help you make the most out of your visit.
From using the app smartly, to choosing which rides to target, where to eat and how to get there, read on!
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Table of Contents
About Movie World
Located on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, this theme park features Warner Bros. movie-themed rollercoasters, rides and attractions. It also gives you the chance to meet some of your favourite Looney Tunes cartoon and DC super heroes and villains characters.
There is a lot of fun to be had here and you are sure to have a great family day out. Do take your time though and plan to spend the whole day here.
The park can get very busy, especially during peak times (weekends and school holidays) and queues can get long, so you don’t want to feel rushed.
Before you Go
Buy Tickets Online
Get organised and buy your Movie World tickets online before you go to avoid having to queue up for tickets when you get there. It also works out cheaper to buy tickets online – up to $20 cheaper than buying them at the gate.
If you are planning to visit the other theme parks in the Gold Coast owned by Village, ie SeaWorld, Wet n’ Wild and/or Paradise Country (Aussie farm experience), then it will work out cheaper to buy a multi-park pass.
- Click here to book a discounted 3-day 3-park Escape Pass for Movie World, SeaWorld and Wet n’ Wild. Even if you only plan to visit two out of the three parks, it still works out cheaper to buy this ticket.
- Click here to buy a discounted 7-day 4-park Mega Pass for Movie World, SeaWorld, Wet n’ Wild and Paradise Country. Even if you only plan to visit three out of the four parks, it still works out cheaper to buy this ticket.
- Click here to buy a discounted 14-day 4-park Mega Pass for Movie World, SeaWorld, Wet n’ Wild and Paradise Country. Even if you only plan to visit three out of the four parks, it still works out cheaper to buy this ticket.
You can also buy an annual pass. If you are planning to return to the Gold Coast within the year and visit multiple parks then definitely take a look at this option.
Click here to view all ticket options on the Movie World website.
Download the App
The Village Roadshow Theme Parks app is a fantastic tool for when you are visiting the Gold Coast theme parks. I definitely recommend downloading it before you go.
Once you have downloaded the app, you can add your Movie World tickets to it so that they can easily be scanned on arrival. Adding your tickets to the app will also allow you to claim your Virtual Queue pass (see below for more details about this).
The app also helps you to keep an eye on ride times, check the entertainment schedule and buy any additional tickets, upgrades, extras or experiences.
It also has an interactive map included, which can be helpful if, like me, you have a terrible sense of direction and you are trying to find your way to a specific attraction.
Plan your Itinerary
Before you head to Movie World for the day, it’s worth working out a rough itinerary of what you want to do.
What are your must-do rides you can’t miss? It’s probably worth trying to get to them first before the queues get even longer.
Do you want to watch the Parade? Are there any other shows you definitely want to see? Check the entertainment schedule for that day and work around it. For example, the Stunt Driver show only takes place twice a day.
Having a good idea of what you want to see and do before you go can definitely help make the day a success and mean you don’t miss out on must-sees for the day. It also allows you to make time for lunch and snack breaks!
Movie World Rides
Movie World is renowned for its thrill rides. But there is more to it than just roller coasters. There is something for everyone here. The minimum height for the biggest thrill rides is 140cm, but smaller kids can still get in on the fun with many other rides.
Tip: If you are unsure of your kids’ heights and/or they are on the cusp of the 140cm (or 130cm) height limits required for the bigger rides, call in at Guest Services on arrival. They will measure your kids and issue a wristband for their height limit. This saves you having to be measured at each ride.
Here’s a quick glance guide to all the rides at Movie World, with their minimum height restrictions:
Thrill Rides:
- DC Rivals HyperCoaster – the tallest, longest and fastest HyperCoaster in the Southern Hemisphere. Minimum height 130cm.
- SUPERMAN Escape – accelerator launch roller coaster (reaches 100km in 2 seconds!). Minimum height 140cm.
- GREEN LANTERN Coaster – adrenaline-pumping roller coaster with one of the steepest inverted drops in the Southern Hemisphere. Minimum height 140cm.
- DOOMSDAY Destroyer – suspended twin hammer ride. Minimum height 130cm.
- WILD WEST Falls Adventure Ride – steep drop flume ride. Minimum height 130cm.
- BATWING Spaceshot – launched tower ride with a top speed of 72 kmph. Minimum height 123cm.
- SCOOBY-DOO Spooky Coaster Next Generation – indoor wild mouse coaster with spooky surprises. Minimum height 110cm.
Family & Kids Rides:
- ROAD RUNNER Rollercoaster – a junior coaster perfect for younger kids with twists, turns, ups and downs. Minimum height 110cm.
- JUSTICE LEAGUE 3D – The Ride – a 3D interactive ride where you score points for hitting targets with your laser. Minimum height 90cm.
- Looney Tunes Carousel – carousel with your favourite Looney Tunes characters. No minimum height but under 105cm must ride with an adult.
- Sylvester & Tweety Cages – spinning ride with cages that rotate, ascend and descend. Minimum height 90cm, maximum height 145cm.
- Yosemite Sam Railroad – miniature railway. No minimum height restriction but kids under 110cm must ride with an adult.
- Speedy Gonzales Tijuana Taxis – kids get to ride their own car on a controlled track. Minimum height 106cm, maximum height 145cm.
- Junior Driving School – a slightly older version of the above with two-seat cars that go up to 6kmh. Minimum height 106cm.
*Coming soon to Movie World: The Wizard of Oz Precinct is due to open in 2024 and will feature two new family-friendly rides: a suspended roller coaster and a boomerang racer.
Movie World Shows and Entertainment
Beyond the rides, there is a whole world of entertainment to enjoy at Movie World.
If you wander down or take a seat to relax down at Main Street, you will usually find some kind of entertainment happening, from a Wonder Woman show to a Looney Tunes dance and Marilyn Monroe belting out some of her favourite hits.
There are also various Meet & Greets taking place throughout the day if you want to snap a photo with your favourite Warner Bros. characters from Looney Tunes, DC Super Heroes or DC Super Villains.
Other highlights in the entertainment schedule include:
- Star Parade – this is the highlight of MovieWorld for many kids, with a chance to see their favourite characters singing and dancing there way through the park. It is held daily at 3.30pm.
- Scoob! 4D Experience – held in the Roxy theatre, don your 3D glasses and be ready for your chair to move during this fun 4D cinema show.
- Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 – action packed stunt show with extreme precision driving.
Show Times change throughout the year so either use your app to check out what is happening when you are visiting or check the website here.
Tips to Avoid Queuing at Movie World
Movie World can get very busy, especially during weekends and school holidays when queuing times for the most popular rides regularly tops an hour or more.
Unfortunately if you do visit during these peak times then you will partly just have to grin and bear it and wait in line. However, there are some things you can do to help avoid the worst of the queues. Here are some top tips:
Upgrade to an All 8 Fast Track Pass
The best way to avoid queuing is, unfortunately, the most expensive (in fact it costs more than a single day pass to Movie World). However, if you are cash-rich and time-poor, then your best bet is the All 8 Fast Track Pass.
This allows you to queue jump on the 8 most popular rides in the park. You can only use it once for each of the following rides:
- DC Rivals HyperCoaster
- SUPERMAN Escape
- GREEN LANTERN Coaster
- DOOMSDAY Destroyer
- JUSTICE LEAGUE 3D – The Ride
- SCOOBY-DOO Spooky Coaster Next Generation
- ROAD RUNNER Rollercoaster
- WILD WEST Falls Adventure Ride
Activate your Virtual Pass
With your Movie World tickets, each person is allocated a Virtual Queue Pass. This allows you to choose one ride to ‘virtually queue’ for. This means that you choose a time to ride and then turn up at the allocated time and you can skip right to the front of the queue.
However – you only get to choose one ride, so choose wisely.
Also – be aware that the virtual passes also get used up pretty quickly. My advice is to activate yours as soon as you enter the park. As the day goes on they fill up so that you may have to wait 3 hours or more for a queue-jump for your chosen ride, or worse yet – you may miss out all together.
Keep an eye on queue times
Your Theme Parks app is your best friend here. Within the app there is the option to check on current ride wait times, so you can see which ride is the best option to go to next. These can fluctuate throughout the day, so keep checking back.
Use the Single Rider Queues
A few of the rides have single rider queues and they can be a great way of skipping the queue if you aren’t too fussed about sitting next to your loved ones on a ride. These can significantly cut your queuing time.
For rides without single rider queues, keep your ears pricked as they often call out for single riders as you near the front of the queue.
Use One Shot upgrades
If you’ve already used your virtual pass but are desperate to jump aboard another ride without queuing, you can use a One Shot upgrade. This allows you to pay for the privilege of skipping the line on a single ride.
These cost around $25-30 and can be purchased through the Theme Parks app. Note that they release new One Shot passes every half an hour, so if you don’t see one available for your chosen ride, be sure to check back later as there may be some new ones released.
Ride during and after the Parade
The Star Parade is one of the highlights of the day for many people visiting Movie World.
This all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza is a chance to see your favourite characters from Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and the DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains up close.
However, if you aren’t bothered about seeing the parade – it can be a great time to ride the rides! People start to gather along the parade route up to an hour before it begins (it begins at 3.30pm) and – most importantly – a lot of people head home as soon as the parade is finished.
This means that the ride queues tend to be a lot shorter from around 3pm onwards.
Movie World Restaurants
There are several eating options at Movie World, from hot dog stands to sit-down restaurants.
A good option is to buy from one of the takeaway outlets and take a seat on the grassy area at the top of Main Street, where you can catch the latest entertainment while you eat. That way everyone can also choose what they want from the array of takeaway options.
For quick snacks there are various stands selling hot dogs, popcorn, fairy floss and churros scattered around the park.
Other popular choices include the following. Note that some outlets are seasonal and only open during peak times.
- Village Bean Coffee House for coffees and snacks
- Main Street Deli for sandwiches, pies and loaded jacket potatoes
- Gotham City Cafe for burgers
- Dirty Harry Bar & Grill for Tex Mex favourites – tacos, burritos, nachos etc
- Sweet Treats for ice creams and milkshakes
- Santa Fe Dogtown for gourmet hotdogs and frozen margaritas
- Rick’s Cafe Américain – sit down restaurant with burgers, ribs, pizzas and more
- Wild West Roadhouse – for burgers, seafood baskets and more
Other useful info
Here is some other information that may help with your visit.
Stroller hire
If you are visiting with small kids who get tired legs quickly and for some reason prefer not to bring your own stroller, you can hire one at guests services. The hire cost is $20.00.
Locker hire
If you prefer not to lug your bags around the park with you all day, you can also hire a locker for the day. Lockers range in size and cost from $12-20 depending on the size.
Parents rooms
There are multiple parent rooms throughout the park with changing facilities. The best one is Taz Rest Stop, located within Kids’ WB! Fun Zone. It features a private feeding area, microwaves, bottle warmers, bean bags, books & toys.
Movie World Opening Hours
Movie World is open every day except Christmas Day (December 25th) and Anzac Day (April 25th).
The park opening hours fluctuate slightly through the year, with longer opening hours during school holidays. These are the opening hours at the time of writing for the coming year. Check the website here to confirm. Note that the rides usually open 30 minutes after the gates open.
- 25th April – Closed
- 26th April – 15th September: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- 16th September – 10th October: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- 11th October – 24th December: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- 25th December – Closed
- 26th December 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
- 27th December – 15th January: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Getting to MovieWorld
Movie World is around a 20-minute drive from Surfers Paradise, a 45-minute drive from Brisbane and just over an hour’s drive from Byron Bay.
Here are some of the best ways to get to Movie World.
- Driving – If you have a car, Movie World is an easy drive. It is well sign posted and there is plenty of parking.
- Con-x-ion transfer – these shared door-to-door buses are a convenient way to get to the theme parks if you don’t have a car. They pick you up from and drop you back to your Gold Coast hotel. Click here to book.
- Taxi/Uber – as the drive is only 20-minutes from Surfers Paradise, you can easily take a taxi or Uber out to Movie World. There should be taxis waiting outside when you are ready to leave.
- Public Transport from Gold Coast – catch a tram, bus or train to Helensvale station and transfer to bus route TX7. The TX7 bus service leaves Helensvale every 15 minutes, from 9:00am – 11.30am.
- Public Transport from Brisbane – catch the train to Coomera station and transfer to bus route TX7.
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