One day in Dubai/Abu Dhabi

[Mick]

Currently in Dubai for the first time ever, enjoying a week of sightseeing and relaxation. A quite remarkable place for both good and not so good reasons. Anyway, a gap in the schedule has opened up on Sunday and I’m keen to spend it at one of the many theme park options.

I think I’ve narrowed it down to either IMG Worlds of Adventure, or Warner Brothers World. Obviously Warner Bros is a bit further away being in Abu Dhabi but I’m so drawn to that indoor theming on every vlog or picture I’ve seen of it.

Does anyone have any experience of either, any recommendations, or any other park that I’ve overlooked. I can only do one, and I’m not likely to come back here any time soon.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bowser]

Technically if you went to Yas Island you could visit Warner, Sea World and Ferrari World all in the same day, subject to budget, opening hours and queues of course.

I’ve certainly seen vlogs where people have comfortably done two parks in a day.

Personally like you I’d go to Warners if it’s a single choice as I think the theming looks incredible and the dark rides look really cool.

 

[saintspence]

As someone who lives just over an hour from the UAE, I visit several times per year.

Warner Bros is 100 times better than IMG. The rides are much better quality, the theming is more impressive and there is just more to do overall.

By showing your park ticket, there is a free shuttle bus you can get from several places in Dubai that takes you directly to the park. If you arrive at opening, turn right at the entrance and complete the rides anti clockwise. This usually helps best with queue times. Despite what people say, the Tom and Jerry coaster, can often generate and hour long queue for example. If you’re happy to do all rides just once, you should have time to visit another park on the same day. Free shuttle buses connect all of the parks on Yas Island.

Sea World is hands down the best park but you could spend a whole day exploring it. Ferrari World also has a fantastic world class trio of coasters if you haven’t been before.

 

[Mick]

Thanks both for the advice, I had my heart set on Warner Bros World however my holiday companion, who isn’t into theme parks quite as much as I am resisted the temptation to go to Abu Dhabi, so we’ve just done four and a half hours at IMG instead.

General thoughts on the place are that it has a nice well-rounded line-up of attractions, but needs more. Today was a quiet day there, not as deserted as you sometimes hear these UAE parks can be, but operations were sooooo slow and still did everything of interest there in four and a half hours at a leisurely pace.

Ride reviews:

Adventure Time - The Ride of Ooo: a very sedate way to start the day, not really the target audience for that one.

Powerpuff Girls - Mojo Jojo’s Robot Rampage: good fun, standard flat ride, really well themed, loved Powerpuff Girls as a kid so gets points for that.

The Velociraptor: best ride at the park, smooth, quick and not too forceful so my ideal coaster. Managed two rides on this and lost the will to live queuing for the second ride, operations were appalling and lots of queue jumping going unpunished.

Forbidden Territory: nicely done dark ride with some really impressive animatronics.

Spider Man Doc Ock’s Revenge: a fun coaster that felt very short, as soon as it picks up some speed the ride is over. Not sure it made the best use of the Spider Man theming. Managed to do this twice

Hulk Epsilon Base: a real surprise, a unique flat ride/ show/ whatever you want to call it!

Avengers Battle of Ultron: a bit screen heavy and short for my liking.

Predator: very forgettable and short coaster although for a Gerts it wasn’t too rough or painful.

So that was my afternoon! A decent enough time but I wouldn’t be recommending anyone go out of their way to visit. First indoor theme park ever done though, I thought it would be weird but it actually wasn’t, the UK should have one really.