Warner Bros. Movie World facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Warner Bros. Movie World

Location	Oxenford, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates	27°54′27″S 153°18′45″E / 27.90750°S 153.31250°E / -27.90750; 153.31250
Status	Operating
Opened	3 June 1991; 34 years ago (1991-06-03)
Owner	Village Roadshow Theme Parks
Theme	Warner Bros. and related DC Comics properties
Slogan	"Hollywood on the Gold Coast"
Operating season	All year round
Attendance	~1.4 million as of 2016
Attractions
Total	21
Roller coasters	5
Water rides	1

Warner Bros. Movie World is a super fun theme park located on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It's owned by Village Roadshow Theme Parks and first opened its doors on June 3, 1991. This park is part of a huge entertainment area that also includes Village Roadshow Studios and Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast.

Movie World is Australia's only theme park based on movies, and it's the oldest Warner Bros. park in the world! (The others are in Madrid and Abu Dhabi). Lots of people love visiting, with about 1.4 million guests each year.

The park has many exciting rides, like the thrilling Batwing Spaceshot and Superman Escape. There are also family-friendly attractions such as Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D and Wild West Falls Adventure Ride. You can enjoy shows at the Roxy Theatre and watch the amazing Hollywood Stunt Driver live show.

Movie World has five roller coasters. The DC Rivals HyperCoaster is Australia's tallest, fastest, and longest coaster! The Green Lantern Coaster has one of the steepest drops in the world. You can also meet famous movie characters like Batman and Bugs Bunny walking around the park. Every afternoon, these characters join a fun parade down Main Street. The park also hosts special events like Fright Nights for Halloween and White Christmas during the holidays.

History of Movie World

How Movie World Started (1986–1991)

In the 1980s, Hollywood became very interested in making movies in Australia. A film producer named Dino De Laurentiis built a film studio in Oxenford, near Surfers Paradise. He planned to make a movie called Total Recall there.

But Dino De Laurentiis faced money problems, so he left his company in 1987. The movie studio was then bought by Village Roadshow in 1988. They already worked with Warner Bros. in Australia.

Movie World's Grand Entrance

In October 1988, Village Roadshow bought a large piece of land next to the studio. The next month, they teamed up with Warner Bros. and announced plans for a new theme park called Warner World. Warner Bros. saw a lot of potential in the park.

In 1989, they joined with Pivot Leisure, who owned part of Sea World. An American designer named C. V. Wood was hired to create the park. He had designed famous parks like Disneyland. Movie World's design was inspired by Universal Studios Hollywood and Disney's Hollywood Studios. It was built to let up to 13,000 guests enjoy all the rides in one day. Building the park took about 16 months and cost a lot of money.

The Fountain of Fame, the park's entrance plaza

Movie World officially opened on June 2, 1991, with over 5,000 people attending. Many celebrities were there, including Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson. The park opened to the public on June 3. It created between 400 and 500 new jobs. The first ticket price was $29 for adults and $19 for children.

Movie World was the first "movie-based theme park" built outside the United States. It was expected to attract over a million visitors in its first year.

Early Rides and Shows (1991–1998)

When Movie World first opened, its attractions taught guests about how movies are made. The park's slogan was "Hollywood on the Gold Coast." The design looked like American theme parks such as Disneyland.

Main Street had copies of buildings from Warner Bros. movies, like Rick's Café from Casablanca. A film studio tour included the Movie Magic Special Effects Show, where audience members could take part.

The Roxy Theatre, which opened with the park in 1991.

There were two live shows every day. The Western Action Show had actors doing funny stunts with animals. The Police Academy Stunt Show was an hour long and featured exciting shoot-outs and car chases. The Warner Bros. Classics & Great Gremlins Adventure was a dark ride where guests escaped from gremlins. Young Einstein Gravity Homestead used sloped floors to make you feel like gravity was different. The Roxy Theatre showed 3D films. The Looney Tunes Land had rides for kids, including the Looney Tunes River Ride and a live musical show.

The Batman Adventure – The Ride, a $13 million motion simulator ride, opened on December 23, 1992. It was very popular, and on December 30, over 12,000 people visited the park, setting a new record.

In 1995, the Western Action Show was replaced by The Maverick Grand Illusion Show. Lethal Weapon – The Ride opened in December as the park's first roller coaster. This inverted coaster was the first of its kind in Australia.

Lethal Weapon – The Ride was the park's first roller coaster.

In December 1997, Marvin the Martian in 3D opened at the Roxy Theatre. On December 26, Looney Tunes Land became Looney Tunes Village with new rides. On December 26, 1998, the Wild Wild West (now Wild West Falls Adventure Ride) opened. This flume ride was the biggest single ride investment in Australia at the time. It had a huge artificial mountain. The ride was renamed to match the 1999 movie Wild Wild West.

New Rides and Shows (2000–2008)

Road Runner Rollercoaster, a coaster for children, opened on December 26, 2000. In 2001, the Great Gremlins and Gravity Homestead attractions closed. The Looney Tunes Splash Zone was added to Looney Tunes Village.

On December 26, two new attractions opened: Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 (an updated version of the original) and the Harry Potter Movie Magic Experience. The Harry Potter attraction had a walk-through copy of Diagon Alley from the movies. It was later updated with items from The Chamber of Secrets.

Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster, opened in 2002, was an indoor roller coaster with ghost train elements.

Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster opened on June 17, 2002. This $13 million indoor ride was themed to the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie. It had ghost train elements and an elevator lift.

The Harry Potter attraction closed in September 2003 and was replaced by The Official Matrix Exhibit, which showed props from Matrix movies. In 2005, the Roxy Theatre was updated for a new film, Shrek 4D Adventure. This experience used special effects and moving seats.

Superman Escape, a thrilling new ride, opened on December 26, 2005. It was the park's first major thrill ride in about ten years. Batwing Spaceshot, a $5 million ride that launches you up a tower, opened in December 2006.

The Official Matrix Exhibit ran from 2003 until 2007.

Looney Tunes Village was renamed Kids' WB Fun Zone in 2007, and two new rides were added. The Police Academy Stunt Show closed on April 30, 2008, after 16 years. Its replacement, the $10 million Hollywood Stunt Driver, opened on December 26. This show featured amazing car stunts. A new live show, Looney Tunes: What's Up Rock?, replaced The Musical Revue. In October, a roof was built over Main Street to protect guests from the weather.

Exciting Additions (2011–2020)

Looney Tunes River Ride and Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 closed in 2011. Green Lantern Coaster opened on December 23, 2011. This coaster had a very steep drop!

Lethal Weapon – The Ride closed in January 2012 for a $2 million update. It got a new train and was renamed Arkham Asylum – Shock Therapy. This ride was themed to the Batman: Arkham video games, making the ride building look like Arkham Asylum taken over by the Joker. It reopened in April.

Hollywood Stunt Driver 2, a relaunch of the original show, opened in 2014.

Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D opened in September 2012. This $9 million interactive dark ride had special effects, animatronics, and 3D projections, letting you blast aliens on screen.

Hollywood Stunt Driver closed and was replaced by its sequel, Hollywood Stunt Driver 2, on February 20, 2014. This new show featured motocross riders doing even more complex stunts. The $4 million Junior Driving School, where kids drive miniature cars around a tiny Movie World, opened on September 12.

The DC Comics Super-Villains Unleashed area opened in September 2016. Its main ride was Doomsday Destroyer, a thrilling ride by Intamin. You could use special wristbands to interact with statues of DC supervillains like Harley Quinn. The same month, you could add virtual reality headsets to the Arkham Asylum ride.

Doomsday Destroyer, which headlined a DC Comics-themed precinct that opened in 2016.

DC Rivals HyperCoaster opened on September 22, 2017. This $30 million coaster was the biggest single ride investment in the park's history. As of 2020, it is Australia's tallest, fastest, and longest coaster.

An Aquaman exhibition opened on December 13, 2018, showing props and costumes from the movie. Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster closed for updates and reopened in December as Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster: Next Generation, with new special effects.

The WB Studio Showcase opened on November 1, 2019, displaying props and costumes from many Warner Bros. films. Later that month, students from the New York Film Academy (NYFA) started showing guests how movies are made with the NYFA – Hot Sets attraction. Arkham Asylum closed in December. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park closed on March 22, 2020, and reopened on July 15 with fewer guests allowed and new safety rules.

New Projects and Upgrades (2021–Present)

Batman Legacy, an exhibition about the Batman films, opened on December 26, 2021. Marvin the Martian: Cosmic Boom, a children's Drop'N Twist ride, opened in April 2023.

The Flash: Speed Force, a shuttle roller coaster, opened on May 13, 2024. This ride was moved from Wet'n'Wild and is themed to the DC Comics superhero the Flash.

A new $40 million Wizard of Oz-themed area is planned to open in 2024. It will be built where Arkham Asylum used to be and will have two new coasters: Flight of the Wicked Witch and Kansas Twister. Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster, which closed in January 2023, is set to reopen in 2025 after a $4 million upgrade. This will include new ride vehicles and other improvements.

Park Map and Areas

A float from the daily Star Parade

Movie World is in Oxenford, Queensland, about 20 km (13 miles) from Surfers Paradise. It's part of a big area with other Village Roadshow parks. The park has 21 attractions spread across five main areas: Main Street, Kids' WB Fun Zone, the Wild West, DC Comics Super-Villains Unleashed, and the DC Comics superhero hub.

When you enter, you'll see the Grand Entrance and the Fountain of Fame. Main Street has guest services, places to eat, and gift shops. The Roxy Theatre on Main Street shows 4D films. The Hollywood Stunt Driver show features amazing motorcycle and rally car stunts.

You can meet characters like Batman, the Joker, Scooby-Doo, and the Looney Tunes gang. They walk around and pose for photos. Every afternoon, they have a fun parade with themed floats down Main Street.

Wild West Falls Adventure Ride

The Kids' WB Fun Zone has rides for younger guests, like car rides, carousels, and splash pads. Kids can drive miniature cars at Junior Driving School and ride the Road Runner Rollercoaster.

Wild West Falls is the main attraction in the Wild West area. You ride through a Native American village and a ghost town before a big splashdown at the end!

In DC Comics Super-Villains Unleashed, you'll see statues of DC supervillains. Guests can use special wristbands to interact with the area or ride Doomsday Destroyer.

In the DC Comics superhero hub, Batwing Spaceshot launches you up a vertical tower. DC Rivals HyperCoaster has exciting hills and loops. The Flash: Speed Force takes guests on a rotating platform between two tall tracks. Green Lantern Coaster has a very steep drop and two inversions. On Justice League, you can shoot at alien targets on 3D screens. Superman Escape launches you from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just two seconds!

List of Rides and Shows

Special Events and Features

More than one million Christmas lights decorated the park for its first annual White Christmas event in 2010.

Movie World hosts two big events every year. Fright Nights happens around Halloween, with mazes, parades with spooky characters, and night rides. It's very popular, with thousands of guests attending.

White Christmas takes place during the Christmas holidays. The park is decorated with over a million Christmas lights. There are festive shows, a Christmas parade, and you can even visit Santa Claus.

The park offers a paid Fast Track pass to skip lines and free virtual queueing for some rides. You can also order food on your phone to save time. Star Tours started in 2016, giving guests a behind-the-scenes look at some attractions. This experience includes Fast Track passes and good seats for the parade. Since September 2018, you can even climb the 282 steps of DC Rivals' lift hill for an amazing view!

Fright Nights has drawn strong attendance since its inception.

To celebrate the park's first birthday in 1992, a daily parade with Bugs Bunny started. In the evenings, there was a light show with Batman and Catwoman. In 1994, the park held a big Easter party with a parade and fireworks.

A tenth-anniversary celebration was held on August 4, 2001, with live music. The first Halloween Family Fun Night was on October 31, 2006. It was so popular that it became the annual Fright Nights event.

In 2010, a DC Heroes vs. Villains parade ran for DC Comics' 75th anniversary. The first White Christmas events for the public were held later that year. They were very popular, with many evenings selling out. In 2014, Carnivale events were held, featuring music and parades inspired by the Brazilian Carnival.

In 2016, the park celebrated its 25th anniversary with festivities and a parade. In 2020, Fright Nights was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but White Christmas still happened. For the park's 30th anniversary in 2021, the Hooray for Hollywood event featured classic Hollywood cinema themes.

How Many People Visit?

Retail has contributed to strong revenue since the park's opening.

In its first year, Movie World had 1.2 million visitors, which was more than they expected. The park's general manager said that about 25% of visitors were from other countries, especially Japan. The park also made a lot of money from selling souvenirs and food.

In 1998, the "3 Park Super Pass" was very popular, helping more people visit the Gold Coast's theme parks. In 2001, over 10 million people had visited Movie World since it opened. However, international visits dropped after the September 11 attacks and the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak. The park then focused on attracting more local visitors with discounted tickets.

Batwing Spaceshot (left) and Superman Escape's (right) openings helped boost yearly attendance in 2007.

In 2006, Village Roadshow took full ownership of Movie World. The openings of Superman Escape and Batwing Spaceshot helped increase visitors in 2007. Over 1.32 million people visited that year, making it Australia's third most visited park. However, bad weather in 2008 caused fewer people to visit.

Green Lantern Coaster's December 2011 opening contributed to an attendance boost the following year.

After the global financial crisis, the park used special deals like the "Q150 Pass" to attract more guests. The opening of Green Lantern in 2011 and other new rides helped boost visitor numbers. By 2013, over 2 million people visited the park each year for the first time.

At a total cost of $30 million, DC Rivals HyperCoaster remains Village's largest single ride investment.

In 2016, a sad accident at another theme park affected all theme parks, including Movie World. But the $30 million investment in DC Rivals HyperCoaster, the most expensive coaster in Australia, brought new hope. Its opening set a daily attendance record in September with 11,500 guests.

Park Safety

Movie World works hard to keep its guests safe. However, like any big park, there have been a few incidents.

On March 15, 2015, a car on the Green Lantern Coaster came off the rails because a part broke. Riders were stuck for several hours and had to be rescued by the fire brigade. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. An investigation found a problem with the design of a part. The company that made the ride fixed the problem, and the ride reopened safely in December.

See also

In Spanish: Warner Bros. Movie World para niños