One year after its grand opening, Ed and I were finally able to visit IMG Worlds of Adventure Dubai! It is currently known as the world's largest indoor theme park; breaking the record of Ferrari World which is also located in the UAE.
Ed, being a fan of roller coasters, and I, being a sucker for theme parks, we felt it was just right to devote an entire day for the 1.5 million square feet fun zone. We arrived past 11 am, only a few minutes after the opening time, and left at around 7 pm.
Here's how our 8-hour visit went...
Getting to IMG Worlds of Adventure by Public Transportation
IMG Worlds of Adventure is located next to Global Village. There's no public bus to the theme park as of the moment; hence the most convenient way (and we thought, the only way) for us who don't drive is to get there by taxi!
From Deira City Centre to IMG Worlds, the taxi meter showed a whopping 70+ AED! There's a taxi stand outside the park, so getting back to the city is easy and costs almost the same.
It was only after our visit that I stumbled across a shuttle service with pick up and drop off at several hotels in Dubai. I'm still not sure how it works (if you have to be a hotel guest or you need to show a park ticket) because I haven't tried it myself, but you can check the shuttle schedule in IMG Worlds of Adventure official website and inquire.
This brightly-colored facade welcomed us to IMG Worlds of Adventure! |
This way to adventure! :) |
Got our tix! |
IMG Boulevard - the gateway to the attractions |
Where to go first? |
Exploring IMG Worlds of Adventure
On a weekend morning, the theme park was not crowded... probably because it is super huge! There was a short queue at the entrance for inspection and a much shorter line at the ticket counters. By the way, our tripod and selfie stick were confiscated at the entrance, so don't bother bringing those with you.
IMG Worlds of Adventure is divided into 4 adventure zones and has over 20 signature rides. We started our day at the Lost Valley aka Dinosaur Adventure Zone. With its jungle setting and gigantic dinosaur structures, it was like walking into a prehistoric era and play pretend you're in Jurassic Park!
Predator: a thrilling roller coaster ride with a vertical drop (Ed loved this!) |
Adventure Fortress: a playground with slides, tunnels and climbing challenges |
The Lost Valley |
Dino Carousel: because horses are mainstream! Hahaha. |
This is probably the most photographed spot in the park. |
Connected to the Lost Valley is the colorful Cartoon Network zone. It is basically devoted to the well-loved Cartoon Network shows like Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, and Adventure Time. Although this zone is more likely for the kids, there are plenty of attractions fit for adults as well.
We had our lunch in Cartoon Network zone before proceeding to our next adventure. There are 28 food outlets (16 restaurants and 12 stalls) scattered all over IMG Worlds of Adventure. And out of all possible options, I chose CN Feast mainly because it's too cute. That was some kind of a bad decision because the menu items were pretty much like a kid's meal. We should have dined in Mama Scano's as recommended by a friend.
Powerpuff Girls - Mojo Jojo's Rampage: Never ever underestimate this ride! |
The park from up above. Photo taken on board Adventure Time - The Ride of Ooo with Finn & Jake |
I think Princess Bubblegum likes to have my Strawberry Smoothie! |
Lunch at CN Feast: Mac n Cheese for me, Hot dog meal for Ed |
Right after lunch, we found our way to the MARVEL Zone. The first thing we noticed was the Avengers Tower. Second was Spider-Man casually walking along the avenue! Superhero-obsessed visitors will surely love this area because the theme revolves around popular Marvel films.
Avengers Tower spotted! |
Thor Thunder Spin: This ride is insane! |
Hey, Spidey! |
Spider-Man Doc Ock's Revenge rollercoaster ride |
We ended our day in IMG Boulevard where the park's top rated attraction is located. Can you guess what it is? It's none other than The Haunted Hotel! It was the first time that we saw a long queue for an attraction. Late in the afternoon, waiting time was nearly an hour.
We heard The Haunted Hotel is a must-visit. Some even go to IMG Worlds of Adventure for it alone. Ed tried to convince me for a once in a lifetime experience, but you know I'm such a scaredy-cat! So, yeah, boo hoo for me.
The Haunted Hotel |
It already looks scary outside! Will you go in? |
Expenses at IMG Worlds of Adventure
Our park tickets were given by a friend (Thanks, Malu!); hence, we saved a good amount of money. But to give you an overview on how much money to prepare for your visit, here's a list of possible expenses:
Taxi fare from DCC to IMG Worlds of Adventure
|
75 AED
|
Park Admission for adult
|
245 AED
|
Lunch for 1 (Mac n Cheese and Smoothie at CN Feast)
|
70 AED
|
Snack (Lotus Cake and Coffee)
|
25 AED
|
Taxi fare from IMG Worlds of Adventure to DCC
|
70 AED
|
Total
|
485 AED
|
Tipid (money-saving) tips?
- Don't go alone. Go with friends and split the taxi fare.
- Watch out for park promotions. Free entry was offered during their 1st anniversary last month.
- For food? You can't bring outside food and food inside are quite expensive. So, uhmm, control your appetite? 1 big lunch will be enough I guess.
But, who can resist a slice of Lotus cake? :p |
----- Park Information -----
IMG Worlds of Adventure
E311, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road
City of Arabia, Dubai Land, Dubai
Phone: 600 500962
Website: www.imgworlds.com
----- Location Map -----
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