ABC Kids World (formerly known as Wiggles World) was a themed land at the Dreamworld

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

on the

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Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The area was dedicated to the shows and characters from various shows that air on ABC Kids. The area was originally opened as Wiggles World on September 17, 2005 replacing the previous Gum Tree Gully section.

History

During July 2005, Gum Tree Gully was closed to aid in the construction of Dreamworld's second children's area, Wiggles World. Only a narrow corridor remained for pedestrian access during the construction period. On September 17, 2005 Wiggles World officially opened to the public with a performance by The Wiggles. Based on the musicians of the same name, the area was the first of several to be installed at theme parks around the world. On the first anniversary of the opening of the area, Dreamworld added Dorothy's Rosy Tea Cup Ride. In mid-2012, Dreamworld announced that they would be adding a new ride to Wiggles World. It was later revealed to be the Big Red Boat Ride. The ride was officially opened on December 14, 2012 with 7 members of The Wiggles in attendance. In May 2015, following the successful ten-year partnership with the band, Dreamworld announced that Wiggles World would oversee a complete overhaul, expansion, and would be renamed to ABC Kids World. Alongside a majority of the Wiggles attractions, brand new attractions based on ''

Giggle and Hoot ''Giggle and Hoot'' was an Australian children's television "wrap-around" program block that aired on the ABC Kids channel. The series was produced from 2009 to 2019, with the final episodes airing in 2020, and depicted the adventures of Ji ...

'', '' Play School'', and ''

Bananas in Pyjamas ''Bananas in Pyjamas'' is an Australian children's television series that first aired on 20 July 1992 on ABC. It has since been syndicated in many countries and dubbed into other languages. In the United States, the "Pyjamas" in the title was ...

'' would be added. The "Wiggles World" name would be kept for the Wiggles section of the themed area, with its sign being moved nearer to the Wiggles attractions. The newly refurbished area opened on June 27, 2015. On November 24, Dreamworld announced that Rivertown, the land that previously occupied the space, would replace ABC Kids World in Late-2024, with ABC Kids attractions moving over to Kenny and Belinda's Dreamland, a re-theming of the previously-occupied ''

DreamWorks Experience DreamWorks Experience is a themed land at the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Themed after DreamWorks Animation and its franchises including ''Shrek'', ''Madagascar'' and ''Kung Fu Panda'', it replaced the exis ...

'' attraction that would include ABC Kids-themed attractions. ABC Kids World will close sometime in 2023 and will be demolished to make way for Rivertown. Only the "Play School Wheel" has been confirmed to be relocating to the area. The Bananas in Pyjamas Fun Maze moved to Kenny and Belinda's Dreamland in mid-September 2023. On 8 October 2023, ABC Kids World closed.

Attractions

At time of closure

Former

Shopping and dining

In addition to the attractions, ABC Kids World was home to a merchandise shop, food outlets and a photo store.Dreamworld and WhiteWater World Park Map (2009). The merchandise stores were: * ABC Kids Shop (formerly known as The Wiggles Shop) - sold merchandise based on ABC Kids characters. Since late 2020, the shop has been standing but not operating for unknown reasons. The store is still listed on the park's website, however it is currently unknown when the store will reopen. * Ready, Teddy, Go! - was a photo store located in the building formerly housing The Yummy Yummy Food Outlet, which closed at an unknown date. The store has been closed since 2018. The food outlets were: * Full of Beans - was a cafe which sold snacks and hot beverages. The café served as the main food outlet in ABC Kids World after the Yummy Yummy food outlet closed. The café has been closed since 2018. * The Billabong Buffett Restaurant - is located right next to the former Big Red Car Ride, however is listed as part of the

Dreamworld Corroboree Dreamworld Corroboree is a collection of wildlife attractions at the Dreamworld amusement park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The area is divided into several subsections which allow guests to view the animals in their natural h ...

Character appearances

ABC Kids World gave guests the chance to meet with many costumed characters from the different shows featured in the area. Characters who can be seen in the park include B1 & B2 from ''Bananas in Pyjamas'', Giggle & Hoot from their titular show, and

Shirley Shawn the Unicorn The Wiggles characters are a group of characters who perform with the Wiggles, the Australian children's music group. Aside from the four Wiggles, four secondary characters, along with a troupe of singers, actors, and dancers, appear in their tel ...

Dorothy the Dinosaur The Wiggles characters are a group of characters who perform with the Wiggles, the Australian children's music group. Aside from the four Wiggles, four secondary characters, along with a troupe of singers, actors, and dancers, appear in their tel ...

Wags the Dog The Wiggles characters are a group of characters who perform with the Wiggles, the Australian children's music group. Aside from the four Wiggles, four secondary characters, along with a troupe of singers, actors, and dancers, appear in their tel ...

, Henry the Octopus and

Captain Feathersword Paul Andrew Paddick (born 16 February 1967) is an Australian singer and actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Captain Feathersword, "the friendly pirate", a character associated with the children's band the Wiggles, where he eventually ca ...

from ''The Wiggles''. From time to time, live presenters from ''Play School'' and the ABC Kids strand (alongside

The Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Ca ...

) make appearances and performances at the park to advertise the area.

Gallery

File:Wiggles World Dreamworld.jpg, The entrance to the area (as Wiggles World) from Rivertown File:Wiggles World shop at Dreamworld.jpg, The Wiggles' Shop File:Yummy Yummy Yummy food outlet (Dreamworld).jpg, The Yummy Yummy food outlet

Wiggles-themed areas at other amusement parks

On 12 December 2006, American-based amusement park operator

Six Flags Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any amu ...

released plans to partner up with The Wiggles to add Wiggles World themed-areas to some of their parks. In 2007,

Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Hu ...

Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a amusement park located in Gurnee, Illinois, within the northern Chicago metropolitan area. The amusement park originally opened as Marriott's Great America on May 29, 1976, as one of two theme parks built by the Ma ...

, and

Six Flags New England Six Flags New England, formerly known as Gallup's Grove (1870–1886), Riverside Grove (1887–1911), Riverside Park (1912–1995) and Riverside: The Great Escape (1996–2000), is an amusement park located in Agawam, Massachusetts, a western s ...

all opened a Wiggles World at their park. This was followed by Great Escape in 2008 and

Six Flags Fiesta Texas Six Flags Fiesta Texas, formerly known simply as Fiesta Texas, is a theme park located in Northwest San Antonio. It opened on March 14, 1992, in the La Cantera, San Antonio, La Cantera master-planned development and district as the first busines ...

in 2009. In late 2010, Six Flags terminated licenses with various brands including The Wiggles. This saw the areas rethemed to the generic

KIDZOPOLIS Kidzopolis is a themed kid's area with various rides at several Six Flags amusement parks. It opened in 2011 at Six Flags Great America, Six Flags New England, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas after being re-themed from Wiggles World. Six Flags Great ...

theme, while Great Adventure rethemed their Wiggles World as Safari Kids.

References

External links

* {{The Wiggles Amusement rides introduced in 2005 Themed areas in Dreamworld (Australia) Dreamworld (Australia) The Wiggles