Visitor's guide to Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi

May 29, 2023, 4:37 PM · Featuring animated characters from DC Comics, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and more, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is one of the world's largest and best indoor theme parks.

One of three theme parks on the Yas Island resort, Warner Bros. World opened July 25, 2018. [Here is our opening-day review: Warner Bros. World impresses in its Abu Dhabi debut.] The park features six themed lands, anchored by the Warner Bros. Plaza in the center. Let's start with a walking tour around the park.

There's no need for strategy here, nor for an upcharge line-skipping pass. With moderate to light crowds throughout the year, it's a rare day when you will have to wait more than half an hour for any single ride. Do what you want, when you want to.

What to do

The best attraction in Warner Bros. World is Ani-Mayhem, a delightful interactive dark ride set in Acme's research-and-development headquarters.

Ani-Mayhem

The hapless manufacturer of all the lame devices ordered by Wile E. Coyote in his hopeless quest to catch the Road Runner needs your help to scan and track its far-flung inventory. The queue is a tour of Acme's Easter egg-laden corporate offices, complete with an awards case filled with cobwebs and desks that have run out of liability waiver forms. ("Acme Factory: Where quality is our #1 dream!")

Acme legal forms

On board, it's a mix of practical and screen targets, with the 3D imagery here the sharpest I've ever seen on a theme park attraction. Put it all together, Ani-Mayhem is the world's best shooter ride, as well as the top Looney Tunes-themed attraction anywhere.

Metropolis

Green Lantern: Galactic Odyssey - Supposed planetarium show that turns into a Brogent Technologies I-Ride 3D flying theater ride, where we discover that the only thing more powerful than a superhero (or villain) is our collective will. It's a deep statement for a theme park, though camouflaged within one of the more intense flying theater-type rides I've experienced. Height requirement: 43 inches

Green Lantern: Galactic Odyssey

Justice League: Warworld Attacks - Transformers-style 3D motion base dark ride. Height requirement: 43 inches

Superman 360: Battle for Metropolis - Standing theater show. (There were significant synchronization problems with the 3D projection on this, making it uncomfortable to watch. 3D is an issue throughout this park, with the exception of Ani-Mayhem, but this is by far the worst example.)

Teen Titans Training Academy - Extreme play area with zip coasters, net climbs, rope bridges, wall climbs, and more. Height requirement: 48 inches

Gotham

Batman: Knight Flight - Forbidden Journey-style robot arm dark ride where you ride aboard Batwing vehicles flying above Gotham City. Height requirement: 47 inches. Maximum height: 6'6"

The Riddler Revolution - Zamperla Disk'O. Height requirement: 47 inches

The Joker Funhouse - Walkthrough a classic carnival funhouse, themed to the Batman villain. Height requirement: 41 inches

Scarecrow Scare Raid - Zamperla Super Air Race. Height requirement: 47 inches

Cartoon Junction

Ani-Mayhem - See above. Height requirement: 35 inches

Scooby Doo: The Museum of Mysteries - A fun, well-decorated trackless dark ride that unravels a classic Scooby-Doo mystery. Yes, the characters don't move, but Scooby-Doo wasn't exactly known for its world-class animation quality, was it? Height requirement: 35 inches.

Tom and Jerry Swiss Cheese Spin - The queue's a walkthrough the house where Tom and Jerry do battle, leading to a Zamperla Twister coaster. Height requirement: 43 inches

Acme Factory - Cartoon Junction's kiddie land features climbing structures, cargo nets and three children's rides: Daffy Jet-Propelled Pogo Stick, Ricochet Racin' with Taz, and Tweety Wild Wockets. Height requirement: 39 inches

Cartoon Junction Carousel - Ride on various Looney Tunes characters in the town square. Height requirement: 32 inches

Dynamite Gulch

Fast and Furry-ous - Intamin Suspended Family Coaster that takes you on a ride underneath one of Wile E. Coyote's out-of-control rockets. The name is the title of the first Roadrunner cartoon. Height requirement: 43 inches

The Jetsons Cosmic Orbiter - Dumbo-style spinner ride. Height requirement: 36 inches

Marvin the Martian Crater Crashers - Bumper cars. Height requirement: 41 inches

Bedrock

The Flintstone Bedrock River Adventure - Flume ride that hits all the familiar story beats from the introduction to the 1960s animated TV series. Height requirement: 41 inches

Where to eat

Warner Bros.' top restaurant is The Starlight, a table service family restaurant located under the giant marquee at the end of Warner Bros. Plaza, serving a variety of international dishes along with character appearances by Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters.

You can find themed quick-service restaurants in several of the park's other lands, including the Flintstones-themed Bronto Burgers and Ribs, Bo Bibbowski's Ace O' Clubs in Metropolis, and the Hollywood Trattoria on Warner Bros. Plaza.

I will warn that beef in the United Arab Emirates can have an off-putting flavor to some American palates. And you won't find pork anywhere, due to Halal dietary restrictions.

What's next?

In 2025 (or so), Warner Bros. World will add its first non-animated Warner Bros. IP with the opening of a new Harry Potter-themed land. The park will not be able to use the attractions designed by Universal Creative for its Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands, so expect all-new adventures in this land when it debuts.

You can learn more about Warner Bros. World through our exclusive interviews with the park's creative director, Dave Cobb:

Tickets

For tickets to Warner Bros. World and the other Yas Island theme parks, please visit our partner's Warner Bros. World tickets page.

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Replies (6)

May 29, 2023 at 5:22 PM

Thank you so much for this! This park sounds awesome and the fact that crowds are a non factor make it that much better. Glad it's growing with the new HP expansion. One day I'll get to check it out for myself.

May 30, 2023 at 11:31 AM

When I think back to Warner Bros Movie Workd Australia’s early lineup, this makes me think WB is a little short on viable IP, I remember there being a Batman simulator, a BeetleJuice/Gremlins ride, the Police Academy stunt show, a western area with another stunt show and one of those crazy gravity trick houses themed to “young Einstein”, looney tunes, and the studio tour (Hanna-Barberra/Cartoon network was still independent).

Here we seem to have DC, more DC, looney tunes and HB, with Potter on the way. Is this all the hits WB has these days?

May 30, 2023 at 12:05 PM

This park looks to be one of the better middle eastern parks, and Yas Island is definitely now the premiere theme park destination in the region with this, Ferrari World, and SeaWorld. I'm surprised Flintstone's made the cut over Cartoon Network characters, which are way more relevant to modern family audiences, but perhaps that's a product of conflicting IP rights deals with IMG Worlds of Adventure.

May 30, 2023 at 2:44 PM

@Chad H, I'm not exactly sure that BeetleJuice, Gremlins, or Police Academy, much less many other properties, are exactly big in the UAE or Gulf in general. Locals are a big part of the park's demographics...

@JPB1703 Almost certainly - but this park in general seems to be much more about classic/evergreen properties. Not sure any CN shows are evergreen.

May 31, 2023 at 11:46 AM

@MattR, not saying they should have used those - despite the occasional rumours on BJ2 they’re all stale, but that was three different IP WBMWA had in two experiences (right next to each other), my lament is more about the state of WB, is this all todays WB has to offer in IP?

(Looking at the current WBMWA lineup, which seems to be very DC/Looney Tunes heavy the answer appears to be yes, it’s next big expansion is Wizard of Oz, which whilst evergreen is probably older than the oldest guest in the park, and was an MGM production originally)

June 1, 2023 at 11:45 AM

My family went exactly a year ago. We first went to IMG in Dubai and were expecting a similar experience with WB, but the latter was far superior. The theming was top-notch, the park was clean and looked brand new, and not many people were there. There aren't big thrill rides with massive footprints, but if you're looking for an immersive, strongly themed experience, this is it. We especially loved Metropolis, Gotham, Bedrock, and the Scoobie Doo house. My boys are teenagers and were practically raised at WDW and UO, so they know what a good park is, and they loved it. I have to admit it feels a little weird for there to be so few people at such a fun park, but I'll gladly take the short queues any day.

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