A fantastic destination on the Arabian Peninsula, Abu Dhabi has almost year-round sun and offers various sights and experiences. The hotels in Abu Dhabi are also top-notch, with luxury options from the world’s top hospitality brands.
If you have a vacation coming up, why not spend it in Abu Dhabi to visit the theme parks?
Abu Dhabi has incredible theme parks. In fact, one island in Abu Dhabi gathers four of the world’s best amusement parks in one place.
The place is Yas Island Abu Dhabi, a man-made island along the Persian Gulf located northeast of Abu Dhabi’s city center. It is about 20 minutes by car from Abu Dhabi International Airport and around a 30-minute drive from Abu Dhabi city proper. It is accessible via bridges connecting it to the mainland to the east and Fahid Island to the west.
Yas Island is a key entertainment and leisure hub in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and the four theme parks are among its primary attractions.
Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi is a theme park for fast fun and thrills. The name itself should clue you in; it’s inspired by the Ferrari brand, and many of the attractions you’ll find inside are based on automotive racing, Ferrari supercars, and landmarks and activities found in Ferrari’s home in Maranello, Italy.
If you and your crew love roller coasters, you will enjoy visiting Ferrari World. There, you will find officially the world’s fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa, which can get you from zero to 240 kilometers per hour in a mere 4.9 seconds.
Aside from Formula Rossa, the following are other roller coasters you should try in Ferrari World:
- Flying Aces, with the world’s tallest non-inverted roller coaster loop
- Turbo Track, a vertical roller coaster that will take you up 64 meters and back down again, all in just 30 seconds
- Fiorano GT Challenge, a roller coaster with two parallel tracks that twist and turn like an actual GT circuit so you and friends on the other track feel like you’re racing each other
- Mission Ferrari, a virtual roller coaster that features an incredible sideways coaster drop
There are so many other rides and experiences to enjoy at Ferrari World. Be sure to spend one whole day exploring this theme park.
Yas Waterworld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Yas Waterworld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi rises like a fort in the desert. Inspired by Abu Dhabi’s pearl-diving history, the emirate’s rocky mountains, and the UAE’s traditional architecture, the theme park features a craggy peak – with the apex adorned by the likeness of a giant pearl – that serves as the launching platform for all the park’s water slides. The entrance to the park and the rest of the structures look like they come straight out of traditional Emirati villages.
Yas Waterworld is a place for families with its mixture of kiddie-friendly and adventurous rides. If you’re in the mood for water thrills, these are a few of the slides and rides you must try:
- Dawwama, a six-person tornado coaster that will launch you into a 20-meter-high funnel
- Bubbles Barrel, a surfing experience that will let you ride the world’s largest sheet wave
- Hamlool’s Humps, an open, intense-speed chute interrupted by two massive humps, plunging you down from a 10-story height
- Liwa Loop, a seriously stirring free-fall slide from a trapdoor-enabled launch capsule down a closed, looping flume
The theme park has many more slides, and Yas Waterworld even offers underwater VR experiences.
Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, is an air-conditioned indoor theme park – the largest indoor theme park in the world. It will fill you with nostalgia as you remember your childhood, when you spent your time watching your favorite cartoon characters, such as the Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Tweety, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Tom, Jerry, and many others.
Comic fans can get immersed in the worlds of Batman, Superman, and other DC heroes and villains, while Harry Potter fans can look forward to the upcoming Harry Potter realm. As for your children, Warner Bros. World will transport them to a world of excitement, make-believe, and wonder as they learn about the cartoon and TV shows you loved as a child.
Warner Bros. World offers a wealth of attractions, but you can start with the following rides:
- Fast and Furry-ous, hands down one of the best Warner Bros. World rides, an inverted roller coaster that will take you through sharp twists and turns as Wile. E. Coyote chases after Road Runner
- Tom and Jerry: Swiss Cheese Spin, a ride that will shrink you down to the size of a mouse and make you feel as helpless as a plate of cheese Tom and Jerry both want
- Batman: Knight Flight, a virtual reality ride that will take you through a climbing, dropping, spinning, and rolling ride in the Batmobile
- The Riddler Revolution, a roller coaster that doesn’t look like one, a disc that rotates but slides up, down and sideways to tie your stomach up in knots
At Warner Bros. World, you can meet your favorite TV, movie and comic characters on the streets, while you shop and while you eat.
SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi is a marine life theme park, the newest addition to the selection of Yas theme parks. It has eight realms, each one with a distinct focus.
For instance, one of the realms is Rocky Point. With the help of smart technology, this realm mimics the light cycles, temperature, seasons, and water currents found in rocky coves in the USA’s Pacific Northwest. This way, the sea lions, harbor seals, Asian small-clawed otters, pelicans, and cormorants are comfortable in their habitats.
Aside from habitats and realms, here are a few of the things you can look forward to experiencing at SeaWorld:
- Manta Coaster, a roller coaster that takes you through a bioluminescent tunnel and provides 17 airtime moments as well as a zero-gravity flip
- Hypersphere 360°, an immersive multimedia sphere that will let you explore the depths of the ocean
- SeaVenture Underwater Walking Tour, an underwater walking tour that will make you feel like an astronaut exploring a new space frontier
- Endless Vista, a 20-meter vertical window through which you can enjoy the multi-species marine life aquarium that has 68,000 animals, including rays, sharks and other fishes
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi has educational sessions about marine conservation, marine animal encounters, and various presentations.
Ride All You Want in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is an excellent destination for family vacations. If you’re going, visit Yas Island to visit Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World, and SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. You can get a Stay and Play package that comes with complimentary theme park tickets for every night of your stay.
