Illuminate hits Dreamworld

What do high-powered lasers, fog machines and a flame thrower have in common? They are all featured in Dreamworld's new night-time show spectacular dubbed Illuminate.

I saw the show on Friday and was pleasantly surprised with how well the show was pulled off. It surpassed my expectations, even though its target audience is children and families.

It wasn't a patch job, either. The lasers and fog machines were hidden inside of the facades, with only small holes revealing what lied within.

Still, it would have been great if these holes were out of sight, so that visitors couldn't see where the lasers and fog machines were until they are switched on at night.

The show runs nightly from 6:00pm until 6:45pm, with selected shops and attractions operating until 7:00pm.

This means that guests can stay in the park from 10:00am until 7:00pm. However, the problem is that patrons are not purchasing dinner because the park doesn't open late enough.

Ideally, Illuminate should start at 7:00pm, with selected rides operating until 8:30-9:00pm.

However, another major issue is that Illuminate is targeted toward families and young children, who by their nature do not stay out all night.

These two concerns may make things difficult for Dreamworld, who are trying to raise their in-park spending.

In the future, Illuminate should be re-programmed (and re-marketed) toward teenagers and adults.

However, Dreamworld shouldn't expect guests to stay in the park for hours just to view Illuminate. Because let's face it, without rides, people aren't going to be sticking around for very long.

At the end of the day, the park has invested a lot of money into Illuminate with the sole purpose of keeping guests in the park longer to help increase per capita spending. This, however, isn't working out because guests are simply staying back to view the show and leaving straight afterward.

Of course, some guests are buying snacks and merchandise, but from my observations, most were empty-handed.

Nonetheless, the show is very good and I suggest that locals check out the show before it finishes on 16 April.

P.S. If you have time, jump across to WhiteWater World to try out The Wedgie. The slide has received some excellent reviews.

Photo: Dreamworld