From adrenaline-pumping rides to entertainment the whole family will love, here are the top theme parks in Asia in time for the school holidays.
School holidays are upon us and that means restless little ones looking for a distraction and families looking to escape on adventures together. You’ll be able to tick off both boxes at one of these family-friendly theme parks in Asia, each of which is home to thrilling rides and attractions for parents and kids alike.
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Immersive Fort Tokyo
Recently opened in Odaiba, Immersive Fort Tokyo is perhaps best suited for the older kids, as it delivers a number of unprecedented immersive attractions themed around the adventures of the immortal Sherlock Holmes. These include a large-scale theatre experience that lasts for over an hour, a full-scale horror experience, and an experience where you find yourself inside a gorgeous show that suddenly takes place in a real restaurant.
Visitors to this walk-through theatre, which recreated Victorian London, can be completely immersed throughout the day, including when hunger strikes thanks to four food and beverage outlets, and two retail outlets.
Tokyo Disney Resort
Comprising Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Disney Resort is one of the most visited resort destinations in Asia – and with good reason. At Disneyland, you can take a boat ride through pirate-infested waters and ride Space Mountain, an indoor roller coaster with intergalactic-themed tunnels, while over at DisneySea, top attractions include the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull and Mermaid Lagoon, an area dedicated to the Little Mermaid. There’s also Toy Story Mania!, a 4D shooting game attraction featuring characters from the Toy Story movies.
Universal Studios Japan
Another Japanese-based attraction, this one in Osaka, Universal Studios is renowned for thrilling rides based on popular movies and shows, like Harry Potter and Jurassic Park. Another fave with kids is Super Nintendo World, with a new area, Donkey Kong Country, set to open this year.
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Harry Potter fans, meanwhile, will be amazed by the sheer scale and meticulous attention to detail at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where you can explore the classrooms and corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Over at Minion Park, attractions include Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.
Hong Kong Disneyland
While smaller than its Japanese and mainland Chinese counterparts, Hong Kong Disneyland is a great introduction to the Disney experience. Top attractions include the Iron Man Experience, a 3D motion-simulator adventure through the streets of Hong Kong, and Mystic Manor, which takes passengers through a haunted mansion filled with magical artifacts. For something more exhilarating, ride the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, a roller coaster ride through the wilderness with dizzying twists and turns. Stick around, too, for the Disney Paint the Night Parade featuring illuminated floats and all your favourite Disney characters.
Universal Studios Singapore
Southeast Asia’s first and only Universal Studios theme park offers six themed zones, including Hollywood, with sets from blockbuster movies; and New York, where attractions include Lights, Camera, Action!, where you can witness a calm stage transform as a hurricane blows into the Big Apple.
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Futuristic metropolis Sci-Fi City is home to a 3D Transformers ride and Battlestar Galactica: Human Vs Ceylon, and you’ll find indoor coaster ride Revenge of the Mummy in Ancient Egypt. At The Lost World, you can walk with dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, while Far, Far, Away is inspired by the Shrek movies and features the film’s eponymous green ogre alongside his sidekick, the loveable Donkey.
Everland, South Korea
South Korea’s largest theme park is home to Safari World, where visitors can see lions, tigers, bears, and giraffe in a natural habitat, and Lost Valley, where guests can board amphibious vehicles to encounter elephants, rhinoceroses, and hippos up close. The Pandora World of Avatar, meanwhile, features themed rides, attractions, and immersive landscapes inspired by the movie, and for something more chilled, take a stroll in the Rose Garden, home to thousands of roses in various colours, shapes, and sizes.
OCT East, China
This Shenzhen-based entertainment complex offers attractions across different themed zones, including Knight Valley, Tea Stream Valley, and Wind Valley, while also featuring no less than eight hotels. Adrenaline junkies should head to Knight Valley to ride the Mountain Flyer, do a bungee jump and ride the Adventure Main Train.
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Once the kids have hit the rollercoasters, head over to Old Tea Town, a cultural and historical area celebrating tea culture and offering traditional performances, tea ceremonies, and insight into the history of tea production; or Interlaken, which features European-style architecture, shops and restaurants.
Ocean Park, Hong Kong
Ocean Park combines marine life, wildlife, and rides with beautiful views of the South China Sea best spied from the cable car. Showcasing a diverse range of marine life including sharks and rays, the Grand Aquarium is a must-see: the kids will love walking through the viewing tunnel as fish swim overhead while teens will love the Hair Raiser roller coaster and the Abyss Turbo Drop, and little ones can explore Whiskers Harbour, which features a merry-go-round and meet-and-greet sessions with characters including Justin the Dolphin. Everyone will adore meeting Ying Ying and Le Le at The Giant Panda Adventure, which is also home to smaller red pandas.
Lotte World, South Korea
Based in the South Korean capital, this indoor/outdoor theme complex features a range of entertainment options. There’s an indoor Lotte World Adventure, which is divided into four main floors, with attractions including the Conquistador, a galleon ship that swings back and forth, and a log flume ride.
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Lotte World also comprises an outdoor amusement park, Magic Island, where attractions include Gyro Drop, Gyro Swing, and Gyro Spin. Outdoors, there’s also a skating rink and the Atlantis Adventure roller coaster. There is also sister theme park Lotte World Adventure Busan, which opened in 2022.
Sunway Lagoon, Malaysia
With 80 attractions spread across 32 hectares, you’ll find plenty to keep the whole fam occupied at Sunway Lagoon. One of its major highlights is The Water Park, which features slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, water playgrounds, and the world’s largest man-made surf beach. This section of the park also includes the Vuvuzela, which at 11 stories high is the world’s tallest and largest water ride. Elsewhere, you’ll find Scream Park, where haunted houses and eerie mazes await, and the Wildlife Park, which is home to a pair of white tigers and two white lions.
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