Motiongate Dubai Review | Universal, but in the Desert

In 2016, a new world class theme park destination made its debut with Motiongate. Combining motion picture studios like Lionsgate, Dreamworks, and Columbia Pictures, this impressive resort features elaborately themed park rides, thrilling roller coasters, and captivating zones. It's an impressive park...that unfortunately just isn't performing. Let's discuss everything there is with Motiongate in this in depth review!

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[Artbyhurricanyounot]

As a hunger games fan (of the books especially) I find it very odd and very much missing the original point of the story, but also kind of fitting that there’s a theme park section based off Panem. Like making a theme park/section sounds EXACTLY like something the Capitol would do 🤣

[EricMontreal]

You guys really do the best overall park reviews on YT, always giving equal attention to all aspects and types of attractions of the parks--thanks for all these Emirate reviews which have answered a lot of questions I've had on the parks.

[JamieEvetts]

Woody Harrelson: The Park

He was also in the Hunger Games 😂😂. 3 film tie in’s in one park!

[DorusWildemans-uo]

You can’t be the theme park capital of the world if All your theme parks are in the middle of a hot dessert!

[francis]

Regarding River Expedition not getting wet. For many Muslims, it is important to keep one's clothes clean and dry, especially during prayer. Excessively wetting visitors could be seen as a lack of respect for these practices.

[kittyyy-xg]

I went to motiongate on a school trip. IT WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!

[Rantasalmi]

every single one of these parks first have a really big ambitious plan, then they downgrade the plan due to costs and then either go bankrupt and abandoned... or open and get 3 guests per month and then go bankrupt.

[mattdaaamon]

$80 is not similar to orlando prices. A single park single day ticket to disney or universal now averages over $150.

[danieltobias]

Speculation for the low attendance: I worked in the luxury fashion world, and we experienced an interesting fallout of uneven wealth distribution. All numbers evidenced the world was spending more. Theoretically, we should have been selling hand over fist. However, in reality, less bodies were spending more. So, in luxury fashion, there were simply less less people to clothe. Our company tanked, as did many others in luxury fashion. I wonder if the low attendance of this amusement park reflects the same uneven distribution of wealth?

[flatspin]

Problem is there is a huge amount of parks in the area and not enough people to go around!

[SamLyn]

The problem with Dubai and abu dabi is that the Middle East simply isn’t a vacation destination for most people. Dubai is making a valiant effort to change that image but the conservative governments and history of war and poverty in the larger region—and the fact that it’s a desert rather than a tropical paradise like SE Asia—hasn’t exactly inspired bucket list status. Your videos on WB and sea world have put this on my travel list for the first time but still behind other locations overseas. It’s unfortunate, looking at this it’s clear they put a lot of effort (and money…) into these attractions.

[freddy]

The overseas Parks like this one needs to be better at global marketing. Because when people think of international parks, we think the Disney ones not ones like this which have the potential to big competitors.

[joao.spegiorin]

From what I've seen from the UAE parks, it really looks like most of those parks don't have any kind of uniqueness or any kind of locality, in a way that most of them aren't meant for the local public nor to showcase the uniqueness of the region, it seems that most of the attractions and cities design are meant to favour US/GB tourists than the people living there - I think the main exception is Global Village. There, you provide to different audiences, is an unique park, and have different kinds of shopping and local stuff that the ones living there actually feel the need and the will to go. It's unfortunate that they planned it that way, they'll probably go down if they favor only the tourists (mainly USA and England)

[lewishammett]

The habits of the locals is to start later in the day, if you are visiting Motiongate and Legoland . Go for rope drop

Head straight to Dreamworks and do those rides (queues each 30 mins some times )

Don’t bother with Real Madrid tbh unless it’s part of your multi park pass .Written by an annual pass holder

[dowstreet]

Hey Coaster Studios! I live in Dubai and I am a huge theme park fanatic and I get really sad at some of the choices Dubai, or the Emirates makes on some theme-parks and other time it is actually the opposite and I love what they do. I really have a love hate relationship with all theme parks. In the region, I would say my favourite is Motion Gate. I have been 3 times and all the times I really do enjoy it as it’s feel is very different from traditional parks and I think the aspect of it being empty, although saddens my heart, also sometimes feels very cool as I get to enjoy the park to myself. I believe definitely that the park should incorporate more thrill coasters, but something I hate is that whenever I attend the parks one of the more famous rides are down, first time I went I never got to go to Madagascar and the second two times it was closed in the morning. All the times I went, the Kung-Fu panda ride was closed and the last time I attended the park, Dragon Gliders opened on the last 2hrs of the park.

[leorione]

I visited this place accidentally during a public holiday when they had a promotion with an entry fee of just $25 and it was packed completely. Each ride took at least 1.5 hours to go through, it was terrible. But I think the price point is the main thing putting people off.

[RTWC]

I went this summer and loved this place. Many world class attractions and lots of great theming. Decent collection of coasters but I agree they do need that one standout. I hear rumours that the cancelled mack hyper coaster will be going to Motiongate, and I also saw track lying outside the park when I was there, so maybe it'll get built? Overall a very good park.

[HamdanRehman-lg]

This holiday I am going to motiongate 😎

[jeffb]

For "now you see me", if you've ever been to Vegas, it is actually crazy accurate. It really makes you feel like you are there. Which tells me more about the quality of vegas than anything

[XloungeForum]

I LOVED the Dreamworks area. Amazing! However, I went in May... man it was HOT.