Dreamworld’s Wiggles World and the Big Red Car Ride feature in US web series Defunctland

By now, most theme park enthusiasts will likely have stumbled across the US YouTube series Defunctland, created and hosted by Kevin Perjurer.

The series looks primarily at the lifespan of now defunct rides at theme parks around the world – with an emphasis on North America. Though it also has produced standalone specials on TV series, and even Disneyland’s FastPass system – through an exhaustingly comprehensive almost two-hour documentary (that I highly recommend).

The newest episode of the series comes to Australia for the second time.

The first came in 2019, towards the end of the second season, when the rise and fall of Sydney’s Wonderland was put under the microscope.

Yesterday, in the latest episode of the series, Perjurer turns north to the Gold Coast, documenting the creation of Dreamworld. In particular, a world dedicated to The WigglesWiggles World – which ran at the park from 2005 until 2015 (when it became ABC Kids World). The themed land also had a brief run being replicated at select Six Flags parks in the USA.

The heart of the episode, however, is on the Big Red Car Ride, which opened with the land, was the park’s only dark ride, and officially closed in August 2020.

It looks at the impressive technology that came with its debut, and the acclaimed theming of the attraction. But it goes on to detail the wear and tear over the years that led, ultimately, to an unceremonious closure during the pandemic.

You can watch the full episode here:

While this is presented to document the close of the attraction – as per the concept of the series – the episode also details some of the exciting new attractions set to launch at Dreamworld in the coming years. Including new rides and lands!

For more details on the park, head to dreamworld.com.au.

Larry Heath

Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.