ellaslist Visits Luna Park Sydney For The 85th Birthday Celebrations Spring Holidays 2020

The kids could not contain their excitement, singing all the way in the car, then ending with a countdown as we entered the car park for Luna Park. We eagerly handed over our tickets, got our temperature checked and put our badges on then we were off!

Luna Park's 85th Birthday Celebration

To add to our amazing day, it also happened to be Luna Park Sydney’s 85^th birthday. To celebrate such a massive milestone, they're throwing one big party throughout the NSW October School Holidays! Luna Park will be open every day from 26 September to 11 October and there are some amazing prizes to win (take a look HERE). You receive an entry into the draw simply by buying a ticket to attend a Luna Park session during the Spring school holidays. The official birthday celebrations will be on the 4th of October and on this day there will be extra give-aways, cake cutting and special performances. 

Rides - Number 1 On The Agenda

The dodgem cars was our first stop. Loads of harmless fun, bumping into all the other cars. They are pretty easy to handle - my 6 year old was steering and I had my foot on the pedal! 

Next, the Wild Mouse. This is not for the faint hearted. It’s a roller coaster of single mini cars - 2 people in car. It screams along the track (or was that us!) and swings you from side to side as it jolts around every corner and then when you catch your breath, the car dips you at fast speed down the hill for a startling finish.

Off to the Volare for a bit of a swing. Sit as a duo or go solo on these swinging chairs. Keep your eyes open as you go higher and higher because the view from up there is spectacular. Just when you start to get used to the height and the speed at which you’re swinging, the Volare dips and rises to give you the effect of rocking in a boat on the harbour.

If you want to keep the exhilaration going (and you’re brave enough) then head to the Hair Raiser like we did. Well, the kids were brave, not me. I watched on, anxiously but safely from the ground with the littlies while the 8 & 11 year old’s braved the 80 metre slow and steady climb to the top before being dropped in one fast-paced whoosh towards earth! Glad they did that one before lunch.

Time for a rest, so we head on over to the Carousel. Choose a single or double horse or even a carriage. A great ride for the entire family, especially the littlies and a good chance for mums and dads to catch their breath.

Ready now for the shenanigans in Coney Island. The two eldest girls ran for Devil’s Drop…. scarier than it looks! A big drop straight down the slide before petering out at the bottom. I think my 11 year old sat there for a painstakingly long 5 minutes with me at the bottom holding my phone - picture ready! Once you do it once, you’ll be back for more. Exhilarating! There’s more giant slides for the entire family - everyone hits the bottom with a smile. Or try the Turkey Trotter - looks easy until your foot hits the plank and you too, will be walking like a turkey in no time! The Barrel of Fun was just that for the littlies - trying to walk through the spinning barrel and come out the other end on two feet and not crashing out onto the mats.

We then headed around the bend from Coney Island to the back section of the park where we found a couple of fast spinning rides amongst a whole bunch of great rides for the toddlers and preschoolers. All the fun of the rides from the main part of the park but on a smaller slower scale so the little one’s can ride on their own. The Go-Gater Coaster, Whirly Wheel, Rockin’ Tug and the U-Drive are all fantastic rides for the little ones. Mum’s and dads - this is your time to take a breather and relax on one of the many benches, take photos of wave to the kids. Got a mix of big and little kids with you? Then this section is great. While the little ones get to choose from a range of smaller and slower rides, the big kids can try their luck on the Sizzler or the Spider - both best done before lunch!

You won’t go hungry! 

Did someone say lunch? Yep, we had worked up a pretty big appetite after all those rides. We headed to the Hungry Horse. Fish and chips, pizza, and popcorn chicken were the order of the day for us, but there’s loads to choose from including salads. There’s ample seating too so you get to stop for a real break and refuel.

There’s other eatery’s on site too, like Helter Skelter. A retro food outlet with American burgers, roasted chicken and a selection of salads plus your carnival favourites lie hot dogs and Pluto Pups. You can also grab a savoury snack or a coffee at The Big Top ground floor foyer bar.

Prizes To Be Won

With a full tummy, we were all ready to play some games and win some prizes. Pop the balloon was harder than it looks. I mean, how hard is it to throw a dart at a balloon and pop it? Well, we did pop the balloon (after a few tries!). The clowns are an all time favourite and they didn’t disappoint this time - fluffy dice prizes all around. Fishing is a great game for the littles but if you’re after something that’s more challenging - then try your hand at the Rings on the bottles and knocking down the stacks of cans. The kids had a go but no luck on these ones for us.

With the day mostly behind us, and closing time nearing, we all put in our requests for the one thing we wanted to do before we left the Park. So, with requests in…. We headed first to the Ferris Wheel. What a view…. What an amazing view. This is your photo opportunity of the day. Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour. Such an iconic view and what not to be missed. Then, another go on the Wild Mouse, Carousel and Volare.

Treat Time

Just one last thing to do before we leave the park. That’s right, after much pestering (all day) it’s time for a treat from The Ice Cream Parlour. Of course everyone wants something different - fairy floss, salted caramel ice cream, popcorn and slushies. Yum! And so much sugar - but I feel we have all earned it - such a great way to end a busy day.

COVID-SAFE

It's definitely worth mentioning, during these times, that the Park and the staff had procedures in place to ensure they were Covid-safe. Their were hand sanitisers throughout the park and all the rides were completely sanitised at the end of each go before the next group got on. There were markings on the ground at each ride to ensure groups stood at least 1.5m apart. We felt very safe without it being an issue as the staff went about their duties without fuss.

We'll Be Back Soon

We sent our hearts racing, filled our tummy's with yummy treats, watched the Luna Park dancing entertainment, took in some breathtaking views and won some prizes - all in one day. So much fun. The kids had a great day and in the car home, everyone was already planning the day for our next trip to Luna Park.

The Details

Where:    1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point
When:     Monday - Sunday 10:30am - 4pm. The park will also be open from 5pm - 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and throughout the October long weekend. 
Cost:       $50 per person plus credit card fees. Kids under 2 years of age and 85 centimetres are free.

For further information about Luna Park and the 85th Birthday festivities, visit the website.