What to do when it’s deadly hot outside? If you haven’t tried out the capital’s coolest indoor theme park Ferrari World, now is the perfect time

The lights count down as our car pulls into position. We’d like to think we know a thing or two about roller coasters but the butterflies in our stomach have no idea what’s about to hit them. A hush falls over everyone clutching their handles and then the bottom drops out of the world.

This is the Formula Rossa, the fastest roller coaster in the world, the one everyone’s been talking about – but let’s begin at the beginning.

“We’re going to Ferrari World? Wicking cool!” Our little son – a bona fide motor head from birth – is giddy with anticipation as we approach the iconic red and white building on Yas Island. We’re pretty sure he means ‘wicked’ but the glee with which he squeals ‘wicking’ says it all.

At four and five, our boys are the perfect age for a visit to Ferrari World. Of the nineteen attractions on offer, all but four of them are appropriate for smaller kids.

We start with the Junior GT – after a spellbound session watching a brief instructional video followed by more instructions from trained experts, the boys choose their own mini 430 GT Spiders to drive around a kid-sized city streetscape complete with stop signs and roundabouts By the end of the day, our boys will have driven this course at least a dozen times, trying out a different colour car each time

For all the Formula One fervour, Ferrari World is surprisingly safety oriented. Seat belts are a must and the kids get lots of instructions for driving safely.

Our five year old creeps around the world’s smallest F1 track with an expression of such intense concentration his tongue pokes out.

Though it’s truly cooking outside this afternoon, it’s gloriously cool throughout this air conditioned beauty of a theme park.

“That’s two fums up,” says our youngest son as we begin the Bell’Italia. He and his brother take great delight in chauffeuring us through the highlights of Italy in miniature Ferrari 250 California Spiders, circa 1958. We’re surprised by how easily we get to the front of the line. We reckon the best time to arrive is noon when they open.

After a spin on the racy carousel, we’re ready for a sit down, so we check out a few of the theatre rides. We love the 3D Racing Legends which details the history of Ferrari, the bumpy Speed of Magic and the virtual simulation ride Driving with the Champion which captures the entire sensation of driving an F1 car right down to the smell of burning rubber.

The only thing better than Driving with the Champion is the Scuderia Challenge. Using the same technology used to train Formula One drivers, our thirty-something hubbie races in a simulated showdown with other amateur drivers on a virtual Yas Marina Circuit.

He thinks it’s ‘wicking cool’.

With separate facilities for mums, wheelchair accessibility and plenty of rubbish and recycling bins, Ferrari World is excellent for parents. We particularly liked the family bathrooms, perfect for dads taking young daughters out for the day.

If you’re planning your trip to Ferrari World on a busy day, you might want to go VIP. For AED 495 (as opposed to AED 225 for a regular ticket) you can skip straight to the front of the queue. You’ll also get access to the VIP lounge where you can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while you lounge on the sofas or try your hand at the PlayStation from the comfort of a Fatboy beanbag.

While there are plenty of snacks on offer, you won’t want to miss the restaurants. We love Ristorante Cavallino and Mamma Rossella, but we hear all six are excellent.

“Mummy look! I put together this whole Ferrari! Wicking cool!” Over at the Junior Training Camp, the boys have a grand time putting together a giant foam Ferrari, riding the pedal cars, piloting the remote control cars and monkeying around on the massive climbing structure.

Pretty much everything is themed around driving, racing or cars – but you would expect nothing less from a place called Ferrari World. While the kids run around at the Training Camp, we adults take turns on the thrill rides.

Even driving by Ferrari World, you can’t miss the tunnel of speed G-Force which shoots off from ground level to 62m in just seconds. One minute we’re looking across the desert at the airport; the next we’re falling, gasping for enough breath to scream.

From G-Force it’s on to the Fiorano GT Challenge, a twisty twin roller coaster that pits one train of cars in a race against another. It’s funny to watch seasoned Abu Dhabi teenagers – veterans of the ride – stroll away without a care while first-timers staggered past looking as though they felt violated.

It’s time. After summoning our courage all day, we take a deep breath and head over to the famous Formula Rossa.

If you haven’t been 240kph before, forget everything you know about velocity, acceleration and how not to wet your pants. As the car takes off – literally like a bullet shot from a 9mm – we can feel the wind under our eyelids as our bodies flatten and the skin of our faces flap.

We’ve just gone from sitting still to 100kph in two seconds flat and up to that screaming max speed of 240kph less than three seconds later. The rest of the ride is a blur as we try unsuccessfully to catch our breath. It is without a doubt the most terrifying moment of our lives.

Yes, it’s expensive but at least once, you’ve got to give Ferrari World a try. After seven hours, during which we try everything on offer, we finally pack up our weary children to head home. With one last look of longing, our little one sums it up best.

“Mummy, this was a good day.”

What? Ferrari World
Where: Yas Island Leisure Drive
Cost: General Admission adult AED 225/kids AED 165, Premium Admission adults AED 495/kids AED 390, General Admission Annual Pass adult AED 1195/kids AED 795. Until 30th August, kids get into Ferrari World free with their Summer in Abu Dhabi ticket stub – find out more at www.summerinabudhabi.ae.
We say: Yes, yes – oh yes!
Contact: www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com

Cars 2 at Toys R Us
If your kids love cars as much as ours do, you won’t be able to count the number of times you’ll be called upon to watch the latest Lightning McQueen flick, Cars 2. Gotta have the merchandise? Check out the widest selection of Cars 2 gear in the UAE at Toys R Us, including diecast replicas of Cars characters such as Lightning McQueen and Mater, remote control vehicles, Lego construction sets, play-sets, plush, ride-ons and games. For more information, call Toys R Us Meena Free Port in Abu Dhabi (02 673 2332) and Bawadi Mall in Al Ain (03 784 0290).

Laura Fulton