Which Dubai theme park is right for you

IMG Worlds of Adventure is indoor, air-conditioned and built around Marvel and Cartoon Network characters, with a dinosaur zone that small children either love or refuse to enter. It is the safe choice from May to September when outdoor parks are brutal by noon. Plan five to six hours.

Motiongate is the outdoor movie park at Dubai Parks and Resorts: DreamWorks, Lionsgate and Columbia zones with the best roller coasters in the country. Teenagers and adults who want thrills pick this one. It shares the resort with Legoland, which suits children between three and ten, and Legoland Water Park.

Aquaventure at Atlantis is the largest water park in the region and the one to choose if you only do one; the slides range from toddler pools to a near-vertical drop. Wild Wadi is smaller, older and closer to most hotels, and cheaper for a half day.

Ski Dubai is a two to three-hour visit, ideal for the hottest afternoon of your trip. Combine it with the Mall of the Emirates.

A sensible week: one water park, one theme park, Burj Khalifa at sunset, and either the Museum of the Future or the Frame. More than that and the children stop enjoying it.