Friday, April 13, 2012

Universal Studios-Singapore

My son's dream is to visit the Universal Studios and explore its Hollywood movie-themed rides and other attractions. I checked the map and found out that it is located in Sentosa island. The place is linked by Singapore's efficient railway system. From Dhoby Gaut interchange, we  took this North-East Line train to Harbour Front Station.

There was a public bus RWS 8 but we opted to take the Sentosa Express train to reach there.

We paid SGD 3.00 each to ride this monorail called the Sentosa Express. There were 14 of these trains but we chose to ride in this nice pink train. The ticket allowed us to enter the island and also we have unlimited rides around the island where you can find various attractions aside from the Universal Studios.

Upon our arrival, my son checks out the souvenirs found at the shops just below the train station.

I am performing my duty as a photographer here. My son poses before the icon of the Universal Studios.



The smell of good food makes him hungry so we roamed around to see the menu. Everything is there: Asian food, European food, etc. We tried the 'street food' Sentosa style.


The admission fee for a one day pass is SGD 74.00 for me and my wife, and Harvey was required to pay SGD 54.00 since he belongs to the 4-12yr old bracket. We can ride all we can and see all attractions inside the complex.

Hollywood Boulevard



He meets one of his favorite cartoon characters right after the entrace gate.

But, he declined to be pictured with this one.


Roller Coaster Ride
Our first ride experience, code named Battlestar Galactica. Like most of the high-speed roller coaster rides, no belongings are allowed inside.

There was a personal locker for rent just near the entrance to the rides. It is free for the first 30 minutes. To lock and unlock this locker, just follow the instructions which are presented like in any ATM machines. If you're confused about the procedures, call the attendants.

This is the entrance to the roller coaster ride. Waiting time during peak hours is 30-minutes. We waited for about 45 mins before we were able to experience the turbulent ride. There will be pictures to be presented right beside the exit gate for SGD 10.00. If you dislike your horrified faces, you may opt to discard your photo by not buying it. It is a democracy!


Transformers
This is our photo with the character of the Transformers. My son loves cars and the movie characters in the Transformers so we never skipped the ride.



This ride is a 3D movie experience where you will become part of the characters who will confront the enemy forces.


The EVAC where you can experience as one of the new 'recruits' who will be deployed to battles. To me, it is really something new and exciting. It was a very memorable ride with all the giant screens and changes in floors as if you're vehicle is dodging enemy projectiles that kept coming towards you. I almost ducked for cover when an enemy robot suddenly blocked our vehicle and slammed the hood of our car!

Ancient Egypt


Our next stop was the Ancient Egypt where you can find giant statues which are similar to those found in the pharaonic lands of Egypt.





The ride that can be experienced here is the Revenge of the Mummy. The entrance is in between the two huge statues of Anubis. Along the way towards the ride, you can see samples of hieroglyphics, artworks and artifacts-----which reminded me of the ones that are found in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo that I visited a few years ago. The thrill begins when you are buckled in your seat and travel through time with all the 'horrible' sights and surprises around. Again, pictures were offered outside. My two buddies didn't like the expressions on their faces during the ride!

Madagascar
Though I am not really a fan of Madagascar, I accompanied my son who was so interested in finding out what surprises can be seen there.
It was like a gentle ride aboard a raft along a man-made waterway inside the complex.

One of the characters in the movie that can be found inside. Some scenes of the animated movie were 'replayed' as we travelled.

Jurassic Park



I did not try this ride to keep watch on our belongings as Harvey and his mom tried the tube ride down a river, bouncing over rapids. Both of them came out wet. Harvey said that he was victimized by the spitting creatures which targeted him with 'water bullets'.

Waterworld

We skipped the Waterworld show due to conflict of time schedules. We opted to see other attractions after taking a souvenir photo outside the entrance gate.

Far, far Away
We decided to skip this zone where you can find scenes of the movie 'Shrek'. The castle is an excellent backdrop for photo ops so I clicked some photos of my wife.

Hollywood Dreams Parade







It was around 5pm during our visit when I got the chance to watch the Hollywood Dreams Parade. It was a full-scale street parade and moving homage to movie-making and the celebrated movies we love and remember. There were 14 magnificent and intricately detailed floats laden with special effects, a custom musical overture and a myriad of fan-favourite movie characters along with a cast of over 100 extravagantly costumed performers. I saw the cast of Shrek, Lost World, The Mummy. Ms Marilyn Monroe was also reincarnated!

My visit to Singapore's Universal Studios was full of fun!

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