Universal Studios Singapore

One of the most popular tourist destination when visiting Singapore is the Universal Studios Singapore. Universal Studios  is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore.   It is the second Universal Studios theme park   opened in Asia (Japan being the first), and the first in Southeast Asia.

For me, it is best to devote a day at The  Universal Studios to maximize your visit. The  park   consists of seven unique themed zones which surround a lagoon. Each zone is based on a blockbuster movie or a television show, featuring their own unique attractions, character appearances, dining and shopping areas.

Universal Studios Singapore has over 30 restaurants and food carts, together with 20 unique retail stores and carts located around the park. Attractions premiering are marked “Premiere” and dining outlets that are certified Halal are marked with “Halal”. I just found the food quite expensive, especially that for many backpackers like me the tendency each time you buy something you immediately  convert the dollar price into Philippine peso. So if you want to save your dollars don’t forget to bring bottled water,drinks, and sandwiches if you like.

THEMED ZONES:

Hollywood located  at the main entrance area of the park. Its only attraction, a broadway-style theatre, is accompanied by several restaurants and a variety of flagship shops. Being a replica of the famous Hollywood Boulevard, this zone is flanked by dynamic architecture and palm trees. It also features a replica of the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.   In the street, you will see character appearances like Po from Kung Fu Panda, Frankenstein’s Monster, Woody Woodpecker, Winnie Woodpecker, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Beetle juice and Betty Boop will be seen in the streets once in a while.

New York is based on the original New York City, during the era of post-modernization. This zone features various icons commonly portrayed in movies including the trademark city skyline, neon lights, facades, sidewalks as well as the romantic atmosphere of the Big Apple. To top it off, this zone also have a replica of the famous New York Public Library with two lion statues at its entrance

Sci-Fi City is an imagined metropolis of the future that contains many modern conveniences of life, but with little or no remnants of past inhabitants and cultures that are able to stand the course of time.We tried the   world’s tallest pair of dueling roller coasters, at a height of 42.7 metres (140 ft). The pair of dueling roller coasters, Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon, are based on the hit television series, Battlestar Galactica.   When I first saw the roller coaster , I readily said I won’t  dare. But Dr. Padilla was insistent and I can’t refuse. The Cylon coaster’s train  is a suspended roller coaster which performs intense maneuvers including a total of 5 inversions in the form of a Cobra roll, corkscrews, vertical loop, and a zero-g roll. The Cylon coaster also plunges into a 5-meter (16 ft) deep pit filled with artificial fog to give thrill seekers the sensation of a near miss with the ground. It also includes many sudden turns close to buildings emphasizing the sensation of near misses throughout the ride. It was just a few minutes ride but I thought that my spirit had separated from  my body for a while.

Ancient Egypt is based on the historical adaptation of Ancient Egypt during the 1930s Golden Age of Egyptian Exploration. It features obelisks and pyramids which are typical of Ancient Egypt. Also featured are Pharaohs’ tombs which were commonly discovered during that era. Visitors take the role of a daring archaeologist who aims to unravel the riddles of the Sphinx in this sand-swept land. The area also relies on the depictions made in the popular film franchise, The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser.

The Lost World contains many traditional attractions present in most Universal Studios parks around the world and is divided into two sub areas: Jurassic Park and Waterworld. Jurassic Park, based on the popular film franchise by Steven Spielberg and novels by Michael Crichton, features the newly redesigned Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure which is based on the popular water rides in other Universal Studios parks. Outside the Jurassic Park you can rent a  locker on a per hour basis to keep your things. You will not be allowed to bring anything when trying the rapids—it will surely get wet. What is best is to bring an extra clothes when trying this one and to wear a footwear which will get dry easily. Transparent raincoats are also sold for those who has no extra clothes.

Waterworld contains mainly water-based attractions and is based on the film Waterworld starring Kevin Costner. If you don’t like to get wet you must not sit in front because there is a big possibility that you will get wet due to the stunts made by the actors.

Far Far Away is inspired by DreamWorks Animation’s hit Shrek franchise which depicted how the fairy-tale characters lived in daily life. The zone consists of many recognizable locations from the film series such as Shrek’s swamp house as well as Far Far Away’s glamorous Romeo Drive which contains the nightspots of the town such as Hook’s Knight Club. The highlight of the zone is the 40-metre tall Far Far Away Castle which is a world’s first. The castle hosts attractions such as Shrek 4-D and Donkey Live featuring the voice talents of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and Cameron Diaz. Special character appearances include Shrek, Donkey, Puss In Boots and Princess Fiona.  While there are 4-D movies here in the Philippines but the Shrek 4-D was my first –and I truly enjoyed it.

Madagascar is inspired by the hit DreamWorks Animation franchise of the same name which features four zoo animals, Alex, Gloria, Marty and Melman escaping from the Central Park Zoo and unfortunately crashing onto the island of Madagascar. The zone features lush tropical jungles as well as two rides. Special character appearances include King Julien, Skipper, Kowalski, Private, Rico, Mort, and Maurice.

SINGAPORE TRAVEL SERIES:

Part 1 – Singapore’s Songs of the Sea

Part 2 – List of Restaurants in Singapore

Part-3-Marina Bay Sands

Part 4- Singapore’s Universal Studios

Part 5- Singapore’s China Town