Finally I stepped my feet inside Universal Studios Singapore (USS). It was on weekend, so I booked the tickets online since 2 weeks before. Last time I wanted to go there on weekend also, I checked the tickets 10 days before but it was already sold out. After I purchased online, tickets and confirmation was sent to my email, and I just needed to print and bring them along on the day. Presented the printed tickets to the staff in the gate, they scanned the barcode, then voilaa.. I came into another world.
First we went to the Guest Service to redeem our vouchers. Each ticket comes with $5 voucher of Souvenir, and $5 voucher of Food. Our bags were not inspected like when I went to Hong Kong Disneyland. It is okay to bring drinks/bottle from outside. There were many water tap spots around the studio for us get water refilled, that way we would save much money, because it was so damn hot and we would need so much water! Don’t forget to bring your sunglasses, umbrella, hats, sunblocks and raincoat.
So I started my journey around 11 AM and finished around 7.45 PM or something. Basically there are 7 main areas: Hollywood, Madagascar, Far Far Away, The Lost World, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City, and New York. It was on Sunday, very hectic, but we managed to try all attractions, from the most scary ride Revenge of the Mummy until the lousiest ones like King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round (carousel) and Accelerator. But if you really-really do not have so much time, here are few recommended attractions from me:
Shrek 4-D Adventure (Far Far Away)
An amazing adventure of Shrek and Fiona, not really the story, but the 4D experience. My seat was moving when Shrek rides a horse, water spout to my face when they jumped into the water, and sometimes wind blew my face, neck and legs.
WaterWorld (The Lost World)
Witness death-defying stunt, awesome explosions and thrills at this sensational ‘live’ water show. It was from Water World movie, starring Kevin Costner (I never watched this movie). There were some people fighting, shooting, and throwing bomb. They were not really shooting at each other but it looked real.
Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure (The Lost World)
A thrilling river raft ride through primeval dinosaur habitats. This is the place where your raincoat is needed, you mostly get wet and possibly soaked. Too bad we did not bring any, so we bought it in the souvenir shops ($2 each). I guess this is the most favorite ride among visitors, because the queue was always long (60-90 minutes). We checked it several times, until finally around 6.30 PM the queue was already short enough and we took the ride.
Revenge of the Mummy (Ancient Egypt)
A thrill roller coaster with forwards and backwards movement. I could not bare to open my eyes because it was really dark and sometimes the mummies showed up in a sudden.
Lights, Camera, Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg (New York City)
Be blown away by the filmmakers incredible special effects as an empty stage becomes the setting for a major hurricane about to hit New York City, right before your very eyes! It was so stunning, looks real. Filmmaking is magic!
Pantages Hollywood Theater (Hollywood)
Come watch the Universal monsters in a rock-n-roll musical show: Dracula, Frankeinstein, The Mummy, The Bride, Were Wolf, and some other things I forgot. They sang popular songs like Nobody But You (Wonder girls), Low (Flo Rida), It’s My Life (U2) and many other songs with beautiful dances and fireworks.
There were some small shows in the street in particular times: Madagascar Boogie! (I like to move it move it…), The Rockafellas (street dance!) and Kowabunga Kove (singing and dancing). Also along the way I met some characters: Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Betty Boop, Dr. Frankeinstein (many children were crying when taking photos with him).
Most attractions were closed at 7 PM but merchandise shops and the studio itself were still opened. You better take pictures around studio (when there are not so many people anymore) and shop some merchandises at that time, so you could safe times for the whole day before 7 PM to catch rides and attractions. In that way you will be able to try all the rides. The ticket is not so cheap, so better use it effectively.
That world was very perfect: cute shops, beautiful views, happy people, friendly staffs, stunning shows, amazing costumes… me and my boyfriend were singing, laughing, jumping, being child again, forgetting problems on the real life.. can I live there forever? 😛
(*) More photos here