THE sight of Po bobbing down the glitzy street of Hollywood is certainly a sight to behold as children and adults alike make a beeline towards the giant kung fun-loving panda from Dreamworks Animation’s blockbuster hit, Kung Fu Panda, grabbing the golden opportunity to have their photos taken with him.
Po, one of the many famous resident characters at Universal Studios Singapore (USS), joins the likes of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots, Beetlejuice, Marilyn Monroe, Frankenstein, and the cast of Madagascar, among many others, in greeting the visitors along the seven themed zones of Southeast Asia’s number one theme park.
Located within one of the world’s most extensive and expensive tourism projects — the S$6.59 billion Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) — USS features 22 rides and attractions, of which 18 are original or have been adapted for Singapore.
The world-class theme park, which recently celebrated its grand opening, brings together the best of Universal Studios theme parks in Hollywood, California, Orlando, Florida and Osaka, Japan while boasting a collection of many world firsts. A fun-filled journey at USS begins with the entertainment universe of Hollywood where a Broadway-style theatre reminiscent of the famous Pantages Hollywood Theatre, featuring the infamous Universal Monsters in Monster Rock, belting out classic and latest hits to visitors in the 1,500-seat indoor theatre fully equipped to host major Broadway musicals.
Visitors will feel as if they have landed at Hollywood Boulevard as they walk down the famous Walk of Fame here while an array of eye-catching collection of eateries such as Mel’s Drive-In – a replica of the famous diner from the hit movie ‘American Graffiti’ — serves up burgers and cokes the old-fashioned American way as well as retail stores lines it streets.
The glamorous streets of Hollywood soon transform into the city that never sleeps, and at USS, all the classic landmarks of New York City prevail with the city skylines, neon lights and facades that set the scenes for big city fun and real-time movie production.
The spirit and energy of America’s largest and grandest city come alive with the Lights! Camera! Action! attraction, hosted by none other than renowned filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
This special effects stage brings visitors behind the scenes of a major hurricane that’s about to hit New York City as they huddle in a boathouse by the harbour, and experience how a calm day suddenly turns treacherously stormy with a Category 5 hurricane that threatens to destroy everything in its way!
Not for faint-hearted
The next zone of Sci-Fi City is definitely not for the faint of heart but thrill seekers, on the other hand, are in for a heart-dropping experience at the Battlestar Galactica attraction here. Themed after the hit TV show, Battlestar Galatica, be prepared to be tossed into the tumultuous battle of Humans versus Cylons on the world’s tallest pair of dueling roller coasters.
With one seated and the other suspended, the ride takes 90 seconds to complete its one kilometer route as it propels fearless riders on several inversions, a zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, corkscrew, vertical loops and near collisions mere inches apart.
Sci-Fi City is also the future home to the highly anticipated Transformers ride, which will fuse 3D-HD media, mega special effects and stunning robotics while following the storyline of the blockbuster movie where humans are caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between the friendly Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Transformers will mark its debut at USS at the end of this year.
Meanwhile, two grand Anubis statues stand guard at the entrance of Ancient Egypt as ancient pyramids and obelisks stand fast against the sands of time. Visitors are transported back to 1930’s Egypt, the Golden Age of Egyptian Exploration where the highly recommended Revenge of the Mummy ride awaits the brave.
This high-speed indoor roller coaster navigates through sharp turns and a fast reverse as it pits visitors against the evil Imhotep, fireballs, scarab beetles and warrior mummies — all in total darkness.
At Ancient Egypt, young treasure hunters are also in for a great discovery at the Treasure Hunters ride as they venture out on an expedition into sandy ancient Egypt, while driving their own vintage motor car through an abandoned excavation site.
Further up from here is the extremely popular zone of ‘The Lost World’ divided into two themed areas of Jurassic Park and WaterWorld. Attractions here are aplenty with rides such as the Canopy Flyer soaring over the lush foliage of Jurassic Park, providing riders with a prehistoric bird’s eye-view as the coaster gently glides over the tree-tops whereas children can pilot themselves on pre-historic Pteranodons with Dino Soarin’ as they soar up into the sky or plunge down into the shadows.
Nevertheless, the highlight of Jurassic Park is none other than the redesigned Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, a river ride that follows an escapade amidst a dense tropical forest. Climb aboard the circular 360-degree rafts and get ready to be splashed and tossed on waterways within the Jurassic Park compound where dinosaurs roam free. While the queue may last from 45 minutes to an hour, the Rapids Adventure remains one of the most popular rides at USS and is definitely worth the wait.
Cheers and laughters
The remaining two zones of USS promise to be filled with cheers and laughters from children and adults alike as they step into the land of Far Far Away inspired by the world of DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek franchise and Madagascar where visitors will find the four ‘zooster’ heroes of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, who were cast adrift while being transferred from New York City’s Zoo.
At Far Far Away, Shrek’s fairy tale sidekick Donkey will entertain visitors in this all-new interactive live show as they sing along and even talk with the loveable Donkey in an intimate theatre setting while his beloved spouse Dragon takes riders on a flight over the fairy-tale kingdom and beyond in the form of a junior roller coaster ride called Enchanted Airways.
Under the beautiful arches of the world’s first Far Far Away Castle, visitors can help Shrek save Princess Fiona at the Shrek 4-D Adventure through the miracle of OgreVision where they will get to see, hear and actually FEEL the action right from their seats. The majestic castle is also where the miniature Ferris wheel called Magic Potion Spin, designed especially for the children, drives a clinking, clanking potion assembly line that circles the room, bottling magical elixirs from a giant wooden vat.
The fun’s not over yet as visitors who enter the wonderful world of Madagascar can now join the famous escapees from the New York Zoo with the park’s latest attraction, Madagascar: A Crate Adventure, opened to the public last month.
DEBUT: The park’s latest attraction — Madagascar: A Crate Adventure
As the first in the world of its kind based on the Madagascar franchise, the attraction is among the longest ride at USS standing at nine minutes as visitors are taken on an indoor river boat adventure, joining forces with the Central Park ‘zoosters’ and the eccentric leader of the local lemurs, King Julien to help defeat the dread Foosa.
Since its soft opening last year, USS has welcomed more than five million visitors so far and expects to double its attendance for this year. With its exhilarating movie-themed rides and attractions while supported by 30 restaurants and food carts, as well as 20 retail stores and carts, USS has made its mark as an amazing year-round destination for all.