Universal Studios Singapore

Battlestar Galactica : Cylon

2012-02-15T01:00:00.002+08:00

Battlestar Galactica: Cylon

This is a suspended coaster, which means the tracks are above your heads, and that there is no floor beneath your feet. This coaster is much more intense, due to the presence of inversions, but it pulls less G-forces and seems to go at a slower pace between the elements. Riders enter the queue and meander through the outdoor section of the queue. The queue then heads indoors, into the Cylon nerve center. The decor here is much more on the cool palette than the Human side. The atmosphere is much more surreal here. Guests are greeted with a interesting installation where Cylon guards positioned in front of mirrors seem to stretch on for eternity. Other decor in the first level of the queue includes a circular queue chamber with blue lighting effects.

The queue then moves up to the second story. The decor around the stairwell is themed to be like an organic machine, where wires and cables seem to grow and morph out of the walls. This decoration is highly surreal, and really captures the mood for this part of the ride.

The coaster starts off at the launch station and heads for the high speed LIM launch. The coaster is launched alongside with the Human side, hence guests will be able to see other guests on the other car. The coaster then heads straight for a outwards loop. The coaster then heads into a banked right turn and then cobra roll, before heading for another outward loop. This then transitions into a corkscrews roll, before the train returns to the station.

To be continued on 26th of Feb...

Halloween Horror Nights 2011 Audio

2012-02-07T01:00:00.002+08:00

Universal Studios Singapore had its inaugural Halloween Horror Night last year, and featured a high quality maze - Vengeance of the Matriarch.

Jump over to my Yilun Audio Tours podcast for a full length show where I present the audio walk through of the Vengeance of the Matriarch maze in binaural audio!

Yilun Audio Tours is a bi-monthly podcast on traveling in Singapore, with in-depth tours, reviews and commentaries about Singapore.

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Battlestar Galactica : Human

2012-02-04T01:00:00.000+08:00

Battlestar Galactica: Human

The queue for this ride starts off at the right side of the plaza. The queue meanders through an outdoor section, which is located directly under the track, before going into the indoor queue section. The indoor queue section is meant to mimic the battle facility of the human, with a small hanger containing a replica of a space plane. There are also mock videos for spurring the Humans on playing on the monitors. The queue heads up a level, to the second level loading area. Along the staircase, there are wartime posters detailing how bad the Cylons are. Some interesting items include personal photos that are placed in the "soldier lockers".

The coaster experience is as follows:

The trains come out of the loading bay, and head straight for the LIM launch. The coaster is launched alongside with the Cylon side, hence guests will be able to see other guests on the other car. The coaster then heads for its first drop, with is also the steepest, and this is where the train pulls the maximum G-forces. The G-forces are great enough to cause grey-outs on several riders. (*A grey-out may be experienced by pulling high positive g-forces as when pulling up into a loop or a tight turn forcing blood to the lower extremities of the body and lowering blood pressure in the brain.) The train then heads towards a huge 180 degrees banked turn before heading for a dip and a slight left banked turn. This is followed by a right banked turn over the launch tracks, and a sharp left turn, before heading over a mist pit. The coaster then enters into a upwards spiral section, before heading back to the loading station.

Riders exit and are directed down the stairs into the gift shop, where they will be able to purchase their on-ride photos.

To be continued on the 15 of Feb 2012...

Battlestar Galactica Review Part 1

2012-01-25T01:00:00.005+08:00

Are you a Human or a Cyclone?

Well I meant to say if you like the Human side or the Cylon side of the coaster more. Battlestar Galactica, the tallest dueling coaster is a gem in the world of coasters, despite all the problems that happened in the past year. Manufactured by Vekoma, Battlestar Galactica is a cross between a sit down coaster and a suspended inverted coaster, with cars launching from zero to ninety kilometers per hour, with a top height of 42.5 meters. Based on the hit television series, Battlestar Galactica the ride follows the storyline of the battle between Humans and Cylom, with the riders being recruit fighters embarking on their aerial fighting mission.

The Plaza

Battlestar Galactica coaster starts off in the plaza area of Sci Fi city. The entire length of the coaster goes above the plaza, as well as the lagoon in front of the plaza. This area is a highly vibrant and lively one, where guests just gather and watch the coaster. There are two separate entrances to the two sides of the coaster, and both coaster exits to the gift shop in the center.

To be continued on 4th of Feb 2012...

Thoughts on Maritime Museum

2012-01-07T01:00:00.000+08:00

This museum is probably as dull and as bland as the review of it, with a general lack of content, lots of cheap displays, lack of depth, and a narrow focus.

The coverage of the galleries is limited, showcasing only Cheng Ho and the Arabian Dwoh. The collection is also small, with a few salvaged pieces of the shipwrecked Dowh, while the rest of the collection is being thrown back and forth between the Smithsonian and the academics. Perhaps it should be renamed the Cheng Ho and Jewel of Muscat museum?

The preshow is decently uninteresting, with limited CGI, and some nice animatronics. Furthermore, the entire preshow is in Chinese. It is also just a show about Cheng Ho, and not about maritime in general. The CGI there looks uncomfortably old and stiff, with rough renderings and unnatural colors and shades.

The Cheng Ho gallery is also small, short and uninteresting. On display for each port of call are small items found there, a small collage of pictures, and nothing else. Even the interactive stations are childish, limited and boring.

Of course, the museum is an architectural gem, with soaring arches and high ceilings, as well as huge panels of glass walls that lets light in. It is also a welcomed escape from the heat of Singapore, and the $5 dollar basic entry fee is reasonable for the quality of the exhibits.

This museum leaves guests wondering - Did they run out of budget, or do they only care for the casino?

Maritime Museum Review

2012-01-01T01:00:00.002+08:00

The Maritime museum, or Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium, MEMA, is located in Resorts World Sentosa, on the other side of the Bull Ring from Universal Studios Singapore. The museum sits on the water's edge, and is shaped like an overturned hull of a ship.

The museum is huge. It is basically one gigantic exhibition space, without divisions, partitions etc. The total height is also huge, about 4 to 5 stories high.

Upon entering, you are greeted by Cheng Ho's Bao Chuan, a giant replica of the treasure ship that Admiral Cheng Ho sailed in back in the 14th century.

This is the location for the preshow to the museum. The Bao Chuan's stern comes to life and an animated video appears on the ship. The creature head on the boat also comes to life, with its eyes glowing and its mouth emitting smoke. The content of the preshow is about Cheng Ho's journey, the cause and the impact of the journey that he undertook.

The first gallery is the Cheng Ho gallery, showcasing the unique cultures and items from the different ports of call that he visited. The gallery is highly interactive, with touchscreens as well as real physical exhibits that guests are encouraged to touch and experience.

The end of this gallery leads into the Jewel of Muscat, an Arabian dhow that was recreated using ancient handicraft techniques and presented to Singapore as a gift from Omen. It hangs in the gallery, and guests are able to see both the top and the bottom of the boat. The original is still lying in the ocean of Indonesia, and is named the Belitung shipwreck. Artifacts from this ship will be presented in the later galleries.

This section leads into the theater, where a wrap-around presentation simulating the sinking of a ship in the oceans shown. The theater was not in operation at the time of my visit, hence I can only say that much.

The theater opens up to the lower level of the museum, where guests are channeled into an aquarium setting, complete with life fishes and reefs. This section will only open in 2012.

The aquarium leads into the maritime salvage gallery, where artifacts from the Belitung shipwreck are housed. These includes porcelain pieces, gold and silver coins and so on. The recreated Jewel of Muscat, the original which carried these artifacts, hangs above this gallery.

This section funnels into a cut through display of Cheng Ho's ship, which offers guests a glimpse into the cargo that Cheng Ho collected in his journeys, which includes giraffes from Africa, wine from many countries, spices and so on.

The museum then ends off rather unceremoniously with a small interactive station that allows guests to deconstruct songs heard along the silk road to the basic instrumental melodies, and to play these songs with instruments from different cultures.

The final section of the museum is of course, the gift shop, which sells lots of unrelated, unthemed merchandize, that includes soft toys, generic Singapore merchandize, as well as a popcorn stand.

Universal Studios Singapore On Ride Audio

2011-12-22T00:10:00.000+08:00

Madagascar a Crate Adventure and Revenge of the Mummy are two marquee attractions in Universal Studios Singapore.

Jump on my Yilun Audio Tours podcast and you'll be able to ride these two attractions with commentaries throughout the ride!

It is a great way for you to experience Madagascar a Crate Adventure, a completely unique attraction, only found in Singapore, as well as check out the differences in Revenge of the Mummy from the two US versions.

Yilun Audio Tours is a bi-monthly podcast on traveling in Singapore, with in-depth tours, reviews and commentaries about Singapore.

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Madagascar Ride Review Pt2

2011-12-15T00:05:00.001+08:00

Below is a review of the Madagascar A Crate Adventure ride at Universal Studios Singapore. Contains spoilers.

Scene 4: The Beach-up
After the storm, the boats beached up in the calm sunny beaches of Madagascar. Alex is the first character to be seen, breaking out of his crate. One interesting detail is the "days without steak" carving on his crate. Then it is Melman, with his signature complains about his sickness. Gloria then appears, with starfishes covering her essentials. Finally, Marty appears, lounging in his party hut, apparently getting very comfortable in the new environment. One fun thing to do is to look back, and you will see the other side of the cargo ship, as well as a huge anchor in the sand.

"Alright boys, party's over" - Gloria
"This is frak-a-lacking" - Marty

Scene 5: Penguins
In this scene, the 3 penguins are studying the map of Madagascar.

"This map's written in code"
"We are going into hostile territory"
- Skipper

Scene 6: Danger Ahead
This section takes place in a heavily themed jungle section, with low ambient lighting and fog effects. We start with seeing Melman looking at the "Turn Back!(Before it is too late)" sign. Then Marty appears, with half his butt being swallowed by a carnivorous plant. A fun thing to look out for is a hidden "Kuala Lumpur 354km" sign. Then there are more carnivorous plants along the trough, and the soundtrack here is foreboding.

The next section starts with Alex stuck on a spider web, and Marty trying to help him out. We move on to see more spider webs, with spider animations squeaking "How'do you do?" in incrementally higher pitches. We also go past an animatronics crocodile, and see Gloria swing overhead on a snake.

This is also where the entrance to the maintenance dock for the boats are.

In the next scene, we see the monkeys, and they start flinging poo at you, rather unexpectedly. (The poo is actually water)

"If you have poo, fling it!" - Monkey

Scene 7: Move it Move it

To be continued...

Madagascar Ride Review

2011-12-08T21:20:00.007+08:00

Below is a review of the Madagascar A Crate Adventure ride at Universal Studios Singapore. Contains spoilers.

General Feelings
This much anticipated ride is an excellent case of anticipointment. After delayed opening for more than a year, this ride finally opens, but with a mediocre ride experience. The scenes are cute, and well constructed, albeit with rather simple animatronics and a lack of excitement. It serves well as a kiddie ride, much along the lines of Small World, and is definitely not an E-ticket.

Facade

Entrance to the Madagascar ride is located in the Madagascar zone. The pathway leading to the ride is part of the main thoroughfare of the park, and is highly themed with lush vegetation (though fake) right out of the colorful animated forests in the movies. The ride building is covered in a giant facade of the cargo ship from the movies, and dominated the skyline along that side of the park. The entrance 0f the attraction is not directly located at the ship facade, but is instead a distance away, at a small amusement park style entryway with the four characters sculpted on the marquee. The queue is divided into two, one for those with Universal Express, and the other for regular guests.

The queue

The queue is gigantic. It is located outdoors, covered by a vast canopy. The queue consists mainly of switchbacks, nicely themed as bamboo trunks. This area is kept windy by a crazy ventilation system that makes a heck lot of noise. There are cute light fixtures hanging from the canopy that is reminiscent of the lights that Marty had hanging on his party hut in the first movie. There are also television monitors along the queue that plays news loops reporting on the animals' departure from the New York zoo, in an attempt to fill guests who haven't watched the films on the backstroke. On top of all that, the soundtrack from two of the Madagascar films are also blaring.

Loading Dock

The loading dock is manned by cast members dressed in ranger clothing. The system there consists of two loading spots back to back, with the boarding guests on the left and the exit to the right. Loading is not very efficient, and takes quite a while for the guests to get on and off. The cast is generally cheerful, and can be seen to be working their best to compensate for the inefficiency of the system.

The Boat

Guests will step into the boat, which is 5 rows long and sits 3 per row. The two seats at the sides doubles up as steps for the guests to step in. There is a redundant lap bar that the cast members have to lower. The boat is themed as a boxy crate, and is painted with bright colors. The boat is floating on the water, and is entirely driven by the currents, with no tracks, no motors etc. Bumpers in the form of rollers are installed at the two sides to prevent the boat from crashing into the walls of the trough.

The Entry
The boat floats lazily through the trough outdoors before slowly making its way to the entry into the show building. The entry is themed as a cut out opening to the ship. A gush of cool air from the air conditioning welcomes the guest.

Scene 1: Cargo storage
The boats enters a utilitarian-like room in a ship, with bolts and nuts clearly visible on the walls, and nautical lights hanging from the ceiling. This room is reminiscent of the ships from the golden days of sea-faring, like the Unicorn in Tin Tin movie. Cargo crates are stacked along the sides. The voices of Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman emerge from the crates one by one, discussing their situation.

"Hey can you hear me? Its me, its me, Alex!" - Alex "Hey is that you? Talk to me buddy! We're being sent away!" - Marty "What do you mean sent away?" - Gloria

Scene 2: The Bridge
The boats then goes past a illuminated screen with the silhouette of the captain, drinking from his mug. The 3 penguins then emerge and whack the captain unconscious, before taking control of the steering wheel.

Scene 3: The Storm
The boat the goes into another room. A(n animated) porthole offers the guests a view of the choppy seas outside, along with a crate floating on the sea. The room is dimly lit, and to heighten the tension and make the experience more authentic, wind is blown onto the guests and sirens blare.

The boat then floats past two tall stacks of crates. One of the crate stacks suddenly collapses, almost threatening to hit the guests. Effect is achieved by sliding individual crates away from each other. See diagram.
Scene 4: The Beach-up
To be continued...

Sister Blog

2011-12-06T20:38:00.002+08:00

If you guys are wondering why I have been offline lately, it is because I have been working on another project, closely related to two of my loves - travel and Singapore.

Introducing the Yilun Audio Tours

This is a podcast where I bring you through some of Singapore's best sights and cultures and explore how you can make the most out of your visit to Singapore. That podcast's reviews and audio tours can make touring Singapore much easier.

There are currently 3 episodes available, one is an audio tour of Singapore River, one of City Hall, and another is a review of Singapore's food, Laksa.

I really think that you guys will enjoy the content. The link to the podcast blog is yiluntours.blogspot.com, and you can find it on iTunes too by searching Yilun tours. I hope you can subscribe to the show and leave comments.

Cheerios!

Halloween Horror Nights After Event Review Pt3

2011-11-27T20:30:00.005+08:00

This is part three of the review of Halloween Horror Nights in Universal Studios Singapore.
Pestilence
Scare Factor 4.5/5
Production quality 3.5/5
Overall Show 4/5
Located in the streets of New York and the waterfront area, Pestilence packs lots of scares in this small compact area. This scare-zone is highly unique, and resembles more of an outdoor haunted maze than a scare zone per se. This follows the story of how a contagious zombie-making virus has entered the slum area of New York.

This zone has a really compact layout, and the fact that half of the maze faces towards the harbor definitely adds a false sense of security. The ambiance is excellent, and the scares are at the very least unexpected.

The entrance is located near the still defunct Sci-fi stage area. The entrance resembles a pair of cast iron gates, with a great fog effect behind it. One of the first scares was by two scareactors on bungees. I found this scare highly effective and gives an "out of control" feeling to the maze. Another innovative scare technique is that of the electric sparks, whereby a scareactor seem to give off sparks on a metal grate while guests are walking past.

This maze is overall pretty cool, and is rather innovative for an outdoor maze.

To be continued...

Halloween Horror Nights After Event Review Pt2

2011-11-18T21:06:00.003+08:00

This is part two of the review of Halloween Horror Nights in Universal Studios Singapore

The Vengeance of the Matriarch
Scare Factor 4.5/5
Production quality 4/5
Overall Show 4.5/5
Arguably the most detailed and elaborate section for the entire event, VotM is a solid maze with great show sets and many innovative scare tactics. The story is loosely built around a crazy Peranakan lady inhibiting an old colonial shop house. The story is really very flimsy, but the production quailty made up for it.

While VotM didn’t have the “Hollywood” energy of Post Apocalyptic Rage or the Void, what it did have was creepy classic Halloween cranked up to 11! While scare zones impressed me with the show production, I found the tricks and techniques used to scary me in this one impressive. This haunt was unique and deserved a scare rating of 4.5 as many of the scare techniques are totally unexpected.

The maze entrance is located at the boundary between Hollywood and New York, and the queue winds into the backstage sections of the park, before ending up at a small door leading into a Soundstage. The queue is just some makeshift ropes and is not themed at all, but this is understandable for this temporary event.

Tip
The queue is very long, and can easily bump up to 75 minutes, so it is best to visit this maze at the start of the event.

The maze starts with a full scale facade of a Peranakan Shophouse, complete with balconies and tiled floors. This facade area is generally well lit but still manages to set the eerie feel for the maze. The next area is the welcome room. It is a highly detailed living room, typical of colonial shophouse buildings. The matriarch is sitted on a rocking chair in the middle of the room. The scare here is the fact that there are two mirrors at the two sides of the room, and one of the mirror is slide-able and a scareactor can pop out from behind. This room leads into a portrait room, full of details and amazing period portraits. Some of the portraits were slideable openings for scareactors to appear.

Some other notable rooms include a dining room with a scareactor cannibalizing a human head, while other scareactors jump out from the sides, a walk through wardrobe full of hanging cloths, which gives a highly claustrophobic feel, as well as a room with hanging body bags and a butcher hiding among the bags. These rooms are the common staple of overseas Halloween events, and is great to see these scares coming to Singapore for the local audience here.

The best room in this maze is still the courtyard scene. This scene is very empty on first sight, with minimal decor and lots of space. This really adds to the false sense of security of the place. Out of nowhere, a scareactor on bungee then appears and scares the heck out of guests. The speed and the unpredictability of scare is highly effective and very disorienting.

Overall, this is a great house, and packs a great deal of scares. Given that Halloween is quite new in Asia, this house really pioneers lots of innovative and groundbreaking scare techniques that may be considered as staples in the West.

To be continued...

Halloween Horror Nights After Event Review

2011-11-11T21:34:00.001+08:00

This is a review of USS's Halloween Horror Nights, an upcharge after hours Halloween event that happens in October.

After a year of false promises, Resorts World at Sentosa finally introduced Halloween Horror Nights to a eager Singaporean audience. The Halloween market has been in rapid development in the past years, with local events such as Sentosa Spooktacular and 13 cells.

General Feelings
I was there for the opening weekend of Halloween Horror Nights. The place was relatively packed for a 60 dollars upcharge event. The majority of the audience was clearly teens and young adults. This event is clearly not suited for kids below age of 12. The atmosphere there was really good, and the Halloween vibe was definitely there. Although it rained during my visit, much of the scare zones are covered and hence my visit was relatively not affected. The production quality was excellent, so were the scare actors. This is a solid event with lots of potential. The scarezones at this event is wicked, and they are really big budget productions. Though the mazes may lack the details of HHN's overseas counterparts, it is still groundbreaking in the Asia scene. However, it is clearly evident that the scale is very small and that they will definitely have to expand for future Halloween Horror Nights. This was a great start, and we hope to see it flourish in the future.

Entrance Plaza
Although Universal Studios Singapore belongs to a much large propoerty, Resorts World Sentosa, the Halloween action is very much concentrated in the park itself. Therefore, the entrance plaza and the surrounding areas are pretty much left untouched, with no decoration or fog. The only apparent Halloween touch is the creepy background music played in place of the usual welcome score.

Tip
The lines can usually get very long during event opening. Be sure to look out for turnstiles will shorter lines, especially those closer to the VIP entrance. The lines also move relatively fast, so don't get impatient. The event usually opens slightly earlier than the stated timing, so be sure to get in line early.

Turnstiles
This is were the madness begins. In place of the usual cheerful ticket checkers clad in vintage usher uniforms are zombie ticket checkers in aged and worn uniforms. The make up on their faces in superb, rich with details. Some of the ticket checkers may just have a scar make-up, while others have entire prosthetic skull faces in rich details. They also stay in character, and greet the guests with a silent stare instead of the usual cheerful greeting.

For the following segments, I will rate each scare zone according to its scare factor, production quality and overall show design.

Carn-evil
Scare factor 2/5
Production quality 3/5
Overall show 3/5
The overall most unique and exotic scare zone is definitely Carn-evil. A play off the recurring themes of clowns and scary sideshows, Carn-evil creates a great ambiance and serves as a great introductory zone to the event. It is highly visually stunning, and is heavily fogged, adding to the overall mood. As the zone is covered, the creative team is able to install many theatrical lights onto the covered structure, adding to the production quality of the zone.

This zone starts with the entrance area, with many sinister clowns, some carrying animatronic jack-in-a box props. The clowns are definitely spooky, and adds to the atmosphere. However, they are not aggressive in their scares, and tend to keep mainly to themselves.

Walking down the street, we will see the lady with her mirror, inviting you to take a look at the reflection. This character is definitely twisted, but there is no outright scares here too. Following that are the two sideshow pavilions, one with a tattoo lady and one with a fortune teller. These pavilions/ tents are great photo ops, and the character will definitely interact with you if you are willing (though most people just stop for a photo). There is also a fire-breather and a stilt walking clown. Their performance is a joy to watch, and adds to the sinister, twisted feel of Carn-evil.

Overall, this is a solid scare zone, that is high on atmosphere and mood, but lacks the scares. Great eye candy, and a great place to sit down and people watch.

To be continued...

USSingapore Blog 2.0

2011-10-18T05:05:00.000+08:00

This is official. After a year long hiatus, USSingapore Blog is finally back, and better than ever. As you can see from the new look of the blog, USSingapore Blog is now in 2.0 mode!In this 2.0 version of the blog, You can look forward to more content, weekly photo updates from the park, detailed trip reports and ride reviews. You can look forward to regular posting, as well as more interaction between you and the blog! Thanks for all the support for version 1.0 of the blog. I really appreciate you taking time to read my articles. To kick start this new season, we will have a 2 part long series dedicated on comparing Battlestar Galatica Human and Cyclone coasters.

Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

2010-07-12T20:49:00.003+08:00

Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, a major attraction located in the Lost World section

Quick Facts
Location: Universal Studios Singapore
Park Section: Lost World
Type: Rapids Ride
Status: Soft Opening
Opened: March 18, 2010

Will you be able to handle it?
This ride, being a rapids ride, is rather gentle and slow as compared to coasters and other ride systems. However, there are some portions of the ride where it gets pretty bumpy, and of course, not to forget the drop at the end of the ride, which may be a little intense for some.

But be ready for some portions in complete darkness, and some pretty close encounters with dinosaurs during the ride.

Tips on Riding
This ride features a pretty low capacity ride system and it is also one of the most popular rides in the entire park, hence there will be long lines towards the middle of the day. Try going on the attraction right after the park opening, where the queue will be about 10-30 minutes long. As the day progresses, especially after every Waterworld show, the queue will be bumped up to 1h15mins and it will remain this way until shortly before park closing.

You may also get very wet on this ride, depending on which direction you are facing. Given that the rafts are circular, there is literally no way to chose a dry seat or a wet seat, hence it is recommended that you wear a raincoat before getting onto the ride just in case you get soaked.

The Ride Experience

The Queue
The queue for this attraction is mostly held in a large sheltered area with switchback queue systems and it does lack the themeing that we come to expect from Universal. However, there are some small information posters about dinosaurs throughout the queue.

Another cool detail they did to make you buy into the entire Jurassic Park mythology is to have this complicated backstory regarding this tropical rain hitting Jurassic park, and that certain sections are closed due to the probability of flooding. There are evidence of this back story throughout the queue, from overhead announcements informing the closure of certain areas, to alerts on the video screens about the rainstorm.

To be continued...

Revenge of the Mummy Compare and Contrast

2010-04-03T12:39:00.002+08:00

This post will deal with the comparison of the 3 incarnations of the Mummy ride in Singapore, Orlando and Hollywood. Check out the previous post for a detailed description of the Singapore incarnation of the ride.

The Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida versions of Revenge of the Mummy are essentially the same. They both incorporate dark ride and roller coaster elements to immerse riders in the sinister world of Imhotep and his mummy minions. But there are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences.
Mostly, the differences have to do with real estate. In the Singapore version, the soundstage was built from scratch, while in the USH and USO version, it occupied the E.T. and Kongfrontation soundstages, respectively. The USH and USO soundstages occupy different footprints, while the USS version have an exact duplicate of the USO version. Orlando's and Singapore's larger width, depth, and height allow for a larger, longer ride. The Singapore version also have the advantage of an entire theme land dedicated to the Mummy theme, and since it was built 6 years after the original in USO was built, it also have the advantage of feedback and experience, allowing them to tweak some of the major story and queue elements.

Ride Length- One of the major differences is duration. Florida and Singapore's Mummy clocks in at about three minutes, while Hollywood shaves 30 seconds off for about two-and-a-half minutes of fun.
The Queue- In Florida, guests supposedly wander onto the movie set for the next 'Mummy" film sequel. Eventually, this morphs into the Mummy's tomb. In Hollywood, the line is shorter, and there's no pretense of a movie set. Guests there enter into the Mummy's tomb from the get-go. And in Singapore incarnation, guests supposedly enter a real tomb in the real Egypt, with not even a single reference to soundstages or filmaking.
The Story- In the Singapore version of the ride, the guests have a "mission" to fulfill. They have to find the book of the living to destroy the curse, while in the USO and USH versions, the guests have no real mission.
First Encounter- In the SIngapore version of the ride, the first encounter with the Mummy occurs with the Mummy performing a ritual on an archeologist, while in the USO verson, the Mummy jumps out of a coffin and sucks the life out of Reggie, and in the USH version, guests encounters the Mummy much later in the ride.
The Launch- In Florida and Singapore, the vehicles launch 45 degrees up into the mouth of the Mummy. In Hollywood, it's a straight, zero-degree launch. Both versions reach top speeds of 45 mph, however.
Going Backwards- In Florida and Singapore, the vehicles go backwards early in the ride after encountering the scarabs. The backwards part of the ride only lasts a few seconds as a transition to the next scene. In Hollywood, passengers don't encounter the scarabs until halfway through the coaster part of the attraction. They continue the second half of the coaster ride facing backwards.
The Turnaround- In Florida and Singapore, the vehicles drop onto a turntable a few seconds after going backwards and immediately before they launch into the coaster part of the ride. In Hollywood, the vehicles proceed backwards for the second half of the coaster ride and the turntable faces them forwards to the exit area for unloading.
The interruption- In the Florida version of the ride, there is a false unloading scene where the Mummy sucks life out of the ride operator and sends guests into the second porton of the ride, while in the Singapore version, the interruption comes when the guests finds the book of the living, and Imhotep pops up, cursing the guests and sending them into the second coaster portion. In the Hollywood version, the interruption is when the vehicle stops in front of the Scarab infested wall.
Fire- In Florida and Singapore, the Mummy unleashes a blast of real fire. In Hollywood, the ride uses a "faux" effect to simulate fire.
The End- In the Florida version of the ride, the ending of the ride has a video with the coffee gag, while in the Singapore version, the ending features Imhotep trapped in a coffin.

Revenge of the Mummy Review

2010-04-01T21:47:00.006+08:00

Revenge of the Mummy, one of the best attractions in the whole of Universal Studios Singapore

The Revenge of the Mummy, located in the spectacular tomb in Ancient Egypt, is an indoor psychological roller coaster thrill ride.

Quick Facts
Location: Universal Studios Singapore
Park Section: Ancient Egypt
Type: Steel Coaster
Status: Soft Opening
Opened: March 18, 2010
Designer: Universal Creative
Inversions, Loops, Corkscrews: 0
Duration: 2+ Minutes
Height Restriction: 122cm
Max Speed: 45mph

Will you be able to handle it?
The coaster part of Revenge of the Mummy does not have any inversions, does not do to any uncomfortable speeds, and reaches a relatively tame max speed of 45 mph. RWS even considers it a "family" attraction and it's less intense than Battle Star Galactica Coasters. But it does include high-speed launches, delivers some startling drops and out-of-your-seat airtime, and feels a lot more out of control because it is in the dark. Be prepared for a more aggressive ride. There will be moments where you feel that you will drop out of your seats, and some "uncontrollable" turns in the dark. There are also steep drops, but still still can be managed. The Linear Induction launch is an aggressive part of the ride, and it launches you straight into a fog filled room, so for those sensitive to fog, you may need to consider it twice. There is a backwards section to the ride too, but it is short, and more fun than intense.

On the "psychological" side of the thrill equation, I think just about everybody, save highly impressionable young children, will find the mummy motif more engrossing than gross-out. The sound effects will be loud, and there will be strobe lights and pyrotechnic effects (real flame).
If you're on the line, I'd advise you to suck it up, hold on tightly to the rider next to you and give it a try. Revenge of the Mummy is among the very attractions in USS, and you should try it at least once. Even if you find the ride a bit too unsettling, you'll be able to take comfort in its short duration; the whole experience lasts about three minutes, with the coaster portion taking less than half that time.

Note
Follow the safety guidelines and do not bring a camera to film the ride. The camera will fly out!
Great Ideas, Great Technology The attraction's high concept, melding a special-effects laden dark ride with a thrilling coaster, is a remarkable theme park achievement. While there are other examples of indoor coasters that attempt to incorporate a story, nothing comes close to Revenge of the Mummy. The introduction of magnetically launched coaster systems provided the linchpin to make the hybrid ride possible. The Mummy's conveyance system, which uses linear induction motors, or LIMs, allows the ride to blast off like a coaster. The real breakthrough is a modified, slower version of the LIMs (called SLIMs) that transport the vehicles through the dark ride parts of the attraction. The technology allows the car to vary its speed through scenes, seamlessly transition from the dark ride to the coaster, and even travel backwards at one point.

Ride Experience
The journey begins as you enter the huge Egyptian tomb located in the Egypt section of the park. The story for this portion of the park goes like this: It is in the 1930s, the golden age of Egyptian exploration. A group of archeologists are excavating this spectacular tomb when something horribly wrong happened. The mummy in the tomb has gone back to life and you are trapped in it too.
While in the queue (which is positively enormous, think: marathon length, and can accommodate a slew of riders on peak attendance days), tabloids show messages like this "Find the book of the living and destroy Imhotep" . There are some pretty spectacular statues and drawings in the queue too, so you may want to take some time to check it out.
The core of the queue winds around a burial chamber and an archaeological dig. In the center is an enormous Egyptian statue that sits above a freshly unearthed keystone.

So the story of the entire attraction is that you need to find the book of the living to destroy Imhotep before he can destroy you.

Confronting the Mummy

The queue eventually leads guests up to the second level where they board the ride.
The 16-passenger single-car vehicles look nothing like coaster trains. Made to resemble industrial carts, they are articulated in the middle to accommodate the ride's twists and turns. The loading area actually have two platforms so as to double the capacity of the attraction.
In the first scene, words like "Find the book. Destroy Imhotep" are written all over the walls, and a ghostly voice beckons.
In the second scene a slightly mummified archeologist tells us once again to find the book of the living in order to get out. This scene is made to resemble the altar in the Mummy movies where Imhotep sucks the life out of victims in order to grow into a more human form. An imposing and highly fluid Mummy animatronic character turns around sucks the life out of the archeologist. He turns to the riders and says, "With your souls, I will rule for all eternity." As the word eternity reverberates around the corner, the vehicle moves out of there and into the next chamber.

Behind an altar, the Mummy appears as a large sand face. He makes an offer: "Join me and savor the riches of a thousand dynasties." A treasure trove of gold and jewels appears on either side of the train. "Or refuse and suffer a more bitter treasure." The room darkens, and animated warrior mummies pop out of troughs on either side of the train. Braziers on the altar burst into flames. The vehicle moves toward a huge stone wall that's descending and threatens lock the passengers in side the room for eternity. At the last moment, the vehicle makes a little coaster-like dip under the wall, and makes a turn into the next scene.

Scarab and launch

The vehicle speeds around a corner and crashes into a wall. The wall cracks and scarab beetles pour from the wall and invade the car as the lights fade to black. This effect is heightened through the use of sound effects although I think Universal could have upped the psyche-out fear quotient here if it had employed those calf-level tickling devices it uses in Shrek 4-D, which is just a simple string connected to a motor under the seat, which creates a tickling effect when spun.
This is where the ride gets serious. While the invading bugs distract the passengers, the track behind the car switches. The vehicle proceeds backwards, but instead of retracing its course, it makes a straight, steep drop into a turntable.

As the car turns 180 degrees, a the Mummy's voice taunts guests. "Your end will be my beginning", "with your souls I shall rule for all eternity". Visions of skeletons appear around this circular room. Facing a giant Mummy head, and launches 45 degrees uphill into the Mummy's fog filled mouth. There are some wild drops, ejector air, and moments of weightlessness that make for a giddy and nerve-wracking out of your seat turns. Fly-by apparitions help create the illusion of even greater speed, although they are too quick to be distinguished by guests.
As you start to feel dizzy, the vehicle stops in front of the book of the living, the book that you have been looking for all this while. Then the Mummy pops out from behind the book and curses the guests, before flames erupt from the ceiling. These are real flames and you can basically feel the heat from them.
The vehicle goes into a sharp drop and into a fog filled room, where it goes into the second coaster portion. There are a few more turns and then the vehicle goes into the last scene.
Trapped
In this last scene, Imhotep is trapped inside a coffin and he curses and taunts the riders from inside. The vehicle then goes into the unloading station.
Overall, the ride is an impressive one, and the psychological aspect of the ride really adds to the appeal of the ride. Ride it more than once to catch the details!

Universal Studios Singapore opening day

2010-03-19T17:08:00.002+08:00

Universal Studios Singapore opened yesterday at 8.28 am with a auspicious Chinese lion dance ceremony. Guests have been arriving since 6 in the morning in a bid to be the first to enter the park.

I wasn't there yesterday, as the opening day tickets sold out as fast as it was released. Industry insiders estimated that only approximately 3000 over tickets were sold for the opening day, therefore making it so hard to get.

This small guest number was for a number of reasons. One of the most important reasons was to facilitate guest and crowd control on the attractions. The ride operators are new in their positions and hence it will be disastrous if a huge mob of guests turned up, leaving the new park operators with little idea of how to handle them.

This small guest number also created some interesting situations. The queues for the attractions were incredibly short. I remember seeing one photograph which says: Revenge of the Mummy coaster wait time - 5 mins. This allowed the guests to experience all the attractions within a short 8.28am - 6pm day.

Yesterday was full of surprises. One of them was the weather. It was sunny when the park opened, but within a few hours, it started to rain, then stop occasionally, then started raining again. This cycle continued for the entire day until the park closed. The deluge helped to lower the temperature, making theme park going in a tropical country more bearable. The rain did not cause many inconveniences as half of the attractions were indoor ones, and the streets also had shade and rain covers to protect the guests.

Another surprise was the extended opening hours. After the park officially "closed", certain portions of Hollywood and New York were open and there was a spectacular fireworks display in the central lagoon, to cap the day off.

Looking into the future, Genting CEO announced that there will be a major attraction rolled out every year, for the next 3 years, with the 2011 attraction being the TRANSFORMERS ride. Phrase 2 of RWS will also commence, which includes an oceanarium, a maritime museum, a water park and 2 more hotels.

Universal Studios Singapore will remain in the soft opening period until further notice. 18 of the 19 built attractions are open (Madagascar ride opens in mid 2010). Attractions may open or closed without notice in this soft opening period.

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-16T20:29:00.001+08:00

Part of the Universal Studios Singapore photo of the day series of posts
Waterworld

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-15T15:31:00.002+08:00

Part of the Universal Studios Singapore photo of the day series

Sci fi city

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-14T12:34:00.002+08:00

Part of the universal studios singapore photo of the day series of posts

Ancient Egypt

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-13T09:46:00.002+08:00

Part of the photo of the day series

Ancient Egypt looking towards Far Far Away

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-10T20:30:00.001+08:00

Part of the photo of the day series

Donkey Footprint

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-09T18:02:00.002+08:00

Part of the photo of the day series

Far Far Away Romeo Drive

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-08T21:00:00.000+08:00

part of the photo of the day series

Hotel Michael

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-07T11:09:00.001+08:00

Part of the photo of the day series

New York Street

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-05T21:48:00.002+08:00

Part of the photo of the day series of posts

Shrek meet and greet

Breaking News

2010-03-05T21:09:00.005+08:00

Universal Studios Singapore will finally open for a soft opening period starting from 18 March.

Ticket sales will be available both on site as well as on line from March 10 9am.
Note: Certain attractions may not be opened during the soft opening period.

Annual Pass is divided into two types of passes: Superstar Pass and fun pass.

Fun Pass

Enjoy unlimited admission for 312 days (Most weekdays and weekends)
> Universal Studios Singapore lanyard with 2 pins.
> S$25 Resorts World Sentosa gift voucher.
> 5% discount off selected F&B outlets at Universal Studios Singapore and Resorts World Sentosa.
> 5% discount off selected retail outlets at Universal Studios Singapore and Resorts World Store and Resorts World Gift Shop.
> Receive our monthly E-bulletin on the latest happenings in Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Singapore.
> 10% early bird discount for Universal Studios Singapore events.
> Sneak previews of new rides and attractions.
> Entitled to a maximum of FIVE Universal Studios Singapore day passes at 10% discount for your accompanying guests during your birthday month.

Superstar Pass

Enjoy unlimited admission with no black-out dates for 365 days
> Universal Studios Singapore lanyard with 4 pins
> S$100 Resorts World Sentosa gift voucher
> 5% discount off selected F&B outlets at Universal Studios Singapore and Resorts World Sentosa
> 5% discount off selected retail outlets at Universal Studios Singapore and Resorts World Store and Resorts World Gift Shop
> Receive our monthly E-bulletin on the latest happenings in Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Singapore
> 10% early bird discount for Universal Studios Singapore events
> Sneak previews of new rides and attractions
> Entitled to a maximum of FIVE Universal Studios Singapore day passes at 10% discount for your accompanying guests during your birthday month
> One complimentary pass to Halloween Horror Nights™
> 30% off the rack rate of the Resorts World Sentosa VIP Tour
> Enjoy unlimited climbs at the Amber Rock Climb™ which is an attraction in The Lost World™
> Enjoy complimentary Universal Express access to all the attractions in Universal Studios Singapore
> Reservation made for a Deluxe Room in Festive Hotel™ and Hotel Michael™ will enjoy a complimentary upgrade to the Deluxe Family Room and the Club Deluxe Room respectively
Benefits
Each Annual Passholder may enjoy different benefits from time to time throughout the year
To enjoy the benefits, simply present your Annual Pass and personal identification at the time of redemption

Ticket price structure are as follows:

Ticket Type	Adult	Child	Senior
One Day Weekday Pass	66	48	32
One Day Weekend Pass	72	52	36
Two Day Pass	118	88	58
Annual Pass- Fun Pass	318	238	188
Annual Pass- Superstar Pass	1,098	828	738

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-04T20:21:00.003+08:00

Part of the picture of the day series

Jurassic Park

Review of my visit to Resorts World Sentosa

2010-03-02T23:08:00.004+08:00

Continuing from previous post

Walking down Hollywood Boulevard, the buildings at the two sides will open up to this vast expanse of space which is the central lagoon. This is not a huge lagoon by any means, but at least they had managed to squeeze in a lagoon in this small piece of land.

I did notice some pyrotechnic equipment in the middle of the lagoon, and this made me wonder if there will be a lagoon show at night. I think it will be an excellent idea and it will encourage people to stay in the park for a longer time. This will benefit both the guest and Universal Studios Singapore and the guests will stay longer and spend more in the park, so it will be pretty easy to recover the amount spent on the lagoon show.

At this wide vista, we were able to look at all the lands, and this offers an excellent photo opportunity. The ancient Egypt land looms majestically at the other end of the lagoon. On the right, Mel's drive in sits handsomely by the waterfront, complete from neon signs and vintage cars. The Pantages theater sits directly opposite Mel's Drive In and it is a faithful recreation of the original in Hollywood, just much smaller and sandwiched between the brown derby and a retail shop. Inside, it contains one of Universal Studios Singapore's best show, the Monster Rock, aka Monstrocity. More on that in a later article. If you were to look closely at the windows of the Pantages theater, you will see some names on it, names of people involved in the creation of either the show or Universal Studios Singapore as a whole, acting as an end credit of some sort. Check that out next time. It is pretty cool.

The entire Hollywood area is filled with details. I could only imagine how much fun they had putting these little details and fun bits into the land. For example, there are authentic 1940s red fire hydrants, rusty street signs, and even a pedestrian crossing.

To be continued...

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-03-02T20:04:00.002+08:00

Part of the ongoing photo of the day posts

The brown derby

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-02-28T12:42:00.000+08:00

Part of a series of ongoing photos of the day.

One of the hotel in Resorts World Sentosa

Review of my visit to Resorts World Sentosa

2010-02-27T20:08:00.003+08:00

At just 20 hectares, Universal Studios Singapore is the smallest of Universal's theme parks (less than half the size of either of the Universal Orlando theme parks, and even smaller that Disney's California Adventure), but it is loaded with 20 attractions in this compact park. It is made up of 7 distinct lands, each with a theme related to movies.

Universal Studios Singapore is part of the new Resorts World Sentosa development on Sentosa Island, south of the main Singapore Island. Despite its island location, Universal Studios Singapore might be the most easily accessible theme park I've ever visited. I took Singapore's MRT to the Harbourfront station, from where I took a short S$3 monorail ride into the heart of Resorts World Sentosa.

To get into the park, you would have to walk under the Universal Studios Singapore archway, and I tell you, that archway is grand. It is the most unique of all of the Universal Studios archways. It is a rather neat to actually see the monorail pass above your head , above the entry turnstiles. Once inside the park, you will walk below a replica of the Hollywood sign. The Hollywood main street, looks a bit like the Hollywood section of Universal Studios Florida, except covered with a huge, translucent canopy, to keep tropical rainstorms at bay. And it is short. Very short, but very immersive, probably one of the more immersive lands.

When I first walk down the Hollywood boulevard, it was like drinking from a water hose. The sights, the sounds, and yes, even the smells hit you the moment you walk into the park. Once you pass under the Hollywood sign, it is like entering a whole new world. The area music is playing, which is very evocative of the golden age of Hollywood. The smell of the popcorn car on the boulevard also hits you. There are even meet and greet characters such as Kung Fu Panda, Woody etc. By the time I got over this sensory overload, I started to run up and down the street, trying to take in all of it.

At the sides of the street, there were authentically recreated facades that captures some of the iconic buildings of the LA area. That includes the five and dime shop, the dark room, and even the brown derby. One the side walks, there were also names on them, recreating the walk of fame.

At the end of the Hollywood "zone" lies the park's lagoon, from which you can see each of the other park zones surrounding it. I noticed what looked to me like pyrotechnic equipment mounted in the lagoon, so does it mean that there will be any fireworks show when it officially opens? We will wait and see.

Wait for more articles regarding Universal Studios Singapore preview.

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-02-25T12:18:00.003+08:00

Part of a series of ongoing photos of the day.

Entrance plaza

universal studios singapore photo of the day

2010-02-25T12:11:00.003+08:00

From now on, I will introduce a new type of post called the photo of the day. That is, I will post a photo per day about Universal Studios Singapore or Resorts World Sentosa. I will try to post as consistently as possible, so expect to have a little piece of USS magic everyday on your computer. To start, I will post 2 photos. Keep waiting for tomorrow's post!

A neat touch to the Hollywood area. Recreation of the walk of fame.

Authentically recreated facades of Hollywood

Universal Studios Preview Photos Part 1

2010-02-24T21:46:00.002+08:00

I visited Universal Studios Singapore preview on Sunday. It was an amazing experience. Here are many of the photos that I have taken. Enjoy.

The Entrance to Universal Studios Singapore

The Hollywood area

View of the entrance from Hollywood

One of the facades

View towards the lagoon

View towards the New York area of the park

View towards the Madagascar area of the park

View of Pantages theater, the main theater of USS, containing Monster Rock, a rock musical featuring the classic Universal Studios monsters

Transition between Hollywood and Madagascar

A statue on the promenade

To be continued...

Universal Studios Preview

2010-02-20T20:42:00.002+08:00

I will be going to the Universal Studios Singapore preview tomorrow, so expect a full picture review with many videos to come.

Review of my visit to Resorts World Sentosa

2010-02-13T21:13:00.011+08:00

Resorts World at Sentosa, Singapore's newest and most exciting development, is open, and the casino and Universal Studios Singapore will open tomorrow for preview.

In order to get the preview tickets, guests would have to go down to RWS personally to purchase the tickets at the ticket booths in front of the Universal Studios Singapore entrance. So I made my way down to RWS to buy 2 tickets for the preview. (Note: All preview tickets have sold out)

I made my way to Sentosa using the Sentosa express, a monorail connecting Sentosa island to mainland Singapore. The admission price to Sentosa is S$3 per person.

While on the monorail, I took a few pictures of RWS. I think that the journey from the mainland to Sentosa really builds our anticipation and excitement. When I caught the first a glimpse of the Shrek's castle, I do feel something in my eye.

The monorail station is right in the heart of Resorts World Sentosa.

It leads straight into the shopping and entertainment area of Resorts World, an area called Festive Walk. Festive Walk is further divided into 3 areas, the Bull Ring-which is the entrance plaza to Universal Studios Singapore, the Forum-a retail and dining walkway leading into the casino, and Waterfront(Currently under construction)-a dining and shopping area at the waterfront, facing the mainland.

Festive Walk led straight into the entrance area for USS and when I first saw the globe, I was awed by the scale and the magnificence of the globe, and this hulk of metal is actually rotating. The background music was also playing, and it added to the ambience of the area.

I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the service and the general staff of Resorts World Sentosa. The staff was really friendly, helpful, enthusiastic, and the adjectives goes on and on. The staff was also very efficient, and I got my preview tickets with no wait. I think the the staff of RWS really made this place stand out as the premier integrated resort in SEA. I hope to see this continue through the years, and improve along the way.

The entrance to Universal Studios Singapore is marked by a archway.

The sign outside Universal Studios reads: Unavailable Attractions- Madascar A crate Adventure and Stage 28. I believe that these are the 2 attractions that could not make it for the opening day.

After that, I went back to festive walk, and in the middle of festive walk sits a huge fountain called the lake of dreams. It will come alive every night with spectacular lights and lazer show.

That pretty sums up my visit to Resort World Sentosa. I will be back with more photos and reviews after visiting the Preview for Universal Studios Singapore. Till then, see ya'!

Universal Studios Preview

2010-02-12T14:49:00.000+08:00

Universal Studios Singapore Festive Tours

Universal Studios Singapore will open 5 pm to 9 pm every night from 14 Feb to 21 Feb. Visitors can purchase tickets, costing $10 each, and get dining and shopping vouchers of the same value. None of the rides and shows will be open. The park’s dining and retail outlets will be open for dinners/quick-bites and shopping.

Ticket sales start from 11.18am Friday, 12 February, at the ticket booths outside Universal Studios Singapore.

Admissions will be limited to 3,000 guests a day to ensure guests get a good experience. Members of the public are discouraged from turning up for the tours without a pre-bought ticket.

Breaking News from Straits Times

2010-02-08T21:33:00.001+08:00

Singapore

Feb 8, 2010

RWS casino to open by CNY

By Lim Wei Chean , Jessica Lim , Tessa Wong , Chuang Bing Han and Mou Zongxiao

The doors to Singapore's first casino and Universal Studios theme park will be flung open by the Chinese New Year, which is widely regarded as an auspicious time. --PHOTO: REUTERS

THE doors to Singapore's first casino and Universal Studios theme park will be flung open by the Chinese New Year, which is widely regarded as an auspicious time.

Tenants and staff at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) told The Straits Times that they have been gearing up for the big opening at the end of this week.

One tenant said yesterday they had been told by the management that the theme park is targeted to open on either Feb 12 or 13, and the casino would open on Feb 13.

'We were told this a couple of days ago. We are very excited about good business during Chinese New Year,' said Mr Zie Samad, manager of Chili's, a restaurant which is just beside the theme park entrance. Entertainment veteran Dennis Foo, who is opening a new club at the integrated resort (IR) by early May, said 'more than three people in senior management' had told him the theme park would be taking in its first guests this week.

Mr Foo toured the IR last month and pronounced the casino '100 per cent ready'.

Several casino staff, who spoke to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity, said they were told to be ready for the casino's opening before Chinese New Year.

Found on the Straits Times, Singapore's premier newspaper

Feeding the Rumor Mill

2010-02-07T17:02:00.002+08:00

The breaking news today is that Resorts World at Sentosa has gotten its casino license from the Singapore authorities after many weeks of delay. So how will this impact the opening date of Universal Studios Singapore and the casino.

Well,to look at it, there are a few factors to consider.

Firstly, it is the Chinese New Year. Well, it is no lie that Sentosa receives its highest visitor numbers during the New Year season. If you have ever been to Sentosa during the New Year weekend, you will know what I mean. People will literally have to queue for at least half an hour to get onto the Sentosa express to get into Sentosa, and they would have to queue for another hour or so to get out of Sentosa. The New Year weekend is also when attractions in Sentosa have the longest lines out of the entire year. The majority of the visitors will come from China as they have a long Chinese New Year holiday. There will also be many local visitors, those who are not Chinese, and have nothing to do during the New Year weekend to come visit Sentosa. So will Universal Studios Singapore open before or during the New Year weekend? It is for you to decide.

The second factor is the licenses for operation. Universal Studios Singapore requires at least 3 license to operate: the public entertainment license, the ride safety license and the general operation license. From as far as I know USS has received all 3 of their licenses and is ready to open. And the casino has also gotten its license, hence in theory, both are ready to open.

The third factor is the amount of completion. USS needs to get all their staff trained and all the rides working before it opens.

Therefore, it is very likely that USS and the casino may open either this week or then next. We will wait and see.

Sci-fi city

2010-01-05T18:30:00.004+08:00

This will be a series of ongoing articles about the 7 themed lands and rides in Universal Studios Singapore. Pictures courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore Press Conference.

One of the most exciting and most well covered land is the Sci-fi city. It is one of the smallest lands in the whole of Universal Studios Singapore and undoubtedly one of the best lands in Universal Studios Singapore as it houses 3 headliner, gate-busting attractions. The Battle Star Galactica Human line, Battle Star Galactica Cyclone line, and the Transformers ride opening in 2011.

Lets talk about the headliner Battlestar Galactica coasters first. Here are some stats:

-It is the tallest pair of roller coasters (Not the tallest coaster, but the tallest pair)
-The coaster will be launched from their stations at high speed instead of the traditional chain lift.
-Each coaster feature either several inversions, a zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, corkscrews, vertical loops and near collisions mere inches apart.
-Part of the ride will take place over a lagoon.

This ride will also feature a new generation of interactive storytelling queues, where there will be different sides of the story of Battlestar Galactica told on the two queues.

Accelerator
This ride will be like the spinning tea cups on steroids, with a futuristic themeing. It is mainly a children's ride.

The Lost World Area

2009-12-25T14:20:00.004+08:00

This will be a series of ongoing articles about the 7 themed lands and rides in Universal Studios Singapore. Pictures courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore Press Conference.

Jurassic Park trilogy will be brought to life in this unique area of Universal Studios Singapore. Life sized dinosaurs will be authentically recreated in this area. This is the largest theme land in the whole of Universal Studios Singapore, with 5 Unique attractions, 4 of which never seen before in other Universal Studios. This land is highly immersive, with lush vegetation and recreated structures from Steven Spielberg's hit movie.

The 5 attractions in this area are:
-Jurassic Park River Rapids
-Canopy Flyer
-Dino Soarin'
-Waterworld
-Amber Rock Climb

Note: Waterworld is based on the film of the same name, seen at other Universal Studios Parks around the world. It will be covered in another article.

This is the concept art for the entire land:

Jurassic Park River Rapids
Main article here
It is based on the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg. It is a re-imagining of the classic Universal Studios attraction Jurassic Park River adventure, located in the other Universal Studios theme parks around the world. One thing unique about it is that it uses circular rafts rather that boats or log flumes.

Canopy Flyer

This is a version of a Skylift that uses rigid arms and the vehicle is propelled by a mechanism on the track, rather than the original Skylift rides where the whole track moves. It allows the whole family to sit comfortably in the vehicle and have birds' eyes' view of the land while enjoying the breeze.

Dino Soarin'

A theme park classic, a Centrifugal ride, like Dumbo the flying elephant, Astro Orbiter etc. What is different in this ride is that there is a joystick that allows guests to control how high or low the vehicles flies.

Amber Rock Climb

A rock climbing experience for the whole family in a safe environment.

To be continued...

Christmas Wish List

2009-12-24T11:54:00.004+08:00

Christmas is coming, so this is my Christmas Wish List for Universal Studios Singapore.

So if Santa is reading, please seriously consider my wishes.

Number 1 No crowds.
Although I hope that Universal Studios Singapore will be popular, huge mobs of crowds will not only spoil the whole experience, but it will also ruin all the fun of Universal Studios Singapore.

Number 2 A Nightly Fireworks/ Lagoon Spectacular.
Like all good theme parks, Universal Studios Singapore should have a lagoon/fireworks show to keep the guests in for the night and to cap off the guests' experience. Given that Universal Studios Singapore already have a lagoon, adding a lagoon show will be easy.

Number 3 A Halloween Party/Event.
The american versions of Universal Studios have it. It is a hard-ticketed event where there will be fun houses, haunted houses, temporary attractions etc that brings Halloween attractions to a whole new level.

Number 4 Constant updates and refurbishments.
As you know, movies are one of the easiest things to get outdated, so I wish that there will be refurbishments and expansions on new movies, and old attractions based on outdated movies will be swapped out.

Number 5 Local passes/ Annual passes.
All the other Universal Studios have local resident passes or annual passes, where there will be a discounted price for people who will come very often. This is very important as in order to keep the locals coming after their first visit. And living in Singapore, I hope there will be a discount for us.

To be continued...

Universal Studios Singapore Ancient Eygpt part 2

2009-12-20T16:01:00.004+08:00

This will be a series of ongoing articles about the 7 themed lands and rides in Universal Studios Singapore. Pictures courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore Press Conference.

Revenge of the Mummy ride
This is the main headliner attraction of this land. It is an indoor roller coaster. People from Universal Creative (those who designed this park) calls it a psychological thrill ride, because you are in complete darkness while riding through this roller coaster. This allows you to buy into the story and suspend all disbelieve. Very intense, a whole lot of fun and a lot of screaming on this ride.

The story to this ride is that you are exploring an ancient Mummy tomb when you heard of the tale of Imhotep, and you have to destroy the book of the living before him can get to it. So you jump onto these mine cars and you start exploring, when Imhotep discovers you and he chases you around this tomb, each time escaping him narrowly.

There will be amazing effects such as the fire effect seen in other versions of this ride, shown below.

Another cool effect that is present in other incarnations of the ride is the Scarab beetles effect, where the beetles appear on the walls with help of projectors, as the added special effects of air jets at riders' feet and a spray of water from above create the illusion of the vehicle being overrun by the bugs.

There may even be a backwards section of the ride, where the vehicles move backwards through complete darkness with Imhotep chasing behind you.

Treasure Hunters

This a family fun ride, where the whole family can ride the jeep and explore the excavation site, which ties in very well to the theme of this whole area.

Universal Studios Singapore Ancient Eygpt

2009-12-19T11:03:00.004+08:00

Imagine walking with Pharaohs. Imagine the grandeur and the splendor of ancient Egypt coming to life once again. Imagine the luxury of an era long gone. Imagine the culture and the complexity of this magnificent civilization brought to life before your very eyes.

Imagine no more.

Meet Universal Studio Singapore's most exotic, and culturally rich land, Ancient Egypt. This land is the home of 2 mega attractions, The Revenge of the Mummy and the Treasure Hunters. This two attractions cater to all ages. Now add this two attraction to a wide array of shops and dining (or should I say feasting) options, spice it up with some authentic theming elements, and you get one of the most picturesque land. This land really brings story telling to a brand new level, where you are in a giant movie set and you are the actors, making memories and having fun.

The story of this theme land is that you are the archeologist who discovered the ancient ruins of an Egyptian civilization, and this land completely does that. That explains why there is the Treasure Hunters ride, which is the jeep that you, the archeologist sits on to excavate the ruins. While is Mummy coaster is the centerpiece of the land, and the entire ruin is built around the tomb of the Mummy.

Hollywood area update

2009-12-12T14:38:00.006+08:00

This will be a series of ongoing articles about the 7 themed lands and rides in Universal Studios Singapore. Pictures courtesy of Universal Studios Singapore Press Conference.

The Hollywood area of Universal Studios Singapore will to the entrance to the park, and it will also be the area that sends guests off after a day in the parks. This lively area will be reminiscent of the golden age of Hollywood where movie making is the most glamorous business and Hollywood is literally the crossroads of the world.

The entrance of the theme land will be a lively center of activity place, between the junction of Universal Studios Singapore entrance, the Sentosa LRT station and the festive walk entrance. The entrance plaza is where you can get your pictures taken with the characters in front of the signature Universal Studios globe.

What is so special about this area is that there are shade covers on the street to protect the visitors from the heat and the rain of the Singapore weather. There are also going to be air coolers which is going to blow in cool air to keep the temperature comfortable all year round.

The Hollywood Boulevard will be reflective of the classical 1940's Hollywood. The street here at Universal Studios Singapore will be recreated complete with the art deco buildings. street lamps, parking meters, down to the last detail, just like shooting for a feature film on location.

At night, the Hollywood Boulevard will be illuminated in a whole new light.

Far Far Away

2009-12-11T09:03:00.002+08:00

This is a construction picture of Far Far Away's glamorous Romeo Drive which contains the nightspots of the town such as Hook's Knight Club and Donkey live!

What queue is this?

2009-12-09T21:13:00.004+08:00

Today, I need your help. I found 2 images from the internet marked as queue areas for Universal Studios Singapore rides, but I could not figure out what attractions' queues are these.

Please leave a comment on what you think these queues are. Any speculations are welcomed. Please leave your comment. Thanks.

Queue 1

Queue 2

Images belongs to respective owners.

Universal Studios Singapore New York street Part 3

2009-12-08T16:58:00.002+08:00

Live Entertainment

When Universal Studios Singapore opens next year, one thing that hits you as soon as you enter the park is the live entertainment. There are going to be actors dressed as different characters in all the areas interacting with visitors, signing autographs and entertaining visitors as they walk through the park. This is going to add to the liveliness and the vibrancy of Universal Studios Singapore.

Well, New York street is no exception. There will be live acts, so there will constantly be live entertainment around Universal Studios Singapore.

F&B and Retail

There are going to be no retail shop in this area, however, there will be two excellent dining options here.

KT's Grill
It is going to be a full service restaurant serving authentic New York Grill with a rich woodwork interior reminiscent of a 1940's NY dinner house. Menu includes classic New York grill entrées, sandwiches, soups and salads; along with a fresh oyster bar and Pacific Rim influenced "East meets West" dishes.

Loui's NY Pizza Parlor
A Pizza Parlor selling a wide variety of traditional Italian pizzas as well as some local Singapore favourites including Hawaiian pizza, tandoori chicken pizza, vegetarian pizza and more.

Sci-fi city images

2009-12-07T15:57:00.008+08:00

Photos belongs to respective owners

Universal Studios Singapore New York street Part 2

2009-12-03T11:14:00.011+08:00

This will be a series of ongoing articles about the 7 themed lands and rides in Universal Studios Singapore. Pictures belongs to respective owners.

Continuing from yesterday...

Attractions
There are 2 attractions in this area: Lights Camera Action hosted by Steven Spielberg and also Stage 28.

Lights Camera Action is a behind the scene movie making experience. Guest are able to come in to see a real soundstage, where you will be introduced to what movie making is all about. Then, you will walk onto a "hot set", a set where filming is taking place. Right before your eyes, you are going to see explosions, water effects, you are going to see rain, you are going to feel the wind, seeing New York city being hit by a major hurricane.

I am now going to bring you through the whole experience starting from the entrance. You will enter this attraction through a facade recreating a pier facing the Universal Studios Singapore lagoon. As you enter the building, you will be led into the queue/preshow area. The preshow area looks like this:

There are filming equipments all spread around the soundstage, creating the feeling that a production is taking place. There will be 3 huge projection screens in front. The projection comes on when the show begins. The host introduces you to this attraction before showing you a short movie clip. Here is a preview of how the film looks like:

From there, the guest then proceed into the main soundstage to watch the experience unfold before their eyes. For the main show, I do not have much information, and even if I have, I am also not going to spoil the experience for you by telling you how it is like.

Stage 28 is a actual, working soundstage/production centre. Universal Studios Singapore will be partnering with people from all around the world to bring their movies and television commercial production right here to Universal Studios Singapore.

This is going to be one of the best soundstage in the whole of Asia. This venue is also capable to holding big events, like parties, company staff trainings, ceremonies etc.

Live Shows
There will be many live shows in the New York area.

To be continued...

Universal Studios Singapore New York street

2009-12-03T11:12:00.000+08:00

This will be a series of ongoing articles about the 7 themed lands and rides in Universal Studios Singapore. Pictures belongs to respective owners.

Introduction

The New York Area-home to Universal Studios Singapore's film making attractions. It will recreate the look and feel of the Big Apple, complete with shopping and dining options as well as live performances by characters on the streets.

Themeing

Just like the Hollywood area, New York streets is also going to have a shade cover to make sure that the temperature is ideal all day long, and to provide shade and shelter. Cool air will be blown into this area so as to ensure that it would be comfortable in this area.

New York Street represents the NY of 1940s. The facades will be very authentic. There are also many small individual environments like alleys, streets and corners for people to explore. It will also serve as great photo opportunities for the family.

Here is one question for you to think about: since this area is the home to Universal Studios Singapore's film making attractions, do you think that New York street area is meant to represent a backlot set of a studio where filming is going on, or is it supposed to be representing the real New York street?

Hole in the Street

A visitor to USS Singapore in the first few weeks or months of operation will notice that instead of buildings on two sides of New York street, there are only buildings on one side of the street, while there are some pretty heavy construction going on the other side of the street. No, this isn't any plan to build skyscrapers in this New York street or anything like that, in fact, the finished product would not even add to the New York area.

This is construction of Transformers ride which will open in 2011 in Sci-fi city. However, the show building extends into New York street, so the facades of the buildings in New York Street is literally build against the show building of the Transformers ride.

So would this whole in the street spoil the theming and the atmosphere of this area? Yes, definitely. Would this be worth it? Yes, definitely, as we will be getting a new ride based on Transformers.

Attractions
There are 2 attractions in this area: Lights Camera Action hosted by Steven Spielberg and also Stage 28.

To be continued

All images belongs to respective owners.

Jurassic park river rapids map

2009-11-26T21:03:00.005+08:00

This is the layout for Jurassic Park River Rapids. Image belongs to respective owners.

Top 7 most Anticipated attractions at Universal Studios Singapore

2009-11-25T14:26:00.005+08:00

Number 7 - Donkey live!
This attraction is highly anticipated by me as the technology involved in it is cool. It will feature never seem before technology where the visitors will be able to interact real time with a movie quality, instantly generated Donkey from Shrek. Donkey will sing and dance, and it is guaranteed to be an instant hit with families.

Number 6 -Lights! Cameras! Action!
Hosted by Steven Spielberg, guests can be blown away by the filmmakers incredible special effects as an empty sound stage becomes the setting for a major hurricane about to hit New York City. It is just so cool and it will give movie lovers a glimpse into the world of movie making.

Number 5 - Revenge of the Mummy
This ride is a milestone in Universal Studios' line of attractions. Since its inception in Florida. This ride is based on the Mummy franchise of movies. It is an amazing mix of story telling and thrill ride in an indoor roller coaster. What is even more exciting is that each time Universal Studios built this ride, they will change some part of it to add some surprise to it. What is more exciting is that there is an entire them land based on the Egyptian theme.

Number 4 - Jurassic Park River Adventure
This attraction is fun, highly themed and wet! It will be a family friendly ride where families will go on it together to create unique memories. The ride system and ride vehicle is also unique and it has never been used before in Universal Studios theme parks around the world.

Number 3 - Madagascar: A crate adventure
This attraction is family friendly, it is based on a hit movie, and the second installment of this franchise has just been released, so there is renewed interest for the whole franchise. It has great potential to be the attraction with the longest queue and also with the biggest merchandise potential. The ride is a combination of mulit media materials and physical settings, which makes it a unique attraction.

Number 2 - Battlestar Galactica Cyclone
This coaster is simply cool. Here are some figures to prove my point

It will be the tallest dueling coaster in the world; tipping at 42.5m (140ft).
The coaster will be launched from their stations at high speed instead of the traditional chain lift.
Each coaster feature either several inversions, a zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, corkscrews, vertical loops and near collisions mere inches apart.
Part of the ride will take place over a lagoon.

The Cylons Coaster will travel on a space craft that will perform more intense manoeuvres such as one inverted loop, one cobra roll and one helix spiral. The Cylon coaster will also plunge into a 5-metre deep pit filled with artificial fog to give thrill seekers the sensation of a near miss with the ground. Also, imagine viewing the skyline of Singapore when on the highest point of the coaster, before dipping into darkness. The views on this coaster will be spectacular.

Number 1 - Transformers: The ride
Universal has not released a lot of details, but it will be a dark ride (ride-through attraction) with 3-D, high-definition projected images, 4-D sensory and special effects, and large-scale animatronic characters. This ride based on such a hit movie and empo=loying such cutting edge technology earns itself a spot on the Top 7 most Anticipated attractions.

Jurassic Park River Rapids

2009-11-25T14:02:00.006+08:00

Update! Click here for the article on the Lost World Land in Universal Studios Singapore.

Link to Jurassic Park River Rapids ride layout

Latest! Ride storyline out!

Jurassic Park River Rapids is located in the Lost World area,at the back of the park. It is based on the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg.

It is a re-imagining of the classic Universal Studios attraction Jurassic Park River adventure, located in the other Universal Studios theme parks around the world.

Ride Storyline

You will enter the ride through the queue building, where you will be told that you will take the boat down river, seeing some dinosaurs along the way and then you will exit your boat and then go up close and feed the dinosaurs.

The ride will start in a seemingly calm area of Jurassic park. As it goes deeper into the river, visitors will spot different dinosaurs grazing in the grass. This part of the ride is a leisurely cruise through the Jurassic Park. Soon, the rapid reached the dock to disembark.

At that moment, it is where things go wrong. There is suddenly a flesh flood in the dock and your vehicle is unable to unload the visitors. The electric fences have broken down and the boat is washed under the fence further, deeper into the wild and un-manicured area of the Jurassic Park.

Just then, you will spot some T rex eating the remains of another dinosaur. Then, you will spot dinosaurs hiding behind the wild bushes. The leaves and brunches will rustle and cries of the dinosaurs will be heard. The cries will be louder and seem to come from bigger dinosaurs.

Without you noticing it, you have entered the T-rex territory. This part of the ride will be a wild journey through rushing waters and the thick foliage of the Jurassic Park river. There will be many close shaves with the T rex. You will encounter a beautiful waterfall, before being sucked into the intake vale of the river. Suddenly, your vehicle will be thrust into total darkness. You will hear the sound of the T rex sneaking up on you, and one point, the T rex will pop out in the middle of the river. Just then, your vehicle stops in the middle of the river, and you will hear the cranking of motors. Your vehicle is being lifted vertically out of the water. And as you look above, the T rex is jumping from the top of the motor lift. Just before he eats you, your vehicle drops down and splashes back into the daylight.

It has been a close shave with the T rex. Your vehicle will float back to the loading/ unloading area and you will disembark from your vehicle. You have survived Jurassic Park Singapore!

This is the rough storyline of Jurassic Park River Rapids, although some of the details may vary from the final version. I particularity like the false unloading area as it adds an element of surprise to the ride and differentiates it from the other incarnations of the ride around the world. I also like the ride vehicle, which is a circular white-water raftish thing. As it is circular, the vehicle will spin while gushing through the rivers, adding a thrill element to it.

This is also a good way it get wet and acts as an escape to the tropical heat of Singapore. I believe that this will be one of the mot popular attractions of Universal Studios Singapore.

Universal Studios Singapore Hollywood area

2009-11-20T17:30:00.016+08:00

This will be a series of ongoing articles about the 7 themed lands and rides in Universal Studios Singapore. Pictures belongs to respective owners.

Continuing from the previous post...

The major attraction you will find in this area is the Monstrocity show. It is unique to Universal Studios Singapore. It is housed in the replica of the Pantages Theater of LA, USA.

It is a live show, featuring 7 singers and dancers produced locally. This is an original show never seen before in any Universal Studios park.

It features the Universal classic monsters: Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, and some new character such as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. (For your information, they are one character ie. Dr Jekyll by day, Mr Hyde by night.)

It is a live rock and roll musical on stage in a 1500 seat theatre capable of handling major Broadway shows.

Dinning and Retail

Here's a list of some of the dining you may find in the Hollywood area:

Hollywood	Universal Studios Store	Retail	The flagship store of the entire park, it offers a wide variety of themed collectibles, toys and apparel from all 7 zones. It will be really interesting to shop here as all the merchandise are all sold here at once
Hollywood	Superstar Candies	Retail	A candy store which focuses on selling sweets to visitors such as candy floss and homemade fudge.
Hollywood	Silver Screen Collectibles	Retail	A retail outlet offering celebrity photos and posters, collectibles, books, as well as Betty Boop™ themed souvenirs and apparel. A very good tie-in to the area and enhances the theme of the area.
Hollywood	Star Characters	Retail	A retail outlet selling exclusive merchandise of DreamWorks Animation characters like Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, Marty the Zebra and Melman the Giraffe and don't forget those crazy penguins. May not be the best location. I think it will fit better in the Madagascar land.
Hollywood	The Brown Derby	Retail	At Hollywood's famed hat-shaped landmark, guests can shop for headwear of all types including visors, character and novelty hats and wigs, Universal Studios® logo caps and other stylish lids. However, the real Brown Derby in LA is a food and beverage restaurant rather than a shop selling merchandise, so it would be interesting to see how Universal will pull the whole thing together.
Hollywood	That's a Wrap	Retail	A retail outlet by the theme park exit and pick up apparel, toys, novelty hats and other last minute souvenirs. Good idea to earn a few more bucks from visitors at the end of the day. However, the problem that may arise is that visitors, after spending a whole day at the park may not have the interest and the energy to visit another shop and buy something.
Hollywood	Mel's Drive-In	Food and Beverage	From the hit movie American Graffiti, this '50s drive-in serves up burgers and cokes the old-fashioned way and features golden oldies on the jukebox and delicious Burgers, Fries, Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Fingers, Onion Rings, Root Bear Floats and Frosty Milk Shakes.Nice building to add to the Hollywood atmosphere. I also think that the waterfront location of the restaurant is perfect and adds to the romantic ambiance of the restaurant.
Hollywood	Hollywood China Bistro	Food and Beverage	Guests and feast on traditional Cantonese cuisine with a modern twist in an art deco Chinese restaurant setting straight out of a Hollywood movie set. This will cater to the taste buds of the mainly Asian crowd at the Universal Studios Singapore. However, the question is: Will Asians want to eat another Asian cuisine in an American park, or will they want a more American food option?
Hollywood	Celebrity Café and Bakery	Food and Beverage	Guests can dine with stars over freshly-made sandwiches, puff pastry pies and classic desserts.

Adapted from Wikipedia

There are also street appearances in the Hollywood area. Here is my few favorite characters from the entire list of street characters in Universal Studios Singapore.

Frankenstein's Monster - One of the most famous movie characters in history, the creature is a sensitive, emotional being, which is depicted as mute. The creature discovers feelings through childlike interactions. The Monster is a symbol of a lumbering brute, with arms outstretched. This will add to the overall theming of the Mostrocity show.

Marilyn Monroe - The subtle, sexy American icon. Ties in very well with the golden age of Hollywood theme of the Hollywood area.

Charlie Chaplin The Oscar winning Silent Screen icon during The Tramp period of his career. Ties in very well with the golden age of Hollywood theme of the Hollywood area.

BeetleJuice - The “ghost with the most” possesses minds, bodies and souls - making him the ultimate puppet master. This obnoxious and slightly perverted "bio-exorcist” revels in his grotesque appearance. The character's history is a mystery; his age and even how he came to die remain unknown. Also fits in well with the Mostrocity show.

Betty Boop - With her sex symbol appeal, combined with girl-like persona, this vibrant young woman (with a childlike voice) has more heart than brains. It is a cartoon character that adds to the quirkiness of this area.

Adapted from Wikipedia

Watch out for new articles on the other lands.

Universal studios singapore admission price

2009-11-19T08:34:00.002+08:00

Continuing from yesterday...

The price for admission may seem a lot for a theme park, but in fact, the admission price is actually on par, if not lower than other theme parks around the world.

Here is a list for comparison:

Universal Studios Singapore S$66 (Non peak adult one day pass)
Universal Studios Osaka 5800 yen, about S$89.93 (Adult one day pass)
Universal Studios Orlando US$73, about S$101.12 (Adult one day pass)
Universal Studios Hollywood US$69, about S$95.58 (Buy one day get one free adult pass)

Hong Kong Disneyland, HK$350, about S$62.55 (Adult one day pass)
Hong Kong Ocean park, HK$250, about S$44.68 (Adult one day pass)

Escape theme park Singapore, S$17.70 (Adult one day pass)

So as you can see, the admission price for Universal Studios Singapore is on par with, or even cheaper than major theme parks such as the Universal Studios theme parks, Disney theme parks etc.

Universal studios singapore admission price

2009-11-18T19:50:00.003+08:00

The admission prices for Universal Studios Singapore is out. The ticket for Monday to Friday is S$66 for an adult, that is 13 and above, S$48 for a child, which is 4-11 years old, and S$ 32 for a senior citizen, that is age 65 and above.

On blackout dates, that is weekends, Public holidays, eve of public holidays and super-peak periods, the price is as follows: S$75 for an adult, S$ 52 for a child and S$36 for a senior citizen.

The price for a two-day pass is S$ 118 for adult, S$ 88 for a child and S$58 for a senior citizen. Special point to note is that two-day passes are for two consecutive days.

Express pass is S$ 30 for a weekday (non-school holidays & non Black-out dates), S$48 for a school holiday weekday, and S$ 68 for the weekends and black out dates. Express pass is an add-on option that allows you to "skip the queue" to all attractions. It is equivalent to fastpass in Disney parks around the world, but you will have to pay for the express pass. It is an add on, which means you need to buy the standard ticket first, and on top of that , buy this express pass to "skip the queue".

Universal Studios Singapore Hollywood area

2009-11-14T16:44:00.007+08:00

What we got VS what we could have gotten

2009-11-13T17:37:00.009+08:00

Before the announcement of Universal Studios Singapore map, we had a rumored list of attractions. Now as the confirmed list is out, it is interesting to note how many attractions survived the "cut" and how many did not make it.

Here is the rumored list dated 5th July:

* A yet to be named Dueling roller coaster, featuring an Inverted Track and a Sit Down Track
* Journey to Madagascar
* Dreamworks Digital Animation Studios
* Shrek 4-D
* Back To The Future: The Ride
* King Kong
* Revenge of the Mummy
* Incredible Hulk Coaster
* The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
* Jurassic Park River Adventure
* Twister...Ride it Out
* Waterworld
* The Fast and Furious-Tokyo Drift
* Wicked
* Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time
* Sesame Street 4-D
* E.T. Adventure
* Backdraft
* The Simpsons Ride

And this, is the confirmed list of attractions we got:

*Pantages Hollywood Theater
*Lights! Cameras! Action!
*Stage 28
*Battlestar Galactica Blue line
*Battlestar Galactica Red line
*Transformers
*Accelerator
*Revenge of Mummy
*Treasure Hunters
*Canopy Flyer
*Jurassic Park Rapids
*Waterworld
*Amber Rock Climb
*Dino Soarin'
*Shrek 4D
*Donkey Live!
*Enchanted Airways
*Magic Portion Spin
*Crate Adventure
*King Julien Beach go-round

So which are the attractions that got cut?

Dreamworks Animation Studios-
I would really like to see this attraction in the dreamworks area. This will allow us to have a peak into how Dreamworks make their movies, and get us all excited for the next big dreamworks movie. How cool is that!

Back to the future the ride-

For this attraction, I have heard mixed reviews. It has also been dated out in the other parks around the world and replaced by Simpsons. However, one thing I would like to see is that how they uses the IMAX dome to create the immersive experience. This would be so cool. But however, I do come to realise that Back to the future is a dated film, and not many people from the new generation know about it. Therefore, I applaud Universal Studios for cutting it from the final attraction list and replacing it with new, unseen attractions based on new movies.

King Kong-
For this attraction, I have no idea which version it will follow, whether the Kongfrontation version, or the new 4D version.

Kongfrontation-Guests ride on a tram and view the destruction by King Kong on New York, with a close encounter with King Kong.
4D version-The attraction will have Tour guests don 4-D glasses while the tram enters a sound stage.

Kongfrontation allows visitors to look at real recreated version of New York streets, with a real animatronics King Kong. While the new 4D version is cool as it combines film elements with physical ride system. As King Kong is always a classic, everyone will recognize it, and it will serve as a perfect fit for the New York Streets of Universal Studios Singapore, hence this ride will be on my wish list.

Incredible Hulk Coaster
This ride looks cool and is intense and it is based on a all time favorite marvel character. However, it is a huge bulky steel coaster and it may compete with the battlestar Galactica coaster if it is built.

Adventures of Spiderman
Just one word-Breathtaking. Such a pity we didn't get it. Here is a Youtube version of the ride:

Jurassic Park River Adventure
Well, we got the river rapids version of this ride, which is even better (I hope).

Twister Ride

Amazing technology, but based on an outdated movie. Feel no regret when it got cut.

Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift

I don't know what this ride is about, but I am visualizing it as a race car experience through the city streets. It would be so cool.

Wicked
A musical extravaganza based on Wizard of Oz, showing in the Japan Universal Studios. Although we did not get this attraction, we got the Universal Monsters Show.

Terminator 3D

Cool movie, really like to see it coming to Universal Studios Singapore. However, it may not really appeal to the younger generation or the older generation.

Sesame Street 4-D

This will really appeal to the younger age group, and a 4D show based on such a celebrated classic is worth seeing! Really sad that we did not get it. No attraction in Universal Studios Singapore now caters to the same age group as the Sesame Street attraction, so Universal Studios Singapore may not really cater to toddlers and preschoolers.

ET Adventure

Again, ET is a relatively old movie, and people may not be all that excited to see ET as a ride.

Backdraft

Not a recent movie, hence people may not remeber it or even know about it.

Simpsons Ride

Really fun filled ride, but somehow got cut in the process. This ride will cater to people of all generations and I really wish it will be built.

In conclusion, many of the unbuilt rides are all rides based on older movies and are not so up to date technologically as well. The reality is that in the film making business, movies that are only 10 years old are considered as old and only the new and headliner movies will capture the viewer's attention, hence the attractions in Universal Studios Singapore must be based on new and huge films to get people to better enjoy it.

Also, I applaud Universal Studios Singapore for not lifting existing rides wholesale, but instead taking on the challenge and designing new attractions that will cater to generations to come.

All pictures and artworks belongs to respective owners.

Putting Universal Studios Singapore on Sentosa into perspective

2009-10-26T16:38:00.006+08:00

Well, today I am doing a post on where Universal Studios Singapore is exactly, and putting it into perspective for all of you.

Why am I doing it? I figured out that those of you who don't live in Singapore wouldn't know where Universal Studios Singapore is going to be in and what significance it has for Singapore. So I am set to correct this from this moment onwards.

Universal Studios Singapore is located in Resort world at Sentosa at Sentosa island. So where and what is Sentosa? Sentosa is an island resort, off mainland Singapore, where there are attractions, hotels and sandy beaches for a weekend getaway. Here is the map. Sentosa shown in red.

So next question in your mind is: what is on Sentosa? Well, there are attractions, hotels and sandy beaches. Here is a map of Sentosa:

Click to enlarge.

So where is Universal Studios Singapore located? It is located on the area marked in light green on the map above, called Resort Wort at Sentosa.

So the story about Resort Wort at Sentosa is that it is a Integrated Resort built on the Island by Genting Singapore. It consists of Universal Studios Singapore, a casino, some hotels, and some other attraction. The link to official website here.

Well, I figured out that explaining would only make things more confusing, so here is a map of the Resort World at Sentosa:

So for those of you who think that Universal Studios Singapore is a independent project, it is not.

The blog posts will be continued...

All pictures belongs to respective companies and individuals.

Universal Studios Singapore park layout vs Island Of Adventure park layout (part 2)

2009-10-25T11:48:00.009+08:00

Continuing from yesterday...

There are many similarities between the Universal Studios Singapore and the IOA theme parks, some of them include general layout similarities, ride placement similarities etc.

Today, we will be looking at the similarities of the rides and the lands of Universal Studios Singapore and IOA. (For those who do not know what IOA is, it is a theme park built by Universal Studios in Florida.)

The general layout of both IOA and Universal Studios Singapore are all in the shape of the themed lands circling the lagoon, with a looping walkway connecting the lands, rather than a immersive "walk-in-and-disappear-into-the-back-alleys-and-sidewalks" layout of most of the disney theme parks. This layout of Universal Studios Singapore and IOA provides some advantages and some disadvantages.

IOA on top, USS below

The advantage is that you will never get lost in this setting, as you are always guides by the lagoon and walking in a loop around it. It also provides a open space in the middle of the park for people to be physically separated in different lands, but able to see what is happening in other lands. The central lagoon also provides a platform for a night time spectacular if Universal Studios Singapore chooses to have one.

But however, it also provides some disadvantages. Firstly, the lands are all located very close to each other, and there is no theming elements to conceal one land from the other. For example, it is possible to see the Sci-fi city with the Battlestar Galactica Coaster right by the side of an Ancient Egyptian temple in Universal Studios Singapore.

Ancient Egypt on the left, Sci fi city on the right.

Also, it is impossible to have a immersive experience in this layout as the lands are just a central street with buildings at the side, and you are going to walk right through the land, without getting swallowed into the land and linger in the land.

For example, in the Ancient Egypt land in Universal Studios Singapore, it is just simply a walkway connecting the Lost world land to the Sci fi city, walking right by a ancient Egyptian facade, and that's about it for that land, with no side walkways or areas concealed from the main walkway for people to explore.

Also, the Jurassic Park land in both theme parks are also similar in the rides and the layout, with both of them having a river ride, and childern's play area and a recreated Discovery Center from the movies.

IOA on top, USS below.

The lands of Universal Studios Singapore and IOA pare also similar. Let me draw the parallels:

USS vs IOA

Hollywood-Entrance == Port of Entry-Entrance
Sci fi city-Action movie based land == Super hero island-Action movie based land
Far far away-Children oriented land == Toon lagoon-Children Oriented land
Lost World-Jurassic Park Land == Jurassic Park-Jurassic Park Land
Far Far Away-Childern oriented land == Suess Landing-Children oriented land
Ancient Egypt-Myth/history based land == Lost Continent-Myth/history based land

Thats about it. More posts to come!

All artworks belong to respective companies.

Universal Studios Singapore park layout vs Islands Of Adventure park layout

2009-10-24T20:49:00.014+08:00

Today, I will be discussing about the park layout of USS, the similarities with other theme parks and the uniqueness of the layout.

The seven themed lands of USS will encircle a central lagoon. The entrance to the park will be located at the Hollywood themed area. Immediately, when I saw this layout, Universal's Islands of Adventure came into my mind. For those of you who don't know what Islands of Adventure is, it is a theme park built by Universal Studios in Florida.

Here is a map for a side by side comparison:

Islands of Adventure on top, USS on the below.

Well, they are all similar in the sense that they all encircle a lagoon with different lands and rides on the "shores". Also, the entrance are all similar as they are all a single avenue leading into the park.

IOA's entrance above, USS's entrance on the right.

Also, one interesting point to note is that the theme parks both have a Jurassic Park themed land on the opposite side of the lagoon from the entrance, with the Discovery Centre and the main focal point of the whole park.

IOA on top, USS below.

Also, they do have a dueling roller coaster on the top right of the park, adding as a visual icon to draw visitors into the back section of the park.

IOA on top, USS below

Thats all for today, more to come tomorrow.

All artworks belong to respective companies and individuals.

News - 24 Oct 2009

2009-10-24T20:47:00.000+08:00

Spielberg's Universal Studios Singapore`not competing' with Disney

by Mary Ann Benitez
The Standard

Hollywood producer and director Steven Spielberg lent his hand to boost the profile of upcoming Universal Studios Singapore as the city-state tries to drum up Hong Kong interest in the project.

Spielberg helped create the theme park - part of a bigger integrated Resorts World - which, its backers claim, will not compete with Hong Kong Disneyland.

Featuring 24 rides and attractions, the US$4.4 billion (HK$34.32 billion) resort, developed on Sentosa Island, will open in the first quarter of next year and it expects to attract 13 million visitors within its first 12 months.

In a five-minute video clip, Spielberg said.

"I am excited to help create Universal Studios Singapore ... a spectacular destination for the people of the region and the people of the world ... a place where our imagination becomes world reality," he said.

"Universal gives the people an opportunity to ride the movies."

Universal Studios Singapore will have attractions based on movies such as Jurassic Park, Shrek and Waterworld.

"I am particularly excited about the DreamWorks Animated theme lands of Far, Far Away and Madagascar," he said. Visitors "will be put inside, making them the superstars. These memories can last a lifetime."

Edward Koh Boon Wee, chief representative regional director for Greater China of the Singapore Tourism Board, said Hong Kong is an important market for the city-state.

More than 300,000 Hongkongers visit Singapore each year. "They like to go to Singapore for
food, shopping and buying our local products. I hope the integrated resorts will give them more entertainment options to stay another day, another night on the island," Koh said.

Universal Studios Singapore will target Asia as its key market.

"We call it the integrated resort and it is all encompassing. It is similar to the positioning of Singapore as a global leisure destination and a convention and services city of Asia," he said.

Koh does not think it will compete directly with Disneyland because they are "very different propositions."

Universal Studios Singapore Map details

2009-10-23T17:43:00.000+08:00

The map detail of USS have been out and posted on the official website of Resort World at Sentosa at http://www.rwsentosa.com/USS_map_Eng/en_map-uss.html

Anyway, here is the map of USS

USS will be opening with 24 rides and shows in 7 distinct theme zones, which are New York, Hollywood, Ancient Egypt, Sci-fi city, Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar.

On following posts, I will be discussing about the park's layout in detail, as well as introducing each of the themed lands and rides, and also discussing about Resort World Sentosa as a whole.

So look out for more coming your way!

Artwork belongs to respective companies and individuals.

Welcome and some house keeping

2009-10-23T17:32:00.001+08:00

Welcome to ussingapore blog!

This blog will be dedicated to Universal Studios Singapore, and is a fansite. You can expect detailed ride reviews, pictures, concept art, news and more to come on ussingapore blog.

So watch out for this space!

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