• By Travelspoc

Lights, Camera, Action – Let’s Begin Universal Studios – Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It features 28 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It was a key component of the Genting Group’s bid for the right to build Singapore’s second integrated resort. On 8 December 2006, the Singapore government announced that the consortium had won the bid. Construction of the theme park and the rest of the resort started on 19 April 2007. It is the second Universal Studios theme park to open in Asia – Japan being the first, and the first in Southeast Asia. The official plans for the park were unveiled to the public when Universal Studios Singapore released a park map to the public on 20 October 2009. Universal Studios Singapore attracted more than 2 million visitors in the 9 months from its opening. The park has been marketed by Universal Parks & Resorts as a “one-of-its-kind theme park in Asia” and promised that the park would be the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia for the next 30 years.

Universal Studios Singapore is 20 hectares (49 acres) in size, occupying the easternmost part of the 49-hectare (120-acre) Resorts World Sentosa. There are a total of 24 attractions, of which 18 are original or specially adapted for the park.The park consists of seven themed zones surrounding a lagoon. Each zone is mostly based on movies and/or television, featuring their own attractions, meet and greet locations, over 30 restaurants and food carts, and 20 retail stores and carts located around the park. Singapore’s only movie-theme park features 24 rides and attractions, including a pair of dueling coasters that brush past one another in several near misses in their aerial combat. Thrill-seekers can choose between a coaster where they are seated or the other where riders are suspended. Exciting loops, sudden turns, breathtaking drops and thrilling near-collisions will make you scream your heart out. Dinosaurs, lemurs, ogres and Egyptian mummies add to the thrills and adventures. With 18 attractions created or redesigned for Singapore, Universal Studios Singapore promises an experience that you will not forget. Laughter and screams are heard around every corner, and lasting memories are made every day. Themed dining and shops are available.

Zone 1 – Hollywood

Hollywood zone will acquaint you with the glamorous world of Hollywood where you will come across gorgeous art nouveau buildings of 1940s. The streets are lined up with a plethora of unique shops and restaurants.

The Main Attractions in Hollywood :

Lake Hollywood Spectacular: Spectacular fireworks glaze the sky with bright lights. Good and uplifting music score is played throughout the firework show. Definitely not to miss out on.

Hollywood Walk of Fame: From the glamorous Marilyn Monroe to Audrey Hepburn, a meet and greet session with the most famous superstars along the Hollywood boulevard will leave you star struck. Click a few pictures with Sesame, Minions and may more Universal movie stars.

Minion Mart: Buy minion toys, posters, merchandise and a lot more. The store is insipired by the famous Minion movie franchise produced by Universal Studios.

Hollywood China Bistro: One of the most famous eateries in the theme park. Enjoy lip-smacking Chinese food amidst a warm ambiance.

Universal Studio Store: You can buy any article associated with Universal Studios all under one roof. This huge store is a dream come true for the fans and a must-visit.

 

Zone 2 – New York

This zone takes you back in the classic New York of 1940s with cobbled-stoned streets and faux gas lamps. Here you step on to a movie-set that replicates the Big Apple.

The main Attractions in New York :

Lights Camera Action!: A Steven Spielberg masterpiece, it is a show that follows a story of Hurricane hitting New York. It has the right flavours like every Universal Studio movie.

Sesame street spaghetti space chase: A thrilling ride that is surely not to miss out on for the adrenaline rush. Sesame Street characters and special effects complete this ride.

Big Bird’s Emporium: A store that has all the sesame street characters related products on sale.

Loui’s NY Pizza Parlor: This is your destination if you crave the classic NY style pizza. Pick the best of authentic Italian pizzas that are served in variations.

Zone 3 – Sci-fi City

At the Universal Studios in Singapore you can explore the fabulous world of Sci-fi City, a perfect place for science fiction lovers. This is where you will experience next generation 4D motion-base thrill ride – The Transformers.

The main Attractions in Sci-Fi City :

Battlestar Galactica – Human or Cyclone: This is the tallest dueling roller coasters in the world at 42.5 m height. It is designed for optimum adrenaline rush with its diversions and loops. This is biggest challenge of all the 24 attractions and certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Transformers – The Ride: A 4-D ride that takes you through all the dark, spooky loops and whirls. Apart from the 4-D effects, several other special effects like fog, water, warm air and many more are used to give a full-fledged end to the fun ride.

Starbot Cafe: Starbot cafe is a cafe that serves great soulful food. Hog on junk food and the best soft-serve ice creams.

Accelerators: A ride that can be equally enjoyed by the adults, senior citizens as well as the kids. Keeping up with the tradition of loops and turns, Accelerator is not as scary.

Zone – 4 – Ancient Egypt

After spinning on the exhilarating rides of Sci-fi world, step into the world of ancient Egypt. It’s a haven for archaeology lovers and Egyptologists. Explore the buried treasures of The Mummy and hog on the spicy Mediterranean and Malay cuisine at Oasis Spice Café.

The main Attraction of Ancient Egypt :

Revenge of the Mummy Roller Coaster Ride: Inspired by The Mummy movie franchise, this ride includes all the elements of the movie. From dim lighting effect to variations in track, it is a complete adventure ride.

Treasure Hunters: Discover treasures and mysterious artefacts of Ancient Egypt with Treasure hunt. Hop on the ride and explore Egyptian replicas and vintage car models.

Zone – 5 – Jurassic Park Singapore – The Lost World3

Now step into The Lost World to go further back in time for prehistoric adventures.  The rides and activities are majorly based on the two most popular movies ever – Jurassic Park and Waterworld. It features a lot of dining and shopping options too.

The main Attraction of The Lost World :

The Jurassic Park River Rapids: The ride is based on the concept of the Jurassic Park and will drift, rush, and plummet you through the river rapids. Riders start at a structure similar to the one seen in the Jurassic Park River Adventure. The ride starts swiftly and then suddenly flash floods hits and that’s when things go terribly thrilling. The rides pass through various jungles and terrains surpassing different dinosaurs along the way. This water-based Jurassic Park ride is full of entertainment packed with plenty of tension and scares.

Amber Rock Climb : A vertical wall studded with Dinosaurs skeletons, suitable for novice and expert climbers. There is a pint-sized wall for kids too.

Dino-soaring and Canopy flyer : While Dino-soaring will let you ride your own dinosaur and controls its vertical movement, the flying Canopy will let you fly high and offer a bird’s eye view of “The Lost World”.

Water World : Water world packs the action extravaganza, especially for the die-hard stunt fans. The aerial acrobatics, explosions, boat and Jet Ski stunts will get your jaws dropped in amusement.

Zone – 6 – Far Far Away

From The Lost World to the world of fairy tales, Far Far Away will take you to the whimsical world of Shrek. It will bring the magical home of Princess Fiona with its towering castle and cobbled-stone streets to life.

The main Attractions of Far Far Away :

Puss in Boots Giant Journey: A theme-based roller coaster ride that takes you on a journey with Puss in Boots, an iconic Universal character. Search for the eggs with the mighty cat, and save the orphanage.

Fairy Godmothers potion shop and juice bar: Two different stores that sell magical juices and magic words written on exotic articles. This is the closest you could ever be with the magical world of Shrek.

Donkey Live: A show that allows the crowd to intimately interact with the digital puppet. This is a hit amongst the younger crowds.

Shrek 4-D adventure: The typical story of Shrek on a journey to find Princess Fiona wins hearts every time. This is a 3-D show with added effects to enhance the overall experience.

Zone – 7 – Madagascar

Madagascar is a mega blockbuster that depicts stories of animals who escaped zoo and go on an adventure to find their true habitat. Indulge and relive the exotic jungle life in the ‘Madagascar zone’.

The main Attractions in Madagascar :

Madagascar – A Crate of Adventure: Listen to the voices of David Schwimmer, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith while you go on a river boat journey. What make this a star attraction IS the sound effects and extremely complex technological advancements that make the experience as real as possible.

King Julien’s Beach party-go-round: This is a very simple merry go round ride that involves all the Madagascar characters.

Gloria’s snack shack: A Japanese food serving eatery, Gloria’s shack is hosted by Gloria the hippo (a character in Madagascar).

How to get to Universal Studios?

Universal Studios is situated in Sentosa Island. It is really easy to reach this destination, as it is well connected to all the transportation facilities available in Singapore.

MRT (Mass Rapid Transit): MRT is the cheapest way to get to Universal Studios. From Bugis MRT Station, take the train to Outram Park MRT Station, alight and transfer train to Harbour Front MRT Station. From Harbour Front you can choose to take bus at the bus interchange or monrail at vivo city level 3 into USS.

Bus: There are many buses that halt at Vivocity, Merrill Lynch, Harbourfront. Take the buses and reach your destination, i.e., Resorts World Sentosa.

Monorail: Take a Sentosa express monorail from Imbiah Lookout. To reach Imbiah Lookout, board a cable car from Harbourfront II.  Sentosa express monorail will halt at Waterfront station.  Directly Head towards Universal Studio hereafter.

Shuttle: If you are a tourist, make sure you show your passport while boarding the bus that will directlt take you to universal studios. The theme park provides this service for free for all the tourists.

Taxi: Getting a cab is the easiest way to reach Universal Studio.