phaNtasmagoria: Nuances of Life: Exhilarating Universal Studios Singapore

Once arriving in Singapore, we were lucky to have come upon a bus that could take us all the way to the U.S.S. The driver asked for SGD5.00 each. We were really grateful for the convenience anyway. I was amused as throughout the journey we were serenaded with classics Chinese songs & even K-rin got her head swaying happily to the rhythm after some time :D

Oh yea, passengers would need to disembark midst of the journey before reaching Singapore for passport & luggage checking (forgot la the name of the station :p At Woodlands la kot)

Once we were up the escalator & saw a whole new 'world' there (excited habih! hehe), we went to find if we could store our backpacks as we roam the place. For want of a systematic & convenient journey, we had decided to go to the U.S.S first before checking in to The Hive, hence with our backpacks & all (though we haven't the clearest idea of where it is situated, thought of having fun first :p). However, we found out that we would have to pay SGD18.00 for a certain amount of time. We thought better of it & decided to literally went backpacking through U.S.S!? Haha...

The Studio Guide was very handy for us to decide on where & what to venture, plus to ascertain halal food outlets. It's available prior to entering the Studio. Remember not to just barge to any food outlets you see including on the streets there. As of last weekend, there are only 6 halal certified food outlets in U.S.S. There's also indications for healthier choice outlets.

Far Far Away Castle

Madagascar ship

Lights! Camera! Actions!

Street performance

Sci Fi City

at Ancient Egypt

Variety of Arab dishes, buffeteria style

the Accelerator

Caution: You WILL get Wet


"Eudaimonia Struts" ;)

There are mainly 7 attractions in the U.S.S.;

Far Far Away - e.g. Shrek 4-D Adventure, Enchanted Airways.
Madagascar- e.g. Madagascar: A Crate Adventure.
Hollywood - e.g. Universal Studio Store, Pantages Hollywood Theatre, The Brown Derby, Mel's Drive In.
New York - e.g. Lights! Camera! Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg.
Sci Fi City - e.g. Accelerator.
Ancient Egypt - e.g. Revenge of the Mummy, Oasis Spice Cafe.
Lost World - e.g. Canopy Flyer, Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure.

Each attraction/place comprises of the attractions/activities, merchandise & food and beverages. Luckily we managed to go to all 7 places though we made selections on certain rides/activities to enjoy. We were there from about 1.30pm to 10pm. Totally fulfilling; joyrides, thrill rides, aching walks, wobbling waits and all! hehe... If you don't want to spend the time waiting in line, you could pay extra to purchase the Universal Express ticket. We figured the time we spent waiting in line to enjoy some rides were abt 3 hours in whole. But it was worth it :)

inside Mel's Drive In

The attractions/rides highlighted above were where we managed to venture. There are some places/ activities not mentioned in the online interactive map though e.g. the merchandise outlets along New York Street and the Street performance towards the Sci Fi City.

However, people do need to read and be aware of the warning signs posted at risky rides attractions. We had seen people leaving the waiting lines after reading and considering the risks displayed on the notice as well as displayed videos. It could be a wise choice for them as even after the 1st thrill ride of the Enchanted Airways, our 2 friends decided not to board anymore roller-coaster-like rides except K-rin & I. Revenge of the Mummy ride proved the top for me as I nearly choked myself and even imagined having a locked-jaw at certain point :p

I had to reject Kay's plea to board the Battlestar Galactica: Human & Battlestar Galactica: Cylon; the world's tallest pair of dueling roller-coasters. They are the only attractions with warning in red label written on the hand Guide (tho' other rides have abt the same warnings too);

"...is a high-speed turbulent roller coaster that includes sudden and dramatic acceleration, climbing, lifting and dropping. Guests should be in good physical health to experience this attraction".

So sorry la K-rin... After all the other rides, I felt like I could die on this one or suffer a stroke or break my neck...?! Anyway, Kay's determined to board it the next time with other friends, hehe... Good luck Kay!

Oh, some worth-buying merchandise would be the SGD3.90 per piece colourful character fridge magnet (along New York Street) & the SGD11.90 'potion bottle' drink at most outlets there (with a U.S.S character image print). If you have a tight budget that is. Otherwise, go spree.