USS Christmas 2015: Santa's All Star Christmas

Every year, Universal Studios Singapore transforms itself into a winter wonderland. with beautiful decorations, Christmas themed shows and, of course, fireworks. 2015 is no exception. In conjunction with RWS 5th anniversary, the 2015 USS Christmas event is bigger, grander and more exciting than ever before. In fact, there are not 2, but 3 Christmas themed shows this year, and I must say that the quality of the shows have improved noticeably from 2014.

Riding Battlestar Galactica: CYLON for the very first time!

Brothers and sisters, let me begin by saying that I have never taken any upside down ride before. So, this post can be quite useful for those of you taking upside down roller coasters for the first time. For the rest of you, I will cover in detail the experience of Battlestar Galactica: Cylon, possibly the most intense ride at USS (some people, including at least one RWS staff tell me Human is scarier).

USS Halloween Horror Nights 2015 Decorations is UP!

Hi guys, I stopped by again at USS a couple of days back, and guess what I saw? New York City is being transformed into a giant contaminated city with dead birds. Of course, RWS is never shy about the fact that all these are in preparation for Halloween Horror Nights 2015, one of the largest Halloween Events in Singapore!

6 Funny and Strange Moments Witnessed on Roller Coasters

Roller Coasters are a form of entertainment, alongside movies, music... However, the behavior of some people on roller coasters can be just as amusing as the rides themselves. In this blog post, I shall cover some of the strangest, wackiest and funniest moments I personally witnessed on Roller Coasters. Yes! All the incidents mentioned here are real!

Priceless facial expressions are just one of many funny things people do on Roller Coasters!

Battlestar Galactica is BACK with a Vengeance!

After completing 1 year and 10 months of National Service (ahem ahem), Battlestar Galactica is finally back on May 27 2015. The new version features 2 abreast seats which offers a greater sense of freedom and operates 2 trains per side. In the meantime, we can only hope that the other roller coasters in USS  (as well as our MRT lines) are exempted from National Breakdown Service.

USS New Ride 2016/2017

Even though Puss in Boots’ Giant Journey just opened in USS this month, there is no doubt that the USS team is already working on its next big thing. With a shortage of available land, the next attraction is likely to be very compact. Nonetheless, I can assure you that USS has reserved land for at least 2 more new attractions.

Puss in Boots' Giant Journey is the most recent new ride of USS. It opened in April 2015

Puss in Boots’ Giant Journey: USS new Roller Coaster

Puss in Boots’ Giant Journey opened last Wednesday, 8 April, as the sixth roller coaster in Universal Studios Singapore (USS). In true Universal style, this new ride has good landscaping and a distinct storyline. As a guest, you are enrolled by Puss and Kitty to search for hidden treasurers, while evading, of all things, a giant duck!!??

Puss in Boots' Giant Journey is the newest addition to Universal Studios Singapore!

USS Chinese New Year Update February 2015

Universal Studios Singapore has been gradually adding Chinese New Year decoration to the Hollywood and New York area since mid-January. For those non-Singaporeans, Chinese New Year is a holiday celebrated by Chinese all around the world. Festivities occur on the first month of the lunar calender and last 15 days. In fact, it is the only Universal Studios Theme Park to celebrate Chinese New Year. Even though there will be no Ang-Pao (red packet) in 2015, the festive spirit is still there with extensive decoration, special dining and seasonal offers.

How to enjoy USS when it is raining?

When it comes to rain, all that I hear are complaints. From TripAdvisor to Theme Park Review and every blog in between, rain seems like the ultimate nemesis that devours all enjoyment you can find at Universal Studios Singapore. However, is that really true?

In my over 20 trips to USS, I encountered rain of all manners and intensities, thunder and lightning and scorching sun. I can assure you that there are ways to enjoy USS even while it is raining. In this blog post, as inspired from a friend, I will show you how in this rather long post. Let me get this straight, this blog post is to guide you what to do to make the most of a rainy day. I am not trying to tell you to search for a rainy day to go USS.

Dark Clouds loom over the new Puss in Boots Roller Coaster at USS. Its time to take shelter!

Top 5 New Attractions in Singapore 2015

2015 is a significant year in Singapore's history. It is Singapore's 50th Birthday! With over 15 million visitors a year (Source: STB) and tourist receipts worth over $23.5billion, tourism and attractions is definetely an important part of Singapore economy. This year, there will be several new attractions. But before we begin, let us have a look at some attractions that opened in 2014:

• June 2014: Trick Eye Museum
• September 2014: The Dance for the Magic Beans, USS
• October 2014: Madame Tussauds Singapore
• December 2014: Images of Singapore Live

The 2015 Lineup of new attractions is relatively balanced with new offerings for families, academics and nature lovers alike. Here is the list of the top 5. All concept art images courtesy of the respective attractions and The Straits Times.

5) 3 New Roller Coasters, USS

Well, 2 of them are not exactly new. There has been much speculation about the return date of Battlestar Galactica Roller Coaster but RWS promised that it will be early this year. As part of the attraction review, there are some significant changes to the ride experience such as new trim brakes at strategic locations, a faster launch (maybe due to lighter trains) and most significantly, new seating configuration for the trains.

Now, both Cylon and Human are being tested though they are tested one side at a time

The third Roller Coaster is definetely new. Puss in Boots and the Giant Journey is a suspended swinging coaster that has been under construction since June last year. The landscaping looks not bad now that the construction is done and lets keep our fingers crossed that it will live up to the Universal brand.

Construction of Puss in Boots and the Giant Journey is complete as of 4 Jan 2014

4) National Gallery Singapore

Nested at the former Supreme Court building, this 64000 square meter complex will focus on Southeast Asian Art from the 19th century to the present day. National Gallery Singapore actually is one of major national highlights in 2015, alongside the SG50 series of community events and South East Asian Games. It is aimed to strengthen Singapore’s role as a regional and inter­na­tional hub for visual arts.

National Gallery exterior concept art.

Concept art for the interior shows a much more modern design than existing museums like the Asian Civilisations Museum.

This museum sports a modern interior.

3) Costa Sands Resort, Downtown East

This iconic chalet in the heartlands of Singapore is popular among young locals, particularly students. It is the site of many class, interest group and company outings and is part of the Downtown East lifestyle center which includes extensive dining and shopping options as well as a water park.

Since 2012, construction was underway for a new Costa Sands Resort that will feature more rooms and more extensive recreational facilities. This will also free up new land for an expansion of Wild Wild Wet water park. However, the resort seems to be very hotel like, with mid-rise accomodation blocks. This means barbequing just outside the hotel room, a favourite pasttime for this resort, will be lost.

Concept model showing new Costa Sands Downtown East (right) and Wild Wild Wet Expansion (left)

2) Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve expansion

Most people will not view Singapore as a nature lover's paradise, but there are still pockets of outdoors left to explore. Among them is Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve, a wildlife reserve that showcases the tropical mangrove habitat. This 202 hectare park got a makeover in December 2014 which includes new boardwalks, observation platforms and an upgraded visitor's center.

Concept art by CPG Architects.

Actual photo of new viewing gallery taken by The Straits Times

As with all of Singapore's wildlife attractions, the structures are made of natural materials whenever possible and is designed to blend well with the environment. Unfortunately, few tour groups if any offer tours to this beautiful attraction, so getting there will be quite a challenge.

1) Kidzania Singapore

There has been a recent shift towards more family friendly attractions in Singapore, from the massive Sesame Street expansion in USS to the opening of Port of Lost Wonder at Sentosa in 2013. Now, Singapore is going 1 step further with the opening of Kidzania in April 2015. This iconic family edutainment center will allow kids to role play as adults and live and work like in a real city.

In fact, Kidzania is only 1 part of a larger family entertainment center which will include some dining and retail outlets and possibly other indoor family oriented attractions. This is a good addition as it gives kids an insight into careers at an early age allowing them to consider and work towards their desired futures. After all, playing is the most effective form of learning.

Currently, the nearest Kidzania is at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and it is well received by locals and Singaporeans alike.

Conclusion

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. There are many other new attractions such as the new Cable Car in Sentosa, and possibly many others that are still not announced yet (after all, Trick Eye Museum was only announced in March 2014, 3 months before opening). Let's keep watch and hope that more exciting new attractions await us in 2015 and beyond.

USS Christmas Update 1 December 2014

I remember, in the old days, when everyone swarmed to Orchard Road when it was Christmas Season. Now in 2014, there are so many alternatives, from Christmas at Garden's by the Bay to Sentosa's Playcation. However, Christmas at Santa's Land at Universal Studios Singapore (USS) is one of the best holiday events in the country.

At USS Christmas 2014, snow will fall in New York street every hour, and you will get to meet dozens of Christmas characters like Elf and Candy Cane, the Toy Soldiers and, of course, Santa himself. Decoration is well done and even better at night, so I suggest you make full use of the extended operating hours till 9pm. So lets call "Ho Ho Ho" at USS Christmas 2014!

9 Most Family Friendly Attractions in Singapore

When most people think of a holiday to Singapore, they think of food, shopping and maybe some culture and heritage. But today, we are going to focus our attention of family-friendly attractions. You may think it is as simple as adding a children's playground or kid-friendly shows, but I can assure that there is much more than that. Let's explore the 9 premier family friendly attractions in Singapore. You may even be surprised at some of the attractions that make the list!

Analysis of RWS Invites Attraction Pass

Since September, Resorts World Sentosa replaced its annual pass with a new RWS Invites Attractions pass to its 3 main attractions - SEA Aquarium, Universal Studios Singapore and Adventure Cove Waterpark. RWS Invites Attractions basically seeks to combine the existing annual passes and RWS Invites into a single package. Because of this change, RWS no longer offers standard annual passes to all 3 attractions, though standard 6 month Season Passes are still offered.

USS Has Grown Up, with Magic Beans to Share

The thing that makes parks like Universal Studios Singapore (USS) stand out is the shows. Where most rides focus on rides, Disney, Universal and other movie brands attempt to achieve a fine balance between rides and shows. This evidence is in full display at USS, as the park unveils 2 new, exciting and interactive shows that will please the whole family.

 Sesame Street theme stage show When I Grow Up just replaced Monster Rock at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre

As part of the Puss in Boots expansion, The Dance for the Magic Beans is a street show at Far Far Away

USS Update 1 September 2014

USS Update August 2014

There are a lot of things to discover this month in USS. For one, the park has just hosted a media preview of their highly popular Halloween Horror Nights. Also, just 2 days ago (30 July), RWScoop (The RWS Official Blog) officially announced that the new ride under construction at Far Far Away will be called Puss in Boots and the Giant Journey, slated to open at the end of this year.

Here are the latest construction update photos for this attraction:

Democracy is more TERRIFYING than you imagine!

In the year 2011, Gonah Goodwill connected the world into a single grid. In 2012, this person brought about the complete disarmament of all nuclear weapons in the world (please don't ask if it includes North Korea). In 2013, he was elected as the leader of all Africa and Australia. He was the bringer of hope, unity to the world. He upheld democracy, our ideal of freedom. What could possibly go wrong?

Battlestar Galactica WILL be coming back!

Update: 9 November 2014

USS has begun to test the Battlestar Galactica roller coaster once again, signifying that the ride will be reopening very soon. In fact, a statement by Building and Construction Authority who administers amusement park rides in Singapore says that they had issued a modification permit for the Cylon side in October this year.

The ride feels so empty with only 1 side being tested. 

Hong Kong Disneyland vs Universal Studios Singapore

When it comes to Asia Pacific Theme Parks, few can match the popularity and quality of Universal Studios Singapore (USS) and Hong Kong Disneyland. Both are tied to world renown movie studios and boast a wide array of family friendly attractions. USS, being younger of the 2, is located within a Casino Resort called Resorts World Sentosa, which includes a waterpark, casino, convention centre and 5 resort hotels, while Hong Kong Disney is part of its own resort with a recreational lake and 2 hotels.

Visually Challenged fan evaluates Universal Studios Singapore

Hi, I'm writing based on my personal view as a person with special needs (visually impaired) when going to theme parks. Basically, so far, as i can remember, i had been to 2 theme parks. One is in Genting and one is USS. Let's not talk about the one at Genting as i do not have much memories about it because i went thereat the age of 12.