Universal Studios Singapore: Maximize Your Theme Park Experience with the Express Pass
November 22, 2015 was a red letter day for me because I spent the whole day in Universal Studios Singapore. Don’t get me wrong. This is already my third time visiting Southeast Asia’s grandest theme park. But this time around, we got complimentary entrance tickets with the Universal Express Pass to boot and it’s awesome!
So what is the Universal Express Pass? It’s an add-on to your ticket which will give you the power/privilege to skip the regular queues at all your favorite rides and attractions. By showing the special coupon, you will have access to a separate queue with a shorter wait time at each participating attraction.
That’s why during my third time in USS, I was able to maximize my theme park experience. In the first half of the day, I already rode almost all the rides. I skipped the Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cyclon because I’m not sure if I’m ready to brace this extreme ride.
I admit, I chickened out a bit! Being tagged as the “World’s Tallest Dueling Roller Coasters” intimidated me.
Anyway, let me tour you to the rides and attractions that I did experience. Around 99% of the theme park as a matter of fact. Thanks again to the Universal Express Pass. 🙂
Universal Studios Singapore has 7 divisions: Hollywood, New York, Sci-fi City, Ancient Egypt, Far Far Away, Lost World and Madagascar.
Right after the entrance gate, you will step onto Hollywood Boulevard. This is where I met the Minions.
There’s a newly opened Minion Mart in this area that sells all kinds of Minions products and merchandise.
The Sesame Street Show and Mel’s Drive-Inn are also located here. And if you want to have a selfie with your favorite Dreamworks/Universal characters, hang out at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and wait for Woody Woodpecker, Marilyn Monroe, Shrek and Fiona, and more to appear!
Had a photo op with Woodie and Winnie Woodpecker.
After Hollywood, we turned left to Madagascar and had a photo op with the Penguins.
We embarked on a relaxing boat ride at the Madagascar: A Crate Adventure featuring Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria and the rest of the gang.
Two other must-experience attraction in Madagascar are King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round and Madagascar Boogie.
And when you see Shrek’s tree house, you will know that you’re about to enter Far Far Away.
Yup, Disneyland is not the only theme park with a castle.
The first attraction that we tried in this zone is the Shrek 4-D Adventure. It features Princess Fiona and Shrek on a honeymoon adventure that picks up where the first “Shrek” movie left off, through an original 3-D film. Actually, this is my third time watching this and it never gets old.
Then I rushed to “Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey” and I believe it’s a new ride because I did not see this the last time I went in USS. It’s the world’s first Puss In Boots Roller Coaster and it’s awesome! I can’t recommend this, though, to those who have fear of heights.
Other attractions in Far Far Away are the “Enchanted Airways,” “Magic Potion Spin” (a ferris wheel for children), and “Donkey LIVE” (interactive live show similar to “Stitch” in Disneyland).
Next stop: The Lost World.
I was excited to ride the Canopy Flyer for the first time. I wasn’t able to try this the last time because of the long queue. This time, with the Express Pass, it only took me less than 2 minutes before I got a seat!
Another must-experience in The Lost World is the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure. A word of caution if you want to try this: you will get wet!
But getting wet with this ride is all worth it!
And because I got hungry after the rides in The Lost World, I spotted the Pop-Cornasaurus van and bought some snacks.
After recharging, I’ve done some Dino-Soarin’ and…
…picture taking with these humongous T-rex dinosaurs.
Next stop: Ancient Egypt. It’s also my first time to experience “Revenge of the Mummy,” a combination of horror house and roller coaster.
I must say, this is the scariest ride I’ve ever had because it triggers the fear of the unknown. The Mummy did not scare me, but the roller coaster plunging in total darkness did!
Other attraction in Ancient Egypt is “Treasure Hunters,” a desert jeep ride for kids.
You can meet the Egyptian Royalty here for a photo op.
A few steps and we arrived in Sci-Fi City!
Before we take the “Transformers The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle” for the third time (a personal favorite), had some snaps with the beloved autobot–Bumble Bee!
Here’s a shot inside the “Transformers” dark ride:
This is the attraction that you should not miss when you go to USS. Forget the rest, ride this one first! The concept is similar to “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” in Universal Studios Osaka which I experienced March of this year.
I bought an Optimus Prime plush toy as a souvenir. It’s a little pricey but what the heck, we got here for free so might as well splurge on souvenirs. 🙂
Other attractions in Sci-Fi City include “Accelerator” (a sci-fi tea cups), “Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN (red track) and “Battlestar Galactica: CYCLON (blue track).
The last zone in USS is “New York.” The must-see attraction here is “Lights, Camera, Action!” where Steven Spielberg will show you how special effects are made.
By the way, there’s a Christmas Alley in New York.
And since the setting of Sesame Street is in New York, you can strike a pose with Elmo, Oscar, Big Bird and other characters in this zone. Other attraction in New York is the Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase.
And since New York is the last zone, we strolled the whole park once last time before we exit to THE “globe.” A visit to a Universal Studios theme park will not be complete without a photo op with the iconic globe.
One-Day Pass to Universal Studios Singapore is S$74 (PhP 2,458.00) for teens and adults ages 13 to 59, S$54 (PhP 1,793.00) for kids ages 4 to 12, and S$36 (PhP 1,195.00) for Senior Citizens 60 years old and above.
As an add-on, purchase the Universal Express Pass to maximize your USS experience. Price starts from S$30.
For more details about Universal Studios Singapore, visit www.rwsentosa.com.
Pogi pala ni blogger
Weh ano ngayon?