We set aside one single day for Sentosa, and Universal Studios both. That was a mistake. We missed out on Sentosa; another reason, of me finding myself in Singapore again someday. You cannot possibly hope to cover both, Sentosa, and Universal Studios in the same day; not unless you plan on skipping much of what Universal Studios has to offer. Even in if that’s the case, keep aside a whole day for Sentosa, if you’re not put-up in the vicinity or staying at the Hotel in Universal Studios. Right off the bat, if you’re planning on visiting Universal Studios in Singapore, I highly recommend leaving as early as possible. If the queues to the rides don’t get you, the hot-humid-weatherly afternoon will.
With that all being said, we left early, but not as early as we’d hoped for. On arriving, I dearly wanted to have some tea, and there was a Toast Box outlet there at Universal Studios. With me wanting to have tea, we all decided to have breakfast there too, before proceeding to enter the amusement-theme park. That got us in a little more later than we’d planned.
Looks very, very western.
Once inside, it was built like hollywood. We were all greeted by my favorite Alan Silvestri’s composition from BTTF. I was all smiles, from ear to ear. Nothing to get you started at a theme park than the famous composition from BTTF! Yes!
Singapore Travels: Universal Studio, Singapore.
The first ride we got into was one from Kermit. Total waste of time! We’re expecting it to be more dramatic, the way they strap you in; instead, it was a total flop of a ride! Maybe it was planned that way, who knows? Anyhoo, we proceeded with trying to find a worthy ride. The friend who had helped us get discounts for the tickets to Universal Studios had had mentioned that the best ride there is the Transformers — The Ride — that’s what it’s called. And, sure enough it was one of the best, but not quite the best, if I may. The best was, in my opinion, the Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cylon roller coaster ride. And, it was all it is made to seem. And, of course, Battlestar Galactica! Even if it wasn’t worth the time, I would never mention that here, because Battlestar Galactica!
The Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cylon roller coaster is actually a set of two roller coasters intertwined ever so slightly with each other. You have to choose a side. You can either pick the Human side or the Cylon side. Naturally so, if you’ve followed the series, you’d know which one would be more of a thrill. Naturally so, we all opted for rooting in with the Cylons.
Battlestar Galactica Roller Coaster POV Universal Studios Singapore Human & Cylon
As soon as we queued up for this one, after hearing Number Six welcoming us all to the family, and letting us all know in uncertain terms that this ride is not meant for the faint of heart (literally, and figuratively, both), I was shitting bricks. In my defense, it had been a long time since I had sat in a roller coaster.
Right, next came my time to sit in one of the pods. So, I did. Strapped myself in, and started singing Back in Black. That quickly turned into me yelling something of the sorts that I can feel this! And, you definitely will feel the thrill of the Cylon side too. It lasts for a fewer seconds than 30, and you feel every inch of acceleration, and associated g-forces. I had never felt so loose, like I’d be made up of nothing short of pudding, after I got of the ride. For a few seconds, I couldn’t walk straight. Totally, and completely loved it! Every screaming bit of it. If you’re a fan of the series, and fellow geek, do not miss out on this ride! This one ride made my visit to Universal Studio worth every coin. Enough said.
Singapore Travels: Universal Studio, Singapore.
Moving on, other attractions that you may enjoy, and I would recommend at Universal include the Trolley ride, and Waterworld attraction (too bad, we never got a chance with that one because it was shut at the time). There are other attractions, but the heat, and the queues were enough to dissuade us from lining up if we were even slightly disinterested.
Missed this one too.
A few more pointers: Carry a water bottle with you, water is not exactly affordable inside. If you find yourself hungry, and are at the end of your Universal Studio experience, I would suggest the local food court that is located right outside the entry/exit, parallel to the Universal Studios’ rotating globe. You’ll have plenty of options for grub, and it’s all affordable, as compared to finding something to eat inside the park. Pick up souvenirs from one of the many shops inside the theme park. They’re very affordable, and once you get out, you can find them, but they’re more expensive on the outside of the park. There’s one souvenirs’ shop right at the exit/entry, it has most of the stuff from all rides / movies / series. If you’re low on time, I would suggest heading out for this one.
A land far, far away.
Shrek's here too.
Sadly, we weren’t able to cover any bit of Sentosa, so I’ll stop at Universal Studios for now. Two more posts are coming up next, filled with my experience, and personal tips.
Singapore Travels: A Series Of Posts
There was just so much to do in Singapore, such wonderful experiences, and there’s just so much to write about, and recommend that I think it only makes sense to break it all into a series of posts. The next part of Singapore Travels series is coming soon.
