September 18, 2012 – Hey everyone! Today, we’re going to be taking a quick look at Universal Studios Singapore. In the coming days, we’ll focus on each individual themed land at Universal – so stay tuned for that. But for now, let’s take a brief tour of what Universal Studios Singapore has to offer.
Oh, and be sure to check out the video log below for another perspective. Happy reading!
So, heading through the gates, we find out that Universal Studios Singapore is actually part of a bigger resort known as Resorts World Sentosa.
They offer a full fledged casino, shopping mall, independent shows…almost like Las Vegas in a sense.
In fact, there’s a future theme park being built that’s centered around something aquatic. I’m guessing it’ll be similar to SeaWorld.
In fact, they call it an “integrated resort” for what’s it worth.
Definitely unlike Universal Orlando, since most things aren’t tied to the Universal brand.
But enough about that…let’s move on to the park.
The Universal Studios Singapore arch. As you might have noticed, it’s definitely unique to Singapore.
Think of it as a cross between Universal Studios Florida in terms of design, and Universal Studios Hollywood in terms of size.
Closeup.
…and of course, the Universal uniglobe. An exact replica of the globes found in Japan and Florida. Oh, and can anyone spot the mistake in this photo?
Fixed.
Park entrance. I’ve arrived a bit early.
Yep. A bit too early. Kind of eerie.
Fast forward an hour or so, and we’re in!
…and here’s the first thing you see: Hollywood!
You better believe it.
A statue at the heart of the park entrance. A very nice touch – including the classic Universal logo. You don’t see that design being used that often.
Overview of the Hollywood area…canopy and all. Much like Universal Studios Japan, except smaller.
Next up: New York.
Where do I sign up? Oh wait, it’ll be on NBC? On second thought…
Of course, the only attraction here is Lights, Camera, Action – which is a cross between Backdraft and Twister. More on this later.
Really excellent theming for their New York area. Small, but very nicely done.
Next up: Sci-Fi City – home to Battlestar Galactica (like Dualing Dragons or Dragon Challenge
at Islands of Adventure), Transformers and Accelerator (spinning ground ride).
Transformers: plenty of differences to note between the version here and the version in Hollywood.
I’ll try to cover most of them in the next update centered around Sci-Fi City.
Battlestar Galactica: biggest difference between this and Dragon Challenge? Two separate entrances.
Entrance one: Cylon.
Entrance two: Human. Excuse Mr. Grumpy standing next to the entrance staring angrily at the side.
It’s odd. It almost seems like Universal treats this as two separate attractions. It definitely seems so on the park map.
A shot of the entire canopied section of Sci-Fi City.
Up next: Ancient Egypt – home to Treasure Hunters and Revenge of the Mummy.
A bit of cross-bleeding between lands – just to give you an idea of how close everything is.
Revenge of the Mummy. Note how Hollywood is the only park that tags along “The Ride” in everything they do.
Really excellent theming for Mummy. The best I’ve seen.
Treasure Hunters. Suffice to say, it’s interesting. Haha. I’ll have more to say on this in the future.
A final look at Ancient Egypt alongside Sci-Fi City.
Moving right along: The Lost World.
Again, really excellent theming.
Attractions within “Jurassic Park.” Note the similarities between this roster and the roster over at Islands of Adventure.
Excellent detail at the back of the Jurassic Park gate.
Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure. Hint hint.
Oddly enough, WaterWorld is in this land as well. I guess it works in the broader sense.
Boy oh boy, plenty of differences to note here too. It definitely differs to Hollywood, but nothing all-too surprising when compared to Japan.
Heading even further, we have: Far Far Away
Can you believe this was built entirely for Shrek 4D?
Finally: Madagascar.
Shrek’s swamp.
Far Far Away – Madagascar crossing.
Another interesting attraction. Think of this as a modern version of It’s a Small World at Disney.
Okay, that’s it for this update. Stay tuned for our coverage of each individual land, comparing and contrasting Universal Studios Singapore with other Universal parks around the world – namely Universal Studios Hollywood. Closing thoughts? Well, the park is definitely smaller than I’d imagine, and I’m guessing you could probably do everything in one day – much like Universal Studios Hollywood.
More thoughts in the future, but for now please check out our forums and join the conversation, like our Facebook and follow us on Twitter! Be sure to also check out Nicholas’ blog, which focuses on Universal Studios Singapore. He’s been invaluable during the duration of my trip, so special thanks goes out to him. Of course, comments are welcome below, so feel free to shoot us a line.
– Jon Fu
