The tropical island of Sentosa, whose territory belongs to Singapore, has been actively developing as a tourist destination since the seventies of the twentieth century. Today, it attracts an incredible number of local and foreign tourists, and all because thanks to the Resorts World company, a huge entertainment complex has been built on its territory, which includes hotels, casinos, restaurants and shops. Well, the pearl of this project can be safely called the Universal Studio amusement park, the construction of which was carried out from 2007 to 2010. From the name it is not difficult to guess that the theme of the building is tailored for connoisseurs of cinema and cartoons, but not only cinema lovers, but also ordinary adventure hunters will find a lot of interesting things on its territory.
Territory and infrastructure
The 20-hectare site is home to seven themed venues, each uniquely styled and featuring attractions, restaurants, shops and special performance areas. The character of an individual zone is expressed not only in outlandish decorations and a certain type of entertainment, but also, for example, in the souvenirs sold.
In addition, restaurants and cafes also differ from zone to zone, presenting cuisines from different countries in all their diversity. In addition, each of the rides has information stands that determine what age and height the visitor should be, as well as notifying about the approximate time spent in the queue. At the entrance to the park, a free card is issued, which will not be superfluous to grab so as not to miss anything interesting.
The first zone that opens before visitors to the park is Hollywood. By analogy with Los Angeles, the creators built the famous Hollywood Boulevard, where Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and other popular stars and characters of the world cinema are walking and willingly photographed. On both sides of the alley there are shops, cafes and even a Broadway-style theater. Closer to night, somewhere around half past nine, fireworks are often lit in the Hollywood zone, and parades are held during the day.
After passing the Walk of Fame, guests can enter New York, which imitates America's most famous and unique city. In a copy of The Big Apple, you can walk along the streets that appear in popular films or sitcoms, such as the beloved Friends series. This area also houses a pavilion where renowned director Steven Spielberg will show and explain how the special effects of high-budget films are created.
If you keep a little to the left from the Hollywood side, you can wander into the area called "Madagascar", where the smallest visitors will be most interesting. Favorite characters, like Alex the lion and Marty the zebra, act out funny scenes and readily take pictures with young guests. The design of the zone also did not disappoint - there are tropical trees, bamboo and golden sand all around.
Not so far in terms of themes from the previous zone is the "Thirty Kingdom" site, where visitors will be greeted by the heroes of another, no less popular project "Shrek". It is difficult to miss it, because there is a huge castle on the territory. And for those who are a little tired of walking under the scorching sun, there is a 4D cinema here, where you can watch a fascinating adventure story about your favorite heroes.
Lovers of history and antiquities will appreciate the area called "Ancient Egypt", which opens up a world of mysterious tombs, eerie mummies and majestic pharaohs. Right at the entrance, two huge statues of the god Anubis await guests, like guards guarding a great secret. For the most part, the design is based on discoveries made by archaeologists around the world in the thirties of the twentieth century, and visitors themselves can feel like fearless explorers of antiquity.
One of the most popular themed venues, Sci-Fi City, invites guests to immerse themselves in the world of the future, saturated with high-tech devices and fantastic inventions. Fans of deep space films and robotics will especially like it here. The scenery is based on the details of such films as "Battlestar Galaktika" and "Transformers". A whole attraction is dedicated to the latter.
The last, no less curious and attention-grabbing zone - "The Lost World", based on the greatest creations of Steven Spielberg. Fans of adrenaline and adventure will appreciate two areas: one of which is inhabited by dinosaurs, and the other is a water world where you can enjoy an amazing show.
Entertainment and attractions
In the territory of the Singapore amusement park, you will not find a pair of identical attractions. Each of the zones described above offers tourists a unique experience and unrepeatable emotions, turning to childhood memories, hidden desires or simply playing on the love of a movie. One day is clearly not enough to get around all the available attractions and performances, but you can try to cover to the maximum those that are recognized as the most interesting by those who have visited the park.
"Shine! Camera! Motor (Hollywood Zone) - a pavilion in which director Steven Spielberg reveals professional secrets, revealing the veil of secrets about how the magic of cinema is created.
Battle of the Galaxies: Cylon (Sci-Fi City Zone) - crazy roller coaster in a blue trolley. Participants fly at great speed, making incredible turns and almost touching the buildings located nearby. If this is not enough, then wait for a deafening descent down - right into the impenetrable fog.
"Accelerator" (zone "Sci-Fi city") - is a rotating booth-cups that can easily turn your head.
"Revenge of the Mummy" ("Ancient Egypt" zone) is another variation of the roller coaster, stylized as an ancient era. Suitable for adrenaline lovers, as the action takes place in pitch darkness, is accompanied by temperature changes and now and then mummies, scarabs and other residents of the homeland of the pharaohs jumping out from all sides.
Treasure Hunters (Ancient Egypt Zone) is a calm and educational attraction where children and their parents can ride in a stylish jeep while exploring the archaeological site.
Descent on the water in Jurassic Park (the "Lost World" zone) is a fascinating rafting down the river, along the banks of which real dinosaurs walk. Water is an unpredictable element, so it is recommended to wear flip-flops or some kind of waterproof shoes, and buy a raincoat at the entrance.
"Water World" ("Lost World" zone) is a large-scale show in which actors play out a fascinating story based on the script of the film of the same name.
Adventure in Boxes (Madagascar Zone) is a river trip in the company of your favorite cartoon characters framed with sound and digital effects.
Where to buy tickets and express passes
You can buy a park pass at the entrance at special ticket offices or in advance through online systems (you do not need to exchange the electronic version). All tickets are suitable for the "day pass" category, i.e. act for one day.
- Adults: from 54 $
- Children (under 12 years old): from $ 41
- Persons of retirement age: from $ 26
Since the park is visited by thousands of tourists every day, there is a risk of spending more time on the queues than on the attractions themselves. The way out of this situation is to buy a ticket called "express pass", which implies passage to the object of interest without queuing. They are of two types: Universal Express (cost from $ 22) or Universal Express Unlimited (cost from $ 36).In the first case, you can go to the attraction once in an extraordinary order, in the second - an unlimited number of times.
Opening hours and how to get there
The opening hours of the park vary depending on the time of year, day of the week and program of performances. It usually opens around 10 am, but the closing hours change all the time. The standard ending is 19:00, but it is better to check at the entrance until what time the park is open on your chosen day.
There are several ways to get to the park:
- Monorail: Art. WaterFront St.
- Cable car: move to the final one, and from it you can already walk or take a free bus
- Bus: stop. Resorts World Sentosa
- On foot: via the Sentosa Boardwalk, follow the signs
