Friday, December 20, 2013

Universal Studios Singapore: A Mummy & Daughter Date

A had always wanted an exclusive 'Mummy Daughter' outing so we decided to return to Universal Studio Singapore. The last time we were there was a good few months back for Ministry of Education Family Night. Yup, you heard me right...'Night'. That meant that some of the attractions were closed and not all the shows were available. Still, we had a good time and that explained the return visit. This time in the day. Mummy bought the tickets online to save waiting time and took the train down to Sentosa (with lots of interesting topics to talk about) before taking a cable car. It was A's first ride on a cable car and she was on cloud nine.

Bird's eye view of USS

As it was a holiday, by the time we reached USS, the crowd was already streaming in. Mummy placed the bag into the lockers provided and grabbed a map, all ready to explore.

Throngs of tourists and Frankenstein

We really wanted to try this but a 45 minutes wait?? Maybe next time.
Instead, we took a ride on the Madagascar Carousel which had a shorter queue.


My ever so brave A wanted to ride on the Rapid Adventure but since we did not want to risk getting wet, we gave it a miss. Though ponchos were given, riders were still seen emerging in wet patches all over their bodies.
Would have been great if we were in shorts, sandals and have a change of T-shirts. 

Next up, the land of the dinosaurs



We heard screams overhead and all we saw were dangling feet zipping past in split seconds. Needless to say, A was all ready. Even though the waiting time was going to be a good 45 minutes, we decided to go for it. After all, we did forgo the ride at Madagascar. If we sit this one out, then it would really be a sight-seeing trip instead of an experiential one. Standing in the queue and counting down to our turn can be a rather draining affair. We tried to keep ourselves occupied by counting the number of passengers before us but we gave that up. We started counting the ambers embedded on the wall. Yes, 45 minutes wait was that loooooonnnnnggggg. 

Riders returning safely

All ready to fly

How we would have looked like from the ground
The ambers embedded in the wall

Finally it was our turn. We removed our footwear and got secured into our seats. I didn't bring any camera along because my timid me told me my hands would be full (from grabbing the seat) As the seat began its ascent, my eyelids began their descent. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel the surging force as we began the ride across the park. Friends said that I would be able to see the park from the height. After all, it is called 'Canopy Flyer'. Hmm, I suppose I can imagine what I would have seen if my eyes were not closed. So, no need to open those precious windows. Of course, I was screaming away so thankfully the ride was a mere 30 seconds?? On the other hand, A was thrilled and wanted to go again. No thanks. Not another round of counting riders and ambers. Come to think of it, a 45 minutes wait for 30 seconds...not a good bargain at all. The next time, I would be sure to get ourselves the Express Passes. Even though it would mean extra cost, I would be able to experience more rides so it all evened out eventually. 

It was starting to drizzle so we continued our way in hope to find some shelter. A wanted to take a ride on Elmo's Spaghetti Space Chaser again so we headed straight for that. 

Kids friendly Dino-Soarin ride

A journey through Ancient Egypt's 'Revenge of the Mummy'
It was really crowded as all the young people headed for the indoor roller coaster.
Lockers are provided so no worries about clinging onto your belongings during the ride. 

Stunt performers entertaining the crowd. 

Observing a caricature artist at work



We too!

A's favorite ride




Elmo, the captain for our space ship


Sesame Street characters cheering us on
 
Bert, Cookie Monster and Oscar greeting the audience before their performance
 
Kids dancing along to the captivating song. Everyone was glad...except Oscar the Grouch

A medley of songs by a team of four charming crooners. Well, at least I am charmed.


After the ride at Elmo's Spaghetti Space Chase, we were treated to a musical performance by Bert, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. It was really amusing seeing how grumpy Oscar was despite the chirpy atmosphere. A had an up close encounter with Bert and boy, was she thrilled! The performance was followed by another mini concert by 4 singers. I was so captivated by their voices and am sure many present were as well. It started drizzling half way through the performance but it did not deter the audience from continuing their support. The crooners gave their best energy and it all ended on a good note. Audience dispersed quickly to seek shelter while A and I decided to call it a day. It was almost 4 pm and we had covered most of what we wanted to see and ride.

I would say USS is more suited for older kids and youth as there are more thrill rides as compared to kids friendly ones. Still, it makes a good family outing spot and when A and K are older, we would surely return. This time, with express passes.

















No comments:

Post a Comment