Universal appeal
Entertainment hub
Savitha Karthik travelled to the newly launched integrated resort in Singapore and was blown away by the sights and sounds of the theme park there.
I stared at the New York City Public Library and walked down the famed city’s streets, checking out the sign boards. For lunch, I went to Hollywood’s Mel’s Drive-in restaurant, (the one from the Hollywood film ‘American Graffiti’) and ate a supersized burger. I chanced on quaint fishing houses (Quint’s Bait and Tackle), even a psychic reading shop (Madam Basiel’s Psychic Readings), all part of the American melting pot. And I wasn’t in the United States all the time!
I was at the Universal Studios, Singapore. A theme park, categorised into various zones, which transports you into a different world, with its sci-fi rides and 4-D experiences. For an Indian traveller like me, the discipline on the streets, excellent public transport, many sights like the Underwater World with its sinister sting rays splashing about, Singapore’s high streets such as Orchard Street, all felt like make believe. The only chaos was at Chinatown, where one had much haggling to do. And of course, Little India, with its ‘dosa’ outlets, temples and signboards (I just can't get the scents, dollars as well as Akbar & Anand out of my head, for some reason).
Glimpses of glitter
Back to the Universal Studios, the theme park is part of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) — an integrated resort on the island of Sentosa. Spread across 49 hectares, the resort has already soft-launched four hotels while the casino was launched on February 14 — Chinese New Year day. Two more hotels and an oceanarium, being billed as the world’s largest, will come up at the $4.32 billion property by the end of this year or early next year.
Going around the four hotels can be quite an experience. There’s the Crockfords Tower, mostly checked in by invitation only, with its warm interiors, a magic mirror that doubles up as a television screen et al. Then, there’s Hotel Michael, named after Michael Graves, an iconic architect and designer. The Festive Hotel is a vibrant one, with orchid motifs while Hard Rock Hotel has, as its name suggests, myriad hard rock motifs.
As one walks through the corridor connecting the hotels, one cannot, but ignore a haunting piped music, (which I joked was the theme music of the stay there), that beckons you into the casino. The music says, “Come lose yourself here,” and the colours (splashes of red, orange, blue) are inviting too. The casino won its license just a week ahead of the Chinese New Year but still wasn’t operational when we visited it.
Nevertheless, we got a glimpse of what was in store for those who would be willing to try their hand at gambling. Our taxi driver, for instance, who had come back to Singapore “from overseas”, as he claimed, was curious about this facility coming up at the resort. “I gamble Monday to Friday, and my mom getting angry,” he told us. And once you are done making your fortune at the casino, you can head to Universal Studios again to marvel the detailing that has gone into the theme park, the first one in Asia.
Among the seven zones here, we first stepped into Hollywood. There is the famous Walk of Fame from Hollywood Boulevard and a Broadway-style theatre modelled after the famous Hollywood Pantage Theatre, apart from an array of shops. Zone two is New York. All the facades and classic landmarks of that city are here. Also, there is Lights! Camera! Action! — a special effects stage hosted by renowned Hollywood director, Steven Spielberg. 
Home to the tallest coaster ride
The most exciting part of the park, is of course the Sci-fi City, as our enthusiastic tour guide explains. It is powered by sun, wind and water sources. There’s the famous coaster ride on the ‘Battlestar Galactica’, touted as the tallest in the world and symbolic of the battle between Humans and Cylons. This coaster is said to move at a speed of 90 km/hour. But, during our visit, the ride was being tested and safety drills were being conducted. “I have been there, believe me, it’s fantastic,” says the tour guide again.
A sudden spell of rain, a welcome break from the humidity of Singapore, doesn’t deter us from moving on into the next zone — Ancient Egypt. Here, you can experience the ‘Revenge of the Mummy’, another ride, marketed as a psychological thriller. Huge Pharoah’s tombs and obelisks are part of this zone.
There are even hieroglyphic carvings on the inner walls, lending that touch of authenticity. The Lost World is another zone, divided into two parts — Jurassic Park and Waterworld. Jurassic Park has a river ride that will bring you face to face with dinosaurs, while the Waterworld attraction will showcase death defying stunts and explosions of fire and water.
Other attractions include, ‘Far Far Away’, symbolised by the huge castle and the world of Shrek — the ever-loved Dreamworks animation movie. Then, there’s the Madagascar zone where you can go on a ride with state-of-the-art animated figures and moving show-action effects called ‘Madagascar: A Crate Adventure’.
All these places have their own merchandising too, adding to your shopping experience. Tickets are priced from S$48 for children to S$66 for adults on weekdays. The weekend prices range between S$52 for children and S$72 for adults. Resorts World Sentosa is 10 minutes from Singapore’s Central Business District, and is accessible by MRT rail system, buses or cabs.
