UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE
Location: Sentosa resort, 10 minutes from Singapore’s central business district
Opening hours: 10am to 7pm daily
Admission prices:
Adult (weekend) SG$72 (£35, 42, US$51)
Child (weekend) SG$52 (£25, 30, US$37)
Adult (week day) SG$66 (£32, 38, US$50)
Child (week day) SG$48 (£23, 28, US$34)
Shrek World’s Far Far Away castle is the only one of its kind in the world Less impressive is the park’s website
where I could fi nd no admission prices or opening times. I also think it should be themed as Universal Studios Singapore rather than Resorts World Sentosa.
ACCESS AND SIGNAGE It’s estimated that Sentosa’s annual visitor numbers will double in the next few years. To prepare for this, Sentosa Development Corporation is spending SG$300m (£142m, US$214m, 175.6m) to bolster infrastruc- ture, widen roads and put new express trains on its monorail tracks to take guests into Resort World Sentosa. By the end of 2010, a sheltered boardwalk from the main- land onto the island will also be completed. There is ample parking for the theme
park – Resorts World Sentosa has 3,500 underground spaces and although these are shared with other attractions, it’s hard to imagine that parking will ever be a serious problem. It’s also possible to access Sentosa by bus, cable car (which is re-opening mid- 2010) and monorail.
AM 3 2010 ©cybertrek 2010
Once inside Universal Studios Singapore, signage is very clear. The LED variable message boards at key intersec- tions throughout the theme park is a tactic more parks should employ – these, com- bined with the circular park layout, makes it almost impossible to get lost.
TICKETING The front gate ticketing setup has more than 24 individual ticketing stations, so even in the busiest periods guests won’t have to wait long to gain entry. LED signage above the ticket booths communi- cates ticket prices and package options. The ticketing staff were pleasant and
friendly. I arrived at 2pm and was (politely) cautioned that the park would close at 6pm. I was also informed that the Battlestar rollercoaster wasn’t operating that day. When I asked why, I was told “for mainte- nance and repairs”. Confused, I asked how long the park had been open, as surely a brand new attraction did not require main- tenance just yet. I was then told that the coaster wasn’t currently working.
At this point I asked the attendant for a
brochure containing the park’s prices and package options. After some momentary language diffi culties, a swift-acting attend- ant highly profi cient in English informed me that they weren’t available yet. I was invited to upgrade my ticket to a VIP package, which includes express entrance on all major attractions and a guarantee that I would complete the Universal Studios Singapore experience in less than four hours. I declined, but the approach was swift and professional.
DISABLED ACCESS Access for people with disabilities at Universal Studios Singapore is very good. The park is built on one level throughout and the streetscapes provide adequate wheelchair access onto sidewalks. Restroom facilities for disabled guests are generous and there are plenty of them.
DESIGN AND LAYOUT This park follows the typical Universal Studios design format and execution. The
Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86