Salam.
So here I am, typing an entry about my family trip to Universal Studio Singapore on the 17th of September 2011. Honestly, I have so many things to tell, but I can't put it in words. Is it fun? YES! Is it worth the money? YES!
But, honestly, it all depends on the person itself. I can be a bit biased. Hehe, since I really enjoyed my time there. But, for some people maybe they won't like it, since they might compare it to the Universal Studio USA. But, mind you, I typing this entry just to share what I've experienced, not to brag.
Ok, let's start the journey.
Firstly, I want to tell you guys, my trip to JB-Singapore-JB is a BUDGET TRIP. We don't stay at fancy hotel, we don't pay extra money for luxuries, we just pay for the basics. So, it is suitable for students or large family or middle class family who wants to go to USS.
16th Spetember 2011
We drove ourself to JB, went straight to Tune Hotel, Danga Bay. It is a budget hotel. Simple and cozy. It is not fancy, no 'glamour', no valet, no restaurant, no doorman. Simple. I like the hotel very very much. Although it only offers the basics, but it is worth it. You got bed, you got hot shower, you got fan. For the extra necessities, you do need to pay but it is your own choice. If you want to watch TV with Astro, if you want to sleep with aircond, if you need to use hair dryer, then you have to pay for it. And of course the towels. Yes, you have to pay for it too. BUT! It is included in the room fee, you just need to pay the 'rental fee' of the towels upon checking in. When you check out, they will return back your 'rental fee' which also include the 'rental fee' of the room keycard.
We drove ourself to JB, went straight to Tune Hotel, Danga Bay. It is a budget hotel. Simple and cozy. It is not fancy, no 'glamour', no valet, no restaurant, no doorman. Simple. I like the hotel very very much. Although it only offers the basics, but it is worth it. You got bed, you got hot shower, you got fan. For the extra necessities, you do need to pay but it is your own choice. If you want to watch TV with Astro, if you want to sleep with aircond, if you need to use hair dryer, then you have to pay for it. And of course the towels. Yes, you have to pay for it too. BUT! It is included in the room fee, you just need to pay the 'rental fee' of the towels upon checking in. When you check out, they will return back your 'rental fee' which also include the 'rental fee' of the room keycard.
Roughly one room cost us RM100/night. This include the extra fee of TV, aircond and hairdryer.
We arrived around 4 p.m. Rested for a while, and went to eat early dinner @ Singgah Selalu which is nearby. After eating we went to the town, just to exchange the currency. I planned to used my own money there, so I changed RM300, which got me about $120.
RM1 = $0.40
RM100 = $40
17th September 2011
Tune Hotel offers shuttle buses to USS, which we took. So, we need to get ready by 6.45 a.m to board the 7 a.m bus. Which is very punctual, so beware, DON'T BE LATE!
The journey took us 1 hour 30 minutes, it is that long. Cuz we arrived exactly 8.30 a.m. in front of the Sentosa Resort. Damn, they're good. Haha the 1 hour 30 minutes also include two stops at Malaysian Imigresen and Singapore Custom. By the way, the bus used the Second Link to Singapore instead of using Tambak Johor. There's no traffic, there's not even a line at the custom.
Okey okey, about the money involved. Roughly, my mom summarized that it is roughly RM200 per person which includes the bus and the ticket to the USS. I don't know the ticket price in dollar, though. Since my mom bought the tickets along with the bus boarding pass. So it is roughly RM200.
Since we arrived too early actually, we get to roam around the outside of the USS, there's not much, but there's the Waterfront, which I saw a couple making out in broad daylight. -___-"
Then at 9.30 a.m., the gates are open, but we still can't get through the ticket person HAHA. So we were waiting in lines, I am the second in line, so excited! Then, Po came out to say hello. You can't imagine how hectic the crowd went. Semua menjerit kot tengok Po. Bising! Btw, Po is so huge, and gebu, and I am scared by him. He was so hugeeee!
 | |
| Takut ok, tengok dia, HUGE! |
Then, at 10 a.m. sharp, the ticket is being scanned. And my family went straight to Ancient Egypt section. Why? Sebab, the ride here is one of the main attraction. Kalau pergi lambat kena beratur panjang. So we were the second to ride the thing. All four of us in one car, no one else. HAHA. It was awesomeee! Walaupun I just closed my eyes and screamed the whole 3 minutes, but it was the longest 3 minutes of our life. Even my dad says the mummy ride was the most crazy ride of all.
No, no, no pictures. Haha we aren't that crazy about pictures. My dad only took pictures that symbolized the place. Well, except Ancient Egypt. He forgot to take out the camera. -__-"
We won't stop talking about the ride. Gila betul, macam nak tercabut anak tekak menjerit. Mula-mula slow je, then dia reverse, then dia menjunam, then dia mendaki, then dia brek mengejut, then dia pusing, twirling like hell, then brek mengejut lagi, then menjunam lagi, DAMN! All of that in 3 minutes. Awesomeee!
Btw, this is my first roller coaster ride, ever.
We walked to the next section which is the Jurassic Park. But, we didn't go in, because we don't actually interested in dinosaurs and whatsoever. Tho, the ride is very tempting, but all of us are too scared when we saw their feet dangling from below. Okey, mood killer. Just took pictures in front of the main entrance and below the pair of dinos protecting their eggs. Across the Jurassic Park, is the Discovery Food Court which offers Singapore's delights.
We walked by The Lost World section, which is just this small space, with only one attraction which is the 'Waterworld' show. But it is stil early, and the show only started @ 12.30 p.m. so we decided to come back later for the show.
Then we moved to next main attraction, @Far Far Away which is Shrek in 4D. Again, it was AWESOME! Like cool gilaaa okey? Air liur, hingus air terjun semua tersembur kat muka kau, and I was like 'Euwwww' sekuat hati, HAHA. Then dapat rasa macam spiders jalan dekat kaki, babi betul, menjerit-jerit la macam orang gilaa. But the 3D effect is one of the best I've ever seen. Betul-betul depan mata aku lembing dia lah, fairies dia lah, pergh terbaekkkkk!
When we emerged from the 4D show, it was 10.30 a.m. HAHA. Baru setengah jam dah 2 tempat pergi. Well, my dad was hungry, and I was hungry as well. We like standing in front of Goldilocks for 30 minutes waiting for it to be open. Malas nak jalan-jalan dengan perut lapar. We were their first customer. Well, Goldilocks is like another version of KFC, but much better. Sedap doh ayam diaa. Menjilat siku. Tak ambil gambar jugak sebab makan lagi penting HAHA. The whole meal costs us $50-$60. Which to my parents, it was pretty cheap, to think we are in Singapore. Then, I treat my sister and myself Ben & Jerry's ice cream, which is $5.20 for one scoop. Delicious!
Then we walked to the next section, the Madagascar. We can hear the 'I like to move it, move it, I like to shake it, shake it' apa ntah lagu tu, and my mom and I was like dancing to eat while eating the ice cream. Hahah, we still too full with food to walk fast, so we walk like slowly, then my dad saw the 'Water Crate' ride, which has 35 minutes of waiting time. So my sister and me quickly finished up our ice cream and get in line. Boy, it was so long. There are like 4 huts, and 3 of it is full with people waiting in line. We just wait and wait for 35 minutes until we finally get to ride the thing. It was this slowwwww ride, the Madagascar story was told through out the whole 10 minutes ride. My sister was falling asleep because it was so hot and we are full with food. Nice combination for a short nap. Hehe. This ride is suitable for kids, who extremely love Madagascar. I just boogie around whenever their song came up. HAHA.
Again, no pictures. Sebab it was so hot, and we are rushing to go back to the Lost World for the Waterworld show.
When we arrived at Lost World, there's this sea of humans rushing to the water show. And my dad was like, 'Jom cepat, cepat!' We were fast-walking and out of breath by the time we reached the auditorium. And when we arrived, I was like 'OMG! Humans are everywhereeeee! Full house!' Damn.
One of the best live action show I've ever seen. They did the stunt very well, they synchronized their acting with the sound effect, and they're miming their script, and it was all in perfect order. Amazing! Love, love the show! I love to see how they play around with jet skis, and motorboat inside a very small space.Very professional. Then, when the tank will burst into flames, and gunshots were fired, it was so loud, and since we were sitting quite near to the water so we can feel the heat of the flame. Awesomeee! And my favorite part would be when a small plane crashes into the set. Like real small airplane. Awesome! Haha congrats to the casts for putting up a very great show. Even my dad enjoys it. And he almost get drenched when the Mariner 'accidentally' splashed the water at the audience by using his jet ski.
Double thumbs up!
By the time we walked out of the show, it was nearly 1.30 p.m. My dad told us to head to the prayer room, which is located nearby the entrance, it is inside a building next to customer service. The staff will show you where it is when you get there. (:
It was an unmarked room, but very comfortable. You just need to take your wudhu' at the nearest restroom. For me, it is quite a tedious thing to do, taking your ablution at a public restroom. But, we have to, since this is not Malaysia, not a Muslim country. After our prayer, my dad said to rest for awhile, while me and my mom went into the Universal Studio Store for a quick shopping. Hehe. So I emerged from the store with a t-shirt, a laptop sleeve and a mug, and it costs me around $55. Awesomee.
Then, I said I want to ride the 'Enchanted Airways'. So, we walked back to Far Far Away, and stand in line. It was a junior roller coaster. So, I thought it won't be as scary as Battlestar Galactica ride. Well, let just say I was wrong.
 |
| Enchanted Airways |
I sat with my dad, while my mom and my sis sat behind us. It was a heart-stopping ride, since it twirls at least 4 times in the short ride. First, it climbed up to gain momentum, and then dropped, twirled and twirled. Damn! My dad was clutching our camera as he was scared it would fall over. I was clutching my bag and shopping bags. It is so funny! When we get off, my dad said, NO MORE RIDES! Serik. So that was our last ride. (:
When we passed through Hollywood section, we saw these boys cranking up the volumes and singing. They are so good! And very cute. :D Comel je lah dengan baju stripe, dengan shade, lepas to grooving to oldies songs. What a showwww! Love, love, love!
 | |
| Daddy's O @ Hollywood |
Then, we proceed to the New York section, to see the 'Light, Camera, Action!' show. My mom said, in the US, this show is all about behind the scene of special effects and camera tricks. Well, in Singapore, you get a hurricane. Yep, they simulated a hurricane for us. Yep. Yep. Again, we were in the front row, not by choice btw, -___-" so we get to see how the studio changed from a calm and quiet boat dock into a hazardous place on earth. There were fires, and as the front line, yes I almost burn my face, the fire was so close! The finale would be when a ship suddenly burst into the dock, stopped few inches in front of us. And I was the only who screamed. Yep, me. But, it was great show nevertheless, thumbs up!
Then, we walked back to Hollywood, to catch the Monster Rock Show. It was a concert, actually. Little did we know. Kesian ayah, dah la tak pernah lah nak tengok benda-benda cenggitu. Tapi, nak buat macam mana kan, rugi lah tak masuk, dah bayar (:
While waiting, we managed to watch the Mel's Dinettes performed. They're so cute, with the outfit and all. Adorable! They opened their show by singing Christina Aguilera's Candyman. Boy, I was like embarrassed to know that my dad was listening to this song >.<
 |
| Mel's Dinette @ Hollywood |
Well, no pictures of the Monster Show, it is prohibited to take any pictures. But, it was awesome! We sat two rows from the stage and we get to see all of the monster faces. Funny, and cute. (: There's like fireworks throughout the show, and blinded my eyes for a while, so bright and so loud, and just imagined, fireworks indoor. What a chaos! But, a great show, very energetic, and their voices are very nice, I like it hehe.
By the time we finished, it was almost 5 p.m. Two hours till closing. We ate a quick snack @ Mel's Diner. And got a good look at the Battlestar Galactica ride. Eh babi, gila menakutkan okey?! Ayah aku tengok sampai ternganga. Gila betul! There's different track for Human and Alien, and the most scaries one would be the Alien track, sebab kau duduk kaki terjuntai, and kau pusing 180 degree kat puncak, so nak mati? Haha. Aku tak main benda tu, tak cukup berani. Lagipun, the management dah bagi warning dah, untuk main benda tu kau kena betul-betul yakin kau boleh handle ride tu, sebab dia memang scary, almost 14-storey high. Gila!
 |
| Red = Human, Alien = Blue Out of mind ride -___-" |
After snacking, my parents nak shopping lagi sikit untuk jiran-jiran, so I sat outside on the boulevard, and took random pictures of the surrounding. By now, I was so freaking tired already. Dah memang all out habis. So my sister and I waited for almost half hour for them to finish shopping. And when they came out, my dad nak makan cotton candy. Comel je lah kan? And it cost $6. Sangat best, mahal. Haha. Tapi cotton candy dia putih! Tak macam kat Malaysia. Suka tengok. Fluffy and HUGE!
Lepas tu, duduk menongkat dagu sampai almost 6.15 p.m. Saja je duduk-duduk membuang masa. Heheh, and watched Po for the hundred times that day, so does Frankestein and Marilyn Monroe. Then kitorang, finally keluar dari USS at almost 6.30 p.m.
Terus menuju je Hershey store. Bukan untuk beli cokelat. Which very weird, masuk kedai coklat tapi beli merchandises bukan coklat. Lagipun, suka tengok barang-barang dia sebab semua takda kat Malaysia. Even the chocolates, banyak yang takda kat Malaysia. Suka suka, ayah nampak banyak mini cars, habis semua dia angkut.
Jujurnya, banyak habis duit dekat merchandises daripada makanan. Dekat Hershey store sahaja habes dalam $53. Belum lagi yang beli souvenirs dekat Universal Store tu. Hadeh.
Well, the bus arrived at 7.30 p.m. sharp, and sampai hotel at 9 p.m. Penat gilaaaa, tidur dalam bas hanya sampai dekat Singapore custom, then terus tak boleh tidur, sebab join ayah sembang dengan bus-mate yang lain. Haha. Sampai hotel, mandi-mandi, keluar pergi dinner, balik terus tidur since dah almost 11 p.m.
What a day.
Honestly, I don't get it when I read some reviews when they said they don't have enough time to thoroughly explored USS. Because, my family managed to go every section, ride few rides (The Mummy, Water Crate, Enchanted Airways) , managed to see all of the stage show (Light, Camera, Action! Waterworld, Monster Rock), even get to watch two street performance (Daddy's O, Mel's Dinette), saw the characters walking around USS like every hour, eat at two most delicious place (Goldilocks, Mel's Diner), took as many pictures as we can, all form the second USS was opened 10 a.m, right till 6.30 p.m, just before the closing. And honestly we had time. We just chose not to ride anything in Jurassic Park and Battlestar Galactica due to our soft heart (penakut actually).
My opinion?
DON'T GO BY TOUR! I mean, where the tour guide, guides you around the USS. Well, honestly you won't get lost inside there. It is not that huge. Honestly. Like us, by 4 p.m, we had only Monster Rock Show left on our list. Because we chose what we want to see, and not following other people lists. It is much better, trust me. Because, when you are with the tour guide, you will have to follow to the T where ever he takes you, even if it means you have to stand in line for 1 hour. Rugi kan? Better jalan sendiri, kita boleh pilih nak main yang mana, and dapat avoid line yang panjang. Like us, we only have to stand in line for the Water Crate ride, the others we just have to wait less than 5 minutes. Awesome? Yep, it is!
You just need to look for a transport to and from the USS. Whether you want to stay in JB or duduk dekat Singapore, that's your choice. But, don't follow any tour guide. It's not even fun. Plus you look like an idiot. When you're bored, you can't break away from your group, or you'll get 'lost'. So go there with an adventurous side. It is so much fun when you know you don't have to worry about time.
Till later, peeps.
Salam