Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort at Sentosa in Singapore. It features 28 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It is one of the five Universal Studios theme parks around the world.
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 Universal Studios Singapore entrance | |
| Location | Resorts World, Sentosa, Singapore |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 1°15′14″N 103°49′26″E / 1.254°N 103.824°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 18 March 2010 (soft opening) 28 May 2011 (grand opening) |
| Owner | Genting Singapore (under a license from NBCUniversal) |
| Operated by | Genting Singapore Universal Destinations & Experiences |
| Theme | Show business and Universal entertainment |
| Operating season | All year round |
| Area | 25 ha (62 acres) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 14 |
| Roller coasters | 6 |
| Water rides | 1 |
| Website | Official website |
It was a key component of the Genting Singapore's bid for the right to build Singapore's second integrated resort (IR). On 8 December 2006, the Singapore government announced that the consortium had won the bid. Construction of the theme park and the rest of the resort started on 19 April 2007. It is the second Universal Studios theme park in Asia, the other being Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, and the first in Southeast Asia. Official plans for the park were first unveiled to the public when Universal Studios Singapore released a map of the entire park on 20 October 2009.[1] Universal Studios Singapore attracted more than 2 million visitors in the 9 months from its opening.[2]
The park officially began operations on 28 May 2011. Over 3 million guests visited the park in its opening year. Since then, Universal Studios Singapore has had approximately 4 million visitors every year. Visitors are made up of local Singaporeans and international tourists. It has been marketed by Universal Destinations & Experiences as a "one-of-its-kind theme park in Asia" and that the park was the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia for the foreseeable future.[3] According to the AECOM Theme Index Global Attraction Attendance Report, Universal Studios Singapore is one of the top visited amusement/theme parks worldwide.[4]
History
Park history
The construction of Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Singapore began on 19 April 2008. After almost two years of construction, the park opened on 18 March 2010.
Universal Studios Singapore was opened for "sneak peek week" in view of the Chinese New Year Celebrations, from 5 pm to 9 pm every night between 14 and 21 February 2010.[5] Though visitors had to pay SGD$10 to enter the park even-though rides were not operating, tickets for the week were sold out in 2 days. On 5 March 2010, it was announced that the park will open its doors at 8:28 am (UTC+8) on 18 March 2010, for a soft-opening phase. From 13 March 2010, the team members of Resorts World Sentosa and their families had a chance to visit the park before the public has a chance to do so.[6] The park had its soft opening period from 18 March 2010 to 26 October 2010.[7]
The official grand opening of the park was held on 28 May 2011, along with the "grand opening gala" being held on 27 May 2011 evening. It had Asian personalities Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Zhao Wei, and former American Idol judge Paula Abdul making an appearance at the gala event, along with some 1,600 guests.[8]
On 21 October 2011, Universal Studios Singapore began their Halloween Horror Nights events.[9]
On 3 April 2019, Genting Group announced the expansion of Universal Studios Singapore with two new themed areas, Minion Land and Super Nintendo World.[10]
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 19 Apr 2008 | Universal Studios Singapore began its construction. |
| 21 Oct 2008 | Transformers: The Ride 3D was announced to be a part of the lineup of attractions at Universal Studios Singapore.[11] |
| 24 Sep 2009 | Plans were revealed for Shrek's Far Far Away and Madagascar-themed zones. |
| 20 Oct 2009 | Resorts World at Sentosa unveiled the attractions, dining options and merchandise outlets at Universal Studios Singapore.[12] |
| 14 Feb 2010 | Beginning of the eight-day sneak-peek period of Universal Studios Singapore. |
| 18 Mar 2010 | Universal Studios Singapore soft-opened, with 16 of its 24 attractions opened and fully functioning. |
| 25 Mar 2010 | Battlestar Galactica dueling coasters was closed due to a technical glitch in the ride.[13][14] Both rides would remain closed for many weeks thereafter.[15] |
| 02 Jul 2010 | Premiere of the Lake Hollywood Spectacular show, which would be presented to park visitors every Friday and Saturday nights.[16] |
| 20 Aug 2010 | X-ray findings revealed cracks in the welded joint of the seat-post supports within the Human roller coaster car of Battlestar Galactica, which caused the grounding of both roller coaster rides.[17] |
| 21 Dec 2010 | Battlestar Galactica entered its final testing stage with newly reinforced coaster cars for both the Human and Cylon coasters. Both rides were slated to re-open in the first half of 2011.[18] |
| 21 Feb 2011 | Official re-opening of the Battlestar Galactica dueling coasters.[19] |
| 16 May 2011 | Scheduled opening of Madagascar: A Crate Adventure.[20][21] |
| 28 May 2011 | Grand opening of Universal Studios Singapore.[22] |
| 21 Oct 2011 | Halloween Horror Nights made its debut at Universal Studios Singapore.[9] |
| 03 Dec 2011 | Scheduled opening of Transformers: The Ride 3D at Universal Studios Singapore.[23][24] The ride would have its world premiere at an exclusive evening event on 2 December 2011 with film director Michael Bay present at the event.[25] |
| 31 Dec 2011 | Launch of the park's first parade, Hollywood Dreams.[26] |
| 29 May 2012 | Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase announced to be the newest addition to the park, scheduled to be open by the end of the year. The ride would replace the Stage 28 attraction, which had been cancelled and would be housed within its premise.[27] The park would go on to introduce one stage show, two street shows, as well as meet-and-greets sessions featuring the characters from Sesame Street.[28] |
| 01 Mar 2013 | Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase officially opened to the public.[29] |
| 18 Apr 2013 | Universal Studios Singapore celebrated its tenth million visitor.[30] |
| 21 Jul 2013 | Battlestar Galactica dueling coasters closed again.[31] |
| 29 Jul 2014 | Puss in Boots' Giant Journey announced to be the newest addition to the park. The park would also introduce a new stage show at Far Far Away, with The Dance For The Magic Beans featuring Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws, as well as a meet-and-greet right after the show. The new ride would be scheduled to open by first quarter of 2015.[32] |
| 19 Feb 2015 | Debut of the Universal Party Parade, which was a refreshment of the park's 2011 Hollywood Dreams parade, as part of the park's fifth anniversary celebrations.[33] |
| 08 Apr 2015 | Puss in Boots' Giant Journey officially opened to the public.[34] |
| 27 May 2015 | Reopening of Battlestar Galactica[35] again, after another two years of inactivity. |
| 24 Jan 2017 | Universal Studios Singapore celebrated its 25th million visitor.[36] |
| 18 Jan 2019 | Launch of Universal After Hours, which includes nighttime exclusive programmes.[37] Included is the debut of the Hollywood Dreams Light-Up Parade, which is a nighttime version of the park's 2015 Universal Party Parade.[38] |
| 03 Apr 2019 | Announcement of a future park expansion with two new themed zones planned; Minion Land and Super Nintendo World.[10] |
| 06 Apr 2020 | Universal Studios Singapore closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 01 Jul 2020 | Park reopened with limited capacity and operating hours.[a][39] |
| 27 Mar 2022 | Closure of Madagascar area.[40] |
| 26 May 2022 | Construction works began for Minion Land.[41] |
Attendance
| Year | Attendance | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,000,000 | [42] |
| 2011 | 3,411,000 | [42] |
| 2012 | 3,480,000 | [43] |
| 2013 | 3,650,000 | [44] |
| 2014 | 3,840,000 | [45] |
| 2015 | 4,200,000 | [46] |
| 2016 | 4,100,000 | [47] |
| 2017 | 4,220,000 | [48] |
| 2018 | 4,400,000 | [49] |
| 2019 | 4,500,000 | [50] |
| 2020 | 1,098,000 | [51] |
| 2021 | 1,200,000 | [52] |
Park layout
Universal Studios Singapore is 25 hectares (62 acres) in size, making it the smallest of Universal’s parks, and occupies the easternmost part of the 49-hectare (120-acre) Resorts World Sentosa. There are a total of 24 attractions, of which 18 are original or specially adapted for the park.[53] The park consists of six themed zones surrounding a lagoon. Each zone is mostly based on movies and/or television, featuring their own attractions, meet and greet locations, over 30 restaurants and food carts, and 20 retail stores and carts located around the park.[54][55]
| Themed Zone | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hollywood | Themed after the real Hollywood Boulevard of the 1970s. Framed by "dynamic" architecture, palm trees and a replica of the Hollywood 'Walk of Fame'. |
| New York | Themed after post-modern New York City. Features replicas of New York landmarks. The area is enhanced by neon lights and flanked by street façades. |
| Sci-Fi City | Themed after what cities and metropolis "may look like in the future", according to popular science fiction franchises. |
| Ancient Egypt | Themed after the Egyptian architecture and artifacts found during the "Golden Age of Egyptian Exploration in the 1930s". |
| The Lost World | Themed after two franchises, Jurassic Park and Waterworld, which each have separate areas within the zone. |
| Far Far Away | Themed after The Kingdom of Far Far Away featured in DreamWorks Animation's Shrek. |
Hollywood
Hollywood is the main entrance area of the park. Its only attraction, a broadway-style theatre, is accompanied by several restaurants and a variety of shopping locations. The zone is filled with Hollywood-inspired architecture and palm trees, including a replica of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (November 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Hollywood Spectacular | Live Show/Performance | A fireworks display that takes place at night on select dates. | Suspended |
| Trolls Hug Time Jubilee | Live Show/Performance | A live performance featuring characters from the Trolls films, taking place inside Pantages Hollywood Theatre. | Showing |
| Turntables | Live Show/Performance | An interactive live performance featuring various dances. | Suspended |
| Universal Studios Store | Retail Outlet | A retail store selling Universal Studios-themed collectibles, toys and apparel. | Open |
| Hello Kitty Studio | Retail Outlet | A retail store selling Hello Kitty-themed merchandise. | Open |
| Hollywood China Arcade | Retail Outlet | An arcade that allows guests to win e-tickets to redeem Universal Studios Singapore merchandise. | Temporarily Closed |
| Minion Mart | Retail Outlet | A retail store selling Despicable Me-themed merchandise. | Open |
| The Dark Room | Retail Outlet | A retail store that allows guests to have their pictures taken for memorabilia. | Open |
| That's a Wrap | Retail Outlet | A retail store located outside the park entrance that sells Universal Studios-themed merchandise. | Temporarily Closed |
| Silver Screen | Retail Outlet | A retail store that sells merchandise from blockbuster films. | Temporarily Closed |
| The Brown Derby | Retail Outlet | A retail store selling Sesame Street-themed merchandise. | Temporarily Closed |
| Mel's Drive-In | F&B Outlet | An all-American diner that serves gourmet burgers, fries and milkshakes. Halal-certified. | Open |
| Starbucks | F&B Outlet | The premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Halal-certified. | Open |
Parade
- Hollywood Dreams Light-Up Parade This parade features themed floats, characters, and performers based on the Woody Woodpecker, Madagascar, Shrek, Jurassic Park and The Mummy franchises.
Meet & Greets
- Hollywood Walk of Fame (including Woody and Winnie Woodpecker, Gru, Margo, Edith, Agnes, The Minions and Lucy Wilde from Despicable Me, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Beetlejuice, Frankenstein's Monster, Count Dracula, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Betty Boop, Po the Panda and Tigress from Kung Fu Panda, Poppy, Branch, and Guy Diamond from Trolls, Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel)
New York City
New York City is based on the original New York City, during the era of post-modernisation. The zone features various landmarks commonly portrayed in movies including the city skyline, neon lights, façades, and sidewalks. This zone also has a replica of the New York Public Library.[56] Special Sesame Street character appearances include Elmo, Big Bird, Count von Count, Abby Cadabby, Bert, Ernie, Grover, Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. Special Madagascar character appearances include Alex, Gloria, and King Julien.
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (June 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights! Camera! Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg | Show | A show that features special effects that mimic a major hurricane.[57] | Operating on Certain Days |
| Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase | Steel Suspended Dark Ride | A suspended dark ride themed to the Sesame Street franchise. | Operating |
| Loui's NY Pizza Parlor | F&B Outlet | A pizza parlor that sells modern and traditional Italian pizzas as well as other local dishes.[58] Halal-certified. | Open |
| KT's Grill | F&B Outlet | A full-service restaurant that specializes in New York grill cuisine and self-proclaimed "East meets West" dishes. | Temporarily Closed[59] |
| Big Bird's Emporium | Retail Outlet | A retail store selling Sesame Street-themed merchandise. | Open |
Entertainment
- Rhythm Truck
Sci-Fi City
Sci-Fi City is themed to a supposed metropolis of the future. It is the home of a pair of Vekoma dueling roller coasters.[53][60] Transformers character appearances include Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron.
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (June 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN | Steel Dueling Seated Roller Coaster | A sit-down roller coaster that was designed for a tamer experience than its counterpart, with no inversions. Made by Vekoma, the trains are modeled after the Colonial Mark II Viper used by the Human faction as seen in the Battlestar Galactica series. | Operating[35] |
| Battlestar Galactica: CYLON | Steel Dueling Inverted Roller Coaster | An inverted roller coaster that was designed for a more thrilling experience than its counterpart, with inversions. It is also from Vekoma, just like the more mild Human side. The trains are modeled after the Cylon Heavy Raider used by the Cylon faction as seen in the Battlestar Galactica series. | Operating[35] |
| Transformers: The Ride 3D | 4-D Dark Ride Motion Simulator | A dark ride that uses the same ride-vehicle technology as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. It has giant wrap-around screens that sport photo-realistic 3D-HD video imagery, along with additional 4-D effects that further enhances the ride experience. This attraction first premiered in Singapore in December 2011, and later at Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando.[23] | Operating |
| Accelerator | Teacups | A whirling twirling ride that spins guests around. A similar ride, Storm Force Accelatron, is found in Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort.[61] | Operating |
| Galactica PX | Retail Outlet | A retail store selling photos of the Battlestar Galactica ride. It formerly sold other sci-fi merchandise.[1][62] | Temporarily Closed |
| Transformers Supply Vault | Retail Outlet | A retail outlet selling a variety of Transformers and Transformers: The Ride merchandise.[63] | Open |
| StarBot Café | F&B Outlet | A food and beverage outlet selling a variety of items, including ice cream.[63] | Open[59] |
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt is based on the historical adaptation of Ancient Egypt during the 1930s Golden Age of Egyptian Exploration. It features obelisks and pyramids which are typical of Ancient Egypt. Also featured are Pharaohs' tombs which were supposedly commonly discovered during that era. This zone relies on the depictions made in the popular film franchise, The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser.[64]
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (November 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride | Enclosed Steel Roller Coaster Dark Ride | A combination dark ride and roller coaster that is built within an indoor space. Made by Premier Rides, this ride was inspired and developed from The Mummy film from 1999.[65][66] | Operating |
| Treasure Hunters | Mini-Car Ride | A leisure car ride that drives around an abandoned Egyptian excavation site. The ride vehicles are modeled after the look of vintage jeeps. Animatronic animals within the attraction include hippos, some vultures, many cobras, a cheetah, and Nile crocodiles.[1][67] | Operating |
| Carter's Curiosities | Retail Outlet | A retail outlet selling souvenirs and replicas of Egyptian treasures.[1][62] | Open |
| Oasis Spice Café | F&B Outlet | An Egyptian-themed cafeteria serving specialties from various north African and Middle-Eastern cultures.[1][58] | Open[59] |
The Lost World
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The Lost World contains many traditional attractions present in most Universal Studios parks around the world and is divided into two sub-areas: Jurassic Park and Waterworld. Jurassic Park, based on the popular film franchise by Steven Spielberg and novels by Michael Crichton, features the newly redesigned Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure which is based on the water rides in other Universal Studios parks. Waterworld, based on the film Waterworld starring Kevin Costner, features a live show performance at an amphitheater.[68]
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (March 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure | River Rapids Raft System | A river rapids ride that features a white water raft system where riders on circular rafts are sent down a rapid with animatronic dinosaurs.[69] | Operating |
| Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular | Live Show/Performance | A live-action performance that involves stunts and pyrotechnics, surrounding by and using a large pool of water.[70] | Showing |
| Canopy Flyer | Setpoint Swing Thing | Riders board the rollercoaster suspended on a track, which holds two guests front-facing, and two back-facing. As the car moves up the lift hill, the theme music from Jurassic Park plays via nearby speakers. The cars go up a high distance in the air and travel around the Jurassic Park-area, including a 360-degree turn over Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, before returning to the station.[71] | Operating |
| Dino-Soarin' | Fly Around Ride | An aerial carousel-styled children's ride that spins around, with riders being able to control the vertical height of their pteranodon-styled ride vehicle.[72] | Operating |
| Amber Rock Climb | Rock Climb/Skill Challenge | A rock-climbing attraction that is themed after a dinosaur dig site.[73] The attraction can only accommodate guests between 34 kg (75 lb) and 310 kg (680 lb).[74] | Temporarily Closed |
| Jurassic Outfitters | Retail Outlet | A retail store that sells official Jurassic Park merchandise. | Temporarily Closed |
| The Dino-Store | Retail Outlet | A retail store that sells Jurassic Park and other dinosaur-related merchandise.[62] | Open |
| Fossil Fuels | F&B Outlet | A food stand that sells light snacks and frozen beverages. | Open |
| Discovery Food Court | F&B Outlet | A food court that is themed after the Discovery Centre building featured in the original Jurassic Park movie.[58] | Open[59] |
Far Far Away
Far Far Away is inspired by DreamWorks Animation's Shrek franchise. The zone consists of many locations from the film series, with a landmark in the form of "Far Far Away Castle". Character appearances include Shrek, Donkey, Puss in Boots, Princess Fiona, Pinocchio and Prince Charming.[75]
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (June 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrek 4-D Adventure | 3-D Show with Added Effects | A 3-D stereoscopic show with physical effects.[76] | Showing |
| Puss in Boots' Giant Journey | Steel Inverted roller coaster | A one of a kind Zamperla Nineinverted coaster based on the Puss in Boots spin-off franchise. The exterior entrance is themed to the ruins of a large castle, overgrown in ivy. In the queue, Puss and Kitty Softpaws introduce riders to the attraction's story, which involves them stealing eggs from a giant goose to save an orphanage. The nine guests per ride-vehicle experience the story throughout the rollercoaster via the vehicle's speaker system, and by passing several lifesize statues of Puss, Kitty, a giant goose, and its children.[77] | Operating |
| Enchanted Airways | Steel Junior Roller Coaster | A junior roller coaster that passes through the area, with trains modeled after Dragon from Shrek. Throughout the ride, guests encounter statues of fairy tale characters and environments from the Shrek franchise as well. The queue is located within a medieval-style tent.[78] | Operating |
| Donkey Live | Live Show/Performance | An interactive live show using digital puppetry technology, which features Donkey entertaining and engaging guests.[79] | Showing |
| Magic Potion Spin | Kiddy Ferris Wheel | A miniature Ferris wheel for children themed to a part of a potion assembly line. The ride is located within the Fairy Godmother's Potion Shop.[80] | Operating |
| Fairy Godmother's Potion Shop | Retail Outlet | A retail outlet with memorabilia, drinks and gifts from the Shrek franchise.[62][81] | Open |
| Fairy Godmother's Juice Bar | F&B Outlet | A drink store that sells juices themed to look like magical concoctions.[53] | Temporarily Closed |
| Goldilocks | F&B Outlet | A food outlet that sells fried chicken, fish and chips, chicken sandwiches, mash potatoes with gravy, coleslaw, and French fries. Halal-certified. | Open |
| Friar's | F&B Outlet | A food stand that sells hot and cold sandwich wraps with potato chips.[58] | Temporarily Closed[59] |
Upcoming attractions
Minion Land
Minion Land is inspired by Illumination's Despicable Me franchise.
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (June 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Despicable Me Minion Mayhem | Motion Simulator | A 3D motion simulator where guests are transformed into Minions and undergo training. Meanwhile, Gru's daughters try to give Gru a present to commemorate the anniversary of their adoption. | Under Construction |
| Unnamed flat ride attraction | Unknown | A "world’s first original ride exclusive to Universal Studios Singapore".[82] | Under Construction |
| Unnamed carousel attraction | Carousel | This ride will be a re-theme of King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round. | Under Construction |
In addition, there will be a variety of "themed shops and restaurants" in this area. Construction began in the second quarter of 2022, and it is currently expected to open at some point in 2024.[83][84]
Super Nintendo World
Super Nintendo World is inspired by Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario.
It is currently unknown if this iteration of Super Nintendo World will be similar to Universal Studios Hollywood's version or Universal Studios Japan's version or a completely new version altogether.[85] The area is expected to open as soon as 2025.[86]
Former attractions
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Madagascar
Madagascar was inspired by the DreamWorks Animation franchise of the same name. The zone featured a tropical jungle theming as well as two rides.[87] The majority of this land closed on the 27 March 2022, with the exception of the carousel King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round, which closed later that year, and will be re-themed and re-decorated with Despicable Me characters to reopen as a Despicable Me carousel in 2024. Character appearances included Alex, Gloria, King Julien, Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico.
| Name | Type | Notes | Status (June 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madagascar: A Crate Adventure | Water Boat Ride | A river boat ride with animatronics, digital projection and surround sound, housed within the hull of a displaced cargo ship. This attraction features the voices of actors heard in the movies such as Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith throughout the ride. Closed on 27 March 2022.[20] | Permanently Closed |
| King Julien's Beach Party-Go-Round | Carousel | A carousel ride themed and decorated with all the characters of Madagascar.[88] Closed for refurbishment in mid-2022. | Permanently Closed |
| Penguin Mercantile | Retail Outlet | A retail outlet located at the exit of 'Madagascar: A Crate Adventure' that sells plush hats, key fobs, T-shirts and other merchandise inspired by the Madagascar franchise,[81] as well as on-ride photos for 'Madagascar: A Crate Adventure'. Closed on 27 March 2022.[62][87] | Permanently Closed |
| Marty's Casa Del Wild Food Court | F&B Outlet | A café based on the first movie. The restaurant is hosted by Marty the Zebra and serves a variety of South East Asian specialties such as Nasi Padang, Pad Thai, Chicken Rice, Thai Green Chicken Curry, Tom Yum Soup and Asian Rotisserie Chicken. Closed on 27 March 2022.[1] | Permanently Closed |
| Gloria's Snack Shack | F&B Outlet | A food store hosted by Gloria the Hippo, which offers some Japanese-inspired quick bites[53] such as yakitori, rice bowls and drinks. Closed on 27 March 2022.[1][58] | Permanently Closed |
Notes
References
External links
