How big a fan are you of theme parks? For me, I like them and think they make for a great day of getaway fun. But if I’m travelling, theme parks are not a priority for me. Part of the reason is because I dislike (and do not get on) any rides that are even a little bit fast or scary, so everyone’s always telling me that I’m missing the whole point of theme parks!
See, I’ve never liked roller coasters and always stayed away from them, but when I was in uni, I went to Hong Kong’s Ocean Park with my friends and while I had so much fun, I also had a terrifying experience riding something called “The Flash”… (google it if you don’t know lol!) For some reason, at the time I thought it was a better choice than a roller coaster ride, but it was THE WORST and just.. never again!
For me, the appeal of theme parks has always been the performances, the shows, the cute themed foods and the fantasy aspect of feeling like you’re in a different world. :) My favourite theme park? Disneyland, of course! :) I’ve only been to Hong Kong Disneyland so far, but would love to visit Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea one day!
There is no Disneyland in Singapore, but there is a Universal Studios Singapore (aka USS), and since I’m a huge fan of movies and going to the cinema, I’m happy with this option too. In April, as a work break, I bought my tickets and finally went to USS for the very first time! USS was having a celebration for 50 years of Sesame Street in April, which is why there were Sesame Street themed decor, foods, merch and special performances during my visit. :) There was a particular “Elmo’s Chicken Burger” with bright red buns and Elmo’s face on it that seemed really popular at Mel’s Drive-In, but I just got the regular burger and a strawberry milkshake instead.
Talking about Mel’s Drive-In, there was actually a live singing and dancing performance called Turntables right there on the mini stage, where the performers would perform along to different categories of songs and music depending on what the jukebox lands on after audience members spin the spinning wheel of the jukebox. I loved it! :) Here’s a little snippet from their Beyoncé performance!
If you’re like me and don’t enjoy scary rides, I spend my days at theme parks skipping majority of the rides (saves so much time too!) and scheduling my day around catching almost every performance and show, eating and shopping. :) It takes up the whole day! At USS, they put out a printed schedule for the day listing out every performance for the day you’re visiting (because performances vary depending on the day/month you visit), with timings and locations. (Here’s a photo for reference.) I grabbed a copy right at the entrance, where they put it together with the park maps.
So, what kind of theme park visitor are you? Rides, performances, snacks or a mix of everything? :) Let me know your favourite theme park!
Universal Studios Singapore
Address: 8 Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Island
Hours: Open daily at 10am
(Closing hours vary – refer to their calendar for closing times here)
Website – Facebook – Instagram – Tickets prices/purchase here