Thursday, October 8, 2009

Where ogres, penguins and a Dragon reign

[Written by Jimmy S from Projects]


Among the six zones in Universal Studios Singapore, DreamWorks is the largest in terms of footprint size; it takes up nearly the whole northern section of the park. In fact it may even be considered two zones!

Some of you may have read the press release announcing collaboration between USS and Dreamworks. If that has whet your appetite and you want to know a little bit more, dive on in!

This huge zone is separated into two distinctly themed areas: Far Far Away and Madagascar.

Far Far Away on the eastern region revolves around the fairy tale world of Shrek. Entering from the east, expect to be awed by the 40-metre high Far Far Away Castle as you pass under the castle wall’s archway to be greeted by attractions and sights featuring the now familiar names of Shrek, Gingerbread Man and of course the quirky Donkey, among others.

If you head towards the eastern wing of the castle, you’ll come across the Donkey LIVE show, where guests get to interact with the lovable Donkey in a theatre setting. I wonder whether there will be a real life Donkey character in there…

If you head towards the castle entrance proper, you will reach the location of Shrek 4-D. Be indulged in a whole new, never-been-seen-before Shrek adventure, where you’ll be in for a treat of 3-D cinematography, complete with special glasses as well as seats that come equipped with all kinds of (hidden) contraptions to bring your 3-D experience into the next dimension, hence the name Shrek 4-D.

Nestled in between Shrek 4-D (in the main keep) and Donkey LIVE (in the east wing), you’ll come across the Fairy Godmother’s Potion Shop, perfect for those looking for memorabilia and gifts to bring away. Not only that, right at the back of this shop, you’ll stumble across a miniature Ferris wheel, the Magic Potion Spin, an attraction in itself, where the countless potions for sale are actually made, or so we are made to believe! Hop on and maybe, just maybe, you may get sprinkled with some magical powers during the ride.

After all that, you can cross Romeo Drive and visit either Goldilocks Fried Chicken “Tastes just right!” or Friar’s Good Food (or both!) to quench your thirst and satiate your hunger. When your belly is full and you are ready to adventure on, head on west and…

You will see, on your left, the Enchanted Airways. This is merely a moniker for a ride on the back of a dragon! Hop onto the Dragon (that female dragon that’s enamored with Donkey) and coast along to sights from the World of Shrek. This ride is fit for the whole family, so parents can join their young children for this adventure.

It is then time to bid farewell to Shrek and friends. And it’s time to move it, move it to the land of the lemurs, the Foosa and the cast from Madagascar.

If you haven’t had enough to munch on previously, or if you want to try the tastes of Madagascar, head on to Casa de Wild right beside Far Far Away Castle. Or you can keep your tummy space for later and visit Madagascar: A Crate Adventure.

Follow the quartet of Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria of the Madagascar fame on their adventure after the ship they were on ended up beached on the shores of Madagascar. As this is a flume ride – a crate ride to be exact – be prepared to get slightly soaked while taking in the sights of lush jungles to forbidding volcano, to meeting the lemurs and the erratic King Julien. You may even get to show off some of your dance moves.

Of course we must not forget the surprisingly charming though thoroughly psychotic penguins; in fact they are undoubtedly the reason you – and the quartet – are stranded in Madagascar in the first place.

Once you are done saving the world (or saving the lemurs), grab some memorabilia and/or photos of yourself during the adventure on your way back out at the Penguin Mercantile – the penguins never fail in trying to take you unawares.

Right across the street, you will see the domain of the King Julien and the lemurs where you will find the King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round. This is a carousel ride meant for the young – sorry folks, adults not allowed. As the kids spin around, be prepared to be assailed by King Julien and his repertoire of high-energy dance music. Now if only he can shut up for a while…

After you get away from the incessant King Julien, now it’s time to eat some more! Visit either Gloria’s Snack Shack right beside the carousel or head back towards Casa de Wild.

And that’s about a short preview of Dreamworks. Phew! Right about now, I should be getting a nice pina colada at Gloria’s Snack Shack, if only I can fast forward into the future. I can wish, can’t I?

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