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Going to Universal Studios Singapore? Here are some extreme attractions you should try

By John Patrick Magno Ranara Published Mar 29, 2024 5:59 pm

If you’ve been following Filipino celebrities, you’ve probably seen some of them having a blast at Universal Studios during their out-of-the-country trips.

With theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, Beijing, and Singapore, these tourist destinations have become a place for local stars like the Sotto family, Camille Prats, Yasmien Kurdi, Maine Mendoza, Maja Salvador, MJ Lastimosa, Kim Chiu, and Bela Padilla to make some fun memories with their loved ones.

PhilSTAR L!fe recently got a chance to explore the Universal Studios theme park in Singapore and give some of their attractions a try. But we didn’t just go for the usual—we made sure to swallow our fears and buckle up our seatbelts at some of the theme park’s most breathtaking rides.

If you're looking to visit the adventure spot someday, check out our roundup of some extreme attractions you shouldn't miss for a memorable experience.

Regular tickets for the theme park cost S$83 (P3,454), but if you want to skip the lines, you may opt to add an express pass, which costs an additional S$80 (P3,329).

Revenge of the Mummy
Entrance of Revenge of the Mummy

From its mysterious exterior that boasts large statues of Anubis, the Egyptian god of mummification, you might think that Revenge of the Mummy is going to be a haunted house filled with cheap jumpscares meant to elicit a quick scream out of you.

But if you haven’t done your research, just like this writer, you’d find out that this ride is much more terrifying than a haunted house and will do more than just make you scream your lungs out.

Based on the The Mummy film franchise, Revenge of the Mummy starts with your mine car moving deeper into the tomb. Numerous elements such as blazing fires, soldier mummies statues jumping out, and a voice warning you about how the Egyptian curse is real all contribute to the foreboding feeling of what’s to come.

At the height of the ride, you’ll be subjected to a sudden 180-degree turn before being catapulted up to 40 mph as a voice shouts “Your souls are mine!” The ride then reaches a climactic drop of 39 feet, the highest drop in the ride.

Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure
Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is perfect for dinosaur lovers.

If you’re not a fan of getting wet, then you may want to move on to another ride instead. But if you’re a sucker for spectacular dinosaur animatronics with amazing detail and a wild adventure in the water, then Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is your dream attraction come true.

Located only at Universal Studios Singapore, Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure is a river rafting ride where you’ll be boarded on a nine-person circular raft on a conveyor belt. 

The ride starts slow, and you’ll get to marvel at many dinosaur species depicted in the Jurassic Park film series, such as a Stegosaurus, a Parasaurolophus, Velociraptors, and more.

When you get further into the ride, the track becomes totally dark as you are shunted into an elevator with calls for help echoing around you. You will then ascend and stop close to a Tyrannosaurus poking its head through the ceiling and snapping at you.

You will then fall down a slope from a height of 40 feet, drenching you in water as you hit the bottom. Unless you want to get soaked, you might want to rent a raincoat for S$3 (P168). If you’re feeling adventurous, there are also drying booths stationed outside that you can use for S$5 (P281).

Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon
Battlestar Galactica around sunset

This ride that’s only located at the park’s Singapore branch has the distinction of being the tallest dueling coasters in the world, reaching up to 139 feet in height.

For the “Human” coaster, the ride features standard seated cars that make it “less scary” than its Cylon counterpart, but it's actually a lot faster in comparison and has more gravitational forces that may give you the adrenaline rush of a lifetime.

As you’re lifted to the peak by a chain lift mechanism, you should gather up the courage to look around and take in the breathtaking sights of your surroundings while you still have the chance. This is because it could take your breath away when you get your first drop. The ride then gains even more speed as you go on.

You’ll get even more of an exhilarating adventure in the air with the “Cylon” coaster. Here, the ride is inverted, meaning the seats are under the track and it leaves you suspended with your legs dangling freely below. 

It’s an intense rush that plunges you through five inversions, including a five-meter deep pit filled with artificial fog that mimics the sensation of a near miss with the ground.

Enchanted Airways
You're in for a scream-inducing trip at Enchanted Airways.

At the theme park, you may find yourself drawn into Shrek's magical fairy tale world of Far Far Away. At Universal Studios Singapore, there's an attraction where you can climb aboard Donkey’s beloved Dragon for a flight over the canopies of the forests.

But don't be fooled by this seemingly family-friendly roller coaster as it can still give you one scream-inducing trip as you're lifted to a height of 43 feet—where you can get a gorgeous view of the surrounding lagoon and other areas of the park—before you're dropped down into two downward spirals and into more exciting twists and turns.

If you're brave enough to open your eyes and look around, you'll notice some themed elements and characters from the animated film franchise, including Shrek's Swamp, the Tree Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf, Gingy, and Pinocchio.

Puss in Boots' Giant Journey
Puss in Boots' Giant Journey offers a short but thrilling ride.

Here's another Shrek-themed ride that's probably the most tame one out of all in this list.

In Puss in Boots' Giant Journey, you'll enter the remains of a castle that's overgrown in ivy where Puss and his fellow feline thief Kitty Softpaws will brief you on how you're about to enter a dangerous journey to steal golden eggs up the giant magical beanstalk to save the orphanage, much like the plot of the 2011 film the ride is based on.

At first, you may think that you can just breeze through the ride easy-peasy, but once you're on the carriage, which is lifted up in a spiral formation inside the castle turret, you may feel a shiver of anticipation at what's to come.

While hardcore roller coaster fans probably won't fall in love with this ride as the trip is short, it's nevertheless a thrilling ride for newbies who are looking for alternatives to the more extreme ones like Revenge of the Mummy and Battlestar Galactica.